To pick a pub with a log burner for a family meal?

[hippohippohippo]

It's my DH's birthday and I've booked a table at a pub for us and SIL and family. We have a 6 month old and they have a 5 month old. SIL says they are free but not coming, as the pub has a logburner and it's winter and might be on. It hadn't occurred to me that this was a problem and am fine taking my DS (and have regularly been to pubs with a logburner). She insists we look for somewhere that doesn't have a fire if we want them there. Is she being unreasonable or am I?

@CheeryTreeBlossom

Log burners really are that bad, the studies are clear. In terms of effects my DSis has generally mild asthma, despite working in central London and living in zone 2, plenty of cars around. She went to the pub two weeks ago with one of these burning, she said the pub got noticeably smokey and since she has had a hacking cough and is needing to use her inhaler a lot more.

The particulate matter from an open fire is very bad. We have an air purifier/monitor and I can tell when a neighbour somewhere on the road fires up a log burner or barbeque from the monitor going red and beeping (hazardous exposure if long term) before I smell it.

Are you sure she’s not just got covid???? There is no way an air purifier in your own home can monitor the air quality from houses along the road unless it’s an industrial strength purifier. My dh works for a company that makes filtration systems for industrial use, such as air purification equipment in laboratories. Let’s just say it’s not a neat little box that can sit in a shelf in the sitting room!

@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry

True, but draughty windows won’t have totally cancelled out whatever particles were in the room, in in comparison with a wood burner that has a closed door I can’t see that it would be a greater risk of harm today regardless of better insulation.

You obviously didn't have windows like mine, I swear it was worse with them shut than with them open. Oh the 50s were so comfortable. I daresay the walk up the backyard to the loo probably helped although thinking about it the smogs were probably against us although I did like a peasouper.

Surely you mean Woodbines? I always thought Sweet Afton sounded nice and the poem on the packet was a nice touch.

@Esspee

I react badly to the fumes from a log burner, even if I'm outside a property. My eyes stream. It cannot be healthy to breathe that stuff in so I am afraid you are being unreasonable in not understanding how unhealthy it is.

@Soontobe60 definitely not covid, fires and pollution has always been a trigger for her but I think as this was quite close and concentrated it's caused a particularly bad episode.

Our is a large freestanding unit not a shelf one that we got when staying in Asia a while back - several countries that have had bad particulate emissions for years have a very developed market for home models as a result. I don't doubt we'll see more in the UK as awareness grows.

I don't know if it's industrial level but I can tell you that yes whenever someone is generating such emissions I pick up a residual effect in my own home. I imagine it would be higher in theirs.
The worst so far has been guy Fawkes/NYE fireworks - I used to love fireworks but being able to see the impact in my own home of displays streets away really put me off.

What are they gonna do, roll into the fire?? They'll probably just be asleep lol

I also have an air purifier as I react badly to smoke. Mine is a large beast but it does work well. Lots of wood burners in houses near to me and we get almost a smog (rural village) which makes me very tight chested and wheezy. The air purifier has a quiet mode for night time and sometimes in the Winter I need to leave it on all night .

They are terrible for lungs. Would you be happy for someone sitting next to your baby smoking? It's kind of the same thing!

Just pick somewhere else.

YANBU - she is bonkers and I am dying to see all the woke replies on this thread ! hahahaha

@Bartonzam

YANBU - she is bonkers and I am dying to see all the woke replies on this thread ! hahahaha

'woke' has really lost all meaning at this point!

@SirVixofVixHall

Log burners are really bad for lungs, the fine particles they produce get deep within lungs and cause respiratory disease and lung cancer. They are bad for babies in the same way someone smoking at the table would be bad for a baby. They are cosy and comforting, I love radiant heat from fires, but they are a very big issue in terms of what they do to lungs.

They are sealed and they externally flue?

So unless the baby is round the back having a quick fag they should be ok.

I was told that the fumes went up the chimney out into the atmosphere not into the room.
In any case it is very slight.
Further reduced if 'dry' wood if used.

Looking for a reason to make a performance perhaps?

Oh dear she sounds very precious. Needs more to think about!

@hippohippohippo

It's my DH's birthday and I've booked a table at a pub for us and SIL and family. We have a 6 month old and they have a 5 month old. SIL says they are free but not coming, as the pub has a logburner and it's winter and might be on. It hadn't occurred to me that this was a problem and am fine taking my DS (and have regularly been to pubs with a logburner). She insists we look for somewhere that doesn't have a fire if we want them there. Is she being unreasonable or am I?

She sounds psychotic. Maybe it's a safety issue because she might be tempted to throw her precious Tiffany-May on the fire.

She sounds psychotic. Maybe it's a safety issue because she might be tempted to throw her precious Tiffany-May on the fire.

Yeah she sounds psychotic.

Tell her to find one without

@JabNotInArm

Log burners are bloody horrible things - worse for air quality than Diesel engines.

Doubt it'll be long until they're banned.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/18/wood-burners-triple-harmful-indoor-air-pollution-study-finds

I absolutely love mine!

My angina is triggered by particulates in the air - especially forest fire smoke and some candles. Soy ones aren't too bad. I avoid wood burners. Poor air quality can also trigger migraines. My dyson air purifier measures the amount of particulates, even coming from outside.We also have the Blue Air Blue Pure which works better (and is cheaper) but doesn't have a digital readout. For anyone interested in airpurifiers/HEPA, here's an article comparing multiple versions.

I wonder if we are storing up lung problems for future by the current trend for wood burners

Are they worse than open fires what many people had previously?
Coal, wood, Paper and more were regularly thrown on open fires within the home, and chimneys not regularly swept generally.

The number of people using log burners now will be a fraction of those using open fires in the past. Not even that long ago either - when I was young, in the early-mid 70s open coal fires were incredibly common and often the only source of heat in many homes.

I read the guardian article last year or year before about particulates being released into the room that the log burner is in - I now have a co monitor that also registers particulates in the room, and it registers zero when I’m using my woodburner and opening the door to chuck logs in.

I don’t know if the particulates are affected by what you burn, there are many conflicting opinions out there, but I burn nothing but kiln dried wood in mine, not even any paper.

Just out of interest, does SIL live in a home with a gas hob, central heating or hot water system?

What will you do, OP?

Oh wow, I had no idea this was even a thing.

😬

There shouldn’t be any problems with a log burner, they draw up the fumes and are sealed. If fumes are coming into the room something is wrong.

We grew up with open fires in the 70s/80s as my parents didn't have central heating. We now live in the country and have a log burner - as do most people here, it's a life-saver during power cuts and snow etc.
I think she's just being a bit precious. Pick a table away from the fire and don't let the babies top it up with logs and all shall be well.

‘ Having a child is 7-times worse for the climate in CO2 emissions annually than the next 10 most discussed mitigants that individuals can do,” analysts at Morgan Stanley said.12 Aug 2021’

The sheer hypocrisy.

Surely a couple of hours will be ok