Introduction Mike @ Blaze King
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Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
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Hi Again
Thanks for all the welcomes yes we have been evaluating stainless steel combustors for some time now so far so good, and also the surprising thing is that they are cheaper than the ceramic ones and also the activation temperature is approximately 200 degrees lower.
Thanks for all the welcomes yes we have been evaluating stainless steel combustors for some time now so far so good, and also the surprising thing is that they are cheaper than the ceramic ones and also the activation temperature is approximately 200 degrees lower.
BLAZE KING said:
That's good to here. Need to get them mass produced into the industry. I personally think cat technology is the way to go, as long as you can make them last longer, and more durable.
It depends what happens with the EPA within the short term though. Currently we'll be building non-cat stoves unless things change. There have been some hints that they may adopt a much lower emissions requirement for wood stoves, perhaps below the 1 gph mark. If that's the case, most manufacturers might have no choice but to go back to catalytic technology or to try a design similar to the Afterburner, Everburn style systems.
Corie said:
Jeez, how low can they go? That would probably put some manufactures out of business. How soon do you think this will happen?
Todd said:
Not to mention the effects on the stove owners---like would they still be legal to burn? Or maybe they could burn when no smoke restrictions imposed by localities, but could not on "no burn days" unless CURRENT EPA approved?
BTB
BTB,
Well if the current stoves are smoke free, then how can they tell if youre violating the order?
Well if the current stoves are smoke free, then how can they tell if youre violating the order?
I don't see them dropping to anything like less than 1 gram in the near future - of course, the government does not always make sense - but looking at the field tests done by Omni, it seems there is a LOT of room for improvement in the construction of stoves so they actually can burn anywhere NEAR their stated specs after a few years in the field. It seems like attacking that problem would create cleaner air rather than tightening specs that already are not translating to the real world.
Speaking of the same .....Mr. Blaze King, does your company do any real world field tests to see how clean and efficient the stoves are burning in homes? Are the BK numbers (82.5%) from in-house tests in your lab? What type of fuel?
Nothing about it is set in stone, but I've read here and there that since some current stoves are burning wood below the one gram per hour mark it might give the EPA the idea that every manufacturer can build a stove to burn at low emissions levels like that.
I'd have a hard time believing they'll drop that low anytime in the very near future though. It would be impossible for a large number of manufacturers to build a stove to meet those requirements.
I'd have a hard time believing they'll drop that low anytime in the very near future though. It would be impossible for a large number of manufacturers to build a stove to meet those requirements.
Yeah, they usually use BAT, which is Best Available Technology, to determine such standards. But remember that the current standards were made through a process because of a lawsuit by the Sierra Club (of NY, I believe). The EPA did not take this on themselves. Then, when a decision was made to regulate, they consulted with the industry.
So what I am saying is that they don't really hand down a verdict from above, more likely YOU (in the future) and Ferguson, etc. would be a on a committee which also consists of test lab folks and air quality folks. Then you hash out what is realistic in the real world. Just like car MPG and Pollution (which are not always related), a particular manufacturer has a lot of leeway in terms of beating the standards....OR, toward designing for ease of use within the standards. If they tighten them up too high, and it makes stoves harder to use, then the end result is often less compliance because folks end up leaving the bypasses open or not replacing cats, etc.
When everyone is satisfied (or compromised), then the committee agrees on something!
So what I am saying is that they don't really hand down a verdict from above, more likely YOU (in the future) and Ferguson, etc. would be a on a committee which also consists of test lab folks and air quality folks. Then you hash out what is realistic in the real world. Just like car MPG and Pollution (which are not always related), a particular manufacturer has a lot of leeway in terms of beating the standards....OR, toward designing for ease of use within the standards. If they tighten them up too high, and it makes stoves harder to use, then the end result is often less compliance because folks end up leaving the bypasses open or not replacing cats, etc.
When everyone is satisfied (or compromised), then the committee agrees on something!
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