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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters burn a new Duraflame log instead of a similarly sized piece of wood for one hour, we'll avert the amount of the air pollutant carbon monoxide produced by driving a car for 1,675,000 mi.
COCKTAIL FACT
The longest-burning fire in the world is at Mount Wingen, Australia, which has burned naturally for about 6,000 years thanks to coal deposits below the earth's surface.
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home › tip library › Fireplaces
Are we only dreamin', or is this burning an eco-friendly flame?
The Bite
Nope, we're wide awake - new eco-fireplaces and logs can keep you warm using sustainable materials like ethanol and even coffee. Darlin'.The Benefits
- Staying toasty. A night 'round the fireplace warms you up right nice.
- Eco-friendliness. Conventional burning logs contain petroleum byproducts, and store-bought firewood may not come from a sustainably managed forest.
- Less fire-tending. Since the eco-options burn longer, you'll have to throw more wood on the fire less often.
Personally Speaking
Jen recruits boys with chainsaws and trucks to help her collect downed firewood from nearby national forests (after she gets a permit, of course).Wanna Try?
- EcoGreen Fire EcoSmart Fire - easy-to-setup fireplaces that use clean-burning ethanol; no chimney required ($3,300 and up).
- Java-Log Fireplace Logs - crackling logs that burn for three hours; made from coffee waste and vegetable oil, and packaged in recycled materials. Find stores here ($26/6 logs).
- Duraflame - these petroleum-free logs burn for three hours and use 80% fewer resources than regular firewood. Store locator here ($23/6 logs).
- U.S. Department of Energy - tips for getting the most out of your fireplace.
- DIY Bite: Avoid burning particleboard or treated wood, since they release toxic chems.
Nov 02,2007
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Fire Season
Newsflash: Fires are really inefficient as far as producing heat goes. It would probably require more energy (I'm talking gas, oil, or wood) to keep a fire burning than it would if you took off all your clothes and turned up the thermostat all the way. Unfortunately, taking your clothes off isn't going to help you roast any chestnuts.
-Toshio...off to keep the fire burnin'...
-Toshio...off to keep the fire burnin'...
Biter Comments...
Kay is right. Ethanol from corn is not the answer. Even though we get an energy ratio of 1.34 to 1 (which is low), the worst part is the increased abundance of monocultures of fields of corn corn and more corn, most of which are definately not organic. If you really want a fireplace (me included), I would suggest getting a fireplace with an insert, and finding a local person who splits and sells wood from salvaged trees that are knocked or blown down from natural causes.
OK...I agree with comments 1 and 2 above but I was still interested as I have a flue that is in great disrepair. I called EcoGreen Fire but they have NOT products that cost $500 as the IdealBite tip states...they are mored like $3300! I was very disappointed. Please update your site so others don't get so excited only to be disappointed by the less than afforable cost. Sorry guys...don't mean to be a downer!
Nice Bangles references in today's tip, darlin's.
Keep in mind folks that here in California we just entered the "spare the air tonight" season. Due to the particulate matter (especially particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller in size) pollution in the area, Spare the Air Tonight advisories are issued on nights when concentrations are expected to be unhealthy. On these nights, residents are asked not to drive and not to use their fireplaces and woodstoves. Wood burning produces about one-third of the particulate pollution on a typical winter night.
Wood burning is great fun, but a serious form of particulate matter pollution. Consider replacing your Woodstove/Fireplace- in the Bay Area you can even get a $300 rebate for doing so! check www.sparetheair.org
Pellet stoves weren't mentioned here but they are a GREAT form of effecient heat and don't have the particulate problems of wood-burning stoves.
I was so excited about EcoGreen Fire until I called and they are NOT $500 like you say but $3,300 to $3,600!!!! Please update this! The only thing that would make it worth it for someone like me that only plans to live in my place for 3-4 years is that you can pick it up and take it with you if you're just inserting in your current fireplace! You can even grab it and take it outside if you want a fire on your patio...so its a good long term investment. The ethanol runs about $13 a gallon and they say depending on how high you have it burning that gallon can last 4-17 hours.
Growing up in the Northwest, we would cut truckloads of wood for extra cash. Nothing beats the smell of a good wood fire, but we upgraded to wood-burning stoves years ago. Much more efficient way of heating! Dad just extended the brick hearth and put it right in front of the glass doors of the fireplace. I saw a guy on PBS who made a wood-burning stove that was automatically time-fed nuggets of dry corn. It was the cheapest, most efficient, and most eco-friendly fire I've seen. It was something like one bucket of corn per week, or maybe a month... not sure. So, why can't we think outside the cornfield more often like this?
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Kay | November 02, 2007 at 07:18 AM