Detect wood burning stove indoor pollution

[coo1guy]

I read more and more articles about indoor pollution from wood burning stoves.

I have an open fireplace and when I put too much wood in it and build tall flames, I can clearly smell something and have to open the windows.

Surprisingly enough, my, otherwise very reactive, PM2.5 detector doesn't detect anything.

 

Am I looking for the wrong particulates?

If that's the case, which ones should I look for?

 

Thanks

[Guest Gimlet]

Don't worry about it. Or get a log burner. People have been burning wood on open hearths for for about 200,000 years. 

 

Just avoid yew and laurel. 

[Paul in the woods]

I'm curious about the particulate detector, did you get it just for the fire? Someone else posted they had a Geiger counter to check their firewood, it thought the occasional jab with a moisture meter was enough.

[GarethM]

I'd be more worried about gypsum plaster board, paint and a whole host of other common household things around the home. Especially MDF or manufactured timber items off gassing formaldehyde etc.

 

Burn safely and in a newish fireplace and you'll be fine 🙂. Know too much and you'll be eying up the hermit lifestyle, hermit not Kermit. That a whole lot of porcine domestic abuse!.

[coo1guy]

1 hour ago, Paul in the woods said:

I'm curious about the particulate detector, did you get it just for the fire? Someone else posted they had a Geiger counter to check their firewood, it thought the occasional jab with a moisture meter was enough.

I'm using the Sndway SW-825, which is very reliable for example when I cook something or just to compare with official PM2.5 concentrations I find online.

 

I'm thinking of getting a detector that includes more stuff like TVOC and HCHO, but I have no idea if that would be relevant.

[Vedhoggar]

4 hours ago, coo1guy said:

I read more and more articles about indoor pollution from wood burning stoves.

I have an open fireplace and when I put too much wood in it and build tall flames, I can clearly smell something and have to open the windows.

Surprisingly enough, my, otherwise very reactive, PM2.5 detector doesn't detect anything.

 

Am I looking for the wrong particulates?

If that's the case, which ones should I look for?

 

Thanks

Not much comes from modern wood stoves burning well seasoned wood, in one test more particulate matter was coming from a toaster (451), frying (411), oven (30) than woodstove (5) when it was on and an incense stick burning registered 800 + (see Youtube: Gosforth Handyman, Woodburning Stoves for Beginners at 20 mins).

[coo1guy]

1 hour ago, Vedhoggar said:

Not much comes from modern wood stoves burning well seasoned wood, in one test more particulate matter was coming from a toaster (451), frying (411), oven (30) than woodstove (5) when it was on and an incense stick burning registered 800 + (see Youtube: Gosforth Handyman, Woodburning Stoves for Beginners at 20 mins).

Amazing video, indeed.

[Steven P]

On 27/12/2022 at 19:51, Vedhoggar said:

Not much comes from modern wood stoves burning well seasoned wood, in one test more particulate matter was coming from a toaster (451), frying (411), oven (30) than woodstove (5) when it was on and an incense stick burning registered 800 + (see Youtube: Gosforth Handyman, Woodburning Stoves for Beginners at 20 mins).

 

playjng devils advocate here for fun.... wood burner goes for 15 hours here, frying for 15 minutes, toaster for 5.. multiply that up I guess 15x5=75 (stove), 411x0.25 = 102 (frying), and 451x1/12= 37 (toaster)....

 

Though I would go with the other argument that there are a lot of other things to consider, sitting in a car in the commute, whatever is in the house already.

 

Interesting tests though to measure what there is in a real world situation.

 

Back to the OP, what is the smell you can smell, and does it happen through the burn or for example, when you open the door to put new fuel on. A stove shouldn't really put fumes into the room - all the airflow should be from the room up the chimney, especially when it is burning hot. Might be then that the smell you get could be burning house dust (if the stove isn't used for a while - that smell you get from electric heaters first time of use each year).... so what is the smell and when do you get it?

 

If it is a wood smoke smell when the door is closed, and not just refuelled then to me that sounds like a problem with the stove itself

[Steven P]

Sorry - open fireplace... doesn't above doesn't all apply but there could still be a problem getting the fumes to go up the chimney, perhaps you have put too much fuel on the fire, overloaded the chimney capacity? (is that possible), maybe chimney needs cleaning. Still applies though when do you smell the smells

 

 

 

(leaving my first answer above in case others with a stove are looking)

[dig-dug-dan]

On 27/12/2022 at 15:40, Gimlet said:

Don't worry about it. Or get a log burner. People have been burning wood on open hearths for for about 200,000 years. 

 

Just avoid yew and laurel. 

Can you enlighten me on the yew and laurel?