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rockies
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# Posted: 6 Feb 2019 08:16pm - Edited by: rockies
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I'm curious about whether anyone has had any noticeable health concerns since moving into their cabins with regards to using a wood stove?
I just read this article about wildfire smoke, and although it concerns the process of forests burning it may also be applicable to burning wood indoors.
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/weather/topstories/wildfire-smoke-like-a-chemical-soup-resea rcher/ar-BBTeu4C?ocid=mailsignout
Any thoughts?
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fiftyfifty
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# Posted: 6 Feb 2019 08:20pm
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Smoke in general from the woodstove, no. But whenever we burn cedar I get pretty unpleasant allergic symptoms.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 6 Feb 2019 08:28pm
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I have more problems with airborne dust from the ashes when cleaning the stove out.
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paulz
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# Posted: 8 Feb 2019 03:13pm - Edited by: paulz
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It has me concerned...My lungs don't seem as good as they were before. I also have a woodstove in my master bedroom at my house, burn pretty much constant all winter. I've noticed now a bit of wheezing during the night but I am OK working, hiking etc.
Took me a long time to quit ripping open the stove door, and the plume of smoke that enter the room when you do. Also now wear a mask when I scoop the ashes as darz mentioned. With those two corrections I think most of the problem is alleviated. I hope..
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ICC
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# Posted: 8 Feb 2019 08:03pm
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Quoting: rockies Any thoughts?
As the article mentioned the smaller the particulate matter the worse it is for us. So, yes I believe wood smoke, no matter if it is from a wildfire or a wood burning stove, can be harmful to us. I have not had any immediate issues from wood stove smoke, other than a little eye irritation if I get a faceful of windblown smoke, especially that from a freshly started fire or a fire that has had wood just added.
I have been grateful that I installed split mini air conditioning as that has been an immense help in the past half dozen years when wildfire smoke was very heavy. I have neighbors who evacuated strictly because of the summer heat and the wildfire smoke being heavy. Too hot inside and they could not open windows without letting smoke drift through their homes.
I am glad that most people do not burn wood or coal anymore. Coal used to be used for heating a lot of homes around here back in the 50's. The air was a lot dirtier back then.
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ICC
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2019 12:08am
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Quoting: paulz I've noticed now a bit of wheezing during the night but I am OK working, hiking etc.
paulz, I hope you don't mind my forthrightness, but that's the sort of thing that would worry me; having no trouble breathing or moving about but then having issues in a particular indoor environment. Doesn't that make you wonder why, and want to get to the bottom of it?
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2019 09:53am - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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We are not allowed a wood stove but my family in Canada use wood heat even though they have baseboard heat. Can’t get insured without it.
My SIL never used wood heat, her electric bills were $600-800 per month in the winter. A decade ago. She’s been gone for awhile. So I’m sure the hydro cost is much higher now.
SIL never had any upper respiratory problems during the winter but every family member with wood heat does. One reason I believe is because their stoves are not the newer efficient stoves.
Even if you don’t use wood to heat, the air quality in town is awful this time of year due to almost 95% of the people burning wood.
I visited a hunt camp deep in the bush this fall for the day and had watery eyes,burning nose, coughing and my hair and clothing reeked of wood smoke. It was awful.
The stove was a old pot belly and I think they were burning wet wood.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2019 02:47pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Good dry wood burning IMHO smells good, reminds me of going into a campground as a kid. I did have a super efficient woodstove installed at home, the Quadrafire Millennium 3100 flat top, made in my home state, in fact, about 30 miles from where my cabin is.
I only use my woodstove during power outages or special occasions. Probably 1 or 2 times a year. Its burning now, we had lots of snow, power was out, no heat, so no option but to burn. Got to keep pipes from freezing.
My cabin has a wood stove and its only source of heat.
Wet wood, garbage, brush stink and coal is an awful smell IMHO. I know of no one who burns coal now.
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Eddy G
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2019 08:47am
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Quoting: paulz I've noticed now a bit of wheezing during the night but I am OK working, hiking etc.
Maybe it’s just to dry...That will make you stuffy and wheezy...Try getting some humidity into the air/room at night. Obviously you don’t want or need a rain forest in your house but a cast iron pot of water or tea kettle on top of the stove at night may be enough.
I do this at the cabin and have a humidifier in our bedroom at home and it makes a big difference for me.
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