2020 EPA and does it affect my wood-burning stove This entry was posted in wood stoves on September 3, 2019 by The Original Flame Author. What is the EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in December 1970 by an executive order of United States President Richard Nixon. The EPA is an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health.
What does an EPA certified wood stove mean? seasoned wood for wood-burning stove The Environmental Protection Agency is an American organization that coordinates the application of laws whose goal is to protect the environment. EPA certified wood stoves meet emissions guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency
What are manufacturers doing to meet the new requirements? With new guidelines coming in 2020, manufacturers are redesigning many of their wood burning fireplaces and stoves completely. Some are adding combusters to give you longer burn times and more controlled heat well others are reducing the burn times and meeting the new guidelines but burning hotter. Some companies have been able to meet the requirements for quite some time now. A good example of this is Blaze King. They have stoves produce less than 1.67 gram per hour.
EPA is American, why does it matter to us in Canada? The United States has such a huge market that over 63% of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces are sold in the USA. This is a huge market, so manufacturers need to consider this. They don't want to have to build a stove for one country and a different one for another. In most cases, Canada does adopt the same regulations as the United States. The change will likely affect Canadians later and more gradually.
What about the stove I have installed now? EPA does not apply to stoves that are currently installed in homes; It just means that new stoves purchased after the May 15th, 2020 need to meet all requirements for the new EPA regulations in the United States.
What by-products are produced from burning wood? Smoke forms when wood or other organic matter burns. The smoke from wood burning is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles (also called particle pollution, particulate matter, or PM). In addition to particle pollution, wood smoke contains several toxic, harmful air pollutants, including: benzene, formaldehyde, acrolein, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
The more efficiently you burn wood (e.g., using an EPA-certified wood stove and dry, seasoned wood), the less smoke is created.
In conclusion, stove manufacturers are changing their stoves to meet the new standard. Dealers in Canada may still have stock of wood-burning products that meet the current standard, and they are safe and efficient and legal to sell. The new standard will not affect your current wood-stove. To find the best wood-burning stove for your application, talk to your local dealer to understand, shorter burn times vs. Catalytic combustor or hybrid designs. Many people are trying to buy current technology before the new rules take effect. You needn't worry about parts for the current stoves as manufacturers carry parts for stoves for many years.
2020 EPA and does it affect my wood-burning stove
