Clean burning wood - is this a pipedream?

Posted by Tony on October 25, 2009, 11:08 am

cshenk wrote:

> "Harry K" wrote
> Dan Musicant wrote:
>

>>> So I was talking to an insurance agent the other day and the
>>> conversation turned to home insurance and the fact that I don't have
>>> central heating. That fact seems to be a showstopper when applying for
>>> standard home owner's policies (I currently have California Fair Plan

>
> That makes no sense. Central heating isnt a requirement for insurance.
> Space heaters are perfectly legal and many all electric homes have them.

A guy I know built a log cabin long ago and paid cash. 20 years later
he applied for a home equity loan and was denied because he only had a
woodstove for heat. He ended up installing a central heating boiler and
used old cast iron radiators for looks, then after being inspected his
loan was approved.

Posted by Wayne Whitney on October 24, 2009, 2:26 pm

> Wayne, are you there? Wayne Whitney who traffics this newsgroup

Yo! My trafficking is fairly irregular these days, it was chance that
I noticed your post.

> told me that fireplaces release particulate matter which has been
> shown to shorten one life.

Right, but most of those are emitted outside, so you'd be shortening
your neighbor's lives, not your own. Of course, if your fireplace has
a drafting problem, you could get smoke and particulates inside.

The best option pollution wise is to get an EPA-certified wood burning
insert in your fireplace. They have some form of afterburner or
catalyst to burn wood more cleanly. Plus you could improve the
efficiency of using the fireplace to heat the house, as you should be
able to arrange to use outside air for combustion and just blow the
heat into the house. Much more efficient than a conventional
fireplace.

However, the expense of the insert and/or necessary chimney
improvements or liners may be prohibitive.

Cheers, Wayne

Posted by LouB on October 24, 2009, 10:29 pm

Wayne Whitney wrote:

>> Wayne, are you there? Wayne Whitney who traffics this newsgroup

>
> Yo! My trafficking is fairly irregular these days, it was chance that
> I noticed your post.
>

>> told me that fireplaces release particulate matter which has been
>> shown to shorten one life.

>
> Right, but most of those are emitted outside, so you'd be shortening
> your neighbor's lives, not your own. Of course, if your fireplace has
> a drafting problem, you could get smoke and particulates inside.
>
> The best option pollution wise is to get an EPA-certified wood burning
> insert in your fireplace. They have some form of afterburner or
> catalyst to burn wood more cleanly. Plus you could improve the
> efficiency of using the fireplace to heat the house, as you should be
> able to arrange to use outside air for combustion and just blow the
> heat into the house. Much more efficient than a conventional
> fireplace.
>
> However, the expense of the insert and/or necessary chimney
> improvements or liners may be prohibitive.
>
> Cheers, Wayne

Thia Old House just had a show with that. Inserts are expensive!

Posted by Bob F on October 25, 2009, 3:13 am

LouB wrote:

> Wayne Whitney wrote:

>>> Wayne, are you there? Wayne Whitney who traffics this newsgroup

>> Yo! My trafficking is fairly irregular these days, it was chance
>> that I noticed your post.

>>> told me that fireplaces release particulate matter which has been
>>> shown to shorten one life.

>> Right, but most of those are emitted outside, so you'd be shortening
>> your neighbor's lives, not your own. Of course, if your fireplace
>> has a drafting problem, you could get smoke and particulates inside.
>> The best option pollution wise is to get an EPA-certified wood
>> burning insert in your fireplace. They have some form of
>> afterburner or catalyst to burn wood more cleanly. Plus you could
>> improve the efficiency of using the fireplace to heat the house, as
>> you should be able to arrange to use outside air for combustion and
>> just blow the heat into the house. Much more efficient than a
>> conventional fireplace.
>> However, the expense of the insert and/or necessary chimney
>> improvements or liners may be prohibitive.
>> Cheers, Wayne

> Thia Old House just had a show with that. Inserts are expensive!

I bought my EPA certified insert with most of the stainless chimney liner used
for $300. Replaced the "afterburner" tubes in the top for $40 or something like
that. There are ways.

It heats well, and rarely has visible smoke after the initial few minutes.

And I get way more heat from it, and less heat loss up the chimney then a
fireplace could ever provide.

Posted by Harry K on October 25, 2009, 11:15 am

> LouB wrote:

> > Wayne Whitney wrote:

> >>> Wayne, are you there? Wayne Whitney who traffics this newsgroup
> >> Yo! =A0My trafficking is fairly irregular these days, it was chance
> >> that I noticed your post.
> >>> told me that fireplaces release particulate matter which has been
> >>> shown to shorten one life.
> >> Right, but most of those are emitted outside, so you'd be shortening
> >> your neighbor's lives, not your own. =A0Of course, if your fireplace
> >> has a drafting problem, you could get smoke and particulates inside.
> >> The best option pollution wise is to get an EPA-certified wood
> >> burning insert in your fireplace. =A0They have some form of
> >> afterburner or catalyst to burn wood more cleanly. =A0Plus you could
> >> improve the efficiency of using the fireplace to heat the house, as
> >> you should be able to arrange to use outside air for combustion and
> >> just blow the heat into the house. =A0Much more efficient than a
> >> conventional fireplace.
> >> However, the expense of the insert and/or necessary chimney
> >> improvements or liners may be prohibitive.
> >> Cheers, Wayne

> > Thia Old House just had a show with that. =A0Inserts are expensive!

> I bought my EPA certified insert with most of the stainless chimney liner=

used

> for $300. Replaced the "afterburner" tubes in the top for $40 or somethin=

g like

> that. There are ways.
> It heats well, and rarely has visible smoke after the initial few minutes=

> And I get way more heat from it, and less heat loss up the chimney then a
> fireplace could ever provide.- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -

True about the efficiency. Of course _anything_ is more effectient
than a fireplace. They are the most efficient wasters of wood known
to man...well, an open pit would be worse I suppose.

Harry K

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Clean burning wood - is this a pipedream? - Page 2