Identifying The Problem

There is a health problem in the UK which affects us all. Air pollution can come from a number of sources such as vehicle engines, construction, agriculture and roads (dust from passing traffic) etc. Less well known is the pollution that comes from heating appliances including woodburning stoves and open fires.

Air quality is a national problem and affects rural communities as well as towns and cities.

These sources of pollution create tiny particles in the air. Some are so small that they can pass easily in to our homes and workplaces. They enter our lungs and can cause health problems.

Wood burning stoves and open fires are responsible for a part of this problem and if we understand why, we can make a big difference to local air quality. For example, with correct use, the impact of a woodburning stove can be reduced by a whopping 80%!

Often you won’t even know there is a problem until your chimnney sweep comes and finds large amounts of unburned soot or tar in your chimney. Most stove users are not shown the best way to use their stove and often do not know how to get it right. Even if they are shown, it’s easy to slip into poor burning habits and just do what seems to work.

Symptoms of very poor burning habits which cause lots of pollution include blackened glass, constant smoke coming out of your chimney, or lots of unburned wood or charcoal left after the stove goes out.