Despite cleaner technologies, many wood fires are still built in traditional open fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves/fireplace inserts manufactured and installed before 1992. Burning firewood in these older heaters can produce significantly more smoke and pollute the air both outside and inside the home. To make sure you’re burning wood as responsibly as possible, consider the following tips:
Low-emission hearth products
There are many types of low-emission, wood-burning hearth products available for new construction and existing homes. The key is determining the type of product, as well as the right type of wood fuel, to meet your needs.
• EPA-certified wood stoves and wood fireplace inserts. Today, all wood stoves and wood fireplace inserts manufactured and sold in the United States are required to meet strict emission standards and be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. To meet this standard, all stoves must prove emissions of less than 7.5 grams of particulate per hour. All EPA-certified wood stoves and fireplace inserts have a permanent label on the back that bears the EPA’s name.
• Pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts. These products burn wood pellets made from recycled sawdust and are the lowest emission wood burners available. Because of their very low emissions, pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts are exempt from EPA certification.
• Masonry heaters. Masonry heaters are high performance, very clean burning and substantially sized wood burners that produce a tremendous amount of heat. Similar to pellet appliances, they’re exempt from EPA certification.
• Cleaner-burning masonry fireplaces. Many wood-burning fireplaces look like traditional fireplaces but produce fewer emissions than EPA-certified wood stoves and fireplace inserts. Some local jurisdictions have qualification processes to recognize these fireplaces as cleaner burning.
Change out old wood stoves or fireplace inserts. After changing out an old wood stove or fireplace insert, it’s important to take the product out of circulation so it can never be used again. The most environmentally-friendly step is to have these hearth products recycled by a local steel recycler.
Use seasoned firewood. Seasoned firewood has a moisture content of about 20 percent and should be stacked and dried for six months before burning. It’s easier to light and will burn more readily and efficiently. The type of seasoned firewood also impacts the fire—hardwoods such as oak, hickory and elm tend to produce a longer-lasting burn.
Use manufactured fire logs. Sawdust-manufactured fire logs (no wax) are ideal for occasional use in traditional fireplaces. In addition to cutting emissions, they can also be used to reduce wood smoke in both fireplaces and wood stoves.
Use hearth products correctly and perform service regularly. Consult a specialty retailer to learn how to use your hearth product correctly. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual and have your hearth product regularly serviced by a certified professional.
