Black chimney caps/upper chimneys & smoke trails...

[rideau]

Driving from Portland to Smith Falls the other day, i checked out all the visable chimneys between the village and town each direction. Was pleasantly surprised to see only 6 chimneys with visable smoke on the approximately 25 mile drive. However, I saw a much larger number of stacks with no visable smoke, but really black chimney caps and, often, upper pipes.

I got thinking: Our township works really hard at addressing environmental issues, and controlling open burning. And we have a problem with home fires started by chimney fire. So why isn't the township/fire department surveying local chimneys, and ringing doorbells when they see signs of significant less than optimal burning? In many cases, a bit of simple education about wood supply might make a big difference. Other places, they might prevent tragedy if they observed and corrected unsafe installs or conditions, or damaged stoves. One could even attempt to start a proactive community program, where interest free loans would be available to lower income individuals for upgrade to safe chimney/EPA stove, or perhaps free upgrades to used, certified in good working condition modern EPA stoves for the elderly; might be able to include a tax abatement for a few years to help cover the cost of upgrade. The community would save money in the long run, if there were fewer fires to fight, and we'd all benefit from the cleaner burning.

But maybe this is wishful thinking, since they are allowing the installation of the outdoor wood burners, and the pollution from them, and the amount of wood that is just being eaten by them, is amazing and stunning.

 

[pen]

Even good burning practices result in a black cap. Start-ups and reloads involve smoke, and there isn't much way around that.

I don't see many people being pleased to see someone pull in their driveway and approach them about their burning practices.

I'm not sure how your community works, but in my township there is a quarterly newsletter that is sent to every address updating folks on "what's happening" in our area. I think a column in that publication would be appropriate.

pen

 

[rideau]

We have a lot of poorer people in the community, and a lot of chimney fires with loss of home every year--several every year.

 

[bag of hammers]

Even good burning practices result in a black cap. Start-ups and reloads involve smoke, and there isn't much way around that.

Rideau's concern is admirable. But I have to say, I'm primarily a weekend burner - aside from the odd sizzler that sneaks in, I burn really good wood and get hot fires pretty fast. With a cold start weekly, and a few reloads, the top of the pipe and cap are still a bit dirty. A couple minutes into the reload and then it's all heat waves for hours, but it is a bit smoky up to that point. Aside from wiping it down when I sweep the chimney, there's not much I can do.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Until one approaches a few wood burners and tries to "educate" them a little bit about burning wood it is difficult to understand what you are fighting against. Those people think they are doing it right and don't want anyone telling them how to do it. So for the most part, I've given up except on this forum.