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Wood Heat Safety in an Emergency - - Back to HearthNet

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Canadian wood heat industry have teamed up to prepare this list of important safety tips for people using a wood stove or fireplace for emergency heating during the power interruption.

Webmasters Note: Although some of the information is Canadian-Specific, the following should help anyone who might find themselves in a similar emergency situation.

1. If you must burn WET WOOD, here is how to make the best of a bad situation: split the wood into small pieces about 75 mm (3") in diameter; small pieces heat up and ignite faster, and burn cleaner brush off snow and chip off ice before bringing wood into the house; try to let it warm up before burning burn small, bright fires, using no more than five sticks at a time

2. Here are some tips for SAFE OPERATION: if you have a battery-operated smoke detector, see that it is working; if you don't have one, try to get one burn small, bright fires that make best use of the fuel while avoiding dangerous overheating don't try to heat the whole house; concentrate all your activities in the room where the heater is and let the rest go cold; drain down your water pipes each joint in the flue pipes between a stove and its chimney must be secured with 3 sheet metal screws shovel ashes into a metal container, take it outside immediately and empty it in the yard away from trees and shrubs; never put a bucket full of ashes in the basement or on a wooden porch floor, and never put ashes in a wood or cardboard box if you are using a wood burning furnace, remove the blower compartment door and open the doors leading to the rest of the house; you will find power failure instructions in the owner's manual keep small children away from the stove or fireplace; don't leave the unit unattended

3. Beware of TEMPORARY wood stove INSTALLATIONS Make-shift wood stove installations done by untrained people can be very hazardous. a proper masonry or metal chimney is needed; check to see that the inside of the chimney flue is clear and smooth; don't vent a wood stove out a window using single-wall pipe make sure there is plenty of space around the stove and flue pipe Try to get professional help, even if it is just to get some advice by phone. Qualified people are listed in the yellow pages in categories like wood stoves, fireplaces, chimney sweeps. Here's how to identify a qualified person: in Quebec, look for an installer licensed by the Association des Professionnels Chauffage (APC) or a chimney sweep accredited by APC in other provinces, look for an installer or sweep certified under the Wood Energy Technical Training (WETT) program

4. Be careful using DECORATIVE FIREPLACES If your fireplace doesn't make much heat, it is a decorative type and continuous use of it might be hazardous. if the unit has glass doors, it may be best to leave them open so you receive direct radiation from the fire close the damper until the fireplace starts to smoke, then open it until the smoking stops; this will reduce the amount of warm room air drawn up the chimney burn small, bright controlled fires; never overload the unit

Please burn safely. Don't put your family at risk.

For further information, please contact: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Information 1-800-668-2642 The Hearth Products Association of Canada (416) 626-6568 Association des Professionnels Chauffage (514) 270-4944 Wood Energy Technical Training 1-888-358-9388 - 30 -

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Wood Heat Safety in an Emergency The ice storm in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick has created a heating emergency because most heating systems need electricity to function. Many householders are using their wood burning stoves and fireplaces to heat their homes during the crisis. A properly installed and operated wood stove or heating fireplace can be a safe and secure way to heat a home. But the the use of wet wood, the use of make-shift, temporary wood stove installations, and the continuous use of decorative fireplaces, all increase the risk of a house fire. If possible, get professional help from a qualified installer or chimney sweep. Please take care to keep your family safe until the emergency is over. This message is to assist people in using wood safely as an emergency heating fuel. It covers: how to get the best use of wet wood, some important tips for safe operation, a caution about the use of temporary wood stove installations, a caution about the use of decorative fireplaces, and sources of further information

Getting the Best Out of Wet Wood The emergency is putting pressure on fuel wood supplies, so many people are forced to burn unseasoned wood. The high moisture content of wet wood makes it hard to light, slow to burn, and it will release much less useful heat than dry wood. Here's how to make the best of a bad situation. split the wood small, into pieces about 75 mm (3") in diameter; smaller pieces heat up and ignite faster bring the wood into the house so it has a chance to warm up before being burned; brush off the snow and chip off all the ice before bringing it in burn small, bright fires, using no more than five small sticks at a time; never load up the stove or fireplace and let it smolder if you have some dry wood, mix it with the wet

Tips for Safe Operation if you have a battery-operated smoke detector, see that it is functioning; if you don't have one, try to get one check combustible materials around the stove or fireplace and all exposed parts of the chimney, including in the attic, for signs of overheating; wood starts to darken as it overheats make sure all flue pipe joints are fastened with three sheet metal screws burn small, bright fires to make the most effective use of the fuel, while avoiding the overheating that results from burning large, intense fires don't try to heat the whole house; concentrate all your activities in the room where the heater is and let the rest go cold; drain down your water pipes and pumps shovel ashes into a metal container, take it outside immediately and empty it in the yard away from trees and shrubs; never put a bucket full of ashes in the basement or on a wooden porch floor, and never put ashes in a wood or cardboard box if you can't keep the unit from smoking, stop using it because you and your family could suffer carbon monoxide poisoning if you are using a wood burning furnace, remove the blower compartment door and open the basement door; burn small, controlled fires

Temporary Wood Stove Installations Can be Hazardous By far the most dangerous wood stove installations are those done in a make-shift way by untrained people. While installing a wood stove may seem a simple matter, a safe installation calls for a lot of specialized knowledge. A wood stove must have a proper brick or metal chimney never try to vent a wood stove out a window using single-wall flue pipes. Make sure the inside of the chimney flue is clear and smooth. The flue pipes that connect the stove to the chimney are often the weak link. Every joint in the flue pipe assembly MUST be fastened with three sheet metal screws to prevent it from falling down as it heats. Flue pipes need at least 450 mm (18") of clearance from combustible materials like wood and drywall. Most important, get professional help: in Quebec, contract with a licensed installer or accredited chimney sweep; Association des Professionnels Chauffage is the licensing and accreditation agency; the full list of licensed installers and sweeps can be found in the APC magazine Plein Feu, which is on newsstands in Quebec now in other provinces, contract with a WETT certified installer or chimney sweep

Look in the yellow pages for hearth dealers and chimney sweeps nearest you, or call the numbers at the end of this message to get more information. If you cannot get professional help, don't take any chances. It would be better to have to leave your home than to risk the safety of your family and others staying with you.

Be Careful with Decorative Fireplaces The fireplaces in most homes are designed for fire viewing, not for serious heating. The continuous use of such fireplaces can be dangerous, particularly if large fires are burned. Since decorative fireplaces do not capture much of the fire's heat, it is usually better to leave the glass doors open to gain the direct radiant heat from the fire. The tempered glass in many of these fireplaces block this direct radiation. Build small, brightly flaming fires to gain the most direct radiation, without overheating the fireplace structure. To reduce the amount of warm air drawn out of the house into the fireplace, close the throat damper until the unit begins to spill smoke, then open it until the smoke stops. Never leave the unit unattended.

And finally, burn your stove or fireplace safely don't risk your family to save your water pipes.

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