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 wouldn't risk using it. My parents had one installed when I was 14. My lungs were perfect and I did tons of sport with no issue. By the time I was 17 I was suffering with severe asthma. It never went away and now limits what I can do a lot. Both my parents also developed lung issues with my dad being diagnosed with COPD.

I wonder how did all the people without woodburners get asthma or COPD.

We're removing ours from the house as I refuse to use them with young children. So bad for their lungs.

@YeOldeTrout

I wonder how did all the people without woodburners get asthma or COPD.

See also: I wonder how all these non-smokers get lung and throat cancer?

Same lazy ass tactics. I'm still waiting for...My Grandad had a wood burning stove all his life and he lived to 120.

Genuinely surprised at the link being made between stoves and breathing issues.

It is very important that they are correctly fitted by a qualified fitter.

But once they are, there are really no issues.

We don't have smoke issues here at all.

Ill fitting flues will cause smoke issues.
The cowl should assist the draw too.

Definitely not.

I have had a log burner for years, including with two newborns. Never had any issue (no one else I know has). Make sure it is regularly swept, and that you have ventilation in the room and you should be fine. As a side point you obviously need a fire guard!

I would not be using a wood burner around children at all. Why would you risk causing lifelong health issues for the people you love the most, especially when they are so tiny. Presumably you have other sources of creating heat. I wouldn’t use one without children either btw, as they are so bad for the outside air too.

@billy1966

Genuinely surprised at the link being made between stoves and breathing issues.

It is very important that they are correctly fitted by a qualified fitter.

But once they are, there are really no issues.

We don't have smoke issues here at all.

Ill fitting flues will cause smoke issues.
The cowl should assist the draw too.

There is scientific proof that indoor air quality is poorer where wood burners are used.

This is not something you can see.

If you do use it don't forget to get a fire guard, and keep baby away from it.

@Rugsofhonour

Really no need to be rude.

I wrote I was genuinely surprised.

Genuinely surprised because I hadn't read this.

Genuinely surprised because I have not heard or read of any studies.

Nowhere have I in anyway denied that they exist.

I have just expressed my surprise.

There really is no need to be rude because someome is genuinely surprised not to have heard of something.

I have 3 stoves in my old house for a decade and we are very careful about their maintenance from a safety point of view.

So that there is an air quality issue that I didn't know about, is actually genuinely surprising.

But once they are, there are really no issues.

I think it maybe as you wrote this, I took it as well to mean you didn't see there was an issue with woodturning stoves giving off pollution or that there wasn't an issue with pollution?

I was specifically writing about the smoke that people had mentioned when opening the doors and filling a room.

I never mentioned pollution per se.

I have googled and indeed there is huge concern about pollution from stoves when opened but not more than ordinary open fires which I grew up with for years.

There is no doubt that fires appear to be being phased out.

I grew up with open fires, had several open fires in this home for years, but installed stoves as a cost saving, energy saving bonus to our old house.

We have loved them and found them to provide great heat.

All my babies were around open fires, it never occurred to me that there was a problem innthe home.

Fortunately with the exception of myself they all have strong chests and no lung issues.

I think I would be more cons of keeping the stove doors shut now though.

I'm no expert (do have defra approved clean burn in my kitchen and love it) but think we are being worried too much by media. People like The Yorkshire Shepherdess have had all her little newborns by an open fire, which has to be worse than a closed logburner) and they all seem healthy enough!

No, I wouldn’t use one with a newborn and wouldn’t use one while pregnant either. In fact I wouldn’t use one at all unless I lived in the middle of nowhere because I think it’s incredibly antisocial to emit particulate matter into the air your neighbours have to breathe just so you can feel ‘cosy’!

I wouldn’t use it personally, I don’t understand why they haven’t been banned to be honest!

I never mentioned pollution per se.

The entire thread is about pollution from log burners

So to say

Once they are in there are no issues

The issue would be the pollution- that’s what the thread is about

My posts were specifically about the OP's issue with a smokey, poorly fitted stove and how if a stove is correctly fitted she shouldn't have smoke in the house.

I wrote no issues in reference to smoke in the house.
🙄

Genuinely surprised at the link being made between stoves and breathing issues.

It is very important that they are correctly fitted by a qualified fitter.

But once they are, there are really no issues.

You actually wrote breathing issues - so that was why we didn’t know you meant smoke issues, I’m sure you can understand that when we read that paragraph, we do see breathing and the links to breathing difficulties, we know the links about pollution

The links weren’t about smoke

Defs shouldn't be smoking into the house, you probably need the flus swept as others have said this should be done every year, we had used to have a Victorian house with open fires and they came every Sept to do ours.

On a side note even when working properly burners cause quote alot of internal pollution, I wouldn't be using it with a newborn. I never used our open fires again after DC was born and we've since moved, won't have them or a burner again whilst they're still young.

@Mossstitch

I'm no expert (do have defra approved clean burn in my kitchen and love it) but think we are being worried too much by media. People like The Yorkshire Shepherdess have had all her little newborns by an open fire, which has to be worse than a closed logburner) and they all seem healthy enough!

We all lived around open fires in the past but you can't really argue with science by using one anecdote.

Young people today are exposed to high pollution, why would you voluntarily add to that in the home?

You might find that you just can't be arsed when you have a newborn to deal with!