November 15, 2006
Section: OUR TOWNS
Page: 3B
Wood-burning furnace ban explored
STAFF
John Davis
HYDE PARK — The town is considering banning or regulating outdoor wood-burning furnaces before they become a problem.
The devices, which are used to heat homes and hot water, are becoming more popular in rural areas but have a reputation for creating a great deal of smoke, which can bother neighbors.
"These outdoor ones are just big hogs," Supervisor Pompey Delafield said. "You shove things in and they spew out."
The towns of Beekman and Red Hook this spring passed laws outlawing new furnaces because of the amount of smoke they create. Owners of existing outdoor furnaces are exempt from the bans but were required to obtain town permits and abide by regulations.
Delafield said he favors adopting a law similar to the one in Red Hook.
Councilman Richard Perkins said because of the cost savings of heating with wood, the town should consider allowing those living on parcels of 10 acres or more to operate outdoor furnaces.
Costs lower
The growing popularity of the outdoor units is because of the low heating costs of those who have access to either free or cheap firewood, said Leslie Wheeler, communications director for the Health, Patio & Barbecue Association.
The Arlington, Va.-based association represents manufacturers and dealers of outdoor wood-burning furnaces and is dedicated to developing safe, affordable and convenient ways of heating in an environmentally responsible manner.
"It would be a shame to ban them completely," Wheeler said.
Used properly, she said, the units should not bother neighbors with the smoke they emit. This includes placing the furnaces a minimum of 100 feet from the nearest neighbor's house and extending the furnace chimney at least 2 feet above the neighbor's roof line.
"Make sure only dry seasoned wood is burned in the things and not everything but the kitchen sink," Wheeler said.
Perkins agreed to draft regulations that would permit those living on large parcels in Hyde Park to operate the outdoor furnaces.
John Davis can be reached at [email protected]
On the Web
•Visit (broken link removed) to read Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's report "Smoke Gets in Your Lungs: Outdoor Wood Boilers in New York State."
•The Web site of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association: www.hpba.org
FROM THE POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL
Section: OUR TOWNS
Page: 3B
Wood-burning furnace ban explored
STAFF
John Davis
HYDE PARK — The town is considering banning or regulating outdoor wood-burning furnaces before they become a problem.
The devices, which are used to heat homes and hot water, are becoming more popular in rural areas but have a reputation for creating a great deal of smoke, which can bother neighbors.
"These outdoor ones are just big hogs," Supervisor Pompey Delafield said. "You shove things in and they spew out."
The towns of Beekman and Red Hook this spring passed laws outlawing new furnaces because of the amount of smoke they create. Owners of existing outdoor furnaces are exempt from the bans but were required to obtain town permits and abide by regulations.
Delafield said he favors adopting a law similar to the one in Red Hook.
Councilman Richard Perkins said because of the cost savings of heating with wood, the town should consider allowing those living on parcels of 10 acres or more to operate outdoor furnaces.
Costs lower
The growing popularity of the outdoor units is because of the low heating costs of those who have access to either free or cheap firewood, said Leslie Wheeler, communications director for the Health, Patio & Barbecue Association.
The Arlington, Va.-based association represents manufacturers and dealers of outdoor wood-burning furnaces and is dedicated to developing safe, affordable and convenient ways of heating in an environmentally responsible manner.
"It would be a shame to ban them completely," Wheeler said.
Used properly, she said, the units should not bother neighbors with the smoke they emit. This includes placing the furnaces a minimum of 100 feet from the nearest neighbor's house and extending the furnace chimney at least 2 feet above the neighbor's roof line.
"Make sure only dry seasoned wood is burned in the things and not everything but the kitchen sink," Wheeler said.
Perkins agreed to draft regulations that would permit those living on large parcels in Hyde Park to operate the outdoor furnaces.
John Davis can be reached at [email protected]
On the Web
•Visit (broken link removed) to read Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's report "Smoke Gets in Your Lungs: Outdoor Wood Boilers in New York State."
•The Web site of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association: www.hpba.org
FROM THE POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL
