Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts • Hacker News Board

Re: Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts

#111

Post by throw0101a » Sat, Jan 02, 2021, 2:33 PM UTC

balfirevic wrote: post #101

throw0101a wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> people like the smell and aesthetic (note this article is in just about the most middle-class publication there is in the UK) The problem here and described in the article is that people are not using direct vent stoves/fireplaces. What is being talking about are units that vent out a chimney/flue, but take the air for combustion from the house itself. This is not what you want for health or efficiency reasons. Wha…

> Also a useful hint: if you're going to use one in a domicile where you live for long periods of time, it may be worth looking at soapstone designs, as they retain heat more (though warm up is longer) Why would that matter? The amount of heat transferred to the living space is the same. I can see the benefit of radiating some residual heat when not active (for example, through the night) but that seems to be offset…

Well, not having to wake up in the middle of the night is not a small matter.

Also, even if the fire goes out you'll get some residual heat and so you have some time to get it going again. This may not be a big deal at 0C, but if it's -20C outside then it may be a higher priority.

From various reviews I've read, the heat 'feels' different: not as intense but rather 'softer' and 'even'.

Re: Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts

#112

Post by throw0101a » Sat, Jan 02, 2021, 2:41 PM UTC

GoToRO wrote: post #103

throw0101a wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> people like the smell and aesthetic (note this article is in just about the most middle-class publication there is in the UK) The problem here and described in the article is that people are not using direct vent stoves/fireplaces. What is being talking about are units that vent out a chimney/flue, but take the air for combustion from the house itself. This is not what you want for health or efficiency reasons. Wha…

‘This is not what you want for health’ Could you elaborate? Is it because then you have draft in the room?

Well, combustion create particulates, carbon monoxide, etc: do you really want these things in your living quarters?

Further, creating drafts in houses isn't a good thing as it forces air in via crevices, door jams, windows casings, etc. As it moves these holes who knows what kind of nasty things the air is picking up from behind your walls.

A lot of folks are under the mistaken impression that houses need to 'breathe'; they do not:

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIcrXut_EFA

You want your house to be as airtight as possible, and then bring in air in a controlled fashion on your own terms: conditioned and filtered.

Re: Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts

#113

Post by corty » Sat, Jan 02, 2021, 6:55 PM UTC

girvo wrote: post #108

corty wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Additionally, electricity, district heating, coal, gas and oil are getting more and more expensive due to carbon and renewable taxes. Renewables like photovoltaics and photothermics, along with heat pumps, are also increasing in price, because there is high demand on specialized workers for installation. The only thing that actually is getting cheaper is wood, a stove is comparatively cheap anyways (few hundred euros…

As someone who lives in South East Queensland, the idea of an 18 degree indoor temperature is absolutely wild to me haha. My aircon is set at 25 right now and even that’s a little cold

Thats coming from the opposite direction. Around here, heating is necessary to get up to 18°C. Aircon to get down from warm temperatures in summer is uncommon, usually it doesn't rise above 30°C outside.

Re: Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts

#114

Post by bubbleboy2021 » Sun, Jan 03, 2021, 7:52 PM UTC

MattGaiser wrote: post #18

I am surprised to learn that burning wood for heat/cooking is something done outside Amish type communities at any significant level in the developed world.

Haha, I can never get enough of the bubble boys on this site. Truly amazing how sheltered some of you folks are. Tech is sadly filled to the brim with this type of ignorant person.

Re: Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts

#115

Post by bubbleboy2021 » Sun, Jan 03, 2021, 7:54 PM UTC

thrower123 wrote: post #47

dash2 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Central heating?

The price of doing that with electric or oil or natural gas will cripple you. There's a reason thermostats are set to 60 or 65 degrees. With wood you just chuck another stick in the furnace and let her rip.

Not true at all. Might want to look into how well insulated your house is ;)

Re: Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts

#116

Post by GordonS » Tue, Jan 05, 2021, 10:06 AM UTC

girvo wrote: post #108

corty wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Additionally, electricity, district heating, coal, gas and oil are getting more and more expensive due to carbon and renewable taxes. Renewables like photovoltaics and photothermics, along with heat pumps, are also increasing in price, because there is high demand on specialized workers for installation. The only thing that actually is getting cheaper is wood, a stove is comparatively cheap anyways (few hundred euros…

As someone who lives in South East Queensland, the idea of an 18 degree indoor temperature is absolutely wild to me haha. My aircon is set at 25 right now and even that’s a little cold

Gender and body mass play a part, but I guess it also just depends what you're used to.

I live in Scotland (1C just now), and through gas central heating (very common) we have the house between 18-20C degrees, depending on how we feel.

When we travel somewhere hot on vacation, and are using AC indoors, we usually have it between 20C and 21C.

When I travel for business to India, the AC in offices is generally set at 25C, and I find that really unpleasantly warm, to the point where it makes me sweat (I'm not a particularly large person) and makes me sleepy.