EPA issue ban on wood stoves

[Looking4new]

It looks like that BS has already come up here (Montreal). I guess I will be going to jail. I won't pay fines for trying to heat my house and I won't stop burning wood.

 

[Underdog57]

I have a Woodstock Soapstone Stove with a catalytic converter. It is a great stove, after 6 years of use I just replaced the converter this year, about $180.

 

[HillStreet]

Somebody needs to rein in the EPA. Bureaucrats can run amok and be more dangerous than politicians.

Charlie

Government is why it costs so much to live today.

 

[Notlaker]

The EPA should ban a certain class of people as being bad for the planet!

 

[CobyRupert]

The headline of this post claims "EPA issues ban", but all the stories I find say "EPA proposes band". Which is it? Anybody have a definitive source?

 

[dave1949]

Visit this web site, learn some facts, look at the 20 pages of stoves (List of EPA certified stoves) that already meet the Phase 1 standard of (4.5/7.5 grams per hour) (catalytic/non-catalytic). You will also see a handful of mostly pellet stoves that already meet the five year Phase 2 (1.5 grams per hour) standard.

Types of Appliances | Burn Wise | US EPA

The Phase 2 1.5 grams per hour is a tough but not impossible standard. However, it has nothing to do with the stove you own now and forever, or the one you may buy up to five years from now.

The "fact" that decomposing wood or burning wood is carbon neutral is not relevant to particulate emissions. I've never seen smoke rising from a rotting log.

 

[Looking4new]

I am off the hook. All Regency Stoves and inserts are EPA approved according to their website.

Regency Fireplace Products - About us

 

[super55]

I have a Heat and Glo Northstar that I put in back in 2009 that currently meets the EPA particulate emission at 3.25 g/hr but won't meet the 2019 emission standards. I feel like I got a swift kick in the nuts after paying top dollar for one of the most efficient lowest emitting fireplaces at that time will be non-compliant after 2019.

It's a great stove I have to admit but was a pricey upgrade. 4600 dollars after it was all said and done for permits, installation and the unit. I was fortunate because that year they increased the energy efficiency rebate after the housing crisis to like 1500 dollars so that helped with the sting a little bit. Currently the credit is only 500 dollars and has to be professionally installed.

My biggest concern is that if I ever want to sell my house after 2019 I have to upgrade and/or remove the unit unless they develop some type of aftermarket add on it to make it compliant again. Ripping the cultured stone out, possibly installing a new stack, scrapping the old one and then refinishing could easily go in excess of 8 grand with probably no appreciation to the value of the home.

Here's a pic of the upgraded fireplace. I had to take a two year loan to actually pay for the thing. If they are going to mandate that everyone try and upgrade their woodburners than go and offer some 0% interest loans and a nice rebate so us poor wood burners can afford them.

 

[Baby Grand]

Visit this web site, learn some facts, look at the 20 pages of stoves (List of EPA certified stoves) that already meet the Phase 1 standard of (4.5/7.5 grams per hour) (catalytic/non-catalytic). You will also see a handful of mostly pellet stoves that already meet the five year Phase 2 (1.5 grams per hour) standard.

Types of Appliances | Burn Wise | US EPA

The Phase 2 1.5 grams per hour is a tough but not impossible standard. However, it has nothing to do with the stove you own now and forever, or the one you may buy up to five years from now.

The "fact" that decomposing wood or burning wood is carbon neutral is not relevant to particulate emissions. I've never seen smoke rising from a rotting log.

To quote one of the greatest philosopher of our age:
"Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true!"
To quote Forbes: "Wolf! Wolf!"

When you burn fossil fuels you unearth carbon that took millions of years to sequester and put it in the atmosphere, causing a net increase in carbon above ground every time you burn it.

The great thing about burning wood is that you take carbon from the Earth's surface, put it in the atmosphere and it gets absorbed back into the Earth's surface - essentially a closed loop. The rate at which the carbon gets added to the atmosphere is the problem - no one is burning wood in the summer. Clean burning wood stoves address this rate problem. Clean burn is the future of wood burning, if we have any hope of having decent winter air quality, so get used to it. I remeber hearing all the same sky is falling hand wringing about auto air polution regulation. But the air's much cleaner as a result and people are still driving their 'Cudas on cruise night. The EPA doesn't want to get rid of woodburning stoves - it wants to make them environmentally less damaging - something we should support in the interest of continued wood burning.

 

[charlz]

I have seen some people mention newer stoves that use some type of return pipe for re-burn, something other than catalytic. I was wondering where they fall in particulate output?