In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

heating with wood and having COPD

Discussion in 'Everything Else (off topic)' started by savemoney, Oct 11, 2020.

  1. savemoney

    savemoney

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    I am looking for opinion and experience with heating with wood and having COPD. I was recently diagnosed with COPD. I also have been heating with wood and now pellets. I never smoked or worked in an environment with fumes except to my exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Viet Nam.
    My breathing became worse this past winter and bad this spring and summer. It took a long time to get an evaluation, but now I have the diagnosis of COPD moderate severity. Can't walk to the mail box with out being severely short of breath.
    Does anyone have any experience with wood smoke making COPD worse? I asked the pulmonary staff about it and was told to wear a mask handling the aches. Some write ups say no way should any one with COPD heat with wood. I have several high powered air cleaners running 24/7
    Opinions/experiences would be helpful
    thanks
    Larry
     
  2. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    I can’t help you with that Larry, but I wish you all the best with the COPD.
     
  3. Stephiedoll

    Stephiedoll

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    No help either on the COPD. Best of luck and take it slow.
     
  4. stuckinthemuck

    stuckinthemuck

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    My humble non medical opinion is that if you manage your indoor air quality, heating with wood should be no different than heating with anything else. One thing that heating with wood could do, however, is increase the number of air exchanges your house has per hour bringing in outside, possibly low quality, air with smoke from neighbors who burn unseasoned wood. An outdoor air kit direct to your heating appliance would help with that. To minimize rush with ashes you could use an ash vacuum with a long hose that goes all the way outside. When refilling the stove, ensure a good draft to stop smoke spillage into the house. Perhaps crack a window open to help this. Hope this helps at least a little. Good luck.
     
  5. Chazsbetterhalf

    Chazsbetterhalf

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    Hi Larry. I also have COPD. On oxygen sleeping and activity. My regular doctor and my pulmonary doctor both know that we heat with wood. They just remind me keep the 02 away from the stove. My regular doctor likes the idea that I still do some splitting.
    I do have issues in cold weather as it it makes it harder to breath. Plus I can't take the cold anymore. But try and stay as active as you can. Since I hibernate I try to walk around the longest way I can. Don't go the direct route.
    Hope this helps a little bit.
     
  6. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Glad to hear you have the air cleaners. Probably as long as you are super careful it should be ok but if you are bothered as heating gets needed more then you will know to stop.
     
  7. savemoney

    savemoney

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    Thanks, my pulmonary manager was informed about how I heat. I was advised to wear a mask when cleaning the stove. I do that anyway. Also when I handle the cat boxes. My gas furnace and my pellet stove both use outside air for combustion My clothes dryer does not. I have read several discouraging articles about heating with wood and COPD. But then, it comes down to who you trust and what precautions are you will take proactively. For a while, I was thinking of removing the pellet stove. Now I am trying to be more rational about it. I never smoked. Don't understand how I got COPD. But here it is and I must rationalize what is the best course of action to try to stay out of trouble. I thank you all for your suggestions and support.
     
  8. mat60

    mat60

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    Me also Larry.
     
  9. BDF

    BDF

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    I have it also but I am sure I got it from smoking- the gift that keeps on giving :-(

    As far as heating with wood or pellets, it will not matter as long as you are not generating particulate matter inside the house, or generating clouds of it when cleaning / working on the stove. You already mentioned wearing a mask when cleaning ashes so that should not be a problem. As to getting particulates from a stove (ash fines, shows up as extremely fine dust on any flat surface in the house or wherever the stove is located), I found a draft inducer eliminates that entirely. But even without the inducer, you can reduce or eliminate any fines by being careful when you clean the stove; for example, put an ash receptacle inside the stove, fill it with ash inside the stove, then give it a few minutes with the door cracked to try and ship any fines up the chimney before removing the container with the ashes in it. And generally try and go slow when moving ash at all so as not to stir it up any more than necessary so fewer fines get into the room with you.

    Best of luck going forward. It is not easily treatable but it IS treatable- I have a daily inhaler (not an emergency powder but a powder) that helps.

    Brian

     
  10. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    I was going to suggest using an Ash Dragon dustless scooper, but looks like they are NLA?
    upload_2020-10-13_8-2-25.jpeg found something similar though...Ash Scoop
    Also,
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2020