We have a small woodburner in our basement (no windows), and I am wondering whether we should be concerned about the stove giving off Carbon Monoxide. I would not use our kero heater down there for that reason. But the previous owner did use the stove when he was down in his workshop.

-- PillsBury DoughBoy (pbdb98@yahoo.com), December 20, 1999

Answers

Yes wood burning stoves give off carbon monoxide, you need to have adequate ventilation to use one.

-- kozak (kozak@formerusaf.guv), December 20, 1999.

Any fuel will give off Carbon Monoxide. Since the stove must be adequately vented due to the hot wood smoke, that will take care of the Carbon Monoxide. It won't give off CO in some other "mysterious" way. And you would soon know it if the vent/chimney wasn't working. A wood stove needs a constant supply of air/oxygen, so hopefully you have thought of this and are sure there aren't any problems with the chimney/vent.

I presume the kerosene heater wasn't vented, thats why it could be very deadly --- the CO could build up in a "windowless" basement.

There are a lot of threads here and elsewhere that discuss wood heating, if you need more info. Better late than never, I guess.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), December 20, 1999.

Be very careful of any combustion indoors. Invest in a battery operated CO detector while they're still available (Home Depot has them for ~ $30). You'll have greater peace of mind and less worry, and that's what we all might need next week.

-- Gary S. (garys_2k@yahoo.com), December 22, 1999.

Be sure to allow for some combustion air to enter the area where the woodburner (or any other fuel burning appliance) is located. We always try to have at least a 3" or 4" clothes dryer vent pipe arranged to bring in outside air to the area of the stove. It can be capped over or closed off if the stove isn't in use. No sense in sucking in cold air into the whole room just to run the stove, which is what could happen if regular infiltration from the outside is depended on to provide combustion air for the stove.

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), December 22, 1999.