woodstovesTag Archives

Thurston County: Residential Woodstove Replacement Program extended

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) has received a 1-year extension of funding to help residents of Thurston County cities and UGAs replace their old wood stoves and fireplace inserts with new, clean, efficient heat pumps and natural gas heating appliances.

ORCAA, utilizing a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology, offers an array of financial incentives to help residents within Thurston County cities and urban growth areas upgrade their heating systems.  For residents seeking to replace wood heat systems with gas or electric heat systems, ORCAA offers $750 toward purchase for residents who wish to change to gas fireplaces and $1,000 toward purchase for all other change-outs.

NOTE: Funding is limited, and is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for qualified participants. To participate, contact ORCAA or visit any Thurston County Heat-and-Cooling or Hearth Products retailer.

By removing uncertified and pre-1995 wood stoves and inserts, residential coal burning devices and free standing fireplaces from homes and replacing them with heat pumps (ductless or ducted), gas furnaces or gas fireplaces, ORCAA will improve both air quality and energy efficiency in the region. Based on the state’s requirements, this program is available only to residents who wish to replace one of the following:

  • pre-1995 certified wood stoves
  • pre-1995 certified fireplace inserts
  • uncertified wood stoves
  • uncertified fireplace inserts
  • free-standing fireplaces

With the removal of just 60 solid-fuel home heating devices from the community, residents will reduce emissions by 10 tons of PM2.5 per year. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) also offers the following rebates:

  • $1,200 for Ductless Heat Pumps
  • up to $800 for air-source heat pumps
  • up to $2,500 for conversion to natural gas
  • $200 rebate for installation of a qualifying high-efficiency natural gas fireplace

For additional information, visit www.ORCAA.org, www.pse.comor call (360) 539-7610.

admin
June 13, 2013
News and Information
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Clean, Dry Firewood Means Clean, Healthful Air

Cold nights and quiet, still mornings like those we frequently encounter during the holiday season tend to prompt more use of woodstoves and fireplaces. Unfortunately, in these conditions any smoke we put into the air around us, stays in the air around us. But with proper care and the use of clean-burning practices, we can keep our shared air clean and safe.

Residents who heat with wood stoves or fireplaces must burn only clean, dry firewood in their home heating appliances. Their wood should be properly cured – less than 20-percent moisture – and free of dirt and debris. The woodstoves must also be properly maintained and operated so the fire draws enough oxygen to ensure complete combustion. That ensures you’ll get the maximum value from your fuel with the absolute minimum smoke. Visit www.burndryfirewood.com for additional tips on clean burning practices.

Upgrade to Clean, Efficient Home Heating Systems

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) has funds available to help residents of Thurston County replace their old wood stoves and fireplace inserts with new, clean, efficient heat pumps and natural gas heating appliances.

ORCAA, utilizing a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology, offers an array of financial incentives to help residents within Thurston County cities and urban growth areas upgrade their heating systems.  For residents seeking to replace wood heat systems with gas or electric heat systems, ORCAA offers $750 toward purchase for residents who wish to change to gas fireplaces and $1,000 toward purchase for all other change-outs.Find out more here.

admin
December 19, 2012
Burn Status, Health, News and Information
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Return to winter means air quality can be at risk

Residents who heat with wood asked to burn cleanly and efficiently

As the region settles into colder conditions and periods of overnight and morning fog, it is vital that we think about our impacts on the air we share.

Cold nights and quiet, foggy mornings like those we expect later this week tend to prompt more use of woodstoves and fireplaces. Unfortunately, in these conditions any smoke we put into the air around us, stays in the air around us. But with proper care and the use of clean-burning practices, we can keep our shared air clean and safe.

Residents who heat with wood stoves or fireplaces must burn only clean, dry firewood in their home heating appliances. Their wood should be properly cured – less than 20-percent moisture – and free of dirt and debris. The woodstoves must also be properly maintained and operated so the fire draws enough oxygen to ensure complete combustion. That ensures you’ll get the maximum value from your fuel with the absolute minimum smoke. Visit www.burndryfirewood.com for additional tips on clean burning practices.

In addition to minimizing the use of woodstoves and fireplaces, ORCAA asks homeowners to use alternative means of disposal when cleaning up their yard waste. Chipping and composting are the best option, though other alternatives to burning are also available. You can find more details on the options at www.orcaa.org or by calling your local waste disposal company.

Burning wood creates smoke composed of fine and very fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These tiny particles are too small to be filtered by the nose and the body’s other natural defense mechanisms, so they may end up being inhaled deep into the lungs. That means that exposure to wood smoke may, at the very least, cause breathing problems and can increase – sometimes substantially increase – the severity of existing lung disease, such as asthma. Smoke also has been shown to aggravate heart and vascular disease.

To learn about the health effects of air pollution, check out the American Lung Association of Washington’s Web site at www.alaw.org. To find the latest on the status of burn restrictions within ORCAA’s six-county region, visit www.orcaa.org.

admin
November 9, 2012
Burn Status, Exec. Director's Desk, Health, News and Information
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Got a Wood Stove? Get a Heat Pump, or clean-burning natural gas appliance!

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) has funds available to help residents of Thurston County replace their old wood stoves and fireplace inserts with new, clean, efficient heat pumps and natural gas heating appliances.
ORCAA, utilizing a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology, offers an array of financial incentives to help residents within Thurston County cities and urban growth areas upgrade their heating systems.  For residents seeking to replace wood heat systems with gas or electric heat systems, ORCAA offers $750 toward purchase for residents who wish to change to gas fireplaces and $1,000 toward purchase for all other change-outs.
By removing uncertified and pre-1995 wood stoves and inserts, residential coal burning devices and free standing fireplaces from homes and replacing them with heat pumps (ductless or ducted), gas furnaces or gas fireplaces, ORCAA will improve both air quality and energy efficiency in the region. Based on the state’s requirements, this program is available only to residents who wish to replace one of the following:
  • pre-1995 certified wood stoves
  • pre-1995 certified fireplace inserts
  • uncertified wood stoves
  • uncertified fireplace inserts
  • free-standing fireplaces
With the removal of just 60 solid-fuel home heating devices from the community, residents will reduce emissions by 10 tons of PM2.5 per year.
ORCAA’s partners in the program include Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and Thurston Energy. Both off an array of incentives and assistance programs to help residents move to cleaner, more efficient heating systems. PSE also offers the following rebates:
  • $1,200 for Ductless Heat Pumps
  • up to $800 for air-source heat pumps
  • up to $2,500 for conversion to natural gas
  • $200 rebate for installation of a qualifying high-efficiency natural gas fireplace
Thurston Energy offers comprehensive, reduced-cost energy audits for residents of Thurston County. The full audit includes using negative-pressure systems to evaluate air leaks around doors, windows, roofs, etc. as well as an infrared (IR) screening of the home to find hidden heat-loss areas.
For additional information, visit www.ORCAA.org or call (360) 539-7610.
admin
October 26, 2012
Burn Status, Exec. Director's Desk, Health, News and Information, Upcoming Events
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Six Ways to Beat Winter

With winter quickly approaching, now is the time to focus on ways to keep energy costs low while protecting the health and well-being of your family. Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offer these tips to help you do just that:

  1. Maintain your home heating system. Maintaining the efficiency of your home’s heating system can have a big effect on your utility bills. Dirt and neglect can impact the efficiency of furnaces, heat pumps and even the blower systems on wood and pellet stoves. Schedule an equipment checkup with a licensed HVAC contractor to make sure your system is operating at peak performance. You should also check your system’s air filter monthly and change it when it’s dirty. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm thus wasting energy. http://www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement
  2. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower, especially when no one is active at home. Programming thermostats to turn the temperature down 8 degrees for 7 hours each night and an additional 7 hours each weekday during the hours when everyone is at work or school could result in a seasonal heating savings of approximately 12 percent. For the average home, this could result in savings of about $180. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_save_energy_at_home
  3. Burn only clean, well-cured firewood in your wood-burning appliance. When every dollar counts, it is important to get the most heat you can from your firewood. The solution is to make sure it is dry before you burn it. That can take 12 months or more. If you burn dry wood in your wood stove or fireplace regularly, you’ll experience great savings. And, it will take less work to build a fire with dry firewood. Visit http://burndryfirewood.com/
  4. Never burn garbage, cardboard, ocean driftwood or wet wood.  It is illegal to burn anything except untreated wood and manufactured firelogs. It is important that you do not burn household garbage, plastics, chemically treated paper or garbage. http://www.orcaa.org/burning/wood-stove-program
  5. Upgrade your wood-fired home heating system. If you replace an old wood stove with a more efficient one, efficiency can increase by 50 percent, 1/3 less wood can be used for the same heat and 70 percent less particle pollution indoors and out are produced. http://www.orcaa.org/burning/wood-stove-program
  6. Download EPA’s free Apps to help protect your health. The AIRNow app allows users to enter a zip code and get current particle pollution and ozone levels and forecasts for more than 400 cities across the country. The Ultraviolet (UV) Index provides an hourly forecast of the UV radiation levels from the sun. Both are available for Apple and Android phones. Learn more about these apps and the others: http://m.epa.gov/apps/index.html

 

admin
October 18, 2012
Exec. Director's Desk, Health, News and Information
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