Green, Clean Heating
With projections for an exceptionally cold December and January,
everyone is preparing for an expensive heating season. While encouraging
energy efficiency and conservation, EPA New England administrator Robert
W. Varney reminds us that there are environmental and health concerns
associated with some heating sources. Here are some clean-heating tips.
All combustion sources, like your furnace, fireplace or wood stove,
produce carbon monoxide. This gas is odorless and tasteless so our
senses don't detect it even at lethal levels. Early signs of
overexposure are easily missed because these same symptoms - dizziness,
headaches, fatigue and nausea - mimic those of the flu. Generally,
carbon monoxide is vented outside the home through a chimney or exhaust
vent and is not a problem. However, if exhaust systems are not properly
designed or well maintained, this poisonous gas can remain within the
living space.
Some heating sources create a risk for carbon-monoxide poisoning when
improperly used. Some improper uses include opening gas-oven doors for
spot heating, using propane space heaters in areas that are not well
ventilated, and venting gas-fired dryers into living spaces. While no
one wants to heat the outside, it is essential that combustion sources
requiring ventilation are not used in confined spaces.
Due to high fuel prices, heating with wood is being promoted as a
cost-saving, renewable source of energy. However, heating with wood may
emit more pollutants into the air than the heat sources it replaces
(e.g., oil or natural gas). Burning wood produces smoke, which contains
particle pollution and other contaminants. Particle pollution is
especially a concern because it can cause serious health effects,
especially in children and older people. Exposure to particles can
aggravate lung disease, causing asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and
may also increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.
Use of EPA-certified wood or pellet stoves that are properly installed
produce less particle pollution than older stoves and can be a good
supplement to an oil or gas furnace. All wood stoves manufactured since
1988 must be EPA certified, which means they use 1/3 less wood than
older stoves to produce the same heat. And EPA-certified wood stoves
emit 50% to 60% less air pollution. EPA-certified stoves are easy to
identify because they carry a special label and hang tag.
Some wood-burning devices, however, such as outdoor wood-fired boilers
can produce large quantities of air pollutants. These boilers, which are
becoming more popular in some areas, typically consist of a firebox that
heats water in a steel sleeve around their outer walls. The water is
then piped into a nearby building to provide heat, hot water or both.
Although the concept may be appealing, these boilers commonly produce
excessive amounts of smoke and can negatively impact nearby residences.
It is also important to properly weatherize your home. Insufficient
insulation and gaps around doors and windows can make a home even colder
in the winter. Sealing gaps and holes can cut down on heating needs from
wood stoves.
Here are just a few tips to follow for a healthy heating season:
- Consider pollution emission levels and potential health effects as
well as cost when selecting a heating source
- Upgrade to an EPA-certified woodstove or other clean-burning
technology
- If heating with wood, burn only dry, well-seasoned wood
- Always provide adequate ventilation and exhaust for a combustion
source
- Have your heating system inspected with particular attention to
the vents and chimneys - don't just relay on a carbon-monoxide alarm
- Reduce your overall heating needs and heating bills by improving
the insulation in your home; caulking around windows, doors, and pipes
to seal air gaps; and adding weather-stripping to doors and windows
More information is available on the
EPA Web
site.
-------
Robert W. Varney is regional administrator of EPA's New England
Office in Boston, Mass.
GreenBiz.com is a program of
The National Environmental Education and Training
Foundation.
Copyright © The National Environmental Education
& Training Foundation. All Rights Reserved. |