The wood-burning fireplace is the centerpiece of family gatherings, friendly get-togethers and a staple icon in the American home. Unfortunately, the fireplace is one of the most inefficient heat sources found in a home. Fires also produce particulates, which are small particles that can have negative health impacts including asthma and cancer. Also, the hot air that a fire generates is quickly lost through your chimney, leaving little heat to show for the blazing logs in your fireplace.
Consider cleaner-burning alternatives to the traditional fireplace. Natural gas fireplaces use controllable gas burners to create a fire, producing efficient combustion and less dangerous particulates in the air. Gas, however, is still a non-renewable fossil fuel, making this option less than ideal. Pellet stoves use cylinders of compressed sawdust to fuel fire in an enclosed combustion chamber, producing less air pollution. If you are still set on having a wood-burning fireplace, look for EPA-certified wood stoves and clean burning inserts instead of traditional fodder.
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To learn more about wood log alternatives, try the Java Log , made from recycled, dried coffee beans, or the EcoSmart Fire
Did you know that wood stoves are the second highest source of cancer risk from particulate air emissions (after
diesel exhaust)?
EPA researchers suggest that the cancer risk an individual
acquires from wood stove emissions over a lifetime may be greater than lifetime cancer risk from exposure to cigarette
smoke.
Did you know that EPA-certified stoves release 70% to 90% less particulates than
conventional stoves?
According to a 2000 study by the State of Idaho
Department of Environmental Quality, using a pellet stove, certified wood stove or natural gas unit can significantly reduce
your exposure to harmful particulates and air pollutants.
Did you know that wood smoke can still enter homes that don’t have wood stoves?
According to a University of Washington study in Seattle, homes without wood
stoves showed at least 50% to 70% of wood smoke particulates in outdoor levels. Be nice to your neighbors!
SOURCES : 1.Johnston, David and Kim Master. Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time, p. 263. Canada: New Society Publishers, 2004.
