Wood Heating Facts
Wood Heating
• In Canada, residential wood heating is responsible for 29% of the fine particle emissions associated with human activities. This makes it the third most important source overall.
• Wood smoke contains over 100 pollutants. These pollutants not only negatively impact the environment but are also linked to a wide range of health problems.
• Residential wood combustion is a major contributor to winter smog.
• Burning wood in a conventional wood stove for 9 hours emits as many particulates into the atmosphere as a certified stove does in 60 hours or as car traveling 18000 km.
• Spending money on the insulation of your home rather than on fuel is better for the environment and your health.
• Certified wood stoves produce less emission and are more energy efficient. They consume up to a third less wood!
• The combustion of treated and salvaged wood causes the formation of dioxins, furans and other extremely toxic substances.
• If you're using clean, dry wood and there's still a lot of wood smoke, your appliance is not functioning properly or you are not using it correctly.
• When you buy logs from commercial dealers you may need to split some of the wood again. The pieces sold commercially are often larger than needed for advanced stoves.
• Storing wood inside your home can cause mould and mildew to develop. Only bring in enough wood for your immediate (day's worth) use.
• Insulating basement and attic walls can reduce your energy bill by as much as 30%.