9/12/2005
CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET
HEALTHY AIR
Could your family
be affected?
The inhalable particle
pollution from one
woodstove is equivalent
to the particle pollution
emitted from 3,000 gas
furnaces producing the
same amount of heat
per unit.
California Air Resources
Board
Reducing Air Pollution from:
Residential Wood Burning
Why should I reduce air pollution
when burning wood in my home?
People who are exposed to toxic air
pollutants at sufficient concentrations,
for sufficient durations, may increase
their chances of getting cancer or
experiencing other serious health effects,
such as reproductive problems, birth
defects and aggravated asthma.
Pollution prevention can reduce the
impact of air pollution by using
materials, processes, or practices that can
reduce or eliminate air pollution at the
source. For example, switching from an
old woodstove to an EPA-certified stove
reduces the amount of smoke produced
when you burn wood.
Why should I be concerned about air
pollution from residential wood
burning?
Smoke resulting from improperly
burned wood contains many chemical
substances that are considered
harmful. These include: some toxic
air pollutants, fine particle pollution,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides,
and volatile organic compounds
(VOC).
Toxic air pollutants are an important
component of wood smoke. A group
of toxic air pollutants known as
poly cyclic organic matter includes
benzo(a)pyrene, which may cause
cancer. Dangerous releases of toxic
In most areas of the country, wood burning from fireplaces and woodstoves is the larg-
est source of particle pollution generated by residential sources. It can contribute as
much as 80% in the winter months.
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
air pollutants can occur if you burn
wood in a fireplace, old woodstove,
or old fireplace insert.
Particle pollution in smoke can
damage lung tissue and lead to
serious respiratory problems when
breathed in high concentrations. In
low concentrations, particle pollution
in wood smoke can harm the health
of children, the elderly, and those
with existing respiratory diseases.
How can I reduce air pollution from
my woodstove, fireplace, or fireplace
insert?
Replace your old dirty woodstove
with a cleaner and more efficient
heating alternative such as gas, oil,
propane, or electric heat. This will
reduce your family's and neighbors'
exposure to wood smoke pollution
and will heat your home more
efficiently.
Burn only clean, dry, and seasoned
wood that has been split and dried for
at least 6 months.
Burn hardwood rather than
softwoods. Hardwoods are denser
and burn more slowly and evenly,
which produces less smoke.
Hardwoods also provide more heat
energy.
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CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET
Residential Wood Burning
9/12/2005
Heat More Efficiently
Replace an old woodstove, fireplace insert, or
fireplace with an EPA-certified woodstove or EPA-
certified fireplace insert. Certified stoves use about
one-third as much wood and circulate more heat into
the home instead of out the flue. They emit 70% less
pollution on average. That means less pollution
indoors and out.
Install a wood pellet stove, which uses compressed
wood waste. It uses excess combustion air to make a
fire burn hot and clean. These stoves are considered
the most efficient stoves available with efficiency
ratings exceeding 80%.
Stop using your fireplace or install an EPA-certified
wood burning fireplace insert, which burns fuel more
efficiently than a fireplace. Fireplaces typically lose
more heat from your home than the provide.
Change Operating Practices
Never burn garbage, trash, plastics, rubber,
petroleum products, paints, solvents, charcoal/coal,
or treated woods. Burning these materials can be
toxic and extremely harmful to your family and
neighbors. These toxins can also foul the catalytic
combustor and flue.
Burn small, hot fires instead of large smoldering
fires.
Use small pieces of wood and do not overload the
appliance.
Clean ashes from the stove. Excess ashes can clog a
stove's air intake vent, reducing its efficiency.
Watch the chimney for smoke. Properly burning fires
should give off only a wisp of white steam. The
darker and thicker the smoke, the more pollutants the
fire emits, and the more fuel it wastes.
Do not burn wood when the outdoor air quality is
poor.
Inspect and Maintain
Have a professional inspect and maintain your wood
heater and chimney on an annual basis. These
inspections are essential to ensure safe and clean
wood burning.
Have a professional clean your chimney regularly to
remove creosote buildup. Clean chimneys reduce the
chance of a chimney fire.
How can I get the most out of my investment in wood
burning equipment?
Select a stove that is certified clean-burning and tested
to EPA standards, i.e., those sold after 1992.
Make sure it's properly installed, and inspected, and
maintained.
Avoid smoldering fires. For example, do not lower the
airflow to the stove at night.
Use only seasoned firewood, split to the right size for
your stove or fireplace.
Reduce your need for fuel: make your home more
energy-efficient by weatherizing it.
What else can I do to reduce air pollution from wood
smoke?
Help your community start a public awareness
program to encourage cleaner wood burning practices,
including information on the proper operation and
maintenance of wood heaters; proper wood selection and
use; the health effects of wood smoke; weatherization
methods for homes; and determining the proper size of
the heating equipment needed before purchase and
professional installation. See the "Resources" section on
the next page for more sources of information.
Burning garbage and other materials can be toxic and extremely harmful to the wood burning
resident and neighbors. These toxics can also foul the catalytic combustor and flue.
Significant levels of smoke pollutants leaking from fireplaces and stoves have been measured in some
wood burning homes. If you can smell smoke, there is a problem. This is an important issue,
particularly if a family member suffers from respiratory problems or heart disease.
HEALTHY AIR: A COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS GUIDE
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HEALTHY AIR
Could your family
be affected?
EPA-certified stove
emits 70% less
pollution on average,
than non-certified
stoves. They can use
1/3 less wood as non-
certified stoves and
deposit less creosote
in chimneys.
That means there is
less chance of a
chimney fire, and will
save you energy, time,
and money.
us EPA
CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET
Residential Wood Burning
9/12/2005
Resources
US EPA's Clean Burning Woodstove and Fireplace Website:
www.epa.gov/woodstoves
Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association: www.hpba.org, (703) 522-0086
Local Woodstove and fireplace retailerssee yellow pages or www.hpba.org
Woodburning Handbook:
www.arb.ca.gov/cap/handbooks/wood_burning/wood_burning_handbook.pdf
Chimney Safety Institute of America: www.csia.org, (623) 547-0920
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals: www4.nau.edu/itep, (928) 523-
9555
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA): www.orcaa.org/woodstove.html
Burn It Smart Campaign: www.burnitsmart.org/english/index.html
Community-Based Projects: www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/community.html
A Guide to Residential Wood Heating: www.fiprecan.ca/woodguide.pdf
An Introduction to Home Heating with Wood:
www.canren.gc.ca/app/filerepository/07C50F2F71C04818B9D567DOA2706246.pdf
Air Pollution from Wood-Burning Appliances and Fireplaces:
www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/ja3.html
Woodstoves and Fireplaces: www.ysaqmd.org/woodstv.htm
About the Air: 2001 Clean Air Excellence Award Recipients:
www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-aqd-newlt-April02.pdf
Placer County Air Pollution Control District in California has implemented a rebate
program to encourage residents to replace high polluting non-EPA certified stoves with
newer, cleaner-burning stoves such as an EPA Phase II certified woodstove, or a pellet
stove or gas stove.
Placer County Air Pollution Control District
Just 20 old non-EPA-certified wood stoves can emit more than 1 ton of fine particles
into your community during the cold months of the year.
U.S. EPA
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