Hearthlist Digest #114 - Thursday, February 26, 1998
 
Hearth Products and asthma
  by Craig Issod <[email protected]>
 

(back)
Subject: Hearth Products and asthma
From: Craig Issod <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 09:30:52 -0400
 
Here's one of those issues that is usually passed over in our
industry...but us lucky hearthlist members get to discuss.
 
An AP Story released from Boston has shown a DOUBLING of Asthma since 1980.
The article goes on to say that indoor air quality is the prime candidate
for this increase.
 
The current total is 15 million Americans suffering from the disease.
Taking a average of three people per household means that almost 50 million
Americans live in a house with someone afflicted.
 
This statistic raises some interesting questions, and has possible
repercuissions to the hearth industry. For instance:
 
1. We've had quite a few people come in our store saying their doctor told
them not to use their wood fireplace. These people usually request
gas.....but
 
2. I've heard from some manufacturers that Vent Free should not be
suggested to those with asthma. In fact, I've heard this suggestion to
apply to older people with other breathing disabilities, pregnant women,
etc..... If we add this population to the asthma sufferers, even more
families are affected.
 
3. Even DV Gas units and clean woodstoves tend to circulate a lot of air,
adding the ash and dirt that's in the room to the air currents. Few, if
any, have any filtering systems.
 
4. Some asthma sufferers have requested Pellet...but , in my experience,
the pouring of Pellets, cleaning of the firepot, occasional opening of the
door, etc does not make for a completely clean appliance.
 
Catalytic Vent-Frees may address these problems, but it's a bit of a
marketing nightmare..that is, we would sell more vent-free cats ONLY if
people knew that regular VF might affect them negatively.
 
It appears this may be an issue that may not have been carefully addressed
by our industry manufacturers. Was a "real-world" study ever done for
Vent-Free (in numerous homes, with monitoring equipment)...Was it done for
DV's and Woodstoves/Fireplaces?
 
Opinons? Commentary?
 
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Craig Issod             HearthNet at http://www.hearth.com
[email protected]    Everything your Hearth Desires
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Buddha says "avoid error"
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