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Following these steps will help you reduce wood smoke pollution, save money and create a more efficient fire.
1 Burn only dry, seasoned wood
Freshly cut wood has about half its weight in water. It does not produce as much heat as dry wood, and will cause excessive smoke when burnt . When you burn such wood for fires, it is equivalent to paying to boil water.
You should always burn dry, seasoned logs. Such logs should make a 'crack' when you hit one against the other, rather than the a dull thud of a freshly cut log.
One way to ensure your firewood is properly seasoned and sustainably harvested is to buy it from a Firewood Association of Australia certified sustainable supplier.
Never burn rubbish, driftwood, painted or treated wood.
2 Keep air vents open for 20 minutes after starting and reloading the fire
The first phase of burning wood can release a very high amount of smoke. A vigorous flame will burn off most of the smoke before it goes up the flue, so keep those air vents open.
Use kindling wood, paper or firelighters to start the fire. Add larger pieces of seasoned wood when a bed of red-hot coals is established.
Once the wood is burning fiercely, you may then turn down the controls so that the fire will give out a comfortable warmth..
Build smaller fires by adding small amounts of wood regularly and providing plenty of air. Avoid having one or two large logs smouldering in the fire with the air controls turned down.
Keep the air vents open for 15-20 minutes after you reload the fire each time.
3 Keep the fire live and bright but let it go out at night
Low burning levels and smouldering can produce up to 10 times more smoke than a brightly burning fire. Such burning will not get the best heat value out of your wood.
Excess smoke may result in tar and soot building up in your flue. This can lead to:
- your heater being harder to light
- your heater taking longer to light and reach a good temperature
- increased maintenance costs
- most dangerously, the possibility of a fire starting in your flue (it is recommended the flue be cleaned once a year).
To help your fire burn brightly, never over fill the heater with wood. Most heaters burn better with three or four smaller logs rather than one or two large logs. Stack them loosely so that air can circulate.
Do not pack your fire and leave it on a low setting overnight or when you go out, as it will smoulder and produce a large amount of smoke.
4 Check there is no smoke from your flue 20 minutes after starting your fire
Go outside and look at your flue. If after 20 minutes there is still smoke coming from your flue (and you have followed the SmokeWatch steps), you may need to adjust the fuel or air vents to get a better fire.
With a little practice and care, your heater can be relatively smoke free even in the first few minutes after lighting!
If you still have significant smoke coming from your chimney, contact your local woodheater supplier or call the EPA on (08) 8204 2004 for assistance.
Last modified: 24/02/2011 11:08 am
