Following these steps will help you reduce
wood smoke pollution, save money
and create a more efficient fire.
1. Burn only dry, seasoned wood
Fresh cut wood contains about half its weight in water and thus
does not produce as much heat as it should, causes excessive smoke
and wastes money - you are essentially paying to boil water.
You should always burn seasoned logs. Such logs should make a
'crack' when banged together not a dull thud.
Never burn rubbish, driftwood or 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 very high concentrations
of smoke. By ensuring there is a vigorous flame most of the smoke
will be burnt before it goes up the chimney.
Once wood is burning fiercely, you may then turn down the controls
to give a comfortable fire.
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 chimney.
This can lead to the following:
- your heater being harder to light
- your heater can take longer to light,
- your heater can take longer to reach a good temperature
- you may face increased maintenance costs
- most dangerously, a fire can start in your chimney (it is
recommended chimneys be cleaned once a year).
To help your fire burn brightly never over-fill the heater with
wood, use smaller logs rather than one large log and stack them
loosely so that air can circulate.
4. Check there is no smoke from your chimney 20 minutes after
starting your fire.
Go outside and look at your chimney. If after 20 minutes there
is still smoke coming from your chimney (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 even the first few minutes after
lighting the heater can be relatively smoke free.
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.
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This page was last modified 18-12-2007
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