Clean Air Act 2022 - Wood burner not compliant?

[Andehh]

Hi all,

 

We spec'd a Stovax dual sided wood burner for our build & builder designed around it.

 

We have now come to buy it, but have found it has been discontinued. The supplier explained that due to the Clean air act 2022, which came into force of 1st jan, the Stovax no longer complies and is banned for sale. One shop has an ex-display we can have for cheap.

 

The alternative clean air compliant stove is £1600 more & is smaller then we would like.

 

Builder/architect have said Building Control dont have an issue with this stove being fitted & providing the Part J complies they are OK. Builder thinks he can get it fitted without issue.

 

However, both have said the risks sits with us -vs- going for the clean air compliant one.

 

Has anyone come across this themselves in the last 6 months? Any thoughts on where the risk/worse case could be on how/if a body would have an issue with us fitting the Stovax?

 

https://www.hetas.co.uk/uk-clean-air-strategies-and-domestic-burning/

 

https://www.glowing-embers.co.uk/blog/how-will-eco-design-2022-regulations-affect-me/

 

Many thanks,

Edited May 25, 2022 by Andehh

[Andehh]

In a nut shell, I am trying to work out whether this legislation prohibits the sale & supply only...and if you own it you can fit it without come back (providing Build Control approves it)...or whether this legislation will prohibit me from fitting it!? and how they would find out/reject it?

[PeterW]

15 minutes ago, Andehh said:

Builder thinks he can get it fitted without issue.

Is he getting a Hetas approved installer to fit it or doing himself and asking BCO to sign off ..?

[Andehh]

I think so, waiting for him to confirm. Builder hasn't flagged any concerns with fitting of it & BCO have confirmed they dont see any issues with regards to it being used/installed.

[SteamyTea]

Do you really want a wood burner, there is a reason the emissions have been reviewed and tightened up.

 

Pollution killed 9 million people worldwide in 2019 alone

Pollution accounted for one in six deaths three years ago, a figure that is unchanged since the last analysis in 2015

 

HEALTH 17 May 2022

By Jason Arunn Murugesu

 

A stock image of smoke and steam being emitted from an industrial plant

Ian McKinnell / Alamy

 

Pollution killed 9 million people globally in 2019, accounting for one in six deaths, an analysis suggests.

Rich Fuller at the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution in Switzerland and his colleagues first assessed the impact of pollution on premature deaths in 2015, similarly finding it caused 9 million fatalities.

To uncover how pollution-related deaths may have changed, the team repeated the analysis for 2019, using data from the ongoing Global Burden of Diseases Study.

 

“The thing with pollution is that no one actually dies from pollution directly,” says Fuller. “They die because pollution gives them a disease that then kills them.”

The team found that the overall number of pollution-related deaths is unchanged from 2015. However, fatalities caused by household air pollution specifically, for example burning wood indoors, fell from 2.9 million in 2015 to 2.3 million in 2019 as many countries switched to cleaner fuels.

Read more: Harmful air pollution now affects 99 per cent of everyone on Earth

Deaths due to outdoor air pollution, however, rose from 4.2 million to 4.5 million. This is due to increasing numbers of cars and factories, says Fuller. Burning fossil fuels releases fine particulate matter with a maximum diameter of 2.5 micrometres, called PM2.5. This can go deep into our bodies, and has been linked to heart disease and some cancers.

 

Lead pollution is also rising globally, although it is unclear why. In 2015, the researchers estimated lead caused 500,000 deaths, a figure they now estimate to be at least 900,000.

Overall, more than 90 per cent of pollution-related deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, according to the team. “Much of the pollution comes from the rapid industrialisation of many of these countries,” says Fuller.

The latest analysis is based on data from before the covid-19 pandemic. In the UK, lockdowns temporarily led to fewer vehicles on roads, easing symptoms for people with conditions like asthma. The pandemic’s effect on future pollution analyses is unclear, says Fuller. “I know that air pollution went down during the pandemic but it’s back up again now,” he says.

Fuller hopes the results will led to better pollution monitoring and awareness. “Pollution is one of the three major global issues of our time,” he says. “It is climate change, a loss of biodiversity and pollution.”

“The number of global early deaths from exposure to pollution doesn’t surprise me,” says Eloise Marais at University College London. “What’s most concerning is the lack of adoption of measures to address the issue”.

 

Journal reference: The Lancet Planetary Health, DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00090-0

[Simplysimon]

6 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

Planetary Health

the planet needs population control, it doesn't really matter if it's natural disaster or human intervention/stupity.

[SteamyTea]

24 minutes ago, Simplysimon said:

the planet needs population control

So said The Club of Rome, in 1969.

There is plenty of room and resources.  Just need to be sensible and share it out a lot more evenly.

[Andehh]

Yes, appreciate the controversies of it.....especially as my job is in sustainability!

 

If it's an consolation we have spent so much extra on insulation it will likely be rarely used, but it is am ambiance we want to ensure we have the option of.

 

To help close it out a bit, HETAS have made it look like we are OK to proceed, as have Building control. Just waiting on builder to confirm no blockers from his point of view before we proceed with the Stovax::

 

Thank you for contacting HETAS.

 

EcoDesign relates to the manufacture and subsequent sale of these appliances from 1^st January 2022. The Ecodesign Regulations set new minimum seasonal efficiency and maximum emission requirements for newly manufactured solid fuel burning roomheater stoves, roomheater stoves with boilers and cooker appliances. You can find out more about the new legislation using this link.

 

All appliances, apart from independent solid fuel boilers, that were manufactured before 1st January 2022 are still allowed to be sold/installed after this date, but the installer will need to do their own due diligence if this is the case.

 

The following information is required as a minimum for installations.

 

•             Manufacturer’s instructions

•             Known output

•             Known efficiency rating (65% minimum)

•             CE mark (post 2013)

•             Data plate (post 2013)

 

If you plan to install an appliance that was manufactured before January 2022 and is not Ecodesign compliant, if you’re able to show your Installer (via a receipt or any other method) that this appliance was manufactured before January 2022, they should still be able to install it (provided the above minimum requirements are provided and the Installer is comfortable to do so). Installers are required to install appliances in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and building regulations (Approved Document J, in England and Wales).

 

Another new regulation Ready to Burn, introduced in England in May 2021 has banned the sale of the most polluting fuels; wet wood and house coal. It is now mandatory to use small quantities of wood that’s certified as Ready to Burn. Larger quantities of wood require proper seasoning and checking with a moisture meter to ensure a moisture content of below 20%. This new law has also implemented changes to the sale of manufactured solid fuels, these fuels need to meet certain standards to be listed as Ready to Burn from 1 May 2021 onwards. A “manufactured solid fuel” means a fuel produced from coal, wood, plant-derived materials, waxes or petroleum products with other ingredients. For the purpose of burning in domestic properties in England. You can find out more about these new regulations by clicking here.

 

Refuelling the appliance should be done according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It is important to note that you shouldn’t expect to have smoke or products of combustion coming into your room when refuelling your fire, if you do, it is worth contacting your registered installer or chimney sweep for advice. We recommend you always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your appliance and as a general rule. You can read more on safe refuelling here.

 

We recommend keeping the appliance and chimney clean and well maintained with regular checks from trusted HETAS Approved Chimney Sweep and Servicing Technicians. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

 

[SteamyTea]

24 minutes ago, Andehh said:

Yes, appreciate the controversies of it.....especially as my job is in sustainability

Here is a better use for wood.

 

EXPLORE OUR COURSES

 

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Waste wood chemically recycled to produce material stronger than steel

A treatment process can turn old pieces of wood into a new super-strong material called "healed wood"

 

TECHNOLOGY 19 May 2022

By Alex Wilkins

 

Wood for recycling

Wood for recycling can now be turned into a substance stronger than steel

 

urose/Getty Images

 

A material made from recycled wood is five times stronger than natural wood and can be made from any timber by-product, including shavings and sawdust.

 

Wood is a hugely versatile material, but millions of tonnes go into landfill each year. To build a truly circular economy, wood will need to be re-used on a grander scale.

 

Orlando Rojas at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and his colleagues have invented a process that dissolves lignin, a glue-like component inside plant cell walls, and exposes cellulose nanofibrils, which are tiny fibres also found in the plant cell wall. The method involves a solvent called dimethylacetamide, used in the presence of lithium chloride.

 

 

When two pieces of wood treated in this way are brought together, the nanofibrils bind to create what the researchers call a “healed” piece of wood. Although this no longer looks like natural wood, it has better mechanical properties. Tests show it is more resistant to breaking than stainless steel or titanium alloys.

 

ADVERTISING

 

“We get a mechanical strength that supersedes the strength of the original material,” says Rojas. “It works because we use the inherent properties of cellulose, which is a material that binds together very strongly by something called hydrogen bonding.”

 

Read more: Wood can easily be turned transparent to make energy-saving windows

Not only can wood treated this way be re-used to create new objects, but the treatment process can be performed repeatedly on the same pieces of wood to extend their working lifetimes.

 

 

“This is a really elegant way to heal wood, using a common cellulose solvent, recovering and enhancing the mechanical properties of nature’s wonder material,” says Steve Eichhorn at the University of Bristol, UK. “The approach is evidently scalable and therein lies the challenge to take this technology to the next level.”

 

Rojas and his team didn’t examine how much their method would cost if scaled up to an industrial level, but all of the techniques used are well-established. “The processes that we use here are very typical in wood processing,” says Rojas. “So scalability is not an issue.”

 

Journal reference: Nature Sustainability, DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-00887-8

 

 

 

 

 

[joth]

35 minutes ago, Andehh said:

If it's an consolation we have spent so much extra on insulation it will likely be rarely used, but it is am ambiance we want to ensure we have the option of.

 

 

Have you considered bioethanol fireplace in a wood-burner style cabinet? They're pretty good for creating the ambiance, and If you have very high levels of insulation you might find the real wood burner to hot to ever use. bioethanol is much easier to temper the heat output of so you might actually use it more. And has many additional benefits (minimal particulate pollution, no penetrations in the airtight envelope, potentially easier to source and store the fuel, depending on situation)

 

[Andehh]

Never heard of bioethanol , as we want a two sided stove so can be experienced in both rooms, it does limit our market quite significantly! Also needs to be in-wall and again there was only a few wood ones on the market for what we were after!

[Conor]

@Andehh we were looking for exactly the same thing and struggled to find anything less than £4k before install. I didn't find anything that was clean air compliant at the time.

 

In the end, we ditched it and I think it was one of the best decisions we made in the build. I think the output of the stove as 17kW or something. I can't imaging the unbearable heat that would produce! When we first moved in, we had no more than 7kW of direct heating (two fan heaters and an oil) at any one time in the house and it was enough to keep it at 18-20c .

 

We've a false wall where we can fit a future letterbox electric or bioethanol fire. We've saved ourselves several thousand on something we'd use once or twice a year. 

[joth]

1 hour ago, Andehh said:

Never heard of bioethanol , as we want a two sided stove so can be experienced in both rooms, it does limit our market quite significantly! Also needs to be in-wall and again there was only a few wood ones on the market for what we were after!

 

This sort of thing?

 

(Seems to me that's far easier to do with bioethanol than wood burner as there's less heat to deal with

 

https://www.bio-ethanol-fireplace.co.uk/two-sided-bioethanol-fireplace-designs/

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=hole+in+wall+bioethanol+fires+two+way

 

[joe90]

On 25/05/2022 at 21:12, Simplysimon said:

the planet needs population control,

So did Attenborough.

[SteamyTea]

39 minutes ago, joe90 said:

So did Attenborough.

The same Attenborough who, for 30+ years was a climate change denier, then had a Road to Damascus moment about 13 years ago.

Now he makes a very healthy living out of flying around the world, with a film crew, spouting how the rest of us are not doing out bit.

 

Out of interest, if we had population control, how would we deal with the future needs of the current population?

[joe90]

53 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

The same Attenborough who, for 30+ years was a climate change denier, then had a Road to Damascus moment about 13 years ago.

So, he was convinced by the evidence, don’t we all do that at times? I know politicians are good at calling it a U turn but it shows they are open to new ideas, evidence or discussions.?

 

54 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Now he makes a very healthy living out of flying around the world, with a film crew.

I am sure at his age and successful career he is not doing it for the money.

 

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

spouting how the rest of us are not doing out bit.

Actually some of his latest stuff is showing examples of those who are doing it right as examples of what can be done and it’s not too late!

[Roger440]

On 26/05/2022 at 12:03, joth said:

 

Have you considered bioethanol fireplace in a wood-burner style cabinet? They're pretty good for creating the ambiance, and If you have very high levels of insulation you might find the real wood burner to hot to ever use. bioethanol is much easier to temper the heat output of so you might actually use it more. And has many additional benefits (minimal particulate pollution, no penetrations in the airtight envelope, potentially easier to source and store the fuel, depending on situation)

 

 

This ^^^^^. Or even the ones that you fill di-ionised water.

 

If all you want is the ambience, then either of these will do it.

 

Beats deliberately trying to kill yourself.

 

We removed wood burner. When i actually finish the room, one of the water ones will go in . Something like this. https://www.dimplex.co.uk/optimyst

 

If you are as well insulated as you suggest, an actual log burner is a bit bonkers, just from a heat perspective.