wood stoves and the EPA

carly · #1 10/21/05, 07:19 AM

In researching pellet stoves for the main heating source for my cottage recently bought, I also researched wood stoves. What I found made me buy the pellet hands down. I also had one in my last house that did great. I have the pellet now and it heats just fine. I am in the north central part of NYS on the water, so thw wind hee gets bad, with snow drifts , etc.

Anyway, the EPA article said that in certain areas of the USA wood stoves are going to be banned due to the way the smoke settles, the burning of wood which creates so much smoke. They also went on the say that the dumes in the house are not good for the lungs, small children, etc.
Mostly, they were addressing the environment, tho.

Before you buy a woodstove, it might be helpful to go to their website and read about it. I do not recall where the places are.
Just something I learned and am passing along.

marvella · #2 10/21/05, 08:21 AM

do you have a link for that info?

i've been going back and froth about setting up a woodstove. i lived with one for years and loved it, but my asthma isn't getting any better, and wondered if pellet (or corn) stoves would be less of a problem.

HermitJohn · #3 10/21/05, 08:30 AM

Nice one-two punch. Energy companies raise oil/gas prices. The environmental crowd bans one of the few alternatives.

Not to worry people too much, I am sure this will mostly apply to heavily populated areas where lot wood smoke settling could cause smog problems. More people, more problems.

If they do apply it widespread to rural areas, maybe time to look at emmigrating to third world country. Right wing or left wing, nanny government sucks.

katlupe · #4 10/21/05, 08:55 AM

Another good reason not to live in a populated area.

carly · #5 10/21/05, 09:12 AM

No I do not have a link--just go to google and put in EPA thats what I did. As far as the populateed areas, not necessarily...they were talking about all kinds of areas....

BELIEVE me, pellet is MUCh healthier than wood....I have had both and would never get wood again.

Not to poop on the wood people who love them,,,,pellet is cleaner, much easier, and healthier never mind cheaper. I paid 3000.00 for my brand new pellet installed, and yes that sounds like a lot, but the pellets are 1.79 a bag of the highest quality. I bought 2.5 tons to heat my 1200 sq ft house <2 story> It is going to cost me 480 to hear the house for the entire winter pellets alone and if the cost of the stove is spread out over just one year, it would be 250 a month. So 250 + 40 = 290 a month for the first year only and that is figured over 12 months, not the 6 I will be heating. So next year and all the following years I will pay only for the pellets.

Now watch, SOMEONE from some gov't agency is reading this as I type it and the price of pellets is going to rocket to 5 bucka a bag next year. LOL

marvella · #6 10/21/05, 10:11 AM

i'd be interested in hearing how this works out for you this winter, about costs, especially. i'll look into this, but so far the costs you have mentioned are already more than what i pay for a years worth of propane.

Explorer · #7 10/21/05, 10:13 AM

I live about 25 miles from a pellet factory. Last year pellets were under $2 a bag, now they are $3 and higher.

seedspreader · #8 10/21/05, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carly

No I do not have a link--just go to google and put in EPA thats what I did. As far as the populateed areas, not necessarily...they were talking about all kinds of areas....

BELIEVE me, pellet is MUCh healthier than wood....I have had both and would never get wood again.

Not to poop on the wood people who love them,,,,pellet is cleaner, much easier, and healthier never mind cheaper. I paid 3000.00 for my brand new pellet installed, and yes that sounds like a lot, but the pellets are 1.79 a bag of the highest quality. I bought 2.5 tons to heat my 1200 sq ft house <2 story> It is going to cost me 480 to hear the house for the entire winter pellets alone and if the cost of the stove is spread out over just one year, it would be 250 a month. So 250 + 40 = 290 a month for the first year only and that is figured over 12 months, not the 6 I will be heating. So next year and all the following years I will pay only for the pellets.

Now watch, SOMEONE from some gov't agency is reading this as I type it and the price of pellets is going to rocket to 5 bucka a bag next year. LOL

So when everyone else buys pellet stoves and the prices of pellets rise, what will you think of your stove?

How much oil energy does it take to make pellets?

Can you make your own pellets?

I don't care if they make it illegal. I will go to jail in the society we live in eventually because they want to make everything I do illegal.

They want to take away my ability to heat my home, grow my food, raise my own animals, drink by own water, eliminate my own waste...

Yup... I ain't long for that kind of world.

rambler · #9 10/21/05, 11:07 AM

Pellets are around $3 a 40 lb bag here. Never saw them under $2?????

I'd sooner get a corn stove, that is something I make. Pellets you are depending on people to make & sell you pellets. If they stop, or raise the price, you are out of luck.

There are many wood furnaces that are just as efficient & smoke-free as your pellet stove.

You are comparing apples to oranges, in a way.

--->Paul

HermitJohn · #10 10/21/05, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rambler

Pellets are around $3 a 40 lb bag here. Never saw them under $2?????

I'd sooner get a corn stove, that is something I make. Pellets you are depending on people to make & sell you pellets. If they stop, or raise the price, you are out of luck.

There are many wood furnaces that are just as efficient & smoke-free as your pellet stove.

You are comparing apples to oranges, in a way.

--->Paul

I dont know much about pellet or corn stoves, but way I understand, corn stove is just a modified pellet stove. Apparently you can revert to burning wood pellets in corn stove. Not the other way around though.

Either way a complicated piece of equipment. I have seen pellets advertised locally cheaper than buying corn, but it may be come on to increase sales of pellet stoves. As long as I'm physically able, prefer the security of my own woodlot and simple wood stove.

foxtrapper · #11 10/21/05, 12:06 PM

You misread the article. The EPA has no plans to impose bans on woodstoves in any area of the US. Some individual states and counties have their own bans. It depends on the level of the problem.

Woodstoves in the home really aren't that big a deal *if* operated correctly. This includes having a good chimney so it properly drafts. The EPA statistics do not differentiate between woodstoves and fireplaces, which burn very differently and do create quite a bit of indoor pollution.

diane · #12 10/21/05, 12:25 PM

"I don't care if they make it illegal. I will go to jail in the society we live in eventually because they want to make everything I do illegal.

They want to take away my ability to heat my home, grow my food, raise my own animals, drink by own water, eliminate my own waste...

Yup... I ain't long for that kind of world."

My sentiments exactly!!!!! I am happy for you that you like your pellet stove. Please don't trash woodburning just because you don't like it. We have 25 acres of woods and never have to cut down a tree, just cut up the deadfall and dead trees. Why should I have to pay for pellets???

larellynm · #13 10/21/05, 12:40 PM

HI

I noticed the talk about the price of pellets for the stove and had to tell you about the converstion we had with the guy who sold us our 1st ton of pellets to heat with this year, cost us $219, aproximately $5.50 a bag. according to him everyone is jumping on the wood pellet stove bandwagon. He says that any stove he gets in is going to be sold as soon as it arrives. He also stated that pellets are going for almost $9.00 a bag on the east coast,(by the way can anyone confirm this?) companies are diverting their pellet supplies to there knowing that they will get higher profits. In northern Minnesota it is hard to find pellets right now. It was just by fluke that I was able to find this place to buy them. Usually we can get them in any old farm supply stores. but now we will have to put our name on a waiting list at the farm store, to get the next ton. The salesman we talked to had a family from Minneapolis coming that day to pick up 3 tons of pellets. If we could have afforded it I would have bought another ton. fortunately we bought a multi-fuel stove and can put corn in it too. hopefully the price and availibility of corn will not change. those of you who can purchase bags of pellets at $2-3 are lucky. as for pellet verses wood stoves, dispite having trouble finding pellets, I do not regret getting this stove. It is far cleaner, less work and emits almost no smoke. I would definately reccomend one.Just my thoughts...

Larellyn

Jen H · #14 10/21/05, 12:51 PM

The pellet stoves I've seen all require electricity to run. Is that true across the board?

To my mind, the big virtue of the wood stove is that no electricity is required (my house is an open floor plan so no problems with heat circulating), and I can boil a pot of soup on it if need be.

cfabe · #15 10/21/05, 12:51 PM

I realize that pellets are extremely clean, but I'll stick with my $500 EPA certified wood stove that I can fuel with wood from my property.

rambler · #16 10/21/05, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larellynm

fortunately we bought a multi-fuel stove and can put corn in it too. hopefully the price and availibility of corn will not change. those of you who can purchase bags of pellets at $2-3 are lucky.
Larellyn

Here in Minnesota, a bu of corn will get me, as a farmer right now in this miserable year, $1.40 - 1.50. We kinda hope for $2.30. Has happened that it gets over $3 a bu.

A bu of corn is 56 lbs. So, right now anyhow, corn is a lot cheaper than pellets.

Of course, if you need it cleaned, bagged, transported, & lots of middle men to handle it until you get it in your trunk, the price will be a lot higher for corn too.

But if you have any farmer friends with a bin.....

--->Paul

marvella · #17 10/21/05, 04:36 PM

so, does anyone on here have a recommendation for a good, pretty much smoke-free woodstove??

**Cabin Fever** · #18 10/21/05, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvella

so, does anyone on here have a recommendation for a good, pretty much smoke-free woodstove??

All newer stoves should be smoke-free! If yours is not, either your house is too tight (crack open a window) or your chimney was installed incorrectly.

You're gonna get as many recommendations for a good stove as there are people here at this forum who burn wood. My recommendation is a Lopi for the following reasons: (1) Its built in the the USA out of heavy plate steel, not cast iron; (2) it uses secondary combustion to burn volatiles (not catylitic combustion; (3) it requires only 5" of clearance to combustible walls; (4) the top has two levels which gives you two different temps for cooking; and (5) it is the most efficient wood stove on the market.

wood stoves and the EPA - Homesteading Questions

wood stoves and the EPA - Homesteading Questions

marvella · #19 10/21/05, 07:06 PM

thanks cf. that old fisher smoked some when i opened the doors to put wood in, but it may very well have been the chimney.

i'm going to look into those lopi. it's really pretty, too! i miss my wood stove, but have'nt been at all sure my lungs could take it any more. propane went from 1.39 in august when i filled up, to 1.89.

**Cabin Fever** · #20 10/21/05, 08:59 PM

Hey Marvella, if you liked your Fisher like I liked my Fisher, you'll just love a Lopi even better. Take it from me, from one ol' Fisher owner to another, Lopi is better than a Fisher...I know it's hard to believe....trust me on this!