Indoor air quality and woodstoves

[LindyGirl]

I have a question I haven't been able to find a solid answer to.

We heat our house with a wood stove (not a furnace). It's one year old, and it's one of the new-fangled stoves that reburns its own smoke and has very little in terms of damaging smoke release into the outdoor air.

My concern is about my indoor air quality. Our stove has both top and front loading doors, and we use the top door 95% of the time, as it allows you to put more wood in, and it's more convenient.

When the fire is getting low and you're putting more wood in, there's often a few moments of smoke release into the house. If DH is stoking up the fire in the morning, I notice it especially. When we're stirring up coals, putting in some kindling, trying to get some oxygen to the fire so it will burn hot again, I can smell the smoke from two rooms away. Sometimes I can smell it in my hair and clothes, which bothers me to no end.

It's not like my house is cloudy with smoke. It's a large, old house with lots of drafty windows, and kids and dogs going in and outside all the time, so there is definitely air exchange going on. We live in an area with good outdoor air quality as well.

So, my question is: should I be concerned about inhaling wood smoke through the normal use of our woodstove? Is this something I need to go out and buy a freestanding HEPA filtration unit for? I'm just wondering where the line of acceptable exposure to smoke is.

What do the rest of you do? Any thoughts?

[FarmerBeth]

I really don't have any official answer for you.  What I can say is that I grew up with a similar sort of wood stove arrangement, with occasional smokiness after loading the stove, etc.  Even though I had very bad asthma, I wasn't flaring up any more over wood stove season (even with all that dry air!), so personally, I don't think you need to worry unless you are noticing a difference in your health.  I figure old, drafty houses with kids and dogs going in and out clean the air plenty.

[LindyGirl]

Thank you, FarmerBeth.

I think what I'm most worried about is the long term exposure to smoke. I know it's not nearly as bad as cigarette smoke, but I feel like on some level, any smoke is something your lungs have to deal with, and it's probably better that we limit exposure. I worry about the health of my kids' lungs in 50 years, and about the new baby we're going to have next winter.

On the other hand, humans have been burning things indoors (often without a proper chimney) for thousands of years.

AND on the other other hand, the human body has a lot more to contend with today in terms of environmental pollution and chemicals than it did even 100 years ago.

Sigh. Any other thoughts?

[quantumleap]

Why don't you just get and run a hepa filter to make yourself feel a little better? We have one in each bedroom, and they're not cheap, but neither are they prohibitive. I'd worry more about the CO2 (do you have a detector?). Anecdotally, I'm also an asthmatic of the severe variety and grew up with a woodstove without any increased issues over the winter.

[Paigekitten]

We crack the door just a bit before opening all the and that seems to keep smoke from drifting into the house most of the time.  If I do notice smoke every once in a while I open the front door for a few minutes to air out the room.

[1stimestar]

Why not just use the front door to load it then instead of the top. Sure the top might be a bit more convenient for loading but if you are worried about smoke, use the door to get much less.  Also using the door would create more of a draft to get the kindling going quicker then opening up the top.

[FarmerBeth]

The drier your wood and the hotter the temperatures you get it burning, you'll also get less smoke.  Also agree with PP about using the front door.

[talia rose]

Debra Lynn Dadd has had a few articles lately about how horrible wood smoke is for us. Depressing, because it is our main source of heat as well. We have a newer stove as well and I seem to remember being told you should crack the door just a hair for a minute before opening up all the way and that helps with the smoke released. We also notice when ours gets bad it is time to clean the stove pipe. We do use an Austin Air Purifier to help clean the air and keep us healthy, as I am allergic to wood smoke.

Austin Air Purifiers are currently 10% off in our store with the code HOLIDAY10 or anytime with the code MOTHERING. We love ours a lot!

[LindyGirl]

When we use the top door, we can fit 25% more wood in than with the front door, which is one of the reasons we bought it -- when it's full, it can burn for 8-10 hours. Some mornings when the coals are totally out, DH does open the front doors, and I still smell a lot of smoke in the room. 

Opening the front door of the house for ventilation doesn't work, because the front door leads to a three season porch with little little air flow, and the back door is in the cold part of the house, which doesn't get much heat anyway, and that will make it that much more intolerable.

I kind of wish we'd gone for the wood burning furnace instead of the stove. But they're like four times the price! Sigh.

[LindyGirl]

Originally Posted by talia rose 

Debra Lynn Dadd has had a few articles lately about how horrible wood smoke is for us. Depressing, because it is our main source of heat as well. We have a newer stove as well and I seem to remember being told you should crack the door just a hair for a minute before opening up all the way and that helps with the smoke released. We also notice when ours gets bad it is time to clean the stove pipe. We do use an Austin Air Purifier to help clean the air and keep us healthy, as I am allergic to wood smoke.

Oh my. I just looked up the article you were talking about. (http://greenlivingqa.com/content/toxic-exposures-wood-smoke) According to it, the EPA says that exposure to wood smoke is 12 times more harmful in terms of cancer risk than an equal exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

[FarmerBeth]

Originally Posted by LindyGirl 

When we use the top door, we can fit 25% more wood in than with the front door, which is one of the reasons we bought it -- when it's full, it can burn for 8-10 hours. Some mornings when the coals are totally out, DH does open the front doors, and I still smell a lot of smoke in the room. 

Opening the front door of the house for ventilation doesn't work, because the front door leads to a three season porch with little little air flow, and the back door is in the cold part of the house, which doesn't get much heat anyway, and that will make it that much more intolerable.

I kind of wish we'd gone for the wood burning furnace instead of the stove. But they're like four times the price! Sigh.

I am fortunate that our current situation is a wood burning furnace.  I'm wondering, do you have rebates for energy efficiency in your location.  Wood furnaces are generally more efficient than wood stoves, maybe a switch over would qualify.

Also, how dry is your wood?  If you are smelling a lot of smoke in the room, rather than just a little, that seems unusual to me. Are you using hardwood that can get up to a long, high heat?  Are you laying out the wood in a pyramid or criss-crossed to allow for the smoke to ventilate upward? I'd also double check that the chimney is clean, clear, installed well, etc.

[Snapdragon]

I personally wouldn't worry about it-- there is always something we could worry about- lol-! Not to minimize your concern- but just my perspective. I lived for many yrs with a wood stove and I know what you mean about a little smoke sometimes coming into the house- I dont think it is dangerous at all as long as you are getting your chimney cleaned every yr and birning it hot enoughto stay clean. the little wisps of smoke that come in are small compared to the air flow of your house. this is only the 2nd winter in many many yrs I am not living w- a woodstove and I miss it!! But I seriously do not think you have to worry about the health factors- if anything, where we are living right now is purely oil burning everything for heat- and it is okay but I hate burning all the oil- but I actually feel like it is healthier to have a woodstove or fireplace to get that cozy warm wood heat- it gives a place where things (like lingering colds for example) can get a direct source of heat and burn away- I think it acutally creates a healthy air environment, though it can be dry. But it is not like lviing in a house full of cigarette smokers or anything! I think you are fine :)