Free Wood Stove Workshop Offers Useful Tips

Make wood burning safer, more efficient and healthier

A series of evening seminars on home heating with wood take place in cities around the Georgian Bay watershed between February 26 and March 15, 2001.

Whether seasoned veterans or newcomers to heating with wood, anyone interested in learning to make woodburning safer, more efficient and healthier, should plan to attend. The workshops start at 7:30 PM and conclude at 9:30 pm.

The Wood Heat Workshops are organized by the Hearth Products Association of Canada (HPAC) and hosted by local fire departments. The project is co-sponsored by Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Canada and local hearth retailers. The workshop is part of a larger project called the Great Wood Stove Changeout of the Georgian Bay Watershed.

The Changeout slogan is “Don’t let your wood go up in smoke”, a reminder that smoke is unburned fuel that can lead to chimney fires and also contains unhealthy pollutants. Burning the smoke in the firebox produces more heat from the wood, makes systems safer, and results in cleaner air, something we all can appreciate. The Changeout features trade-in rebates on purchases of advanced technology, clean burning wood stoves, pellet stoves and fireplaces.

One of the most appealing features of the Wood Stove Workshop is the practical tips on how to reduce the amount of wood needed to heat a home. Organizer Tex McLeod, manager of the HPAC, which is based in Huntsville, notes that heating with a wood stove, furnace or fireplace is something many of us do every day, all winter long. “Finding out ways to burn better is definitely worthwhile.”

The workshop is free to the public and those who attend will receive plenty of information on wood heating issues as well as booklets and pamphlets they can take home to read later. People are encouraged to bring a sample of their firewood so they can get a free moisture measurement. Knowing the moisture content of firewood can help householders assess the performance of their wood heat systems.

The workshop leaders are some of Canada’s most experienced wood heat specialists. Local wood heat retailers will also be on hand to answer questions and talk about the products that can help make wood burning safer, more efficient and healthier.

The Changeout project is designed to promote better burning practices and to encourage upgrading to the new advanced technology wood stoves, pellet stoves, fireplaces or fireplace inserts. Advanced technology products are those that meet stringent smoke emission limits. These new stoves dramatically reduce smoke emissions by up to 90 percent and deliver about one-third higher efficiency than older conventional “airtights”.

Another popular feature of the Wood Stove Workshop will be a special outdoor display where seminar-goers can view actual wood stoves operating. The display will be operating before the workshop, so people are encouraged to arrive early to see it. An older stove will be burning along side one of the advanced technology models. While the older stove will produce a plume of smoke from its chimney, observers will be astonished to see no visible smoke from the advanced stove’s chimney. They might also notice that the advanced technology stove produces a more beautiful fire. The striking difference is something people need to see to fully appreciate.

“You really need to see these new stoves working to appreciate the difference in performance,” says Mr. McLeod. “There are so many advantages of the new technology stoves, despite their slightly higher cost,” he says, “Think about one-third less firewood to cut, split and carry. Plus there is greater safety because of less creosote, so the risk of a chimney fire is virtually eliminated. Not to mention the good feeling you get knowing you are doing something that not only helps your family, but also helps the environment.”

Anita Wong of the Ontario region of Environment Canada agrees. She says the Change-out project makes a valuable contribution to public awareness of appropriate wood heating. "It is important for people to realize that wood smoke is air pollution and that steps to reduce it are part of environmental protection," she said.

“This workshop is a great opportunity for homeowners to learn more about an important topic,” says Mr. McLeod. “We offered workshops like this two years ago in Eastern Ontario and were overwhelmed by the public’s interest.”

Anyone planning to attend the workshop should try to arrive by 7:00 pm so they can view the outdoor display of operating stoves and to get the moisture of their firewood sample measured.

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