Health & Environment
Indoor air quality, humidity, emissions, and healthy hearth choices.
indoor air quality
- Do gas fireplaces affect indoor air quality?
- Are ventless gas fireplaces bad for indoor air quality?
- Do direct vent gas fireplaces affect indoor air quality at all?
- Are direct vent gas fireplaces healthier than ventless ones?
- Are vented gas logs healthier than ventless gas logs?
- Do wood-burning fireplaces pollute the air inside your house?
- Does a wood stove make indoor air quality worse?
- Do electric fireplaces affect indoor air quality?
- How many hours a day can I run a ventless gas fireplace without hurting air quality?
- Do I need to crack a window when using a ventless gas fireplace?
- Do ventless fireplaces use up the oxygen in a room?
- Why does the room feel stuffy when my ventless fireplace is running?
- Will converting my wood fireplace to gas improve my indoor air quality?
- Does replacing an open wood fireplace with an insert improve the air in my house?
- Do fireplaces create dust in the house?
- Can fireplace smoke get pulled into my HVAC system and spread through the house?
- Can a fireplace make radon levels in my house worse?
- Does closing the glass doors on a wood-burning fireplace keep smoke out of the room?
- Should I get an indoor air quality monitor if I have a ventless fireplace?
- Does a direct vent gas fireplace use the air in my room for combustion?
- Will a gas insert seal off the drafts and old smoke odors coming from my open fireplace chimney?
- Do water-vapor electric fireplaces need distilled water to keep mineral dust out of the air?
- Do fireplaces cause more air quality problems in tightly sealed new-construction homes?
- Can my range hood or bathroom exhaust fan pull fireplace smoke back into the house?
- Does having my chimney swept improve the air quality inside my house?
- Are bioethanol or gel fuel fireplace fumes safe to breathe indoors?
combustion air
air purification
ventless humidity
- Do ventless gas fireplaces put moisture into the air?
- How much water vapor does a ventless gas fireplace produce per hour?
- Is the humidity from a ventless fireplace actually good for dry winter air?
- Should I run a dehumidifier when using a ventless fireplace?
- What room size do I need for a ventless fireplace to avoid moisture and air problems?
- Do vented gas logs add moisture to the house like ventless logs do?
- Does a direct vent gas fireplace add any humidity to the house?
condensation and mold
- Can a ventless fireplace cause condensation on my windows?
- Can moisture from a ventless fireplace cause mold in my house?
- Can a ventless fireplace cause peeling paint or damp walls?
- Why does the glass on my direct vent fireplace fog up when it first starts?
- Can an unused fireplace or chimney cause moisture and mold problems in the house?
- Can vented gas logs cause condensation or moisture damage inside the chimney?
- Can a water-vapor electric fireplace cause condensation or mold in the room?
ventless byproducts
humidity and dryness
allergies and asthma
- Can I have a fireplace if I have asthma?
- What is the best type of fireplace for someone with allergies?
- Can wood smoke trigger asthma attacks?
- Can a gas fireplace trigger asthma or allergy symptoms?
- Are ventless gas fireplaces safe for people with asthma or COPD?
- Is a gas fireplace better than a wood-burning one for allergy sufferers?
- Are electric fireplaces the best choice for people with respiratory problems?
- Can fireplace ash and dust aggravate allergies?
- Why do I cough or sneeze when the fireplace is on?
- Can a fireplace irritate your eyes or throat?
- Can storing firewood indoors cause mold or allergy problems?
- Does the blower on a fireplace or insert stir up dust and allergens in the room?
vulnerable groups
wood smoke health
- How harmful is wood smoke to your health?
- What is PM2.5 and why does it matter for wood-burning fireplaces?
- Does wood smoke cause cancer?
- Is breathing wood smoke as bad as cigarette smoke?
- Is an open wood-burning fireplace bad for your health?
- Does a wood-burning insert pollute less than an open fireplace?
- Do catalytic wood stoves burn cleaner than non-catalytic ones?
- Is the smoke that puffs into the room when I open the stove door harmful?
- Is it harmful to occasionally smell a little wood smoke in the house?
- Is creosote toxic to breathe or touch?
- Is fireplace ash hazardous to handle or breathe?
- Can smoke from my wood fireplace bother my neighbors?
- Should I skip having a fire on air quality alert or burn ban days?
outdoor fire smoke
- Is sitting around a wood fire pit bad for your health?
- Are gas fire pit fumes harmful to breathe?
- Is a gas fire pit better than a wood fire pit for people with asthma?
- Are smokeless fire pits really smokeless, and are they healthier?
- Is an outdoor wood fireplace healthier than an indoor one since the smoke stays outside?
EPA wood rules
- What are the current EPA emissions rules for wood stoves?
- What does EPA 2020 certified mean on a wood stove?
- What is the grams-per-hour emissions limit for new wood stoves?
- How much cleaner is a new EPA-certified wood stove than an old one?
- Can I still legally use my old non-EPA-certified wood stove?
- Is it legal to sell or install a used uncertified wood stove?
- Do EPA emissions rules apply to wood-burning fireplace inserts?
- Are open wood-burning fireplaces regulated by the EPA?
- Do EPA wood stove rules apply to outdoor fireplaces and fire pits?
- Are wood stoves going to be banned?
- Are wood-burning fireplaces banned in new construction anywhere?
- Are there rebates or change-out programs for replacing an old wood stove?
- Do I have to remove or decommission an old wood stove when I sell my house?
- Does an EPA-certified wood stove use less firewood?
gas emissions
- What does a gas fireplace actually emit when it burns?
- Do gas fireplaces emit nitrogen dioxide (NO2)?
- Do ventless gas fireplaces release NO2 or formaldehyde into the room?
- How much carbon dioxide does a gas fireplace produce?
- Is a gas fireplace worse for indoor air than a gas kitchen stove?
- Are there long-term health effects from using a gas fireplace every day?
- Where does the exhaust from a direct vent gas fireplace go?
- Is the exhaust from a gas fireplace vent cap harmful outside near windows or a deck?
- Does a standing pilot light give off emissions all the time?
- Do gas fireplaces leak methane when they are turned off?
- Does propane burn cleaner than natural gas?
- Is black soot from gas logs harmful to breathe?
gas bans
- Are gas fireplaces being banned?
- Which states or cities have restricted gas fireplaces?
- Do gas appliance bans apply to existing fireplaces or only new construction?
- Should I avoid buying a gas fireplace because of possible future gas bans?
- Why are some cities banning gas appliances?
- Are ventless gas fireplaces illegal in some states?
environmental footprint
- Which is most environmentally friendly: a gas, wood, or electric fireplace?
- Is a gas fireplace bad for the environment?
- Is burning wood carbon neutral?
- Is an electric fireplace really greener if my electricity comes from fossil fuels?
- Will converting my wood fireplace to gas reduce my environmental impact?
- Is converting a wood fireplace to electric the greenest option?
- Is propane or natural gas better for the environment?
- Are bioethanol or gel fuel fireplaces actually eco-friendly?
- Is a gas fire pit more environmentally friendly than a wood fire pit?
- Does one household wood fireplace really contribute meaningful air pollution?
- Is it greener to keep using my old fireplace or replace it with a cleaner new unit?
sustainable firewood
clean burning
- What should you never burn in a fireplace or wood stove?
- Is it dangerous to burn pressure-treated or painted wood?
- Is it bad to burn cardboard, paper, or trash in the fireplace?
- Are manufactured fire logs like Duraflame cleaner than real firewood?
- Are compressed wood bricks cleaner burning than regular cordwood?
- Does burning wet or unseasoned wood create more harmful smoke?
- How dry does firewood need to be to burn cleanly?
- Is kiln-dried firewood cleaner burning than seasoned firewood?
- Does pine or softwood create more smoke and creosote than hardwood?
fireplace odors
- Why does my gas fireplace smell when it's running?
- Is the smell from a brand-new gas fireplace normal, and how long does it last?
- Is the break-in smell from a new fireplace harmful to breathe?
- Why does my ventless fireplace cause strange smells from candles, pet dander, or dust in the air?
- Why does my gas fireplace smell like burning dust at the start of the season?
- Why does my fireplace smell in the summer or when it rains?
- Why does my electric fireplace smell when the heater runs?
- Do vented gas logs normally have a slight smell?
- Does a propane fireplace smell more than a natural gas one?
headaches and sensitivity
- Can a gas fireplace give you a headache?
- Why do I get a headache when my ventless fireplace runs?
- Can wood smoke cause headaches?
- Can an electric fireplace cause headaches?
- Why do fireplace fumes bother me but not the rest of my family?
- Is there a good fireplace option for people with chemical or smell sensitivities?
pets and air
- Are ventless gas fireplaces safe for pets?
- Are gas fireplaces safe around pet birds?
- Can wood smoke harm dogs and cats?
- Should pets with breathing problems stay out of rooms with a burning fireplace?
- Does pet hair and dander cause problems with gas fireplaces?
- Is fireplace ash harmful to pets if they walk through it or lick it?