Wood Burning Stove with Newborn??

[skipperdoo]

With winter fast approaching and our first child due at the end of Nov, DH and I have been arguing about the wood burning stove.

It is in good working order (only installed last year) but sometimes when DH opens the door to put a new log on the fire, smoke smell fills the room and wafts all the way upstairs even if the doors are shut. I don't know if this is a problem with DH's technique or the stove itself. He usually does this while the fire is still going to keep it going and strong (versus waiting for it die out to ashes and starting again from scratch). Not sure if it matters but it is a DEFRA approved eco friendly model.

I love a good fire at Christmastime but I'm worried about this issue with a newborn. On top of pollutants, I know smoke inhalation is a huge risk for SIDS. DH thinks I'm being dramatic and a worry wart and that people have been burning wood since the dawn of time.

What do you all think? And is there a compromise I'm not thinking of? Or a technique he should be using that he's not?

TYIA

I’ve 3DC and we’ve always had ours on in winter including when they were babies

People used to smoke around babies too ...

As long as people know the risks, lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis etc. Then they know the risks are greater for children and elderly and why.

People are free to take those risks and it’s not illegal

Yes, it's not illegal. That's not really a great bar by which to make parenting decisions. It's not like babies and children are in a position to make an informed choice about their exposure to those risks.

Er yes its either a DP problem, or your woods not dry. Wood needs 3 years to dry properly.

Outside for 2-3 years, then inside somewhere for a few weeks - we used to use the conservatory, then it migrates to the pile next to the burner for a week to become tinder dry.

You wait until its just chunks of embers left before you open the door.

Then redistribute/ break up the embers, throw another log in and shut the door. It will relight within minutes because those embers are bloody hot and theres residual heat.

Yep there were articles in the Times this week about how even the best and newest ones cause pollution and it sounds like they just really aren’t worth it. YANBU. We’ve been looking into getting one for a nee conservatory and have decided against it.

[quote Rugsofhonour]Recent studies suggest wood burning stoves are not safe for young children or the elderly. I wouldn’t have one in my house.

I suggest you read this article and get your partner to read it too.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/09/eco-wood-stoves-emit-pollution-hgv-ecodesign[/quote]
This is the article that came to mind. Please give it a read.

Your burner should be checked out but personally I wouldn’t light it around young children at all.

It's not like babies and children are in a position to make an informed choice about their exposure to those risks.

You’d hope the parents would make sensible decisions on their behalf

@Medievalist well some still do.

Some babies also end up very unwell from living in a house with no working central heating over the winter months.

Do you have anything useful to add?

We run ours daily through the winter and neither of the DC have chest or lung problems, aren’t prone to chest or throat infections etc That said ours doesn’t pump smoke into the house. I sit closest to it as a matter of course so I would be first to pop. I’m asthmatic, but haven’t had an attack in almost 20 yrs since moving out of the city (and away from smoking mother).

I wouldn't use it. I get a headache every time we try using our woodburning stove. Can't imagine subjecting a newborn to it.

people have been burning wood since the dawn of time
And? It doesn't mean it's not dangerous for a newborn. Infant mortality was very hight in previous centuries.

Of course you’re going to be able to smell smoke sometimes with a wood burner

Thats doesn’t mean it’s at toxic levels! It’s a permeating smell.

Have you got a carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm fitted

If you’ve got another heat source I wouldn’t use it around a newborn.

We have had a woodburner since moving into our house, and now have 4 adult DD's with healthy robust lungs. Don't overthink it - there's nothing lovelier than giving a baby a bath in front of the fire at night. Our ancestors have coped very well with fire as the main form of heat over the centuries.

As long as you've got a CM detector in the house, you'll be fine.

It's interesting the see the same mental gymnastics that people use to continue smoking around their children be redeployed for wood burning stoves.

I mean, it's preferable to your kids freezing but if you just 'don't overthink it' because you like the pretty lights then you are the same prize idiot as the parent who chooses to smoke around their children. You can't wash it away with hygge magical thinking.

As long as you've got a CM detector in the house, you'll be fine.

This doesn't have anything to do with carbon monoxide, its to do with the pollution of the log burners which is a separate issue

We have several stoves.

Cleaning is very important.
My husband puts his arm up through the flue every month to just make sure its cleaned.
It takes two minutes.

The flue being correctly position is critical, if it is even a small bit off it will cause smoke.
What you put in the fire, if not smokeless coal and seasoned wood could cause smoke.

The draw is huge.
Do you have a good draw?
A chimney cowl might help.

I wouldn't have a newborn in a smokey space for a minute.

No way I would use one with a newborn. I was also really wary of having her around car emissions.

. I was also really wary of having her around car emissions

Unfortunately most people are reliant on cars and inside the car is worse than outside, electric is one way to reduce.

Buy an air prufier and have it on at the same time.

@Cosmos123

Buy an air prufier and have it on at the same time.

This is very 'Mrs Frisby and the rats of Nimh'!

Why pollute the air to then try to clean the pollution back out? Better to use a cleaner heat source.

Chimney cowl will sort out the smoke in the room issue.
Interesting question on whether to use one or not. We have one and I have used it with the baby around once so far this year - also grew up with a stove and all fine. Nevertheless will have a read of the article for info.