Which should be banned first? The fireplace or the OWB?

[keyman512us]

I'm curious to see where this goes (after reading the smoke zealots forum).

If OWB's consume vast amounts of fuel, operate in-efficiently, utilize poor combustion principles, are backed by a "profit motivated industry" solely concerned about making $$$$'s..

Couldn't the same be said about 'true fireplaces' ???? Seeing as fireplaces out-number every other wood combustion device combined?

 

[babalu87]

Fireplaces

OWBs are at least serving a purpose, a fireplace for aesthetic purposes is wasteful.

 

[elkimmeg]

My vote is we have to be real carefull here.. If one get s banned do you think the anit smokers are going to stop there? Guess where they will target next us.
Now without a chimnney, there would be few inserts so banning fireplaces is not the way to go. Supporting any banning spreads sucess of anit smokers ,something we all have to be aware of
One may not support a use of an appliance but in these times,when global warming is front center, in the public it is best to keep one's thought to themselves. This pool in their eyes of the viewer can have reprocussions, we are admitting there is a problem with smoke emmissions.

Step it up and be concious others can twist information and spin to their cause, lets not give them the information

 

[begreen]

I wanted to vote to ban Burningissues.com, but there wasn't an option.

 

[Roospike]

I almost voted "fireplaces" but voted "Neither should be banned...just used wisely." and here is why.

"I" feel open wood burning fireplaces are of no efficiency and the best option is for in insert , closed efficient wood fireplace or gas , to me wood in a open fireplace is a waste.

Fireplace can also mean so many different things. There are gas fire places ,open wood fire place , efficient fire places like inserts but made different. Its hard to just say "fireplace" in general.

Outdoorwood boilers are in the same boat that pre-EPA wood stoves were many years ago , ban them , No ........Why? Well we have seen what happens to wood stoves with in good engineering and reworking and i feel that outdoor boilers should go through the same changes and be upgraded to better / cleaner burning.

Its always easy to just say "ban them" but they need to get up to par with the EPA wood stoves.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I say better to fix OMBs than ban them. You start banning things, and who knows where it will end?

Ban fireplaces????! You trying to mess up my love life? I have a boiler and a couple of fireplaces, but no woodstoves. Believe me, there's nothing romantic about a 150,000 btu boiler out in the barn, ifyouknowwhatImean.

 

[Harley]

I can't justify the OWB ban..... Hopefully additional pressure (short of outright banning) will help bring them into line to manufacture and burn cleaner. In all likelihood, I'll never own an OWB or a regular fireplace, but I still don't want to go down that slippery slope of banning. Then what type of fight (expense-wise) would it be for a manufacturer who want to bring a clean burning OWB to market? It would probably not be woth the cost.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I think just extending the EPA regs to new wood-burning appliances of all kinds would do the trick. You'd have to grandfather in all existing OWBs, but from what I hear, they won't be around for long, anyway. That's what they did with woodstoves years ago and it worked just fine--even though a lot of mfgrs went out of business because they wouldn't or couldn't comply. What we were left with was the cream of the crop--the guys who were serious. Everybody, it seems, benefits.

Excellent point about not stifling innovation, Harley. Judging from their popularity, I'd say OWBs have a bright future--if they can get emissions levels down to where you can see it through the smoke!

 

[keyman512us]

I'm "hopefull" with the posts I have seen so far...and the "intelligent discussion" that is coming about this "topic". I too don't want to see anything "banned" either...it is a slippery slope. I'm all for "changing the climate" towards more responsible burning...and not providing "fuel for the fire" of the anti-smoke crowd. OWB's need to be "reighned into line" before they get "anymore out of hand". This is a good first step towards "getting the ball rolling"...
Let's keep it going!

STATS: 153 views...8 Replys...21 votes (so far)

Chime in with your vote folks...your opinion counts!

(I wonder how many of the 'views' might perhaps be from 'trollers' from burning issues?)

 

[Hogwildz]

I know I'm just a dumb Neanderthal, but......... Aren't choices 1 & 3 the same?

 

[keyman512us]

Hog...
Thanks for questioning...It's all in the wording (like with laws, rules, and regs)... I put the question "Which should be banned 'first' (to bait any trollers from burning issues)" to see if anyone wants "both banned" or if anyone wants just OWB's banned...'there is a scientific method to the madness my friend'

 

[Michael6268]

What about "fireplaces only" option??

 

[cbrodsky]

I wanted to vote to ban Burningissues.com, but there wasn't an option.

ha ha ha ha! I laughed out loud and my wife asked me what was so funny...

Figured it was going to be way too hard to explain this one

Colin a.k.a. NY Woodburner

 

[Nicholas]

1st we need to ban Forest Fires, does not one good forest fire produce more smoke than all fireplaces, woodstoves, boilers, and dope smoking woodburners all combined ?????

Nick

 

[Eric Johnson]

Right you are, Nick. Manage the forests and you cut the risk of fire considerably.

 

[keyman512us]

1st we need to ban Forest Fires, does not one good forest fire produce more smoke than all fireplaces, woodstoves, boilers, and dope smoking woodburners all combined ?????

Nick

Very good point Nick! Great idea! We could 'turn it around'...when the EPA, NESCAUM-unists, the NY Atty 'twist-master' General, "Boadi-the one eyed brown eye"-'Churning issues forum host' and all the other "lost in space charachters" turn up the heat on woodburners we could say "Why don't you start to clean up the air by going after the BLM & The state of California, etc., to do something about the 'wildfires'...and then we can talk!"

 

[webbie]

Open fireplaces should be held to normal building and air standards, which means two things:

1. They must be built so as not to suck as much air from the home.
2. They must be built so that they burn the wood more completely.

This would go a long way.

 

[babalu87]

Eric, get that stove I have. Plenty of glass for romance and you can take extra pleasure when burning that Sunday wood, you can watch it

Open fireplaces should be held to normal building and air standards, which means two things:

1. They must be built so as not to suck as much air from the home.
2. They must be built so that they burn the wood more completely.

This would go a long way.

Thats what I was getting at, well played.

OH NOES Web and I agreed on something!!

 

[keyman512us]

Thanks to all who have participated:

"One week" Stats:

389 views, 17 replies, 44 votes cast: 2,5,8,29

Quick overall opion: half and half (trying to get an idea of the overall 'mood' on the subject of OWB's)

Going to start a new thread to find out what people think the biggest problem with OWB's is.

Overall would it be fairly safe to say everyone "agrees" fireplace/OWB's need to be made more efficient?

 

[Bill]

A lot of farmers around me use OWB, the savings to them can be dynamic. But from what I hear and see they can and do burn green wood. I think responsible use of any wood burning appliance and a little common sense go a long way.

 

[webbie]

Savings to them, but cost to others in reduced air quality. When they burn green wood, they do so at a low efficiency. This means they get bad mileage and produce more "bad" (polluting) smoke.

Not good.

Back in the old days we thought all these pollutants just disappeared. Now we know better. Incredible increases in diseases such as asthma are the result of choking on our own waste. So maybe the farmer does not get smoked out, but the folks east have to breathe his output.

 

[MrGriz]

Although OWBs and fireplaces are similar in the quality of their output, I would think that OWBs put out a lot more quantity. Most people that have OWBs burn them constantly for heat. Most people that have open fireplaces just burn them occasionally for ambiance. Therefore, the immediate concern would point toward the OWB.

The bottom line is that I don't think either one should be banned. Rather they should both be made more efficient, beginning with the OWB.

Just my .02, which is more like .014 these days....