Burn it Smart!

Safer More Efficient Healthier

Objectives of the Workshop

• To help you: • burn wood

SAFELY

• burn wood more

EFFICIENTLY

• keep your family and community

HEALTHY

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Agenda

1. Stoves, Fireplaces and Central Heaters 2. The new clean burn technologies 3. The Chimney 4. Safe Wood Heat Systems Break 5. Wood Smoke and Your Health 6. Maintaining Your Wood Heating System 7. Firewood 8. How to Burn Without Smoke 3

What is a renewable energy resource?

• Hydro-electric • Solar power • Wind power • Biomass energy (wood) 4

5 Graphic courtesy ICC/RSF

The Appliance: Stove Fireplace or Central Heater

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Wood Stoves Conventional

stoves are usually older and have no features to reduce smoke

Advanced technology

EPA certified wood stoves burn cleanly and efficiently 7

Conventional Wood Stoves

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Advanced Wood Stoves

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Pellet stoves

• A clean burning option • Pellets are made from sawdust that is ground, dried and compressed • These stoves can operate up to 24 hours unattended 10

Conventional Fireplaces

• Conventional masonry and conventional factory-built fireplaces are not efficient and are not suitable for home heating • They are also a source of air pollution 11

Fireplace Inserts

• A fireplace insert can transform a conventional fireplace into an efficient heating system.

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High efficiency fireplaces

• Advanced technology fireplaces have the same combustion features as advanced wood stoves 13

Masonry heaters

• A masonry heater is a low smoke, high efficiency heating option 14

Central Heating

• Most wood furnaces and boilers are not clean burning and efficient 15

Outdoor boilers

• Their large, simple fireboxes make clean burning difficult.

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Advanced Wood Burning Technology

Advanced technologies offer several advantages, including: • Much higher efficiency • Much less smoke pollution • Greater safety because less creosote is formed • Burn less wood for more heat 17

Two types of advanced combustion:

1. Catalytic • uses catalyst to clean up exhaust 2. Non-catalytic advanced • most common type in Canada 18

Inside a catalytic wood stove

Smoke passes through a catalytic honeycomb that lowers smoke ignition temperature 19

Inside a ‘non-cat’ wood stove

1. Firebox insulation 2. A large baffle 3. Preheated combustion air 20

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Compare old with new: Overall Efficiency 40 – 50% 60 – 80%

Graphic adapted from California EPA publications 23

Save up to one-third

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A clean burning furnace

• At least one EPA certified wood furnace is now available.

• If you want a central heating furnace, consider only an EPA certified model.

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A cleaner burning outdoor boiler

• A new generation of outdoor boilers recently became available. • If considering an OB, choose only one that is EPA certified.

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When you shop for a wood burning appliance:

• Look for one that is EPA certified.

• Ask your dealer to show you advanced stoves and fireplaces.

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The Chimney

Masonry Chimney Metal Chimney 28

Why outside chimneys are a big problem:

• Cold air flows down them, filling the house with smoke and odours.

• More restriction: at least two 90 ° changes of direction.

• Creosote forms faster.

• The chimney parts cost more.

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Inside chimneys work better because:

• An inside chimney stays warm and always produces some draft, even when no fire burns.

• An inside chimney can be located above the appliance for a straighter system and better performance.

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The ideal: straight up!

• Provides stronger, more stable draft • Does not cold backdraft • Less creosote formation • Needs less maintenance 31

Safe wood heat systems

• A Guide to Residential Wood Heating has an overview of wood heat safety rules.

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Codes contain reliable rules for:

• Floor pads • Single wall flue pipe • Double wall flue pipe • Appliance clearances • Clearance reduction using shields 33

For new or changed systems:

A building permit is mandatory • The permit will result in an inspection Inform your insurance company • A new installation or change could change your insurance policy • Check with your agent to ensure that you will be covered 34

Dispose of ashes safely

• Ashes can stay hot for days and emit carbon monoxide • Put ashes in a

steel bucket

• Store the bucket

outside on concrete

, not on a wooden deck or near firewood 35

Think Safety

Smoke Detector Carbon Monoxide Detector Fire Extinguisher 36

Contact a professional!

• Look for the logo.

• Ask retailers, installers and sweeps if they are

WETT

certified.

• Call 1-888-358-9388 • Visit www.wettinc.ca

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BREAK

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The second half . . .

5. Wood Smoke and Your Health 6. Maintaining Your Wood Heating System 7. Firewood 8. How to Burn Without Smoke 39

Wood smoke and your health

• The spicy hint of wood smoke in the air might be pleasant . . .

BUT

• Wood smoke is not healthy to breathe.

• Everyone should avoid breathing wood smoke • Especially children, the elderly and those with respiratory ailments.

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Why you should not breathe wood smoke:

• Wood smoke, like all smoke, contains a number of toxic compounds • Some are linked to increased cancer risk and other lung diseases • Some make asthma and emphysema worse • There is a clear link between breathing smoke and respiratory health 41

How to avoid breathing wood smoke:

• Make sure your wood heating system is designed right and is in good shape • Burn only seasoned wood • Never let the fire smoulder • Avoid opening the loading door on a full fire.

• Learn to burn without smoke.

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If you or someone in your family has asthma, allergies or environmental sensitivities:

• Consider using other heating options.

• Be especially careful about wood smoke inside the house.

• Use only wood that is free of rot, mould and fungus.

• Bring only a small amount of wood into the house at a time.

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Do Burn Don’t Burn

• Clean, seasoned firewood • Just enough plain newspaper to get the fire started • Commercial fire starters are usually ok • Coated, painted or pressure treated wood • Salt water driftwood • Plywood, particle board or any wood with glue on or in it • Household garbage • Cardboard and paper products • Unseasoned wood 44

Maintaining your wood heating system

• Every wood burning system should be cleaned and inspected

at least once each year

.

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Chimney cleaning

• Some systems form large amounts of creosote quickly • Others rarely need cleaning • The only way to know is to check often Clay tile full of creosote Brush removing creosote 46

Appliance maintenance

• Check gaskets for looseness and wear • Wood heating dealers carry a variety of gasket types • Check door latches and hinges for fit and security 47

Firewood

Good fuel is the secret to efficiency

A cord of firewood

• A full cord measures 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet or 128 cu. ft. • At right are three “face” cords each measuring 4’ high by 8’ long by 16” wide, or 43 cu. ft. each or combined, one full cord.

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In early spring, the wood should be:

1. Cut to length 2. Split to a variety of sizes, and 3. Stacked on rails to keep it off the ground 4. Just the top covered (or not covered)

To be ready for burning in the fall

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Firewood Piece Length

East-west loading North-south loading 51

How to tell if wood is dry

1. There are cracks in the end grain 2. The wood darkens with aging 3. A freshly split face feels warm and dry 4. Dry wood sounds hollow, wet wood sounds dull 5. Burn some: if it hisses, it is much too wet 52

Reasons people burn wet wood:

1.Procrastination

2.Wishful Thinking

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What is the best wood to burn?

• All species have about the same heat energy per pound; the difference is in density • Don’t demand only high value hardwoods like maple and oak; they may be too rare to burn • Lower value, shorter lived species like birch and poplar make excellent firewood, but expect to pay less • In Canada’s north people burn spruce and poplar yet manage to stay warm 54

Moisture, mould & bugs

• Don’t bring wet wood into the house because it can lead to serious moisture problems and promote mould growth • Avoid rotted and mouldy firewood because it can cause allergic reactions and often doesn’t have much energy • Stressed, diseased trees attract bugs and are often used for firewood; check for bugs and always store firewood off the ground 55

Do Burn Don’t Burn

• Clean, seasoned firewood • Just enough plain newspaper to get the fire started • Commercial fire starters are usually ok.

• Coated, painted or pressure treated wood • Salt water driftwood • Plywood, particle board or any wood with glue on or in it • Household garbage • Cardboard and paper products • Unseasoned wood 56

Is there smoke coming from your chimney?

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Signs of poor wood burning practice

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How would you like to live downwind?

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How to burn without making smoke

1. Burn hot, bright fires 2. Before loading, rake your coals 3. Burn in cycles 4. Use smaller loads in mild weather 5. Let the space cool a little before loading 6. Fire each load hot before turning down 60

1. Burn hot, bright fires

• Wood should be flaming until it is reduced to charcoal • Never let a fire smoulder because smouldering wastes wood and makes a lot of smoke and creosote 61

2. Before loading, rake your coals

• Remove ash frequently to provide room for loading • Rake the live coals from the back to the front of the firebox • Place wood on and behind hot coals 62

3. Burn in cycles

• Don’t add one or two pieces an hour in an effort to produce steady heat output • Wood burns best in cycles • A cycle starts when wood is placed on and behind a raked coal bed • A cycle ends when the load is reduced to the same sized coal bed 63

4. Use smaller loads in mild weather

• In mild weather use several smaller pieces, not just fewer large pieces • Put on less wood at a time than you would in cold weather • Avoid long, smouldering fires Small load Mild weather Larger load Cold weather 64

6. Fire each load hot

• A new load cools the firebox, so it needs to be heated up again • Open the air control fully • Let the wood burn brightly until it is charred and the edges are glowing red • Only then should you reduce the air setting, but not enough to put out the flames 65

5. Let the space cool

• Ignore the fire until you notice the room, space or house cooling off • Then add the right amount of wood to suit the conditions 66

5 Ways to Control Heat Output

1. Fuel species: softer woods for mild weather 2. Load size: small load for mild weather 3. Load configuration: loose, crisscross for mild weather 4. Load orientation: east-west for mild weather 5. Reduce the air supply 67

Judge your progress, check your chimney!

• You can judge your progress towards clean burning by looking up at your chimney • A little smoke is normal just after loading • But a fire that is burning properly produces little or no visible smoke from the chimney • Check the chimney and judge your progress!

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A Burn it Smart Summary:

• • •

Safer

• Good system design • Less smoke, less creosote • Get advice from a WETT pro

More Efficient

• Smouldering wastes fuel • Flaming fires release the wood’s energy • Advanced technologies are effective, convenient

Healthier

• Less chance of smoke in your house • Reduced pollution in your neighbourhood 69

The Wood Heat Organization Inc.

and the woodpile Please visit us!

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Thank you for attending

Burn it Smart!

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