Wood-fired Heaters and Woodsmoke

Hawkesbury City Council residents are being asked to help improve winter air quality by checking they are using wood heaters correctly. As temperatures drop and winter sets in, the incorrect use of wood fire heaters can seriously affect our air quality.

On colder weekends, woodsmoke particles from inefficient heaters float in the air and can be seen as a smoke haze that sometimes sits over built up areas. Not only is this sort of pollution unattractive, it can also be bad for our health.

Woodsmoke can cause breathing difficulties, especially for people suffering existing respiratory conditions, such as asthmatics, and for very young children and frail older people. There is also evidence that smoke pollution can cause cardiac problems.

But we can all help reduce the amount of woodsmoke pollution this winter by using aged dry wood and running our heaters properly.

Some simple steps to reduce woodsmoke pollution are:

1. Don’t let your heater smoulder overnight – keep enough air in the fire to maintain a flame.
2. Burn only dry, aged hardwood in your wood heater. Unseasoned wood has lots of moisture, which causes a fire to smoke.
3. Store your wood under cover in a dry, ventilated area. Freshly cut wood needs to be stored for at least eight to twelve months.
4. Never burn rubbish, driftwood or painted or treated wood. These are sure to pollute the air and can produce poisonous gases.
5. When lighting a cold heater, use plenty of dry kindling to establish a good fire quickly.
6. Use several small logs rather than one large log and stack them loosely in your heater, so air can circulate around them. Don’t cram the firebox full.
7. Keep the flame lively and bright. Your fire should only smoke when you first light it and when you add extra fuel. Open the air controls fully for 5 minutes before and 15 to 20 minutes after reloading the heater.
8. Check your chimney regularly to see how well your fire is burning. If there is smoke coming from the chimney, increase the air supply to your fire.
9. Have the chimney cleaned every year to prevent creosote build-up.
10. If you are buying a wood heater, make sure it has a compliance plate showing it meets the Australian Standard for pollution emissions (AS/NZS 4013:2014) and efficiency (AS/NZS 4012:2014). If it doesn't you might consider upgrading your heater to a newer more efficient model or changing to an alternative heating source.

It’s the responsibility of all wood heater owners to follow these easy steps and minimise the harmful effects of smoke pollution on their neighbours and the environment.

You should be clear on how much smoke is too much for your neighbourhood. In accordance with the NSW EPA advice available through the Further Information below, ten minutes after you light your wood-fired heater, and ten minutes after you add wood to the heater, you should not be able to see any visible smoke coming from your chimney or flue.

Your chimney or flue cannot create excessive smoke. This is clearly defined by the Protection of the Environment Operations Act as the emission of a visible plume of smoke for a continuous period of not less than 10 minutes, including a period of not less than 30 seconds where the plume extends at least 10 Metres. To avoid this happening, check you’re using your heater correctly; you will need to increase the air flow into the heater and increase the heat inside the heater quickly.

If Council has been alerted to your heater emitting excessive smoke, Council Officers may conduct a smoke survey of your property under certain conditions, and issue a Smoke Abatement Notice. The Notice can last for a period of 6 months unless revoked; fines can be applied for non-compliance with the Notice.

It is always important to ensure that fresh air enters your living spaces when operating a wood heater. This is to reduce the risk from exhaust fumes entering your house and preventing a carbon monoxide buildup. Smoke and particles may enter the house when the door of the heater is opened. Consider closing off sleeping rooms to improve air quality. Consider operating an air filter in the house.