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Outdoor Wood Burners

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2007-01-02          138432

I want to start out by saying that I am going to be using one in the next 3 years. I have nothing against wood burners in the right envirenment. My buddys have em and they are no problem BUT they all live in a place that has hundreds of yards or more inbetween the houses.
My problem lies where I live now. My new neighbor installed a outdoor wood furnace last year. I did not notice it that much last year. WOW, This year, I can hardly go outside with out feeling like I am either choking (at worst) or smelling the crappiest wood ever burning, almost like its punky wood! Ill tell ya, it dont have that crisp refreshing smell of hickory or oak when its burning, it smells like friggen garbage!!!!!
I am starting to realize why some area's in the country are banning them from less than rural area's! Granted, I do live out in the county but, the houses are still pretty close. This guy lives one house away and it seems like ALL winter the damm wind is blowing in my direction. I hate to say it, but I am about ready to e-mail a complaint to the township. I know it wont do any good with this situation but I can see why folks are against them! I am not whinning, or pissing and moaning, it really does stink!
Anyone think they can figure out why? Ya think its his wood? Last year I did not smell it like this!


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NOMIRT
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 3 Northern Lower Mich
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2007-01-02          138436

Here in Northern Lower Michigan a lot of people have these type of wood burners. I know many personally and I know it is common practice to burn their garbage in them. I think most people sort out the stuff that doesn't burn or the stuff that will stink but I suppose some folks are not that smart. So........ maybe your neighbor is burning garbage??? ....

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8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY
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2007-01-03          138440

Yep here in upstate NY some of the towns have put aq moritorium on them for now. A lot of people are burning their garbage in them and of course it stinks like burning garbage. Can you talk with your neighbor and explain the problem, perhaps he does not realize that it's offending you when he burns his garbage in his furnace. ....

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JasonR
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 142 Northern Indiana
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2007-01-03          138442

The cheaper the burner, the worse it can be. The better ones get their heat from the exhaust so the fire burns at an effecient high temperature. This eliminates a lot of the pollutants and smoke.

I'm curious what model your neighbor is using. ....

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2007-01-03          138443

I have an old one, but only use it to heat the pool once in a while. I neighbour had one and I could smell it once in a while. The problem is the control on the system. You load the fire box and then it must keep the fire from boiling the water so it dampers down the fire. Basically unless you are calling for all the heat is a smudge pot or charcoal maker. If the wood is a little wet is is worse. Naturally as it will burn anything and creosote is not a problem .... :(
Mine was expensive as it is all stainless, but I am sure there are better designs today. The stove Murf showed us a few years ago would burn anything without creating a smudge pot.
The pool requires all the heat of 110,000 BTU so you are basically throwing wood in as fast as possible so.... :(
....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-01-03          138449

A house up the road some has had one for years, it never made any visble smoke, or had any of the surrounding folks bothered.

Then the property sold. The new owner doesn't like buying or cutting wood, so he has been stoking it with cobs of corn, right out of the field!!!

He claims to get 2 days or more out of a firebox full of corn on the cob.

The neighbours aren't as exicted about this new fuel source as the owner is.

Another problem outdoor unit was causing a big stink (pun intended) locally, the owner worked for the local power authority and was burning scrap utility poles, creosoted and CCA treated, anything he could get his hands on. Apparently that stopped pretty fast when the mayor phoned his boss. No more poles. Now he burns wood pallets instead.

As was mentioned, the big problem is the burn rate, most of them smoulder for all but brief rapid burn cycles.

I've seen ads for some of the newer outdoor furnaces with a neat twist, they burn kernel corn, and only burn when the system calls for heat. Ignition is either accomplished by an electric heater or propane flame. Since they run a small, very hot, auger-fed, fan-forced fire, the fire goes out after just a few minutes after shut down.

Best of luck. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2007-01-03          138452

My corn furnace at the rental unit is an indoor unit which is vented to the outdoors. The corn fumes do cause a slight stink that is kinda of a sweet smell that is not real pleasant. Luckily it is on the opposite side of the house than the entrance, so it isn't a problem. Neighbors are far away so they are also not bothered. It puts a brown residue on the siding. It is lots cheaper than propane but requires attention, cleaning and other maintenance. ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-01-03          138464

Broken:
"I am not whinning, or pissing and moaning,...!"

:) Yeah, okay. Is there another name for it? But that's what we're here for :)

Reminds of when I was burning old wood trim in my fireplace and a cop knocked on the door. He asked if my home was on fire. I asked him why he asked. Just then a super thick cloud of smoke came between me and him so thick I couldn't see him. He said "THIS is why--come tlkae a look outside. You can't see your neighbors, or the street in front or the street behind you" DOH! No more incinerator. But there's more---three days later a neighbor who I never met before knocked and told me that "three days ago there were FLAMES shooting out your chimney about 4 or 5 FEET!"

Puzzled, I asked him why he's telling me NOW! He returned the puzzled look and says, "Well, your place is still standing, so I thought I'd let you know."

Crimeny! 'preciate it there...rocket scientist. :) ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-01-06          138513

Peters: Didn't you say you had a buddy who was looking to build steel homes in 'sippi? I'd still like to hear from him. Things are suppose to "break loose" within the next few weeks home buildingwise. ....

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2007-01-06          138515

This winter is one of those half and half winters. The weather is warm enough to not call it cold outside (32-44 degrees) BUt it is also warm enough for the furnaces not to have to burn all the ime, maybe thats the problem (like you all refered to).
I am thinking about putting flyers in the mail boxes of the houses that have wood furnaces, (2) and I also have aneighbor a few houses down that has an indoor wood burner,
the other morning about 6am I was walking the dog and about gagged. He was with out a dought burning garbage/plastic. Im leaning towards the threatening flyer thing telling them that if any more garbage or smelly crap is smelt that the district has mat number will be called LOL
That will get their attention (maybe) ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-01-06          138516

Broken: Know who else's attention you'll get if you put those flyers in or on those mail boxes? The US Postal Inspector. It's a felony with a big, fat fine to use USPS for non-postal use (read: buy stamps to keep our bloated USPS afloat).

If you have to, reverse-lookup their address to get their name (you'll have their address) and send them a letter. Piss of the worng person and it'll be you who's in trouble.

And I'd think twice about walking on to their property too to give them a flyer. I had a situation here in 'sippi where an arrogant neighbor was blasting his stereo in his home. Here turned it down and we're now friends but everyone I talked to down here said that if he felt I was threatening him he could have shot me no questiones asked (MS recently passed a law regarding feeling threatened in your home and killing someone). I know things are different in Yankeeland but ya never know.

But I'm jis' sayin' ....

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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2007-01-07          138521

Its definitely illegal to place flyers in a mailbox. Attaching flyers to the outside of a mailbox is a question - definitely illegal if someone can argue that you have defaced or damaged the mailbox. Attaching flyers to a mailbox post is legal. Attached link cites some USPS rulings a few posts down the list.

I was curious about this one because my neighborhood went around and attached flyers to mailboxes a while back when they were fighting a large nursing home complex complete with shopping mall which was being considered up the road. ....


Link:   Discussion on Flyers and USPS

 
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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2007-01-11          138712

Did you miss the part about 1am? No names for RSVP. Just a friendly reminder to neighbors. Using a mail box for non threatening things is like jay walking as long as you dont do it more than once.
Good info about going onto someones property down there. Im my neck of the woods, if I feel I am threatened, I would never give a rats behind what was legal or not, you finish the job and then figure out what to do about it! Round here, as long as there is no one with a video cam and the intruder does not talk anymore, you feared for you life, case closed, just dont do it with his back turned to you at 25 yards LOL.

I hobbled down the road yesterday to see which house this wicked smell was comin from. Yep, it was the one right next to my neighbor, he has a brand new firebox out there and for what ever reason (probably one you all mentioned not hot enough) it smells like crap. Many places north of here, when one is burning, it smells like a bit of heaven, hickory or oak,,,, Hmmm, smells like home! ....

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