There is a lot to recommend wood-burning stoves: They’re fun, satisfying to use and, with the rising cost of fossil fuels, increasingly economical. But for all the cottage-coziness they offer, they can also be both harmful to the environment and unsafe if not properly operated and maintained.
Wood-burning stoves built before 1990 are generally inefficient and eco-unfriendly because they lack catalytic converters, which reduce the soot particles released into the air by up to 90%. Stoves with catalytic converters also work more efficiently: newer models turn just 20% of the heat into wasted smoke versus 65% in older ones. By current EPA standards, stoves should release no more than two grams of smoke per hour, but stoves without catalytic converters release up to 30. For more details, go to www.epa.gov/compliance/epa-certified-wood-heater-database.
Photo credit: Mary Jenkins
Despite the cleaner smoke produced by newer wood-burning stoves, the American Lung Association still advises that people with chronic lung disease, such as asthma or emphysema, find an alternative heat source. Even in small amounts, the particles in smoke can be a health hazard to these sufferers. For those who can safely use a wood-burning stove, proper care and use is the key to its safe, efficient operation.
Be patient when starting the fire. Don’t use flammables like gasoline, kerosene, propane torches or coal, which not only pose a fire hazard but are also toxic. Instead try fatwood, kindling or wood chips. Use firewood that’s been seasoned—meaning that it has been split, covered and stored for at least six months. It should be dry to avoid smoldering and smoking. Don’t burn paper, garbage or wood that’s been treated, stained or painted; the smoke from these products contains noxious chemicals like benzene, arsenic, formaldehyde and methane. Make sure there is adequate ventilation. Whether you use a wood-burning stove or a fireplace, you should never smell smoke in your house if the fire is burning properly.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors should be in working order, with a fire extinguisher nearby. Have your stove inspected annually by a licensed professional who will also check the stovepipe, where creosote (tarry soot) can build up and interfere with airflow or lead to chimney fires. Because ashes can also restrict airflow, put on gloves and clean them out before each fire. If you store the ashes outside, put them in a metal can with a lid to avoid spillage and loss from wind gusts. When the can is full, dump it away from vegetation; ash alkalinity will kill most plants. (Consider using the ashes to fill holes and ruts in your gravel driveway. The rain helps them solidify into a black cement-like substance.)
Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) counsels against banking a fire overnight because it’s unattended, you may have to if this is your home’s sole source of heating. Keep the coals together toward the front of the stove, and stack five or six logs tightly behind them, to the stove’s back wall. Make sure that the front log touches the coals and that the stove doors are closed. Details on fire banking techniques can be found on many helpful websites, such as https://www.trybackyardfarming.com/wood-burning-stove-burn-bank-and-relight/.