Wood Stove Education
What is Wood Smoke?
Wood smoke is a complex mixture of substances produced during the burning of wood. The major emissions from wood stoves and fireplaces are carbon monoxide, organic gases, particulate matter, formaldehyde, and nitrogen oxides. Wood smoke contains many compounds known to cause cancer, and other toxic compounds.
Why is Wood Smoke a Problem?
The particles of wood smoke are too small to be filtered by the nose and respiratory system, so they wind up deep in the lungs. They can remain there for months causing structural damage and chemical changes. Poisonous and cancer-causing chemicals often enter the lungs by adhering to tiny particulate matter.
These tiny particles are emitted in neighbourhoods, both indoors and out. Unfortunately, wood smoke is not only in the outdoor air we breathe. The particulate matter in wood smoke leaving chimneys is so small that it is not stopped by closed doors and windows, and often seeps into neighbours' houses. Even more smoke is sometimes released inside homes which use wood heat.
Wood smoke exposure causes a decrease in lung function and aggravates heart conditions and carbon monoxide causes heart pain. The occurrence of respiratory illness in children has been shown to increase with greater exposure to wood smoke. Wood smoke aggravates asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
Follow these tips for clean burning...
- Only burn dry, seasoned wood. Be sure your firewood is split and dried for at least several months.
- Never burn wet, painted, stained or treated wood, colour newsprint, plastic, garbage, diapers, or magazines. Items such as these produce high amounts of odour, smoke, and toxic fumes.
- Store your firewood under cover. A shed or shelter is best. If you use a plastic tarp, allow ventilation to prevent condensation.
- Burn small, hot fires. This helps the wood burn completely and cleanly.
- Never allow the fire to smolder. Smoldering fire are the worst polluters because they burn at too low a temperature for efficient combustion.
- Do not damper too much. Allow enough air for the wood to burn fully, without smoldering. Never try to keep the fire going overnight by cutting back the air supply.
- Step outside and look at the plume from your chimney. You should only see heat waves. If you see smoke, your wood is not burning completely. Increase the air supply to your fire.
Proper stove installation is very important. A building permit is necessary for any installation. Even the least polluting certified stoves will not function well if the installation does not meet the specifications for each model.
The Right Kind of Woodstove
- Most fireplaces rob your house of heat because they draw in lots of air you've paid for and suck it up the chimney.
- Don't install an uncertified stove. These stoves do not burn as efficiently as US Environmental Protection Agency or Canadian Standards Association certified stoves (CSA 415.1). New stoves can cut the amount of particulate matter by as much as 90 percent and carbon monoxide by 60 percent.
Choose your woodstove with care to get the best heat for your home, the least environmental impact, and with proper care, years of winter comfort.
You Can Make A Difference!
Smoke from neighbourhood woodstoves and fireplaces is a common source of both odour and reduced visibility. These, plus the health-related problems caused by inhaling smoke pollutants, add up to significant costs for individuals and the community. So be a good neighbour and limit your burning, and if you do burn, burn correctly. There is a bylaw which now regulates woodburning in the City of Prince George, it is called the Clean Air Bylaw [PDF].
The Bylaw states that woodburning is not allowed during Air Quality Advisories and that all new installations of woodburning appliances must meet US Environmental Protection or Canadian Standards for air emissions. Please refer to the Wood Stove Circulars on the 2nd floor of City Hall or on the building permit page for more details.
DO NOT BURN WHEN AN AIR QUALITY ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED.
There are several ways in which you can find out more about Air Quality, the Clean Air Bylaw, and Air Quality Advisories:
- The City of Prince George Environmental Coordinator at 614-7824
- The Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection's Air Quality Complaint Line 565-4487 and the Air Quality Index Phone line at 565-6457