Log burner safe?

[Bobbingcat]

Linked to recent thread on here- are log burners safe? Does anyone use an air purifier with theirs?

@ButterflyAi The researchers themselves have stated that their research is both flawed and limited due to the data not being available to make a fair statistical analysis. It’s not just posters wanting to ‘feel okay’.
Research also needs to be done into the effects of people not having heating / limited heating v having heating when necessary and into the economic and health costs of those outcomes. Ditto for log burners.
But I think that we can agree on cold kills, humans need warmth to survive - see Maslow’s hierarchy of need.

I agree that the people robustly rejecting the idea of any dangers to log burners, are the ones who have spent several thousand £££ and now have to justify it to themselves.

I don't need to justify anything, thanks. The cost of gas speaks for itself.

I'm rather dubious of the many claims about what will kill us next. One week it's log burners, the next it's red meat (good news though, this week red wine is good for you, get it before they change their minds again). Often the headline will say that X increases the risk of Y by a gazillion percent, but fails to give any context, such as how big the base is.

How many people per year die prematurely because their parents had a log burner in their house? How does that compare to the 1,600 killed on the roads, or the 700 murders each year?

From anecdote I notice that I breathe in more shit when I'm on my bike and stopped behind an older car, though of course I'm probably more at risk from the possible actions of the driver. I'm very glad that I spend as little time as possible in cities, that's where the real air pollution is.

Our only heating source is a log burner with a back boiler

Before that it was an open fire with a back burner

Perfectly safe as long as they are maintained properly and you don't burn wet wood and rubbish in them, I think it's ridiculous to assume that everyone has access to gas central heating or can afford to run electric heaters- it would cost a fortune and mains gas can't reach us.

Would all of these going on about how they shouldn't be used around children prefer that I froze my babies over winter?

We get wood for next to nothing and build up a lovely big stack over time which sees is through winter perfectly, all we have to do is chop and dry it

I will take my children being near a log burner to having them around the air pollution in a city any day. But I don't go around telling people they are reckless for deciding to bring their children up in city air, so don't feel others should judge those of us who use log burners to heat our homes.

This thread reminds me of smokers in back in the day who refused to accept that smoking was bad for your health because their cousin's grandma's next neighbour with asthma used one every day and he fine 🙄

There's loads of info OP.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/17/wood-burners-urban-air-pollution-cancer-risk-study

Thank you referencing one of the very flawed studies….

I’m mildly asthmatic and when our neighbours have their log burner running you can smell it in our house, it’s the only times I regularly need a reliever inhaler.

“We know that burning wood and coal releases fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – the most worrying form of air pollution for human health. It’s therefore important to consider less polluting fuel options to heat your home or cook with, especially if coal or wood is not your primary fuel source.”

                                Sarah MacFadyen, Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation

“To protect yourself and others around you, especially children who are particularly vulnerable as their lungs are smaller and still developing, avoid buying a wood-burning stove or using an open fire if you have another source of fuel to cook and heat your home with.”

                                    Nick Hopkinson, Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation

But 'One flawed study' and Dave's Grandma's best friend has raised 14 children around a log burner and they're all fine.

Virtue signalling?! Because they acknowledge the risk of a log burner? 🤣 that famed virtue.

I think lots of people are quite clearly concerned about the risks of car pollution... it's just that on an individual level, reducing your exposure to log burners is a lot easier than reducing your exposure to cars!

What smell?

Our provides heating for our home, so without it we would be very cold. My husband is asthmatic and never had a problem. We burn dry wood, chimney is swept and have good airflow in our home. I think a centrally heated modern sealed home with air freshners, scented candles, perfumes and all these smelly washing additives would be more damaging to our childrens lungs.

Never had a smell, just warmth. I cannot understand where the smell can come from in a log burner with a glass fronted door.

Sounds like there is something wrong with their chimney or liner if you can smell smoke from a neighbour’s log burner! Have you asked them about their maintenance?

We have one, properly installed and maintained. Carbon monoxide alarms in there in the same way as in the boiler cupboard.

No gas mains available in our area so no other heating option tbh but we’ve never had a smell from it in the house, I don’t quite understand why you would?!

You shouldn't be able to smell anything from next door's burner.

Sounds like the problem is it's not installed properly.

Love mine, my brother has one too. He's severely asthmatic, he's not seen an increase in his symptoms. I think key is to get it fitted correctly, burn appropriate materials and keep on top of sweeping. Mine is less than 2 years old and defra approved.

Someone like my late dad would never have been able to have one, he had a lung disease. I had to tell my mum to get rid of her air fresheners as he got worse as she had those ones that release a scent every 20 mins or so. That kind of stuff isn’t good for someone with bad lungs. We don’t have asthma and to be honest we only really use it on weekends as I can’t be bothered lighting a fire in the mornings and after work / dinner I tend to go upstairs.

I thought you meant for fire purposes at first and was about to type that I have a fire extinguisher! But that wasn’t your point

Is it me or are woodburners like dogs, with the urban types absolutely paranoid about them and us rural types loving them?

We have woodland and therefore its a free heat source for us, have barely used the heating so far this year, just the open fire and a heated throw. With the fuel prices r the way they are that’s the way it’s staying for as long as possible. Air quality is great where I live (we’ve got lichen which is a sign of clean air) I think we will just about survive.

Wood burners are not a good idea.

The pollution they give out is more damaging to lungs as the particles are much smaller.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/15/wood-burners-emit-more-particle-pollution-than-traffic-uk-data-shows

We've got one, they're fine if you do it right - get it professionally installed and checked regularly. We use seasoned wood that is stored undercover. Definitely a lot safer than the large open fire we had beforehand.

More here from the World Health Organisation

"Evidence links emissions from wood and coal heating to serious health effects such as respiratory and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Wood and coal burning also emit carcinogenic compounds. The results presented in the report indicate that it will be difficult to tackle outdoor air pollution problems in many parts of the world without addressing this source sector. "

Full report https://www.euro.who.int/data/assets/pdff_file/0009/271836/ResidentialHeatingWoodCoalHealthImpacts.pdf

You don't burn candles either!! How over the top can you get?

I see an epidemic of lung cancer sweeping though Denmark as we speak (home of wood burners and candles for generations).

Possibly. In towns and cities we already contend with huge pollution issues (as I type this I can feel the pollution making my throat sore -london)

I love a real fire or log burner and would,have loved to have had one, but the data shows the truth of it, and I can feel it in the effects in my once healthy lungs. I'm only late 50s and don't smoke. ☹️

I have one and I'm just careful not to open to refill to often.

We have one - meets all the new regs and we only burn good quality wood. Saving us an absolute fortune this winter and keeping our DD down.

Also, DH's old boiler (in the utility room room underneath his sons bedroom) very nearly set the house alight, and was only found because he'd nodded off in the living room that evening and was weakened by the smell of smoke just in time! Just pointing out, everything has risks.

I have a log burner and I also have an air purifier. The purifier is set to auto and the only times it's ever ramped up the 'purifying' is when I've burnt toast in the house. I gut the purifier as I have dogs and it keeps the smell down, rather than the log burner. Never had any safety issues.

It's a good question

The last time we heated homes on any great scale in this way, houses were much less hermetically sealed. Wood doors, single glazing. I grew up with open fires, wood burners, but in old draughty houses.

Also, people may be collecting wood but not know how to season/store it so it's safe to burn.

I can imagine people burning all sorts of inappropriate things to keep warm.

I'm also concerned about fire hazards with candles this year, especially people not used to using them. I've bought some cheap battery powered lamps to avoid candle burning.

I think we will see public service announcements from the fire service before Christmas