Wood Heat

Read in yesterday's USA today (I only know the little bit that was printed) that the state of Utah is proposing a ban of all wood burning between the Nov. 1st and March 15th in 7 of its most northern counties. Kind of ironic that one of the most basic ways for a person to heat their home that does not rely on any foreign materials whatsoever could possibly be outlawed by "big brother". Way too much intervention in my opinion. Wood is my main source of heat in my home and the only source in my garage and if the gov. told me I couldn't use it anymore I think I would tell them where to stick it. Pun fully intended.

reminds me of Merle Haggard's song, "are the good times really over for good"!?

Yes now days most laws that are passed take a bit of our freedom away which is a sad thing

Wood is a replenishable fuel gas and oil are not.

The government doesn't like any commodity that they can't control or tax. Burning firewood also allows a citizen independence - another thing the government does not like
Pete

Wow! I don't know what else to say.....? I don't know how
many, and I mean many, families in my area of MN could
afford anything else. My wife and I were just talking about this
today. We don't consider ourselves "wealthy" by any means,
but compared to many in our county, we would be, and are,
viewed as wealthy. And I don't know how we could afford
anything else for our MN winter heat. I can't imagine what
many others would be facing.

Wood is renewable energy that does not add to the carbon sink. Wood that is burned becomes part of the photosynthesis process , so a tree in the forest will use the co2 from the burning wood to produce more wood, on the other hand fossil fuels just keep adding to the carbon sink with no renemable product in return. Burning wood makes far more sense than burning propane,heating oil or natural gas...its just that stupid ignorant people get in a position of power and think that if there is smoke coming from a chimney it has to be bad , thereupon they will enact bans on burning wood...absolute inane thinking. I burn wood as a secondary source and it provides about two thirds of my heat. My SIL has an outdoor furnace that provides heat to the house , shop and heats his water..all on about 8 trailer loads of wood a year....this is far better than fossil fuel usage which just adds to more carbon to the atmosphere.

Wood is all I use for main heat. I have a antique stove that puts out a lot of heat. I use a heater in the cat's room, and bathroom. I had my house built in the 70's, and all heat was with electricity, big mistake now. There is some talk about banning the use of wood in California also. Stan

Yep, Merle said it like he saw it.

"Are we rollin' downhill like a snowball headed for"...well, I think we are.

That would figure. California wants everyone to leave that wood alone so more towns burn down in those summer wildfires I guess. Just shaking my head.

Tom Lehrer put it as:

"Sliding down the Razorblade of Life"...!!!

Ron..

Well, it looks like its open for public comment, so now is the time to get and or be involved.

I can certainly understand the issue of air quality, and the concerns about improving it. Point taken, however, this is a radical move, that will not sit well with the public, a ban on something like this by any form of government. There was mention of improvements in wood heating appliances, stoves etc., which is nice if its practical and affordable.

I can see both sides, I've got a neighbor whom is ignorant of the air we breathe, his home is across the hedgerow in what was a large field, that was partly subdivided, typical home, backyard, but with a fire pit. So many times he's burned whatever, air is still, in the summertime when the windows are open and its nice weather, cool at night, and it will make your eyes water in your home. To avoid it you have to close the windows and turn on the A/C. I've about had enough of it and I am sure he will be at it again, nice smoldering fires that settle in the low area and literally smokes the entire area out. I went over and looked and there it was, a plume of blue smoke going straight up, then settling all around, he's inside this glass solarium they just installed on his deck, having a beer watching the ball game, the rest of us get smoked out ! I can see it clearly being on a hill, the entire area is in a smoke haze. Some people just don't get it, even those that use wood for heat, as well as outdoor wood fired boilers that are touted like garbage disposal units for wood like pine and similar unsuitable kinds of wood, laden with moisture, and that fogs out large areas with smoke. Those or how they are used with wet wood I do not understand at all. There is a legitimate side of it when it comes to those who just don't have enough sense to use wood properly. I use a burn barrel for cardboard and things that you can't recycle, that burns cleanly, no plastic or trash, just wood, paper, cardboard, and I do it when it makes sense to use it, usually when a south wind is prevailing. Its like an incinerator, bottom cut, its chocked up on stone blocks, and has holes in the bottom along the rim. When its lit, the thing roars, and burns quickly. In the heating season I use a lot of that to start a fire in my stove. When I have a burn pile, I try to burn it when the windows of peoples houses are closed, I've got one ready to go now, and have to get it done before the spring burning ban is in place, pick the right day and conditions.

I would not comply if there was an all out ban, and how in heck are they going to enforce it anyway?

Right now as I write this, my wood stove has a thick bed of oak coals and I am burning what would now be considered kiln dried oak, 8"-10" un-split with the bark still on. This wood is a reserve supply kept behind the stove and has been there 3 years now, it was part of what I gathered prior to surgery in January of '12. 4 seasons of heat drying it out in a bone dry basement. When you look at the stack, there is no visible smoke, just steam when its bitter cold, and while you may be able to smell an odor, its minimal. I cannot comment on particulate counts and the technical side of what the emissions actually are and how combustion fumes relate to pollution. We don't really experience "inversion" so much here, the air is usually moving, calm or still days are not typical here, so if one is burning dry wood, it should never be an issue. There are bigger fish to fry when it comes to pollution.

In my small wood shed, I have oak from that lot, which I saved for years, just for bitter cold days like we have now. Its been cut and split since '12 and it was cut from live trees in the spring of '09, I don't have a lot of oak that can be harvested for firewood, so I do savor it. I had a full cord of 2 year seasoned black cherry in there as well and have burned most of that, the stack typically runs clear, except when starting up from cold. Most of the remaining supply of my firewood this year is recent, but been dead a long while and when I use that I just bring it inside near the stove, and its plenty dry if it was not before. It is nice to have 1 year or more seasoned wood, burns clean, ignites instantly, and although sometimes it may burn faster, some of it not all... that oak, I loaded in last night at midnight, left a nice bed of coals in the morning, made it real easy to re-light set it up for the day, toss a dry round of that kiln dried like wood, close the door and set the damper, it soon ignites, then burns clean.

Some people just ruin it for others because they don't plan and or think ahead, and sure things happen, the wood did not get done on time, myself included, but I always have a real dry reserve, so I can still work around that and not smoke out the community. All of this reinforces that if you use wood to heat, do so properly, cut and process your wood early, cover it so it dries down and manage your firebox so it burns clean and efficiently. What is all the fuss about doing that ???
Salt Lake Tribune Article

It's too bad that they have to lump all wood
burners together, there are some that pollute much
less than others. Most of the outdoor boilers are
terrible, they do not burn hot enough and do not
have secondary air. I know here in the Phoenix
valley there is a burning ban and it is justified,
the air pollution is pretty bad.

If buffalo chips burn, imagine how much heat we could get by burning those elite folks in the district of Columbia. They are just as full of Sh*t

Two hundred and sum years ago the people got fed up with what the King was demanding of them and they did something. I believe it will happen again if we are not careful. And for a example, (and please no one do this) if you walked by a dog every day and kicked at it what is he going to do? I truly hope that the people of this country wake up before it is too late.

Bob

Good article, it states what I have been saying! If you put an efficient insert in a traditional wood fireplace you can reduce emissions by 95%.

Well I'd rather burn my own wood that I harvest on
my own land than I would burn Iranian Heating oil
but the government can't figure out how much tax to
put on a cord of my wood, so they outlaw my wood
stove.

Buffalo and cow chips do burn when dried out. The early settlers used them for firewood when crossing the prairies and wood was hard to come by.

well, lots of them just sit there and smolder. Don't blame anybody downwind, complainging about having to breathe that stuff. It is dangerous.
But there are EPA-approved clean burners, I've seen them. Don't have one, but always wanted one.

I think it's almost to the point we need to start burning environmental wacko's for heat.

I read that burning wood is no more harmful pollution wise
than wood lying on the ground rotting. I think if this
government keeps making up these ridiculous laws at some
point there will be another revolution. There are just so many
dumb laws, look at the new gas cans today vent less, ok so I
just drill a hole in the Handle so it can pour right., so many
people in society are such mindless drones, that the gov has
all these laws. Look at the safety devices on a lawnmower you
get off the seat it shuts down, okay so I jumped all those
connections, I want to get off the mower to pick up a stick I
don't even have to put the parking brake on. Weedwhacker's
have a throttle interlock you have to hold the top lever down
before you can use the throttle to trim, I take those off and
throw them out, why do you need a safety interlock on a
Weedwhacker? NY has a seat belt law? But I can buy food
from the grocery store from China Vietnam or Thailand and
possibly get sick and that's okay? It's just one big joke a never
ending circle of nonsense.
By the way I burn wood and sometimes don't wear my seatbelt! Lol

I just put a new wood stove from a Vermont Castings in this
winter. I would consider it the primary source - the heat pump
only kicks on if the stove has gone out for some reason. When
they installed it I made him hand me the catalytic element for it
- I didn't want it in there. It reburns the smoke but you can't
burn the stove too hot with it. I use mixed wood and some of it
is hedge, so it wouldn't last anyway. I have it in the drawer in
case I ever need it, but I don't see that happening. The stove
vents about 25 feet up and puts off very little smoke because I
keep it hot. The old monkey stove in the shed smokes like
crazy because it isn't airtight and is harder to control. I'm the
only farm in the section, so I guess I'm only smoking out
myself when I light that. I'm glad I bought a new stove now
before there are even more regulations.

A-Man

I burn pallets for heat. Keeps a few hundred a year out of the landfill.

Which pollution is worse. Burning a tree that is up to 100 years old. OR oil/gas that has been in the ground for thousand/millions/forever.

I'll burn the tree I or my father/grandfather let grow. At least the carbon circle is smaller.

I have been around burning wood most of my life.I can see why these new law are being brought up. Just in our area there are a lot of people that have went to these outdoor wood heating systems and some of these people no nothing about burnig wood. You go past their place in summer and no wood in yard but come late september there is a pile of fresh cut wood in yard. You go past their place in winter and that unit in yard is pouring out smoke because wood is not cured but green. Then you get these people that have never been around burning wood thinking it is bad and wanting laws passed.

Its two things for why they would ban it: smoke and idiots. The smoke can cause a nuisance, no one wants to get smoked out, and "possible" health problems some say. The second is self explaining, the people that shouldn't use wood. The put hot ashes in paper bag in garage(most likely next to gas) type of people. Use wood here most is "free" either take it (for a case of beer) or it will get burned on a pile doing no good, or taken to landfill to be buried doing less good then burning on pile.

The issue is the smog accumulates in the valleys and does not get over the mountains, it is pretty common in the west.

what about the yuppi jet airplane pollution ?????

Want to see some cities out of control with regulations, come to Calif. Stan

I know, I posted about there chicken cages , and lets not forget about CARB, which messed up 2cycle engines, ya, they sold them here in NY, isent the title Calforina air resource board? Why would NY sell it here! Lol

What about the New York State Thruway system that leaves 23 trucks idling for hours so they can repair a guard rail? or the New York State troopers that leave their cars running all day because there's so much Electrical equipment in them? nobody seem to see any of that poullition? But you want to Burnwood you might as well be crucified?
As I told my friend today I feel sorry for your father he's a veteran he fought for this country and this is what it's come to.

Twenty some years ago, the ski resort town of Telluride, Colorado reduced it's winter smog problem by auctioning off a limited number of wood burner licenses. Prices back then were already thousands of dollars for a one year license. The license fees were used to reduced the city's property taxes. Most licenses went to the larger high priced ski resorts. The place I stayed at had a nice gas fireplace in their lobby.

Several local area town have also enacted wood burner licenses. All it takes is one or two ying-yangs who don't know how to properly run a wood furnace so they they stink up their neighborhoods. They tick off 20 to 50 of their neighbors and then refuse to fix the problem because "they have a right to piddle in the community pool", and pretty soon there is a new law.

Are they going to ban Forest / Brush Fires too; those put out more smoke than all of the wood stoves in California combined.

:>(

I have a similar problem in the fall where the idiots burn leafs at night. The thermal inversion holds the smoke at ground level. It's like having a cloud toughing the ground.
That time of the year I stay at my other place in the country where no one burns anything.
I find it ironic that some people don't want their neighbors flying drones over their property. Yet it's their right to lets their smoke go over your property. Perhaps we have too many people living too close.

To settle the issue no one can fly a drone over neighbors property their and everyone must keeps their smoke off their neighbors property. Problem solved.

BTW, I don't have a drone and don't burn wood.