:Dan Musicant wrote: :> On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:15:38 -0700 (PDT), Harry K :> wrote: :>
:>> On Oct 25, 12:13 am, "Bob F" wrote: :>>> LouB wrote: :>>>> Wayne Whitney wrote: :>>>>> On 2009-10-24, Dan Musicant wrote: :>>>
:>>>>>> Wayne, are you there? Wayne Whitney who traffics this newsgroup :>>>
:>>>>> Yo! My trafficking is fairly irregular these days, it was chance :>>>>> that I noticed your post. :>>>
:>>>>>> told me that fireplaces release particulate matter which has been :>>>>>> shown to shorten one life. :>>>
:>>>>> Right, but most of those are emitted outside, so you'd be :>>>>> shortening your neighbor's lives, not your own. Of course, if :>>>>> your fireplace has a drafting problem, you could get smoke and :>>>>> particulates inside. :>>>
:>>>>> The best option pollution wise is to get an EPA-certified wood :>>>>> burning insert in your fireplace. They have some form of :>>>>> afterburner or catalyst to burn wood more cleanly. Plus you could :>>>>> improve the efficiency of using the fireplace to heat the house, :>>>>> as you should be able to arrange to use outside air for :>>>>> combustion and just blow the heat into the house. Much more :>>>>> efficient than a conventional fireplace. :>>>
:>>>>> However, the expense of the insert and/or necessary chimney :>>>>> improvements or liners may be prohibitive. :>>>
:>>>>> Cheers, Wayne :>>>> Thia Old House just had a show with that. Inserts are expensive! :>>>
:>>> I bought my EPA certified insert with most of the stainless chimney :>>> liner used for $300. Replaced the "afterburner" tubes in the top :>>> for $40 or something like that. There are ways. :>>>
:>>> It heats well, and rarely has visible smoke after the initial few :>>> minutes. :>>>
:>>> And I get way more heat from it, and less heat loss up the chimney :>>> then a fireplace could ever provide.- Hide quoted text - :>>>
:>>> - Show quoted text - :>>
:>> True about the efficiency. Of course _anything_ is more effectient :>> than a fireplace. They are the most efficient wasters of wood known :>> to man...well, an open pit would be worse I suppose. :>>
:>> Harry K :>
:> I should have snagged my sister's wood burning stove when she gave :> that away and went to strictly gas furnace heating in her house. Not :> sure I could have set it up, maybe could have vented it up the :> chimney. My fireplace is downstairs, of course, in a two story house. : :Legally in the US, at least in many places, any woodstove or insert that is :installed has to be an EPA certified unit. Older ones are no longer legal for :installation or re-instalation. You need to make sure that any unit you get :meets that requirement, or you could have legal or insurance problems. Permits :may be required for instalation. : :Thus, it may be illegal to remove an insert for chimney cleaning and later :re-install it, and you won't be able to hire a ligit chimney cleaner to do this. : I guess I'll just wear a lot of clothes this winter, drink hot broth, take a hot shower... I figure my chimney's clogged.
Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net