Why OWB's Have a Bad Rep

[ChrisN]

This house is a couple of miles down the road from me. About every time I drive by, his OWB is spewing smoke like crazy. There is another one a couple of miles in the other direction. I've got nothing against these people personally, but it makes me cringe every time I drive by and see their set-ups. I'm sure they aren't doing us any favors with the anti-wood burning crowds either.

 

[brooktrout]

I can't tell you how many there are here in Delaware County, NY. I hate 'em too. Plus, there are some who abuse them, like throwing cardboard, trash, tires, you name it in. I doubt many of hem use seasoned wood, either. That's why we call them SMOKE DRAGONS

 

[jpl1nh]

I'm with you. One a 1/4 mile down the street from where I live. We're in the country,, never really inconveniences nobody but I leave my cat-fired, soapstone warmed, clean burning house and drive by..THAT! Com'on, folks, we got the technology to do better! I'm tired of people being inconsiderate of the world we all live in. Our planet is not just for their personal consumption.

 

[mayhem]

I've yet to see any OWB that wasn't spewing enough smoke to qualify as a factory from the 1930's.

I don't think anyone who owns one burns seasoned wood.

 

[Lignums]

I am guessing that is why most areas are introducing laws that restrict the usage of these garbage incinerators. In my area of southwest Ohio, ordinances are being mulled around that OWB cannot be used if there are more than X number of houses per square mile. I have no idea what the number of houses is, but it is smaller than what you would think.



Newest heating system prompts concerns due to health impact

In today’s energy conscious society, new heating systems are being introduced. One such system is an outdoor woodfired boiler. The unit is a freestanding wood burning device that resembles a tool shed with a smoke stack. It is located outside and separate from the space being heated. The system can heat a home, domestic water supply, a barn, greenhouse, swimming pool and or a hot tub.

The alternative, however, may not be appropriate for a residential neighborhood, prompting Fairfield City Council to begin action that will prohibit the structures within the City.

The primary problem is that the height of the boiler’s chimney is lower than that of a typical home. This, along with the dense smoke produced from poor combustion, does not allow the smoke to be adequately dispersed. The low level smoke not only creates a nuisance to nearby property owners, but it also creates the potential for health problems.

Studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency have shown that these types of boilers emit a significant amount of harmful pollutants that can cause both short-term and long-term health effects such as coughing, difficult or painful breathing, eye and nose irritation, increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular disease.
Last updated: 4/23/2007

 

[dumbodog00]

I think that if the government thinks smoke from wood/coal burning is such a problem, then they need to lower the cost of clean burning fuel. Propane, natural gas, and oil burn cleanly, but will break a person when heating. Around $3 a gallon for propane and at least $3 for oil, around 1200 gallons of propane a winter...you see the problem. I realize that smoke can be a problem, however it is so expensive to heat by other means.

 

[swestall]

I think that if the government thinks smoke from wood/coal burning is such a problem, then they need to lower the cost of clean burning fuel. Propane, natural gas, and oil burn cleanly, but will break a person when heating. Around $3 a gallon for propane and at least $3 for oil, around 1200 gallons of propane a winter...you see the problem. I realize that smoke can be a problem, however it is so expensive to heat by other means.

Yes, but we are not talking of the folks who purchase and install EPA stoves or even those who burn a Classic or Antique hot enough to keep them from smoking. We are talking about the Outside Wood Burners that are loaded with a half cord of wood and left smoldering or at best burning with lots of smoke.

The technology could be applied to those units, it just is not. If it were mandated, they would either update these units to not produce the smoke or they would be gone. Some would go either way; the result would be beneficial to all.

 

[mayhem]

I would think that an OWB could be a clean burning device, but there's alot of things working against it.

The manufacturers all seem to say you can burn totally green wood just fine, the smokestacks need to be at least 8-10' taller than they are to help get what does come out moving faster and in a more vertical column.

 

[woodconvert]

I know two people with em'. They heat solely with them and my hats off to them for it. I will say, however, both of them go through A-LOT-MORE-WOOD in a season than I do (and I go through8-10 cords). What they save in not having to split and stack wood they more than give up in sheer quantity of wood needed. They do make smoke like crazy (doesn't bother me but seems to bother others) and when the power goes out they are out of the heating business. Also, there seems to be more maintenance with one of those beasts...or maybe the two I know have had bad luck.

All in all, unless you can't get a stove in your house I don't know why you'd pay the extra expense for more headache and roughly the same heat. Meh, to each his own.

 

[billb3]

I thought one of my neighbors had one and were cooking/smoking fish
(rotten fish from the smell)

When they were still burning in July we finally called the cops and then the fire dept.

Turns out the guy just had a tall fence around an out door patio stove and was burning trash.
all day, all week

His neighbor had video of him carrying garbage out.
He also has a lawnscaping service and was cutting up all the shrubery trimmings and burning that. All green stuff.

Fire chief was at the house for at least four hours.
Hasn't been a wisp of smoke from his yard since.

 

[Henz]

I was seriously looking into them, until I found out how much wood you burn..I have alot of pine on my property and figured that I could burn pine in it..Well you can, except that you burn alot more pine that you would hardwood. I probably wouldnt hae a tree left! I am glad that I went with an indoor woodstove now. I think that if you live on a farm or are a logger by trade, then yeah, you probably have the land/trees and equipment to get the wood, otherwise, I say stick to a woodstove..On another note, realizing that trees are a renuable resource, but, with the increase in popularity of these OWB, and the overall consumption of wood that they require, my guess is that the cost of loogs/wood is gonna go up with more and more OWB being installed. Supply vs demand. FOr every one OWB, I bet it takes the wood used by 2.5 indoor stoves.

 

[staplebox]

@ChrisN

Any chance that pic is from Lisbon?

 

[ChrisN]

Not Lisbon, Staple.... The Oakdale section of Montville, Oxoboxo Lake area.

 

[begreen]

There's no reason why an OWB has to be a smoke dragon, other than perhaps cost. It's just a boiler in a shed. There are many gasifier units that burn quite cleanly in comparison.

 

[tradergordo]

Maybe the EPA should institute some sort of 3-strikes policy. If your wood burning appliance does not meet current emissions standards, and a neighbor(s) call to complain 3 or more times, you start getting fined for every legitimate complaint?

 

[jtb51b]

Maybe the EPA should institute some sort of 3-strikes policy. If your wood burning appliance does not meet current emissions standards, and a neighbor(s) call to complain 3 or more times, you start getting fined for every legitimate complaint?

Why mandate it to a current stove? You can screw up with newer units as well. Just because someone burns an older stove doesn't mean they don't burn it clean.

Jason

 

[berlin]

why mandate anything? why not let folks solve their problems with one another on a case-by-case basis. blanket laws are bad laws; people need to learn a little "give and take" when dealing with one another, and also stick their nose out of others' business when for the most part it doesn't concern them; for example the taking of this pic and posting it on the internet for all to see. It seems to me and perhaps i'm wrong, but his OWB is in the woods away from neighbors and a good distance from the main road, if so, let him do as he pleases, unless of course one's real agenda is squawking like a bunch of hens about someone else's heating equiptment or to make oneself feel good about exposing this "enemy to the environment" GMAFB. if you're not directly downwind, or have horrible air quality issues in your area, leave people alone, if you want to do something about huge releases of woodburning air pollution, join the firefighters that battle MASSIVE wildfires and mabey you'll actually accomplish something productive.

 

[webbie]

Different people have various sensitivities to smoke and smells. A very large percentage of the population suffer from asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Just about anyone who has thought about the subject of personal freedom concludes that your own freedoms end at the point where your behavior affects others in a negative fashion. Of course, it is always a matter of degree. A slight whiff in the air during the winter in a rural area may not cross the line, but an acrid strong smell or a pall of smoke hanging over the valley may!

Community norms may vary. But it can be a problem trying to settle things case by case. After all, who is gonna go talk to the guy with the 10 chain saws, 5 dogs and an arsenal in the basement, and tell him to stop burning wood? I'm not gonna do it.

Whether the smoke is from burning an OWB, a fireplace, a central heater or an open barrel is not the point. With a world population of 6 billion plus and 300 million right here (concentrated, in general), we do each have to do our part to keep the air as clean as possible. One look at air quality indexes and you can see that this IS a problem just about everywhere.

 

[woodjack]

It's the same old story. We wouldn't need laws at all if no one was selfish, or if people did not act inconsiderate. The people who say that everyone should just mind their own business don't realize, or care, that their disturbing others, and don't understand that their right to freedom ends where another person's right to freedom begins.
Don't people have a right not to be smoked out by their neighbor?

 

[berlin]

this " your rights end where mine begin" argument doesn't actually acomplish anything, it's vast oversimplification. my rights end where i begin to infringe on what you think your rights are.. to a degree, sometimes; is more accurate.

please. obviously we need laws; how many and to what end will always be a part of the debate, however.

It's my belief that asthma is on the rise because of lack of early childhood exposure to pollutants especially those from wood/coal burning appliances. there is a very interesting study in southern germany/ that recently seemed to come closer to proving my thoughts on this.

If someones smoke etc. is bothering you, fine, do what you have to do, but be sure to sit back and think if you TRUELY are bothered or simply cought up in the excitement and potential power of being able to tell another human being what to do and have an exciting confrontation in an otherwise dull life. Also bear in mind that when we create a culture of whiners, some activities that you partake in may be deemed offensive to others and be put to an end as well.

 

[tradergordo]

Maybe the EPA should institute some sort of 3-strikes policy. If your wood burning appliance does not meet current emissions standards, and a neighbor(s) call to complain 3 or more times, you start getting fined for every legitimate complaint?

Why mandate it to a current stove? You can screw up with newer units as well. Just because someone burns an older stove doesn't mean they don't burn it clean.

Jason

If you are burning clean, why would you get 3+ complaints? OK - I can see some jerk complaining no matter what you do, that's why I qualified it as "legitimate complaints" - what that means is yet to be determined - but probably wouldn't be hard to iron out. If the cops come by, and they think the complaint is legit (specifics to be determined), then you're busted. You might be smoking like crazy during a not so successful startup - well it should be burning clean by the time anyone is annoyed enough to call in a complaint, and certainly by the time someone comes to investigate the complaint. The annoying neighbor should get fined after calling in X number of bogus complaints - so everyone is happy and the enforcement is fully funded and the neighbor thinks twice before complaining.

As to the comment - why legislate anything? The way I see it, that isn't a choice. You have many communities already banning outdoor wood boilers completely for example (perhaps other types of wood burners are next). Do you want a complete ban, or a compromise? A compromise could be better if it only punishes irresponsible people.