Many Spokane residents heat their homes with wood, and when it is done with care, it can have minimal impact on our air quality.
There are ways to reduce the amount of smoke produced by wood heating, which can also help you save money by extending how much heat you get from your firewood:
Seasoned Firewood – Ensure that your firewood is sufficiently seasoned (dried) to get the best heat from your wood. It can take up to a year for split wood to season. How do you tell if your wood is ready to burn? Knock two pieces together, and you should hear a sharp or hollow crack (versus a thud). Look for cracks on the ends, too. Firewood should contain less than 20% moisture content. Spokane Clean Air has wood moisture meters available for loan. If you are interested, please email APawlak@SpokaneCleanAir.org.
Chimney Smoke – About 20 minutes after starting your wood-burning device, check your chimney! You should only see heat waves or just a wisp of smoke. State law prohibits excessive smoke. To reduce smoke, ensure you provide enough air to the fire and that your wood is dry.
Follow burn restrictions and exemptions- Spokane Clean Air issues temporary restrictions on wood heating and outdoor burning when fine smoke particle levels are rising and expected to continue to rise due to stable weather patterns. For more information on burn restrictions, go here.
Reduce your heating costs – Regardless of how you heat, here are some tips to reduce heating costs to save you money and help our air quality:
- Set your thermostat between 68 and 70 degrees when home, and 55-60 degrees when gone for more than 3 hours or when sleeping.
- Change furnace filters regularly to allow your furnace to run efficiently.
- Plug air leaks to keep the cold out. Install door sweeps, weather stripping, and caulking around doors. Seal cracked glass, caulk or glaze around edges, and seal window pulley holes. Seal electric outlets and light switches on perimeter walls with foam gaskets. Caulk baseboard strip on perimeter walls.
- Cover and seal off fireplaces when not in use.
- Install shrink-to-fit plastic over your windows on the inside of your home.
- Wear warm clothing when home, focusing on layers!
Upgrade your device – We have a grant program to help interested homeowners replace their old, inefficient, and higher-polluting wood stoves with their choice of a new wood, pellet, or gas stove or a ductless heat pump.
To qualify, an applicant must:
- Be a homeowner in Spokane County (incorporated or unincorporated)
- Burn at least one cord of wood during a typical heating season
- Have an installed and operational wood-burning stove or fireplace insert that is at least 20 years old or non-EPA certified.
It all adds up to cleaner air!
