Burn it Smart!

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Burn it Smart!

• Safer
• More Efficient
• Healthier

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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

• 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

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What is a renewable energy resource?

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

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Graphic courtesy ICC/RSF
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The ApplianceStoveFireplace orCentral 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

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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

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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

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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

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Masonry heaters

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

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Central Heating

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

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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

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Two types of advanced combustion

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

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Inside a catalytic wood stove

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

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Inside a non-cat wood stove

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

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Compare old with new
Overall Efficiency 40 50 60 80
Graphic adapted from California EPA publications
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Saveup 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
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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

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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

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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

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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

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Think Safety
Smoke Detector
Fire Extinguisher
Carbon Monoxide Detector
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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 . . .

• Wood Smoke and Your Health
• Maintaining Your Wood Heating System
• Firewood
• How to Burn Without Smoke

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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

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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 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

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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
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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

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Firewood

• Good fuel is the
• secret to efficiency

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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
North-south loading
East-west loading
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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

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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
• 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

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Moisture, 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

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Do 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.

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Is there smoke coming from your chimney?
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Signs of poorwood 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

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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

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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

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3. 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

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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
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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

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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

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5 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

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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 woods energy
• Advanced technologies are effective, convenient
• Healthier
• Less chance of smoke in your house
• Reduced pollution in your neighbourhood

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The Wood Heat Organization Inc. and the
woodpile
Please visit us!
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Thank you for attending
Burn it Smart!