Is It Time to Ditch Your Wood-Burning Stove?

Posted by on Thursday, March 24th, 2022 at 4:08pm.

Replace Your Wood Burning Stove TodayIf you have an old wood-burning stove in your home, like the old pot-bellied stoves you see in the movies, the provincial government and the B.C. Lung Association are encouraging you to get rid of it. Read on to learn how replacing your wood-burning stove can benefit you and your region today.

Get Financial Rebates for Replacing Your Wood Stove

Wood stove exchange programs throughout British Columbia offer rebates of $300 for qualified purchasers who trade in their old clunkers in favour of electric inserts or brand new, cleaner-burning appliances that are EPA and CSA-certified. Those who choose even more environmentally friendly options like natural gas, propane, pellet stoves, and heat pumps are eligible for even more.

The Regional District of Central Okanagan has been succeeding in improving air quality in Kelowna and the surrounding area with a wood stove exchange program. The Central Okanagan wood stove exchange program has operated in Kelowna since 2001, assisting over 1,900 people in getting this energy-efficient home upgrade and reducing the particulate pollution in the region by around 175 tonnes per year. Participating retailers take the old stoves and recycle them, providing those swapping out their appliances with the paperwork required to apply for rebates when they purchase an electric, wood-pellet, or gas-burning heating product.

What’s Wrong with Wood Stoves?

There are a few fallacies about wood smoke that the provincial government and the B.C. Lung Association would like to debunk.

Isn't Burning Wood Natural?

Since wood is found in nature, then wood smoke must be harmless, right? That is not the case. If it were, tobacco as a natural substance would be fine, too. Even though people have burned wood since the caveman days, modern science has discovered that wood smoke is polluted. It’s linked to many health ailments such as asthma and a variety of respiratory problems. That includes heart attacks and stroke.

Isn't Wood Smoke a Minor Issue Compared to Other Types of Air Pollution?

The relative severity of wood smoke depends on where you are, geographically. In the Okanagan, wood smoke is dense and stays low. Apart from the fire hazard in this dry region, open fires are only allowed with a permit and only from October to April. In other parts of North America, like San Francisco Bay area, wood smoke in the winter pollutes the air with toxins to a greater extent than does industry and vehicle emissions.

And besides, saying it's alright to not fix a fixable problem because something else is worse is terrible logic.

Doesn't Wood Smoke Only Bother People Who Have Trouble Breathing?

It’s hazardous for everything. It’s only more hazardous for the young or the elderly or those with existing respiratory issues. Even healthy people can experience lung inflammation when exposed to wood smoke. An excellent guideline is that if you can smell wood burning then it’s already getting into your lungs.

Smoke Rises, So It's Not a Problem, Right?

The hot air and smoke may rise above your head, but the pollutants from the fire hover at ground level for as long as 10 days. Cold weather makes this problem worse, as the heavy air acts like a lid over the ground.

Closing the Window Will Keep Smoke Out, Won't It?

The toxic particles from wood smoke are so minute that they find their way into even the most air-tight buildings. In fact, in the presence of wood smoke outdoors, the pollution level inside can be up to 70% that of what’s found outside.

For the Health of You and the Environment, Swap Out Your Stove Today

If you’re still not convinced, think about this: wood stove smoke is estimated to have a 12 times greater lifetime cancer risk than an equal amount of secondhand cigarette smoke. So, if you wouldn’t allow someone to smoke cigarettes indoors around you or your family, why would you subject yourself and those you love to wood smoke?

The bottom line is that if you have a wood-burning stove, it’s time to consider getting rid of it. Not only will you be improving your own health, but you’ll also be doing your part to improve air quality in the Okanagan Valley so we can all enjoy the outdoors.

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