Wood burners

[Wheezycat]

As I am one of those whose chest dislikes wood burners etc, I was delighted to see this front page article in the Guardian today:

theguardian.com/environment...

[Mogget]

Shame they aren’t being banned!

[Wheezycat in reply to Mogget]

But at least there are steps in the right direction! I hope this will be on main news! The issues do need to be highlighted, rather than endlessly idealising them!

[MMBJI]

Our next door neighbours have just installed a wood burner. We live in a semi. Depending on the wind direction and weather conditions it’s creating problems for us. We’ve been considering moving area, now I think we’ll have to. I really wish that burners and their fuel were regulated more, or preferably banned completely. I can’t imagine how any regulations could be enforced though.

Between the fashion for log burners and taking pets everywhere, I think the world is trying to finish me off!

[Wheezycat in reply to MMBJI]

That sounds tough! Yes, I also wish people would take more notice of all the warnings! I also don’t like the smoke in the air from them outside. I know someone whose asthma really worsened from that as she lives in a middle class area where loads of people have had wood burners installed. They have been idealised for far too long! I sometimes watch George Clarkson’s remodelling houses programmes, and he and other architects on telly so often speak highly of them. I may, if I get riled enough, write to C4 about it.

[BlueBlobs1]

When you go outside in the evening, it smells like a house is on fire. I went out to put milk bottles out and had to change my clothes as I smelt of smoke. my wife had to go on a 10 day course of pred because of it. It's not so much wood burners but the people who don't know or care how to use them properly. Using old burners or open fires with a low burn efficiency. Burning wet unseasoned wood or burning treated wood to save going to the tip. I still think it's a bad idea over all because even at a 90% effeciency in a village with loads of wood burners that's a lot of smoke. I am hoping the main culprit is going to get bored of it soon. It can be a novelty at first.

[Wheezycat in reply to BlueBlobs1]

Interestingly, the article looks at research that shows that even the most efficient wood burner, and the most suitable wood create a lot of indoor air pollution. And I am with you all the way about the air outside when people use them. Horrible!

[Gareth57]

We need to look at the whole picture surely, overall there are far fewer domestic fires than when I was growing up, every home had a minimum of 1 fire as the means of heating, these were not using smokeless fuel, we had forests of mill chimney pumping out coal smoke, trains were coal powered as were power stations. The sulphurous smoke was far worse for more people than just asthmatics. Our clothes were black with soot in no time. Wood is in contrast carbon neutral and burnt by a relative few.

[Wheezycat in reply to Gareth57]

In this city, and in London there are quite a number. I know someone who can struggle walking down a street on a cold day because of them. They may be carbon neutral but that does not mean they are free of problems! I, too, grew up near factories, and open fires etc, that doesn’t mean either that or this is good. I dread going into a home with a wood burner as it truly bites my chest. Sometimes I get away with it, but many times not! And people have them for other reasons these days, it is not the only answer for heating.

Also, my father who suffered bad asthma until he died, from asthma, age 29, also grew up with those coal fires. Maybe they added a lot of what eventually killed him?

[Gareth57 in reply to Wheezycat]

I am not saying they are without problems and some may react, but there are much bigger polluters that are accepted as essential. You may have quite a few stoves where you live but they are a minority of homes, but cars produce worse pollutants and if you suggest curbing use there is an outcry. Let’s all get back to walking, cycling, get a decent public transport system in place and cut car use for all without a GP’s cert. it was shown in the first lockdown how the air quality improved, people walked and there was an unprecedented rise in cycle sales which manufactures have still not caught up with. Let’s sort some of these before condemning a fire which can brighten a room and lift the spirits on a dismal winters evening especially at a time when the buzz word is mental health

[Wheezycat in reply to Gareth57]

I agree, in part, with traffic - we need to shift it. However, indoor pollution not only pollutes us, but also adds to outside pollution. It irritates me more than I can tell you when we talk of pollution that only traffic gets mentioned. Wood burners are more common than I think you realise even if you don’t want to accept that, and it can make many people’s lives a misery. Many of my friends have them, and it gets awkward if I have to ask them not to light them. Even if you care more about traffic, I truly don’t understand why you try to minimise how prevalent they are, and the pollution they cause. Why not tackle anything that we strictly don’t need? Traffic, yes. Indoors get people to realise the things they add to pollution that could be avoided, starting, in fact with air fresheners and scented candles. We truly don’t need either. Some things we cannot get away from, like cooking and many other things.

[Gareth57 in reply to Wheezycat]

I’m not minimising the prevalence of wood burners and I am against cars to a greater extent because, as I see it countries with more cars and denser populations seem to have higher rates of asthma (no scientific figures just general observation) and I also think (based on me) that something in traffic pollution sensitised the lungs to other triggers like wood smoke or perfumes. Quantities of industrial and automotive pollution far outweigh woodsmoke so start with automotive including brake dust and tyre particulates.

[Wheesy]

As a retired Plumbing and Heating Engineer who also taught the subject agrees with all of your comments. Incidentally a good friend of mine lost his life when servicing a gas appliance, in another room the customer had a log burner ignited which had a defective flue and he was killed with Carbon Monoxide. This new topic of pollutants only adds to resons why this type of appliance should be banned. Also I can smell and suffer with my asthma when I come into contact with the fumes produced, which I am sure that many asthmatics have the same problem.

[Wheezycat in reply to Wheesy]

Yes, I agree. We can not remove all sources of indoor air pollutants, but we can try to remove or reduce some. These days I even react on toast due to its burnt surface! I don’t keel over, but I do find it thoroughly unpleasant.

[AutumnHedgerow]

I agree with you Wheezycat about the prevalence of coal fires and woodturners. No idea why Gareth would suggest we put up with being blue lighted to hospital and have a miserable winter just so some can have some cheer, which can be provided in other ways (LED fairy lights or whatever) that don't make others ill. I don't disagree about the traffic issue but really don't want my ill health that results from neighbouring fires dismissed so summarily. grrr

[Wheezycat in reply to AutumnHedgerow]

Quite! I had my first ever sudden full on asthma attack on Christmas Day. Normally I slide into attacks over 1-3 days or so. It was caused by cooking a bird in the over (so burning fat, as it were), and too many candles, some of which were blown out causing smoke. I could lift it by taking Ventolin 7 times, so I didn’t need to call for help, but it was exhausting!

Like you I agree with the need to control traffic pollution, but personally I suffer far more from indoor pollution, mostly burney things like the toaster and cooking. That is a drag!

[LeiLey in reply to Wheezycat]

Hi just seen this about your attack on Christmas Day- I hope you are ok now?! 🤞I’ve just posted about my oven / burning food etc causing issues as well. This must be quite a common trigger for asthma is it? When it happened to me the other day, I had a very tight feeling chest all day and felt quite lousy tbh. I am suspected of having asthma and on Fostair and ventolin as required.

I have got some good advice from Emma about koh cleaning products being gentle on breathing etc. So I am going to give my oven a good clean and see if that helps. Hope you’re feeling better

LeiLey

[Wheezycat in reply to LeiLey]

Thank you, LeiLey! Yes, I am fine now. I felt it a bit for a day or two, mainly exhaustion, but that is now over. I, too, am ordering some Koh products. I do try to take any version of indoor air pollution seriously, as it not only affects many people, and is dangerous to all whether they accept that or not, but it will also leave the building eventually and add to general pollution levels. It is difficult, or impossible, to remove it all, but I can reduce it a bit.

[LeiLey in reply to Wheezycat]

Yes that’s a good way to look at it, help yourself and others best you can, I really need to get on top of a few things in the house like condensation leading to mold as well, and of course the oven, I need a new house ha!I’m pleased you are feeling better now, it must have been quite scary for you 😔

I am ok thank you just feeling quite chesty/throaty today especially if I try and do a lot, I’m not putting the oven on today just in case!

[Wheezycat in reply to LeiLey]

I did put the oven on (I am exploring ways of cooking that does not involve the oven, or caramelising, or toasting etc) so we did not light some Christmas candles just to keep it down. Hope your tight chest goes soon. It is not nice!

[AutumnHedgerow in reply to Wheezycat]

Yes, burning oil gets me too. As well as the very hot oven my husband uses for baking bread - have to stay away from the kitchen on bread making day.

[Wheezycat in reply to AutumnHedgerow]

Yes, i understand. I have reacted similarly to cakes being baked........but not always. For me there is also toasting spices, and toasting bread. It is a drag!