Can you have a wood burning fireplace along the Front range?

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by cet2055

I was speaking to a builder the other day about the code requirements on gas-burning v. wood-burning fireplaces. He said that he's done new construction for folks who wanted a wood burning fireplace by basically building a wood-burning fireplace (i.e. with a regular flue, etc.) and installing gas logs. After the house passed inspection, the gas-logs are removed and the gas line capped (or converted to a gas-starting system) and voila, WBFP. Says it works well. I pass no judgment on the morality of this.

The only problem comes in when you try to collect on insurance if there is a fire, and the insurance company finds out that you converted the gas to wood fireplace. they might not cover that, not to mention that the builder might loose his license in certain areas if he is caught doing what he is doing.

[esya]

You can not heat a house every day in Denver with a wood burning stove anymore and if everyone gets sick of high heating bills the red days will come back.

[esya]

Diesel may look worse but it is not the cause of the air pollution, it is the high number of carbon emission vehicles of all kinds being driven by one person.

It's all relative. Pollution rates may be lower for each newer car but the more gas burning SUVs and/or low mileage vehicles the worse pollution overall.

One thing about the seventies oil crisis--at least the government was out there educating people about pollution. Nowadays no one says one word about how highways, auto makers and all contribute to a huge problem and yet we are giving them all this bailout to continue a problem. And we are buying it.

End of rant.

[CMartel2]

At one time, the county authorities were considering installing monitors on every wood burning fireplace flue which would alert them to the wood fires still burning when a ban was in effect ...

Very 1984-ish. I have very little respect for a government that feels it should have the right to make this kind of invasion into one's household. Herding sheep, folks. Herding sheep.

[cet2055]

Originally Posted by Noahma

The only problem comes in when you try to collect on insurance if there is a fire, and the insurance company finds out that you converted the gas to wood fireplace. they might not cover that, not to mention that the builder might loose his license in certain areas if he is caught doing what he is doing.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't do it for that same reason. Interesting that he's installing them that way, and yes, I think his license is at risk.

Doing some further looking and it looks to me from the Denver regs on this stuff that wood-burning inserts are legal, so long as they meet the EPA's regs. Looks like there are a lot that do, and places like Lehrers sell them. If I'm right, that seems like it would be the way to go. Still get a wood-burning fireplace (I hate gas inserts!) and it's much more effecient than the old-style WB fireplace.

[Idunn]

Per the use of wood burning fireplaces, it likely depends on your exact location. There are residences with wood burning fireplaces in Estes Park and vicinity, with their use seemingly not an issue. Within the same county, Larimer, my understanding that only gas fireplaces are allowed in Ft. Collins, perhaps the use of wood if grandfathered in. I'm not sure of building codes, and what allowed in new construction, or where. Although fairly confident that in the remoter reaches of Colorado this not an issue.

It should be noted that on certain days the ozone level in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park has exceeded health limits. If fireplaces perhaps the lesser of the threats, this is one of the 25 most threatened national parks in the nation. One big reason why is air pollution from the front range. Lakes and rivers at the very highest and most remote locations in this Park are being seriously degraded, in part due the deposition of airborne nitrogen. One might find this hard to believe at a glance, but true.

Rangers there are not always as free as they might be to discuss such things. If asked closely, though, the more knowledgeable can tell you more than a little. Other good resources are available:
RMCO - National Parks in Peril