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How to Build a Safer Fire
Emily Lynne Ion
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Nothing puts you in the holiday mood more than the warmth and glow of a fireplace. For some, an indoor fire provides added warmth during winter, while for others, it creates a cozy home ambience. But the smoke from wood-burning stoves or hearths is a health risk, both indoors and outdoors. Smoke is made up of fine particles that, when released, can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause irritations like burning eyes and a runny nose, and aggravate illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma.
To build an effective fire requires good firewood (using the right wood in the right amount) and good fire building practices. The following practical steps will help you obtain the best efficiency from your wood stove or hearth, while also protecting the quality of indoor air and creating less environmental pollution.
* Burn dry, seasoned wood
Wood that’s been "seasoned" or dried for at least six months outside, burns hotter and cleaner than "green" wood. "Green" wood (which has a thin, green layer under the bark) appears yellowish, and crackles from evaporating moisture when burned. Dry wood appears darker, cracked at the ends, sounds hollow, and weighs less than "wet" wood, as the heavy moisture has already evaporated. To season wood adequately, shield it from the elements outdoors with a cover on top, but allow for side ventilation to allow airflow between the logs. The dry hot summer months are the best time to season wood. Allow six months to pass before burning.
* Burn hardwoods
Wood from deciduous trees (those that shed leaves in the fall) is harder than wood from coniferous trees, or evergreens, whose wood tends to be soft and sappy. Hardwoods – namely oak, maple, hickory, apple, and ash – burn hotter, longer, and cleaner than softwoods, such as pine, spruce, and fir. Hardwoods are not only environmentally safer, but also more economical: You can burn through a cord of softwood twice as quickly as a cord of hardwood.
* Burn only solid wood
Pressure-treated wood, particleboard, and plywood contain toxins, such as formaldehyde and arsenic, in their preservatives and adhesives. Also avoid burning plastics, newsprint and magazines in your stove or fireplace because the dyes may release harmful chemicals while burning. Start the fire with clean newspaper, but get rid of your piles of papers by recycling instead of burning. Never start a fire with gasoline, kerosene, charcoal starter, or a propane torch.
* Burn many logs at once
Once the fire is well stoked, fill the stove with large, long-burning loads to reduce the number of times you need to open the stove door for reloading, the primary means of introducing smoky pollutants into the indoor air. Try adding at least three pieces of wood each time, on and behind the mound of hot coals.
* Buy a wood stove made after 1992
Wood stoves made after 1992 meet tight U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions standards, so you can even buy a wood stove confidently on the used market if it dates from within a decade. The EPA recommends using a certified professional installer as the best way to ensure correct installation for ensured safety. A properly installed certified wood stove or fireplace insert always has a vent to the exterior and releases far less smoke through the chimney, overall emitting 60-80% less pollution into the envrionment.
* Think about installing a catalyst.
Many stoves are now fitted with catalysts – similar to catalytic converters on automobiles – that burn up smoke to reduce emissions to an absolute minimum. Older stoves can also be retrofitted with catalysts.
* Make hot fires
Catalysts burn smoke when they "light off," reaching temperatures of 350 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Most catalysts come equipped with a temperature monitor. Even without a catalyst, wood fires burn best hot, because they eat up all the carbon monoxide and other pollutants.
* Install carbon monoxide alarms.
When wood is not burned completely, the resulting smoke contains a number of chemicals, one of which is carbon monoxide (CO). CO is odorless and colorless, but exposure to it reduces your blood's ability to carry oxygen. The Underwriters Laboratory certifies carbon monoxide monitors, which beep in alarm if carbon monoxide levels increase. Carbon monoxide alarms should be placed on every floor of the house and near bedrooms.
* Sweep chimneys annually
Because an EPA certified wood stove burns more efficiently than older non-certified models, much less creosote builds up in the chimney. Creosote is a black, tar-like, combustible residue formed by wood gases that are not completely burned. Too much creosote can build up on the chimney lining, blocking the proper exhaust of smoke and raising the risk of a chimney fire. Chimney sweeps certified by The Chimney Safety Institute of America and the National Chimney Sweep Guild recommend a yearly chimney cleaning to avoid creosote build-up and potential risk.
EPA's Money Saving Tips:
* Look into getting your name on a list with local tree cutters who will drop wood at your home. This saves them from traveling to the landfill and paying dumping fees. It also reduces landfill dumping. Plus, you’ll end up with some free firewood.
* You can reduce overall heating needs and heating bills by improving the insulation in your home; caulking around windows, doors, and pipes to seal air gaps; and adding weather-stripping to doors and windows. EPA's Energy Star Home Improvement provides information on home sealing.
Posted by Don Pinder on 12/10 at 06:13 PM
This is a great site filled with useful information. Well done!
Posted by Ferienwohnung Leutasch on 11/23 at 05:30 AM
Nowadays there’s been a lot of fire accidents. I highly recommend that they read this article to learn the proper method of burning. Thanks again, I learned something.