Title: Burn it Smart!
1Burn it Smart!
- Safer
- More Efficient
-
- Healthier
2Objectives of the Workshop
- To help you
- burn wood SAFELY
- burn wood more EFFICIENTLY
- keep your family and community HEALTHY
3Agenda
- Stoves, Fireplaces and Central Heaters
- The new clean burn technologies
- The Chimney
- Safe Wood Heat SystemsBreak
- Wood Smoke and Your Health
- Maintaining Your Wood Heating System
- Firewood
- How to Burn Without Smoke
4What is a renewable energy resource?
- Hydro-electric
- Solar power
- Wind power
- Biomass energy (wood)
5Graphic courtesy ICC/RSF
6The ApplianceStoveFireplace orCentral Heater
7Wood Stoves
- Conventional stoves are usually older and have no
features to reduce smoke - Advanced technology EPA certified wood stoves
burn cleanly and efficiently
8Conventional Wood Stoves
9Advanced Wood Stoves
10Pellet 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
11Conventional 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
12Fireplace Inserts
- A fireplace insert can transform a conventional
fireplace into an efficient heating system.
13High efficiency fireplaces
- Advanced technology fireplaces have the same
combustion features as advanced wood stoves
14Masonry heaters
- A masonry heater is a low smoke, high efficiency
heating option
15Central Heating
- Most wood furnaces and boilers are not clean
burning and efficient
16Outdoor boilers
- Their large, simple fireboxes make clean burning
difficult.
17Advanced 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
18Two types of advanced combustion
- Catalytic
- uses catalyst to clean up exhaust
- Non-catalytic advanced
- most common type in Canada
19Inside a catalytic wood stove
- Smoke passes through a catalytic honeycomb that
lowers smoke ignition temperature
20Inside a non-cat wood stove
- 1. Firebox insulation 2. A large baffle 3.
Preheated combustion air
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23Compare old with new
Overall Efficiency 40 50 60 80
Graphic adapted from California EPA publications
24Saveup to one-third
25A 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.
26A cleaner burning outdoor boiler
- A new generation of outdoor boilers recently
became available. - If considering an OB, choose only one that is EPA
certified.
27When you shop for a wood burning appliance
- Look for one that is EPA certified.
- Ask your dealer to show you advanced stoves and
fireplaces.
28The Chimney
Masonry Chimney
Metal Chimney
29Why 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.
30Inside 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.
31The ideal straight up!
- Provides stronger, more stable draft
- Does not cold backdraft
- Less creosote formation
- Needs less maintenance
32Safe wood heat systems
- A Guide to Residential Wood Heating has an
overview of wood heat safety rules.
33Codes contain reliable rules for
- Floor pads
- Single wall flue pipe
- Double wall flue pipe
- Appliance clearances
- Clearance reduction using shields
34For 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
35Dispose 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
36Think Safety
Smoke Detector
Fire Extinguisher
Carbon Monoxide Detector
37Contact 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
38BREAK
39The second half . . .
- Wood Smoke and Your Health
- Maintaining Your Wood Heating System
- Firewood
- How to Burn Without Smoke
40Wood 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.
41Why 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
42How 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.
43If 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.
44Do Burn Dont Burn
- 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
- Clean, seasoned firewood
- Just enough plain newspaper to get the fire
started - Commercial fire starters are usually ok
45Maintaining your wood heating system
- Every wood burning system should be cleaned and
inspected at least once each year.
46Chimney 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
47Appliance 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
48Firewood
- Good fuel is the
- secret to efficiency
49A 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.
50In early spring, the wood should be
- Cut to length
- Split to a variety of sizes, and
- Stacked on rails to keep it off the ground
- Just the top covered (or not covered)
To be ready for burning in the fall
51Firewood Piece Length
North-south loading
East-west loading
52How to tell if wood is dry
- There are cracks in the end grain
- The wood darkens with aging
- A freshly split face feels warm and dry
- Dry wood sounds hollow, wet wood sounds dull
- Burn some if it hisses, it is much too wet
53Reasons people burn wet wood
- Procrastination
- Wishful Thinking
54What is the best wood to burn?
- All species have about the same heat energy per
pound the difference is in density - Dont 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 Canadas north people burn spruce and poplar
yet manage to stay warm
55Moisture, mould bugs
- Dont 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 doesnt have
much energy - Stressed, diseased trees attract bugs and are
often used for firewood check for bugs and
always store firewood off the ground
56Do Burn Dont Burn
- 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
- Clean, seasoned firewood
- Just enough plain newspaper to get the fire
started - Commercial fire starters are usually ok.
57Is there smoke coming from your chimney?
58Signs of poorwood burning practice
59How would you like to live downwind?
60How to burn without making smoke
- Burn hot, bright fires
- Before loading, rake your coals
- Burn in cycles
- Use smaller loads in mild weather
- Let the space cool a little before loading
- Fire each load hot before turning down
611. 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
622. 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
633. Burn in cycles
- Dont 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
644. 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
656. 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
665. 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
675 Ways to Control Heat Output
- Fuel species softer woods for mild weather
- Load size small load for mild weather
- Load configuration loose, crisscross for mild
weather - Load orientation east-west for mild weather
- Reduce the air supply
68Judge 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!
69A 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 woods energy
- Advanced technologies are effective, convenient
- Healthier
- Less chance of smoke in your house
- Reduced pollution in your neighbourhood
70 The Wood Heat Organization Inc. and the
woodpile
Please visit us!
71Thank you for attending
Burn it Smart!