Outdoor wood furnaces

[Shorebound]

I was driving to work the other day and saw a plume of smoke rising above the trees ahead of me that was so thick and heavy I thought sure a house was on fire. When I reached the spot, it was the smoke pouring from the chimney of a brand-new outdoor wood furnace. I've seen a few news stories about towns trying to regulate these things, but this was the first time I had seen what they were talking about. I have family and friends with wood-fired furnaces in their basements, and there isn't nearly as much smoke from them as there was from the outdoor unit.

I remember back in the 1970s the haze of woodsmoke that would hover over a town sometimes because so many people were burning wood to heat their homes, but this furnace could match that all by itself. And it was for just one house! Is this normal? Are these things becoming popular? I'm wondering if the state shouldn't step in and do something about them.

[MaineDem]

1. This has caused a minor concern here in town

On a few levels...any kind of wood can be burned and, I believe, it burns at a lower temp than in a woodstove or fireplace. Also, the chimneys are lower to the ground so the smoke is more easily picked up by neighboring houses.

Our CEO was asked to rule on it but he said we have no ordinance against them.

We considered one when I first heard about them but I'm not so sure they're all they're cracked up to be. I haven't done a lot of study though.

[cheesedawg]

2. I agree

If the furnace burns at a lower temperature then that would help explain the issue of too much smoke.

With wet or green wood and a low burn temp the smoke won't have a chance to incinerate. Perhaps a platinum catalyst would help?

Sorry, but this outdoor wood furnace thing sounds like a colossal waste of resources as well as a polluter.

[jpak]

3. Unlike wood and pellet stoves, outdoor boilers are not currently regulated by the EPA

They should be...

And, there ought to be a law preventing people from smoking up the neighborhood with these things (fines and bans where needed).

The Black Bear Boiler (made in Maine), however, does meet EPA particle emission standards.

http://blackbearboilers.com/emission.htm

the way to go....