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Many individual are shying away from installing wood burning stoves in their homes, especially if their family members suffer from bronchial problems or allergies. If this is the case in your home, you should carefully consider the option to install a wood stove in your home or even to remove an existing wood stove to prevent aggravating the allergies or asthma of a family member. Keep in mind that not everyone with bronchial troubles, asthma, or allergies has problems with wood burning stoves, so be sure to find the root of the trouble before you begin ripping out existing stoves or ditching your plans to install new stoves.
For starters, wood burning stoves can produce a great deal of soot and smoke, especially if they are improperly used or not kept clean. This is especially true for older models of stoves, which are typically messy to clean, but the newer models have special trays that hold the ashes and soot for easy disposal. If your problems or your family’s problems are aggravated by a dirty wood stove that you no longer use, consider having it professionally cleaned to remove the smoke and soot. This can solve many of your problems and even allow you to use the once banned wood burning stoves again in your home. Furthermore, speak with your primary health care provider about the risk of wood burning stoves aggravating your asthma or allergy symptoms. This professional advice will help you a great deal when it comes to pinpointing the cause of any aggravated symptoms you may be experiencing. Also, the impact of wood stoves on your health can directly be affected by the type of wood you use. For this reason, you should choose wood that is not green and has been properly dried for a reasonable amount of time to prevent smoke and soot from occurring. Additionally, be sure to start the fire in all wood burning stoves using the appropriate materials and avoid using chemicals that can further pollute the air in your home. However, for individuals who cannot use wood burning stoves in any capacity, consider a popular option: pellet stoves. These stoves are fueled by pellets, often a compressed mixture of sawdust, and are a great deal cleaner than their wood burning counterparts. Keep in mind that a pellet stove must be cleaned on a regular basis, but the pellets tend to burn a great deal cleaner than wood, producing less soot and smoke that can invade the air and aggravate asthma, allergies, and other breaking problems often associated with wood burning stoves. Whenever you use wood burning stoves, be sure that the damper is open and completely clear of any debris. Often, birds will build their nests in the pipes or chimneys, which can create potentially deadly situations, including carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, you are strongly recommended to have your stove cleaned professionally twice a year, once at the beginning of the season and again at the end of the season. This will ensure your wood burning stoves are clean and able to be safely used during the cold winter weather.
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