Neighbors and wood smoke concern

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David T

Member
Sep 22, 2012
26
I have bought a US Stove 2500 from Tractor Supply and need to install a chimney through the wall which I am feeling good about doing. The wood stove is rated at less than 4 grams per hour emissions and I have plenty of dry hardwood. I am hesitant to hook it up because of concerns about the wood smoke and smoking out the neighbors. The chimney would actually be 24 feet up and the neighbors are a couple of hundred feet or more away. I think I would be fine with good burning practices but I am only fimiliar with the old non EPA stoves which put out more emissions. I was wondering if anyone esle had these concerns and how it worked out. Any help appreciated.

Thank You
 
I only have smoke for the first ten minutes, then you can't see it. My fire pits on the other hand smokes out the entire neighborhood, but isn't that what it's all about?
 
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I don't think there'd be much of an issue if the neighbors are that far away. I suspect your stove will burn pretty clean, the wind doesn't always blow from the same direction so that one cranky set of neighbors won't complain, and your chimney is tall.

You might consider burning a bunch of plastic and tires and whatnot in a drum in the yard and get the neighbors all irate and then assure them that the new stove will be much, much better...then they'll agree that the new stove is really not that bad at all. ;)
 
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Once you get 'em up to temp and the re-burn starts, the new stoves put out little or no smoke (my cat stoves, anyway.) You can minimize smoke on start-up by employing a top-down start. You put the bigger splits on the bottom/back and put a few medium/small splits in the top front. Leave enough room on top of those to put a couple of small, slightly-crumpled pieces of newspaper. Then I use a few very small (finger-sized or smaller) Pine kindling, which will light very quickly off the little bit of newspaper. You could also use fire starters under the Pine, like SuperCedars or Meeco Firelighting Squares. With the fire on top, working it's way down and back, smoke from the wood that is catching is always rising up into the flames. Very clean starts with this method. :cool: You'll have a little smoke when you re-load and get the stove back up to temp, but if you rake the coals forward first, most of the action is up front, where it's getting a lot of air and burning hot.
 
I have a non-epa US Stove and have burned all through the past two winters (or at least until the dry wood was gone) and rarely had smoke coming from the stack. Only when I resorted to wet wood or sometimes when I started it up when the stove was cold.

The smell was more pervasive then the smoke, and that was only because I burned cottonwood the first year.
 
It's been my experience that even people who don't burn enjoy a little wood smoke scent in the autumn and winter. It's like coming home to fresh backed bread! Who can complain about that? So long as you follow through like you stated and burn good dry wood and don't close things down to the point of smoldering you should be good to go.
 
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Neighbors a couple hundred feet away, EPA stove plus dry wood equals no problem from neighbors. Plenty of members burn wood and have neighbors 20' away. My neighbors are spread out like yours and I've never had issues.
 
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You shouldn't have any problems.
 
Most of my Red Pine is split maybe 2x2, then I split 'em down at the hearth (the straight pieces with no knots) at the hearth with an Estwing Fireside Friend.
 
Welcome David. This is a good question. You've partly addressed the issue by getting a clean burning stove and with a proper chimney that drafts well. A second part is the wood. Dry wood is going to burn hotter and cleaner. The next part falls on your shoulders: the stove operation. A common mistake is shutting the stove down too soon and letting it smolder. Don't do that. Burn smaller loads of fuel if you want less heat. You can use a peek at your flue cap outside as a guide. If you are running the stove correctly there will be minimum smoke as soon as the stove has warmed up a bit. Usually this is within 10 minutes or so. And last, pay attention to the weather. If there is a temperature inversion with low pressure in your area and any smoke goes down instead of up, consider not burning on that day.

A helpful tool is a stove top thermometer. It will let you know when the stove is running at optimal temps. This depends on the stove but usually it's between about 450 and 650::F
 
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If they groan about the smell of woodsmoke let them sit in their hooch when its colder than a well diggers arse and the power is out for 2 weeks straight
when they come to your place to warm up tell them to GFThemselves!
 
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begreen said:
Welcome David. This is a good question. You've partly addressed the issue by getting a clean burning stove and with a proper chimney that drafts well. A second part is the wood. Dry wood is going to burn hotter and cleaner. The next part falls on your shoulders: the stove operation. A common mistake is shutting the stove down too soon and letting it smolder. Don't do that. Burn smaller loads of fuel if you want less heat. You can use a peek at your flue cap outside as a guide. If you are running the stove correctly there will be minimum smoke as soon as the stove has warmed up a bit. Usually this is within 10 minutes or so. And last, pay attention to the weather. If there is a temperature inversion with low pressure in your area and any smoke goes down instead of up, consider not burning on that day.

A helpful tool is a stove top thermometer. It will let you know when the stove is running at optimal temps. This depends on the stove but usually it's between about 450 and 650::F
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Welcome to the forum David.


I inserted the quote from Begreen because that post begs to be read by many. And Begreen, thank you for sure a good post.



As has been said, burn good dry wood and that will take care of most of any problems. However, do you really know what good dry wood is? I ask only because so many new and even seasoned wood burners really do not understand what dry wood really is. With that in mind, I invite you to come on over to the Wood Shed and get acquainted with some very good people who will educate you further on the wood supplies. Good luck.
 
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Tenn Dave said:
Boy you can say that again. I'm sure glad I don't live near that kind of a situation !!!!!
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I do! He's about 400 yards away, and his smoke still fills my 5 acre field on some days! :rolleyes:
 
I really like the smell of woodsmoke in the fall and winter. Unfortunately, except for the first 10 minutes or so, I never get to smell it. My Shelburne burns so cleanly that there is virtually no smell. If there is a smell, it doesn't really smell like woodsmoke.
 
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Tenn Dave said:
Boy you can say that again. I'm sure glad I don't live near that kind of a situation !!!!!
Click to expand...

I do, perhaps 700 yards away, but have never smelled him unless I'm within 100-200 yards of his house.
 
Joful said:
I do, perhaps 700 yards away, but have never smelled him unless I'm within 100-200 yards of his house.
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As some others have said, I also enjoy the distant smell of a wood fire once in a while. But I would not want to have to smell strong smoke everyday all winter long.
 
Fact is if you have a pain in the butt neighbor they will complain, smoke or no smoke. With that chimney height and good start-ups and dry wood there will be smoke at reloads but it won't come down to the ground or to house height. Mine never makes it past the edge of the yard. About fifty feet. But then it is thousand feet to the closest neighbor. The one that came over one day after fifteen years and saw the stacks and said "Oh, do you burn wood?".

There is a smell burning wood, smoke or no smoke. Mine is the smell of hot stainless steel from the liners.
 
I say just burn baby burn......................................................
 
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