Is it safe.

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9th year rookie

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Does anyone have info on health risks associated w/wood stoves?

My wife read somewhere that it can cause athsma (sp?) or other issues, even with the newer, more efficient, cleaner burning stoves. Especially with young children as their lungs are still developing and more sensitive.

Oil prices are high and I have endless supplies of wood. I'd love to burn but.....do I have reason for concearn?
 
Does anyone have info on health risks associated w/wood stoves?

My wife read somewhere that it can cause athsma (sp?) or other issues, even with the newer, more efficient, cleaner burning stoves. Especially with young children as their lungs are still developing and more sensitive.

Oil prices are high and I have endless supplies of wood. I'd love to burn but.....do I have reason for concearn?

Dude...

Burn it!

I am allergic to air and it doesn't bother me. I grew up with woodheat and it didn't hurt me (or my kids). I know countless other people have too.

The only thing I can tell you about it is to boil some water in a kettle on it to keep some humidity in the room. It does dry things out quite a bit and some people get bloody noses due to this, but not us so far.

Happy Burning!!!
 
Let me say it this way. If you smell it in the home, or get smoke in the living space,something isn't right. We burn 24/7 all winter long and you can't smell it in the home. Alot of people I know have asthma including some of my family. Hell I am missing the upper portion of my lung do to a surgery. If it was unsafe I would have known. Burn it, and if you are that worried, get an EPA wood stove. Low emmisions and very efficient.
 
Try a search on this. It is highly recommended to have smoke and co detectors. I have 1 co and 1 smoke detectors within 10' of the woodstove. I have another smoke detector at the top of the steps from where the wood stove is and one more on the 2nd floor. Cheap peace of mind.

We burn 24/7 and our house does not smell like smoke inside.
 
Try a search on this. It is highly recommended to have smoke and co detectors. I have 1 co and 1 smoke detectors within 10' of the woodstove. I have another smoke detector at the top of the steps from where the wood stove is and one more on the 2nd floor. Cheap peace of mind.

We burn 24/7 and our house does not smell like smoke inside.

That's just damn good advice. A+
 
Try a search on this. It is highly recommended to have smoke and co detectors. I have 1 co and 1 smoke detectors within 10' of the woodstove. I have another smoke detector at the top of the steps from where the wood stove is and one more on the 2nd floor. Cheap peace of mind.

We burn 24/7 and our house does not smell like smoke inside.


How often does the co detector go off in your house?
 
How often does the co detector go off in your house?

Not had an alarm go off yet.

It will sound when the co level gets to a certain point. The latest reading is 19. It will save that reading until it gets a higher one. That 19 happened when I had the detector lying of the floor in front of the stove. I opened the stove and left the damper closed. Sure enough, got a reading.

We haven't had the smoke detectors go of yet either. All smoke detectors and the co detector are new except the one on the 2nd floor. All had new batteries installed in October.
 
How often does the co detector go off in your house?


In 13 years I have never had the one in my house go off. Even with the wood stove.

The one in the garage goes off all the time. Takes about 30 seconds with the chainsaw running and about 10 seconds with the Harley.:hmm3grin2orange:
 
I have good news and bad news my friend. First the bad news. Recently, several very thurough scientific studies have proven without a shadow of a doubt that, heating your home with a wood stove will infact lead to increased time being wasted on the internet talking about said wood heating. Also woodstove users will firnd themselve going by funny names such as, jerseydevil, 9yearrookie, paplumber, livewire, and in severe cases, aspx or
asb151. There is also evidence to suggest that woodstove users will also find themselves victims of increased workloads.
Now the good news. Only about 1/5 of the respondants admitted to having lung conditions which may or may not be related to burning wood in their homes:laugh: :laugh: :rockn:
Just kiddin about the good news part, don't really mean to make light of anothers health issues, although plenty of folks find my mental health issues amusing.
 
Last edited:
I have good news and bad news my friend. First the bad news. Recently, several very thurough scientific studies have proven without a shadow of a doubt that, heating your home with a wood stove will infact lead to increased time being wasted on the internet talking about said wood heating. Also woodstove users will firnd themselve going by funny names such as, jerseydevil, 9yearrookie, paplumber, livewire, and in severe cases, aspx or
asb151. There is also evidence to suggest that woodstove users will also find themselves victims of increased workloads.
Now the good news. Only about 1/5 of the respondants admitted to having lung conditions which may or may not be related to burning wood in their homes:laugh: :laugh: :rockn:
Just kiddin about the good news part, don't really mean to make light of anothers health issues, although plenty of folks find my mental health issues amusing.

HEY! I Represent that remark!!
 
Not had an alarm go off yet.

It will sound when the co level gets to a certain point. The latest reading is 19. It will save that reading until it gets a higher one. That 19 happened when I had the detector lying of the floor in front of the stove. I opened the stove and left the damper closed. Sure enough, got a reading.

We haven't had the smoke detectors go of yet either. All smoke detectors and the co detector are new except the one on the 2nd floor. All had new batteries installed in October.

Thanks Pa Plumber. My buddy recently installed a co detector becuase his dad (previous owner of the house) cut a hole in the chimney to vent the basement furnace as well. According to the house inspector, thats a no no. One appliance per chimney flu is the rule. Anyway, the house inspector warned him of the possible danger of co leaking back into the house through the woodstove....but no alarms since he bought the co detector, which he keeps right next to the woodstove.

I think it might largely depend on how airtight your house is. My house was built in '67 and is anything but airtight. I don't worry a bit. But some of the newer houses being built are so friggin airtight, there is little new oxygen available for the stove to pull on....and then this is where you might be concerned.

Of course humidifiers are always good, because I know a night sitting next to the woodstove watching the zombie-box (not HD mind you...but soon) will kill my sinuses in the morning.

The good thing about woodstoves (as opposed to fireplaces) is you can close the doors....as long as you are burning it right, everything goes up the flu and very little comes into your living space.
 
I like my woodstove because it doesn't dry my sinuses out like electric heat does. I keep a kettle on top and that releases steam. No problems sneezing or runny nose but electric heat drives my sinuses haywire.
 
Does anyone have info on health risks associated w/wood stoves?

My wife read somewhere that it can cause athsma (sp?) or other issues, even with the newer, more efficient, cleaner burning stoves. Especially with young children as their lungs are still developing and more sensitive.

Oil prices are high and I have endless supplies of wood. I'd love to burn but.....do I have reason for concearn?

You might consider an outdoor wood boiler (OWB) if you are worried about smoke inside your house. Keep the fire and the wood and the bugs and everything else outside, and pipe the heat inside. We put in an OWB here last year. I have asthma that is easilly triggered by smoke in the house, and I have not had any problems at all with this setup. They do tend to burn more wood, but if you have a lot of it, that is not an issue. We have 85 acres of trees here... lots of firewood. We burn maybe 5 cords a year here (mix of Doug fir, alder, oak, madrone and some maples).
 
Thanks

Thanks for all the good input.
I grew up w/fireplace fires each/all winter, nobody was worse for wear.
But I've done lots of things to myself that I won't allow on the kids.

Anyhow, my last job was all Red Oak (1 White) removals.
I usually pay to dump, but now my back yard has about, I'm guessing 8 to 10 cord. Even if I don't burn it, I can sell it and put the $ toward the oil bill.

Can't wait to split.

Thanks again.
 

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