wood stove help

[sal64]

hello all, would like to get some oppinons on this, have been using my wood stove for about 2 seasons now it is an airtite i put in new seals ,my wife has been having a prob with her eyes eritation for about a month now she has been to the eye doc for drops helps a little, we have 1 small humidifire going, im thinking its the dry heat? we are going to buy a big humidifier with an atomatik themastat ,no one else in the house has this prob any ideas or suggetions would be much apriciated tuvm.

 

[arrow]

A large pot or pan on top of the stove may help. Usually the sinuses dry out first. Eye irritation may be caused by something else such as new paint or polish on a stove. Check for any exhaust leaks as well.

 

[shane]

Have a friend over for a visit that does not use wood heat or smoke cigs and such. I bet they can tell you if your stove is actually air tight. I know I can. I've got one sensitive sniffer and a lot of the time it's a curse.

 

[20 20]

I would say the problem is elsehwere{???},but wood heat is very dry. I don't have a humidifier but I do put water on the stove.

 

[WayneB]

We heat our house with wood and the heat is extremely dry. We run a large humidifier all the time and it does help. I have sinus problems and use a saline nasal mist all winter to prevent drying of my nasal passages.

We tried the water on the stove thing for awhile, but it was really a pain as we load the stove from the top. Also it was boiling out of water allot of the time. The humidifier has been very helpful for us.

 

[Egon]

Get a humidity gauge.

 

[sal64]

yea i tried water on stove was a pain just bought a good electronic humidifier turned it on gage read 25 so it is very dry in here hopfuly it will help.tuvm

 

[20 20]

better to be dry and warm then wet and cold

 

[nickel plate]

It could be the fuel that you are burning as even with an air tight stove, smoke can still re-enter a home through a non air tight exterior wall . Try several different species and see (sic) if that might help her.

 

[dave1949]

yea i tried water on stove was a pain just bought a good electronic humidifier turned it on gage read 25 so it is very dry in here hopfuly it will help.tuvm

25% relative humidity is very, very dry. You really want to get it up to the 50% area. It may not cure your wife's problems, but you will feel a lot more comfortable in general.
Dave.

 

[BotaBigot]

Just consolidating what others have said here...first, get humidity level up to around 50%. See if that helps your wife's problem. If not, look for "leaks" in stove and house. I've used a big fast-food softdrink straw to "sniff" the stove at doors and joints...including stovpipe up to thimble. Under certain conditions, I've had a slight backflow thru bathroom vents, etc., from outside. Finally, depending on outside temps, chimney, and burning unseasoned wood, you can get ice buildup in chimney that will reduce draw and can cause smoking...

 

[jpaeye]

I am an ophthalmologist, and have seen quite a bit of dry eye due to the low humidity this winter. I would bet this is your wife's' problem. It can be helped (but not cured) with daily use of artificial tears used at least four to six times per day. Sometimes tears are not enough and we need to move on to medications like Restasis. We also can place punctal plugs in the tear ducts of the eyelids, in effect damming up the egress of tears from the eye.

Supplements can sometimes help as well, i.e. omega 3 fatty acids or flax seed oil.

Increasing humidity in the air will also help.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Could also be creasote build up in the airtight stove. Any drips of creasote condensate on the pipes? If so, when they burn and get hot, it is an eye and nose irritant.

 

[sal64]

tu all for the help we will try everything listed.

 

[bdeboer]

Is there anything on the stored wood that might irritate her eyes?

 

[sal64]

no its all seasond red oak, were kinda leaning twords the low humidity.

 

[Coyote machine]

It sounds like a humidity thing but to be safe put a co detector somewhere in the area that the stove heats to make sure she is not being affected by co. Some are more sensitive than others but it is deadly at any level over NONE and will build up in one's blood stream over time. Low levels will not necessarily be noticeable because it is odor and colorless. I get instant headaches now from being around it in my car shop days. Even if it isn't the cause of your wife's irritation you would be wise to know if it is present in the air you are breathing when the stove is running.

 

[sal64]

tu, i have a co detector.