Woodstoves Create Alot of Dust. Fact or Fiction?

[Sandor]

Seems like any person I have talked to about burning wood says "They create so much dust!"

Has anyone else heard this myth? I have burnt wood for twenty years and have never noticed any kind of above average dust accumulation. If anything, I think it would cut down on dust because the inside air is being pulled into the stove and up the chimney, and hopefully, being replaced by fresh, outside air.

Thoughts?

 

[Todd]

I don't think they create more dust, just move more around from the natural air movement. I also think people tend to see more dust in the winter time because they spend more time inside.

 

[Rhone]

Well, I didn't get much dust until I got my insert. Now, I can't go 3 days without dust piling up and the wife hates it.

I think I have a lot of things going on and probably the design of my insert. First, no andirons so logs can, and often are right near the glass which, is the hottest place in my insert from the fresh hot air wash. Which, those logs turn into fine dust power, some of which may or may not create a pile of fine powder leaning against the door just waiting to fall when I open it. My unit is soapstone so it's hot and the blowers are always on, fire or not and my unit big.

So, when I reload the blowers are running, of which opening the door that pile of fine powder laying in front gets disturbed and falls onto the blowers of my insert which blow it out the top of my insert spreading it everywhere. I've taken now, to shutting the blowers off when I reload and using a dust buster to try to clear out any powder that's fallen out, but there's a design thing where the powder falls right into a seam of my insert that puts it directly in front of my blowers. Not a place I can get to with my dust busters, but turn on my blowers and a cloud of dust spits out of that seam. I'm thinking of stuffing that seam with a stove gasket.

 

[crow]

I don't see any more dust than usual. What I DO see is some ash on the hearth, and stuff that falls off the wood en route from the wood pile outside to the hearth...but that's to be expected.

 

[JAred]

I've found if I'm not carefull cleaning out the stove I get ash dust throughout the whole room... And boy do I hear about it!

 

[wg_bent]

I've found if I'm not carefull cleaning out the stove I get ash dust throughout the whole room... And boy do I hear about it!

THAT is the dust source. Much care should be taken.

 

[DavidV]

Since dust in the home is made mostly of human skin I can't see complaining too much about wood dust. But I have not noticed any increase in dust from burning, with the exception of the area right in front of the stove where I get the typical ash/wood debris. Dirt devil takes care of that every day.

 

[Corey]

I think wood heat can have an effect in several ways.

1. If you aren't careful with the ash, that can lead to more dust.

2. Bringing dirty/dusty wood in can lead to more dust.

3. If you are running wood heat versus a central air system, you are not getting the effect of a central air filter either.

4. They can lead to lower indoor humidity which can lead to more dust.

So, overall, I would say the possibility is definitely there.

Corey

 

[Mike Wilson]

I've found if I'm not carefull cleaning out the stove I get ash dust throughout the whole room... And boy do I hear about it!

THAT is the dust source. Much care should be taken.

Yeah, what he said.

 

[rudysmallfry]

I agree that forced air heating systems contribute to it being spread around. My current house is baseboard heat and I don't have to clean nearly as often as I did with the forced air. That's easy enough to fix by putting a filter over the air intake. Some people do all of the output vents, but I figure if it can't get into the intake, it can't get out. (unless it was already in there I suppose)

I think it's just a coincidence. In winter, with all of the windows closed, everything makes more dust.