What to Burn in your Fireplace this Winter
When the weather outside is frightful nothing is quite as comforting as curling up in front of cozy fire. You have many options when it comes to fuel, some of which are more earth friendly than others. Let’s discuss what you can burn in your fireplace for the cleanest, most energy efficient fire with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions.
When deciding what to burn in your fireplace you will need to consider what type of hearth you have. For example, wood pellets and corn pellets can only be burned in pellet stoves that are specially designed to slowly feed the pellets to the flames. If you have an airtight woodstove or insert then you have little choice but to burn natural wood. However, if you have a fireplace with no insert, you have the choice between natural wood and manufactured fire logs.
Natural wood is considered a carbon neutral fuel because burning it only releases the amount of CO2 that the tree sequestered during its lifetime. However, it’s not necessarily the wood that’s a problem, it’s the smoke. Burning wood with too much moisture or allowing a fire to smolder can release extra methane into the air. Methane has a greenhouse impact twenty times greater than that of CO2. What’s more, burning wood in an open fireplace releases large amounts of ash into the air. The particulate matter in smoke can cause bronchitis and aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases. Once it leaves your chimney, wood smoke becomes air pollution.
Fire logs burn relatively cleanly and release far less ash than natural wood. A study performed by the EPA found that manufactured fire logs had 75 percent fewer emissions than natural wood and 80 percent less particulate matter. Manufactured fire logs also heat your home more efficiently because they burn longer and hotter than natural firewood. EarthLog fire logs are made from 100 percent recycled resources, further reducing your negative impact on the environment.
Earthlog Fire Logs produce more heat and less smoke than conventional fire logs. Less smoke means less carbon monoxide, less particulate matter emissions and less creosote accumulation. When used properly, Earthlogs are better for your health, safety and the environment than any other type of fire log. Earthlog Fire Logs are made from waste paper and the highest quality scented paraffin waxes. Earthlog Fire Logs are your best choice this holiday season!