Clearing the air: EPA encourages community to avoid using wood heaters

AS WINTER nears, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria is urging the community to help reduce air pollution by getting their wood heaters serviced and, where possible, avoid using wood heaters to heat their homes.

Victoria’s Air Quality Strategy, published in 2022, identified wood heaters as one of the leading causes of air pollution and estimated the smoke from as many as 240,000 wood heaters across the state is contributing to the release of harmful particles into the air.

These particles are linked to several health impacts, ranging from mild to severe.

Among them are respiratory and heart-related problems, asthma, diabetes, dementia, stroke and cancer, as well as mental illness, with the state’s clean air strategy suggesting the annual health costs associated with one wood heater can exceed $4,000, for a total cost of up to $8 billion in health impacts over the decade leading up to 2028.

EPA Victoria’s chief environmental scientist Professor Mark Patrick Taylor said reducing the amount of smoke produced by wood burners can help to minimise these health impacts.

“Wood smoke contains very small particles and gases that contribute to air pollution. This can cause problems for anyone with cardiovascular, breathing difficulties and respiratory conditions, resulting in symptoms for some people,” he said.

“While the impact of a single wood heater may be small, the cumulative effect is significant, particularly through autumn and winter, and tuning your wood heater for most efficient operation helps reduce impacts on air quality and optimises heating your home.”

EPA southwest regional manager Carolyn Francis said to reduce both air pollution and health impacts, it was important wood heaters undergo regular maintenance.

“A wood heater or fireplace provides valuable heating for many Victorians, but maintenance is important, and one of the best things you can do is have the flue or chimney professionally cleaned,” she said.

“That can help to prevent flue fires and ensure the heater produces more heat and less smoke.”

Ms Francis said there were a number of other simple steps community members can take to make their wood heaters safer, cleaner and cheaper to run, such as using dry, seasoned, untreated hardwood as it burns longer and produces more heat and less smoke.

“Using even slightly damp wood means your wood heater will not operate at its best. You wind up paying for heat that is lost in drying out the timber before it can burn, and you get less efficient combustion that creates more smoke,” she said.

To further reduce smoke pollution, wood heater users are advised never to overload wood heaters, never leave them to smoulder overnight as this produces more smoke, keep the air controls set high to keep the fire burning hot and to get a fire going quickly by using plenty of paper and small, dry kindling.

For more information, head to epa.vic.gov.au