Minimising risks of wood burning stove around young children

[Overthinkingindecisive]

Hoping for some balanced advice.
Our new home has a wood burning stove installed in the kitchen. It looked so cosy, with a sofa area around it, at the viewing and I had visions of soup bubbling on the hob while we dried out after a wet Winter’s day. But now I am so worried about particulates, etc around our three young children. Owner said it has been well serviced and chimney swept once a year.
To try and minimise risk to their lungs I’ve decided it will only be lit occasionally in the evening, once they’ve gone to bed, with windows open in the kitchen to create an airflow.
Trying to be sensible about it - currently researching HEPA filters, PM2.5 and obviously will have a carbon monoxide alarm.

Would this be safe or should I just never light it? 🙈

We chop logs and stack them in a covered log store where they sit for 18months to 2 years before being burned. The sides are open to the wind so the logs dry out fully. We check them with a moisture meter before burning.

Just to provide an opposite view- Always had woodburners both as a child and as an adult with kids. Only source of heat available whilst growing up. Just make sure you’re using seasoned wood. Lovely dry heat very good for old houses. Dries washing overnight. Prevents mould. Half of rural England are running on woodburners and are absolutely fine. That said the houses are usually pretty draughty so there’s always a bit of airflow!

You can run an air purifier too. Some dehumidifiers double as air purifiers.

Seasoned wood has been dried so has lower moisture content and burns cleaner (and hotter). As opposed to green wood that has been recently cut.

Yes the particulates up the chimney and into the atmosphere and annoy the neighbours having to breathe it in outside and in their house.
Woodburners should be banned it built up areas.

Honestly - my siblings and I were raised in a home with two Jotuls from the age of 10. All in our 50s now - fine. Mum and dad both died in their 90s - both healthy lungs.

Ditto most of the cousins etc.

Where is all the particulate worry coming from?

Lots of the research into this is either significantly flawed or biased due to who is funding it. If you follow the advice on how to use it properly they are actually a very safe method of heating. If you wish to be extra safe you can choose one of the eco stoves that are available, these often let off less particulates in an hour than your toaster in a minute or two.

This. Remember OP, before central heating was invented, every home in the country had open fires which are a million times worse than log burners - the entire population.

You can buy an air monitor for your kitchen if you want to reassure yourself..

Totally agree. We are rural Scotland and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have one, two or a fire. 🔥

I thought you were going to ask about keeping them safe from burns. That’s the bigger worry. Black metal, don’t see it’s hot.

tripping and falling into it, leaving toy dinosaurs on it to melt. Yes DD3.

I love our woodburners. If you are concerned:

• get a monitor for air quality
• consider updating the woodburner- newer ones are less polluting. There are various different certifications.
• If it really bothers you, switch to an electric stove- https://everhot.co.uk/products/everhot-stoves/electric-stove/ - can still function as a focal point and warm your soup but 100% electric.

How can the pm2.5 particulates escape into the house when the wood is being burnt inside a sealed steel box?

More pm2,5 is released when frying esp with Gas, at high tempos compared to a WB stove, when wood is topped up/door opened, the chimney will be drawing heavily and no smoke should go into the room.

I ve a Ecodesign WB and have used an air monitor, levels higher in kitchen than living room.

Older stoves/poorly maintained and open fires are more of a concern plus where you live, i live in the middle of no-where, so smoke bothering neighbours isn't a concern

Most of the media reports overstate the risk - especially when compared to eg standard gas hobs and candles and other sources of flame.

Get a monitor to see what the air quality is actually like. Then if there is a concern see if the log burner can be upgraded with additional filters (most modern burners are already pretty good on eco credentials).

If you are not on mains gas, you will struggle to top up heat cost effectively without a log burner so be realistic in terms of risk analysis. (You are also less likely to have traffic pollution and gas hob problems).

Check your insurance - you may find the annual chimney clean is required rather than optional but its not expensive and helps with air quality.

Seasoned wood is simply wood fully dried out. If you keep a log pile then separate new wood from older wood and burn the wood which has been sat there for a year or two (or buy it already seasoned).