banning use of owb in ohio

[oneoldbanjo]

This is my first year with a OWB and I love it - I have 27 acres, my furnace is 300 feet from any property line and my closest neighbors are 400 feet away and burn wood in an indoor woodburner......all is peaceful in my neighborhood.

When it is really cold out our furnace works great, burns clean and keeps us very comfortable. This has been a very strange winter however and last week it was 18 degrees, yesterday it was 56 and this morning it was 36 and it is supposed to get down below 20 again this week. When the weather goes from 18 to 56 - my furnace blower doesn't come on for a long time and when it does......it smokes like crazy for a while. Also during periods when the air is still and damp - the smoldering OWB makes a pretty nasty smell around our property as it just isn't burning cleanly and there is no wind to take the smoke away. Currently I have a strange mix wood from the land clearing that is well seasoned - however the quality varies as it has been sitting outside uncovered for three years - so sometimes we get really good wood and sometimes it is kind of wet and punky. I should have all that old wood burned up this winter and next year I will be using the wood that is in the 18x20 metal carport that we built right next to the OWB. If I know in advance what the weather is going to do I can plan ahead somewhat and make smaller fires that burn more efficiently - but I often have evening meetings and need to put enough wood in to last 14-16 hours as I leave the house at 5:30 AM and often don't get home again until 10 PM.

Now to bring this response ON THREAD - I am the City Engineer for 3 small towns in Kentucky and the Zoning Administrator and Building Inspector for 1 of those towns. All these towns have some streets where the lots are small and the property is 40 - 80 feet wide and about 125 feet deep. Currently we have no ordinances that would prohibit the use of an OWB in town - except for an Ordinance that prohibits "Any use that creates objectionable noise, odors or vapors". I love my OWB and I would hate to give it up - but I don't believe that they could work in the residential areas where neighbors are so close together. On a warm, damp day with little wind - I am sure I could upset every neighbor within 800 feet of me. On some days the smoke from my woodburner rises and seems to be of little problem - on other days the smoke rises a bit then drops to ground level and doesn't disspate well.

I can't see how an OWB can be used in a residential area that is densly populated - it is sure to become a nuisance and a real irritant to the neighbors. In most cases you can locate your woodburner in a downwind location on your property - some of your neighbors won't be so lucky and someone will always be getting your smoke. I am not sure what would be written into reasonable regulations - the ban on burning garbage, tires, shingles, etc. certainly seems reasonable to me......But I also believe that a ban on the use of OWB in densly populated areas is also reasonable. If you have less than an acre of ground and can't keep your woodburner several hundred feet away from your neighbors property and frequently send your smoke over onto the neighbors property and make their house smell like smoke - chances are there will be some unhappy neighbors.

 

[habanero]

I'm not a fan of government regulation of anything, but I have to say I can in some instances see the need for something to be done with OWB's. I drive by one every night on my way home from work and there are times (probably at least 1 night a week) it nearly creates a traffic hazard because the smoke blowing across the road is so thick. If I lived next to that guy I'd certainly not be a happy camper. All this being said I drive by others that you almost never see any smoke at all coming from, so I'd never say they are all bad. But it's like everything else, the bad ones ruin it for everybody.

 

[Zodiac45]

This is a tough subject. While I love the concept, (of OWB's) I can see where it could be problematic(as oldbango and some others stated). For people with larger properties that can hang with the regs and don't "abuse" it by causing inordenant polution they work great and I don't foresee any problems. Generally speaking, what usually happens is someone pushes the limits and then everyone suffers for it.

It's sort of like junked cars up here in Maine. For years it was tolerated to have one in your yard for parts or whatever as long as it was out back. Then certain people began too push the bounderies and have yards full of junk. These became eyesores and the few (offenders) effected the many. Now we have legislation coming into play were you can have all the cars you want, but they must be registered, insured, and inspected. You see my point. It's always a few irresponsible people who ruin it for the majority of others.

I don't currently own one but have been considering a boiler to tandem with my oil/steam system. I do have a large cookstove in the kitchen and another small chimney flued Jotul too. I like not having any or very small oil bills. I have enough property that I don't have too worry but I have seen one (OWB) in town (at a tool rental business) that on foggy (low pressure) days smokes up the whole area. I live on the sea coast and guess what? We get allot of foggy days. This guy's irresponsibility is whats going to ruin it for others.

 

[mantis]

This is what I know.OWB do not come cheap.4-6 grand for some.Burning tires is a great way to ruin the OWB.In this GREAT Socialist State of NEW YORK,our Govenor with the big ears has proposed banning them all together.What it comes down to IMO is MONEY.The government is missing out on all of that tax money people do not claim selling wood. I cut my own, so to heat my house only cost me a few gallons of gas.and a lot of back beaking work.Multipy that by a few million and how much money does BIG BROTHER miss out on?They say it is in the name of safety,but who is kidding who?If every one has to PAY for oil just thing of all that tax revenue!!! This is where it starts,once they take your freedom away you never get it back.OWB's now then what? it won't stop there

 

[cmetalbend]

This is what I know.OWB do not come cheap.4-6 grand for some.Burning tires is a great way to ruin the OWB.In this GREAT Socialist State of NEW YORK,our Govenor with the big ears has proposed banning them all together.What it comes down to IMO is MONEY.The government is missing out on all of that tax money people do not claim selling wood. I cut my own, so to heat my house only cost me a few gallons of gas.and a lot of back beaking work.Multipy that by a few million and how much money does BIG BROTHER miss out on?They say it is in the name of safety,but who is kidding who?If every one has to PAY for oil just thing of all that tax revenue!!! This is where it starts,once they take your freedom away you never get it back.OWB's now then what? it won't stop there

Yup, just another revenue they need to get their hands in, that's all this really is. And their method of attack is the environmental issue's. It always stem's from the petition's who need more money, or at least they're the one's profiting from it. You decide. Kinda like Ambulance chasers. Someone leads the path and they end up profiting.

 

[Husky137]

That may be the case in other places but it doesn't hold water in Massachusetts. No tax on home heating oil or firewood.

I see many more smoky woodstoves and fireplaces than OWB's. I bet for every one OWB running his rig poorly there are 50 idiots smoking out the hood with their choked down, green wood burning woodstoves.

 

[lxt]

Anything that will take money away from a utility or service provider that the Govt regulates makes them un happy!!

In my area a gentleman put up a windmill nice looking unit!! he used it for supplemental electric, well he found out if he put up 1-more he would be self sufficient & even have the ability on occasion to overproduce electric supply, which the utility must buy from him!!

Now these windmills were built in good taste, it didnt look like some arizona wind farm or anything, well..........an ordinance was put into place forbidding anyone to put up windmills!! It says more than that but I simplified it, he is allowed to keep his but no one can purchase or build one of these now!!

tax is not charged on fuel oil to customers but is charged to the supplier & there are many, hazmat tax, road tax, regular tax, transport tax(different from road) if im not mistaken there is a spill/cleanup tax..forget the right wording, but this is just a sample...probably more than 1/2 the fuel oil bill is tax the supplier pays...........you just pay a flat rate.


LXT..................

 

[mantis]

That may be the case in other places but it doesn't hold water in Massachusetts. No tax on home heating oil or firewood.

I see many more smoky woodstoves and fireplaces than OWB's. I bet for every one OWB running his rig poorly there are 50 idiots smoking out the hood with their choked down, green wood burning woodstoves.

Sure it does.If I have to pay for Oil to heat my house.I might not pay a tax up front.But the one who sold it to me does.Do you think he is going to flip the bill for me?The one who sells the wood for cash.Do you think he clames all of it on his income tax? I doubt it.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Well I have my letter typed up and ready to send off tomorrow. Arguing pros and cons here is good for raising hackles and sometimes fun but how about writing the state EPA and your state rep and doing some good with your rants also?

Its more about control and revenue than pollution boys. You who think its all about pollution are,,,, well,,,,,,,

it must be nice to live in fairyland.

 

[JLROOT]

This is my first post on this site and may very well be my last (I hope not, I really like this site). Let me start out by saying that I AM OFFENEDED. By the chick in the store with way too much perfume (it makes me sneeze). By the goody goody jerks trying to regulate or abolish smoking because it raises insurance rates(which, by the way, spend their weekends skiing at the lodge, breaking legs, which oh by the way raises MY insurance rates). By the jerks in the hybrid cars saving the planet(Oh by the way; Where does all of that lead/acid goe after 5 years when those batteries are crap and need to be replaced). The point is that when the lady with the perfume makes me sneeze, I can get over it. I can get over the x-games, where broken legs are commenplace. They have their vice and I have mine. I wish people would stop looking for ways to get offended. I read an article about a guy that just could not get a good breath of air because of his neighbors owb. Maybe if he would get off his butt and spend a day or two cutting wood his lungs would be in better shape!!!! Anyways I had better quit while I am ahead.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Welcome to ArboristSite JLRoot!

Sounds like you're a good fit.

Shoot Treeco, I was waiten for you to jump strattle of me, guess Im losen my touch LOL

 

[AngelofDarkness]

I think the smoke problem can be solved with a next generation OWB, one with a variable-speed combustion blower and variable dampers, features found on big commercial boilers. That way the fire can be kept hot enough to not smoke and still respond to changes in load. Personally I don't like OWB's, they seem overcomplicated and inefficient, a lot of heat is lost to the outside. I'd rather have a quality wood stove or furnace.

I have an older wood stove from the 70's, I run it hot enough that at operating temp there is zero smoke coming out of the stack, only heat. I try to only burn dry stuff, sometimes I mix in half-green stuff when I am low, but only when the fire is hot. I won't burn anything thats really green. I also live in town, and burn every day it's below 40, I have had zero smoke complaints.

 

[cmetalbend]

This is my first post on this site and may very well be my last (I hope not, I really like this site). Let me start out by saying that I AM OFFENEDED. By the chick in the store with way too much perfume (it makes me sneeze). By the goody goody jerks trying to regulate or abolish smoking because it raises insurance rates(which, by the way, spend their weekends skiing at the lodge, breaking legs, which oh by the way raises MY insurance rates). By the jerks in the hybrid cars saving the planet(Oh by the way; Where does all of that lead/acid goe after 5 years when those batteries are crap and need to be replaced). The point is that when the lady with the perfume makes me sneeze, I can get over it. I can get over the x-games, where broken legs are commenplace. They have their vice and I have mine. I wish people would stop looking for ways to get offended. I read an article about a guy that just could not get a good breath of air because of his neighbors owb. Maybe if he would get off his butt and spend a day or two cutting wood his lungs would be in better shape!!!! Anyways I had better quit while I am ahead.

Virgin post, Welcome to the party.

 

[Khtsr44]

Wood burning

It's all about control of your everyday life. Wake up and smell the wood smoke people.
All you down south people have been so over regulated for so long you don't have a life any more.
Ken

 

[hanko]

my guys and me have been working for a guy that by the way sells timberwolf splitters. He also has a wood master OWB. I payed close attention to the smoke, and I didnt really see a problem. I checked out his wood pile that was stored inside and dry and appeared to be seasoned. Is it possible that all the problems are from green wood and tires, garbage ect. If i had somebody next to me burning tires, his OWB wouldnt last very long. Hes heating 3 buildings so it runs hot. I really didnt notice any more smoke than any other wood burner

 

[Butch(OH)]

my guys and me have been working for a guy that by the way sells timberwolf splitters. He also has a wood master OWB. I payed close attention to the smoke, and I didnt really see a problem. I checked out his wood pile that was stored inside and dry and appeared to be seasoned. Is it possible that all the problems are from green wood and tires, garbage ect. If i had somebody next to me burning tires, his OWB wouldnt last very long. Hes heating 3 buildings so it runs hot. I really didnt notice any more smoke than any other wood burner

You got it Hanko and that is what burns me. A few bad designs, a few people that burn garbage and tires, a few that burn big chunks of wet wood and make smoke clouds so the socialists get out a big wide paint brush and paint the OWB as evil and ban it. I have neighbors 150' away on three sides and have been burning split and dry wood for two seasons. Little smoke other than a 30 seconds after a long off cycle, zero complaints, zero problems. A fellow down the road cuts his firewood at most two weeks ahead of burning and throws it in his inside wood stove. It smokes all day long while my OWB is putting out virtually nothing. You guys who think its no big deal because you burn wood inside in a stove, your day is coming. As a matter of fact it is already here in certain parts of the country.

 

[johnha]

I live in a wooded development. The failure of certain neighbors upwind of me to clean up their leaves causes me a whole lot of extra work each fall/winter. Its a price I pay to live where I do. I understand that I likely have different standards as to what constitutes 'cleaned up' than they do. Or maybe they're just lazy. Its none of my business. All that said, my neighbors are entitled not to be choked by my 2 wood burners.

If every owner of OWB's operated their units properly this would not have become an issue.

People don't notice the 99 OWB's that are properly operated, only the 1 that is smoking up the whole neighborhood. We have all seen that 1 guy, so we shouldn't try to deny he exists.

Trying to blame folks who have a legitimate complaint against that 1 guy doesn't accomplish a thing.

 

[mga]

The restrictions are not all that unfeasible. The voters banned smoking in any workplace because of health issues, so I can see them picking on the OWB. From what I seen, the owners burn any trash wood, green, rotten, all of it and it does smoke up the area. Perhaps all they need is a 20-25 foot tall stack and that would solve the problem.

true.

wasn't there a guy here in the forum who says he burns waste oil in his? he may be out in the country and away from people, but still, the option is there. i've also read from some here who say they do burn green wood all the time, along with lumber and skids.

many states are addressing this issue already, even here where i live they are writing laws to regulate them.

an old saying that management used to tell the union: "to abuse it is to lose it".

 

[hanko]

I made a joke a few days agp about the moderators being the wood police. I really think there should be Wood Cops. If you get caught burning #### in your wood stove, big fine. Im actually getting rid of my wood furnace and going to a EPA radiant stove for many reasons, but one reason I feel good about is the less crap im spuing into the air. Now dont get me wrong, im no greenie liberal by no means, but ive herd my neighbors ##### about my stinkey furnace when theu dont think im listining. More and more people are going to wood for heat, so its up to us to make sure we will all be able to without the township guy showing up. burn hot and use dry wood

 

[hanko]

######################## bad words I guess, now im in trouble