Wood burning and the environment

[Deleted]

Burning wood produces environmental impacts. That is why it must be done responsibly.

Responsible wood heating should be defended from criticism that it is bad for the environment. In fact it should be promoted on environmental grounds.

When we talk about the impact of wood burning on the environment we should consider three distinct forms of impact:

1.) smoke pollution outdoors
2.)indoor air pollution
3.)the impact on the health of the forest.

Even though there are these three different forms of impact, being responsible is not such a complicated task. Responsible wood heating is so straightforward that its main requirements can be stated in a single sentence, like this one:

Burn sustainably harvested, properly processed and seasoned fuel in an advanced combustion stove or fireplace that is vented through a chimney that runs straight up through the building.

It sounds so simple, but as you can imagine, there are some complex issues and layers of meaning under the surface of the words. Here is a brief explanation.

Properly processed wood is cut to the correct length and split to the correct range of sizes for the appliance. Having wood the right length and range of size makes it easy to build good, clean burning fires.

Properly seasoned fuel is processed in the spring and stacked in an area open to sun and wind for the summer. You cannot burn without smoke if you are using wet wood.

Sustainable harvesting involves selective, uneven age cutting so that an acceptable level of biomass and biodiversity is maintained permanently on the site.

Advanced combustion stoves and fireplaces burn wood about 90 per cent cleaner and one-third more efficiently than older conventional appliances. That means a lot less smoke outside and lower forest impacts because less wood is used.

Here is a bonus: The same advanced appliance characteristics that result in lower outdoor emissions also result in less chance that smoke will be spilled inside the house.

The chimney should run inside the house because if it runs up an outside wall there is a good chance that smoke, odors and cold air will flow backwards into the house.

We should all be working towards environmentally appropriate wood heating.

[chickenfarmer]

Thanks for the great info XDX

[Deleted]

Nice post X..........now come on down and help me with the cookin...........

[Deleted]

Here I come bro bring on da vittles!!
WHOA WAIT I gots to do da cookin??
Im on it!!

[chickenfarmer]

[douglas]

OMG

[crazy1]

Yup dats X

[jack]

Gidday

And before anyone tries to knock the burning of wood for any sort of energy, stop and think what the alternative is. Unless all your electricity comes from hydro the chances are that wood burning has far less effect on the enviroment than electricity. Vertually all other forms of energy are actually more harmful in the long run than the burning of wood.

[douglas]

I still like using wood burning stoves, have saved alot of $$$ using dem and it smells great on the holidays

[ssandna]

so all I have is a chimney that runs up the outside wall and a moderately newish stove (10-12 yrs) what I have been doing is burning things pretty hot and I don't see much smoke outside and none inside cause I do believe the stuff I read about little kids and smoke particulated fouling up they little lungsies. I never damp the flue down while I am burning and still stays plenty warm. I do burn well seasoned and harvested wood. How do I know if I am getting it cut to the right length?

[crazy1]

I also burn wood for 80% of our heat. I damper the flue down to about 1/4 open after the fire has heated the flue and chimney. The size of the wood is cut right if you can handle it easily. Never get wood that is too heavy or bulky for you to handle safley.

[Deleted]

ssandna said:

so all I have is a chimney that runs up the outside wall and a moderately newish stove (10-12 yrs) what I have been doing is burning things pretty hot and I don't see much smoke outside and none inside cause I do believe the stuff I read about little kids and smoke particulated fouling up they little lungsies. I never damp the flue down while I am burning and still stays plenty warm. I do burn well seasoned and harvested wood. How do I know if I am getting it cut to the right length?

This is Kinda long but great tips hope it helps!

20 Tips for firewood preparation.

1. Very hard woods like oak and maple are not good fuel for the relatively mild weather in spring and fall because their high density makes controlling heat output more difficult.
2. Softer woods like poplar, aspen, willow, spruce and pine are better when heat demand is low because they light easily, burn quickly and don't leave a long lasting charcoal bed.
3. Firewood should be processed in early spring to be ready for burning that fall (exceptions: 1. large pieces of hard wood like oak may take more than the summer months to season; 2. drying in damp maritime climates can take longer).
4. Piece length should be at least 3" shorter than the firebox.
5. Shorter pieces are easier to handle and make fire maintenance easier; 14" to 16" is a good length.
6. Split the logs to a variety of sizes, from 3" to 6" at the largest cross sectional dimension. Most commercial firewood is not split small enough for convenient fire management.
7. The larger the stove or furnace, the larger the pieces can be, but never larger than 8" diameter.
8. Tree tops and wind falls can be used for firewood down to less than 2" diameter.
9. Never leave firewood in a pile on the ground for more than a couple of days. Wet wood on the ground quickly attracts bugs and mold.
10. Wood should be stacked in an open area exposed to sun and wind for the summer. Green wood will not season properly in a wood shed or in deep shade.
11. Stack wood on rails to keep it off the ground.
12. The triangular shape of split pieces wedge together as they are stacked and help to make the pile stable.
13. The more quickly the surface of the pieces dries, the less chance there is of molding and bug infestation
14. Cover just the tops of firewood stacks.
15. Avoid stacking more than four feet high because tall piles become unstable.
16. Shorter firewood pieces (12" - 14") make for narrow tippy stacks; use sticks propped against each side of the piles so wind doesn't blow them over.
17. When seasoned, usually by late September, the wood can be moved to winter bulk storage where it should be fully sheltered from rain and snow.
18. The ideal winter storage is close to, but not inside, the house.
19. Avoid storing large amounts of wood in the house because mold spores and moisture can affect indoor air quality, a potential problem for people with asthma and other lung diseases.
20. Bring in wood to warm up before burning, but only one or two week's supply at a time.

[douglas]

This is what I'm going to do when I get a hold of one of these buggerts

[jack]

Gidday

Why the right angle turn in the flue

[crazy1]

Well jack thats not the flu. Thats the hot air duct off the wood add-on. It's a right angle because the air goes around the fire box and exits on the top. So right angle into your cold air return usually. That way the gas never icks on. Oh Doug got one on sale fer a dang good price, Used 1 yr and will definatly heat your house without a problem. And got wood you coud cut, all you want Bro seasond to.

[Pharmer Phil]

thats True Crazy, but where on the pictured unit is da flue??
looks like the drawing left dat out!

[crazy1]

On the back where the C/A return comes in, below that duct is where the flu is located. But you can't see it in the picture.

[douglas]

Check yer box bro