A: In a certified model, the combustion chamber and parts such as doors, flue, sidewalls and catalytic converter are engineered to work as a system to reduce pollution and burn more efficiently. The whole package is tested and certified by independent laboratories to meet EPA criteria. There may in fact be retrofit kits available on a few models, but I am not aware of any.
Q: What is the law you referred to making it illegal to buy or sell non-certified woodstoves?
A: Washington Clean Air Act, specifically RCW 70.94.460, and also King County Board of Health Code 16.12.010.
As a point of reference, I found 147 older woodstoves for sale on eBay earlier this week. (Maybe some have houses attached, which would make them legal ... .)
Q: I thought there was a newer woodstove-certification standard that came after the early EPA standard you mentioned from the early 1990s.
A: Washington state's 1995 woodstove-emission certification program is more stringent than EPA standards, but covers only new stoves for sale. It does not affect re-installation or sale of certified stoves installed previously.
Q: Doesn't the quality of the wood, and the water content, play a big part in the pollution woodstoves put out?
A: Yes, and there's less heat production with wet wood, too. RCW 70.94.477 prohibits the sale of firewood exceeding 20 percent moisture content. Wetter wood produces more creosote in the flue also.
Q: My neighbor burns his garbage. It smells horrible. Is there something I can do?
A: As a culinary-challenged individual I can assure you that one man's garbage smell is another man's over-cooked dinner. But no matter what your skill level is at the stove, only seasoned firewood is to be used in a solid-fuel fireplace or woodstove of any kind. No garbage, no paper (except as fire-starter), no plastic, no animal, no rubber, no paint and no treated wood.
Q: What type of wood produces the best heat?
A: At the top of the heap is almond with 24 million BTU per cord. Not that I would know an almond log if I tripped over one ... but here are some of the more common materials native to our area: Alder and Douglas fir each contain 19 million BTU (British Thermal Units), followed by hemlock and cedar with 14 million, and pine with 12 million. For purposes of comparison (don't try this at home), I'd guess that a cord of the Sunday Seattle Times Home/Real Estate section comes in with a bit more than 500,000 BTU. It's been suggested that much of that hot air emanates directly from this column.
Darrell Hay answers readers' questions. Call 206-464-8514 to record your question, |
