Fireplaces Are Doomed in Collyfornia

[2dogs]

Here is an atricle typical in this state. My city has hired a "global warming czar", their words, to force every resident to reduce his "carbon footprint". Fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, BBQs, camp fires, backyard fire pits are all on the potential list to be banned. Green firewood sales will probably be banned first.
http://www.rimoftheworld.net/columns/neufeld/restrictions

 

[windthrown]

That's nothing. In the SF bay area, it has been illegal to put in ANY wood burning appliance in a new home built for about 20 years now. No fireplace, no stove, no OWB, no nothing. Only houses that existed before the ban went into effect can have a fireplace.

Around here the cities ask people not to burn on non-windy nights in the winter months, because the smoke gets too thick in places. But if you only heat with wood, you are basically exempt. Out here eveyone heats with wood, and there is not a problem, because this is a very remote area with a very low density population.

 

[timbrjackrussel]

Carbon Neutral ?

Gaseous-fueled hearth products are proposed to be exempt from the proposed rule. !!!!!!


This is adding to global warming. The problem of warming started when humans started to burn carbon (coal,oil,natural gas) that had been locked deep down in the earth for millions of years. The earth had reached a neutral carbon state before we unlocked the stored carbon. It took a very, very long time to put all of that carbon down there (stored solar energy). Releasing vast amounts in a few decades (like a nanosecond in the age of the earth) has been too fast. Burning wood efficiently is carbon neutral. What are they going to do about the state's wild fires??

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Proposed Rule 445, which would become effective six months after adoption, would require all fireplaces installed in new developments to be gaseous-fueled.

This means no new wood burning devices if I read this right. "gaseous fueled" does mean gas logs, correct?

Bah..

 

[mga]

i'll predict:

1. the price of fire wood will almost double in california,

2. that most fire wood will be transported across state lines, adding to the price,

3. that those who have a business selling firewood will eventually die out.

4. that tougher state regulations will be enacted regarding the transport of fire wood across state lines.

5. that many other states and cities will follow what california is doing.


so.....will this hurt the sale of houses that have wood burning fireplaces already? if a house has an existing fireplace and they put it on the market, do they have to convert to gas before they can sell?

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I would think that houses with existing fireplaces would be grandfathered in and that would boost their value to those looking for a place with wood heat.

Ian

 

[jerry wayne]

Think???

Were talking Kalifornia here , there is no thinking allowed.............P.S. im in London,Kentucky,where bouts are ye

 

[Dok]

I'm really worried living in El Dorado county. This county is out numbered by city people to the left (Folsom, El Dorado Hills) and free thinkers to the right (Lake Tahoe). Those of us in the middle are country folk but are out numbered. Hence the proposed ban on cutting down oaks (oaks are a weed anywhere but Folsom). I can see this county banning wood stoves even though a large number of us country folk heat with wood to some extent, many of us 100%. Heck, we need wood heat for all the times the power goes out. We just got over a week without power from the last storm.
Dok

 

[redprospector]

Here is an atricle typical in this state. My city has hired a "global warming czar", their words, to force every resident to reduce his "carbon footprint". Fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, BBQs, camp fires, backyard fire pits are all on the potential list to be banned. Green firewood sales will probably be banned first.
http://www.rimoftheworld.net/columns/neufeld/restrictions

Why didn't the "czar" put your car's, truck's, and suv's on the list?
Probably because he knows that the people wouldn't put up with that.
It doesn't take the majority to get the attention of polititians, just the loudest and most persistant (the environmental extreemist proved that).
With that being said; We'll probably all just sit back on our hands, and wait to see what the "czar" decides is best for us.

By the way, isn't Czar an old Russian title?
In my opinion any American who would accept the title of Czar should be deported to Russia.

Andy

 

[Bill Bednarick]

When wood burning is outlawed...

Well you know the rest...

 

[windthrown]

This means no new wood burning devices if I read this right. "gaseous fueled" does mean gas logs, correct?

Bah..

Yah, the new and newer houses in the SF bay area in CA have gas fireplaces, if any. Watch the ceramic logs burn in your glassed in fire pen...

Oddly, since we put in the OWB here we rarely have a fire in the EPA approved fireplace in the living room. That thing may be EPA stamped, but it sucks for heat. Has an outside air supply too. But it smoke more than the OWB, and barely heats half the living room. Also have to drag logs into the house, start the dang thing, and well, not worth it when the house is already 70 degrees anyway.

But its nice to be carbon neutral. I want credit for our 85 acres of trees growing here that are sucking up all the evil CO2 from the atmosphere and saving the planet! A million dollar tax rebate would do.

 

[windthrown]

I would think that houses with existing fireplaces would be grandfathered in and that would boost their value to those looking for a place with wood heat.

Ian

Yes, and yes. I sold my house in Campbell for a premium with a fireplace. Maybe $5k more than a house w/o one? Guy that bought it has probably never used it though. Said its messy and smokey... yadda yadda. Said that the hot tub was too much of a hassle too, and even though it was priced in the house, I took it with me. A top quality Hot Spring tub... works great here!

 

[windthrown]

i'll predict:

1. the price of fire wood will almost double in california,

2. that most fire wood will be transported across state lines, adding to the price,

3. that those who have a business selling firewood will eventually die out.

4. that tougher state regulations will be enacted regarding the transport of fire wood across state lines.

5. that many other states and cities will follow what california is doing.


so.....will this hurt the sale of houses that have wood burning fireplaces already? if a house has an existing fireplace and they put it on the market, do they have to convert to gas before they can sell?

1) Already has. $400+ for a cord most places.
2) Nope. Most of the firewood in CA is grown in CA. CA has lots of trees, especially in northern CA. Lots of SOD (sudden oak death) there too, so some areas have restrictions on taking firewood out. Too expensive to transport it into CA with gas at $3 a gallon and huge mountains on all sides. A cord of seasoned wood weighs up to 2 tons too.
3) I think not. The price of firewood is so high now that there is still a living at it, and there are a lot of arbor business in CA. The SF and LA areas are only a small percentage of the state. Huge percentage of the population though. Also the price of lumber is now so low that it is better to buck up logs into firewood. So there are sawyers making money on firewood instead of selling logs at the mills out here.
4) Already tough regulations here in the west for SOD, and other restrictions. Depends on the state. OR exports a lot of ag stuff to CA as it is. Seed garlic, Christmas trees, berries, lumber, yadda yadda.
5) Probably, but MA and NY and WA states are far ahead of CA when it comes to limits and restrictions on wood burning appliances. New England is especially bad about OWBs.

As I said above, houses already existing with fireplaces are grandfathered as exempt from the law. As such, they sell for a slight premium over houses w/o them. There is still good demand for the old fashioned rediculously inefficient outside wall fireplace that sucks all the heat out of your house to feed the fire. But... once your house has a fireplace, you can expand it, or rebuild it, or put in a more efficient wood burning stove or appliance. Hence the demad is still there, and only the houses in the SF area and some other areas in CA are restricted. CA is a HUGE state, area wise.