Can you have a wood burning fireplace along the Front range? (Denver: insurance, buying)

[Sters]

The cans last about 2-3 hours. My unit uses two cans, so costs about $3 an hour to operate, no installation costs. I store the cans in a decorative box next to my "fireplace." They sell little jars of scents that smell like fire, too, but I've found that they don't work very well, probably because the ceramic logs don't get very hot. I might try heating the oils in a different way, like a pourpouri pot.

The other advantage of a gel unit is that it's portable! Perfect for a bedroom, although I use mine in the living room.

[pdth]

The Denver metro area is considered by EPA a "non attainment area" for ozone, and has been non-attainment for other pollutants in the past. This means it doesn't meet Federal air quality standards, and must have a plan for pollution mitigation. Red/blue days are a part of that. Also, wood-burning fireplaces are often prohibited in new construction (though permitted if "grandfathered").

If you have a grandfathered fireplace you can still use it on blue days. Red days are when there is a temperature inversion or still air that traps pollutants. You can't use most fireplaces on those days.

The "Denver metro area" includes Douglas County but not El Paso County, which is why Charles hasn't seen it.

[Bob from down south]

Originally Posted by Charles

In place of a gas fireplace, you might as well have a picture of a flame, an orange light bulb with some moving aluminum foil behind it, and an electric heater.

Or a 50" plasma TV and a fireplace video...

Bob

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Bob from down south

Or a 50" plasma TV and a fireplace video...

Bob

Or sit thisclose to a Sterno can.

http://www.copeusa.org/store_files/ecofuelcans.jpg (broken link)

[Katarina Witt]

Very funny, Charles!

If you have a grandfathered fireplace you can still use it on blue days. Red days are when there is a temperature inversion or still air that traps pollutants. You can't use most fireplaces on those days.

What is a "grandfathered fireplace"? I didn't know they were illegal any more; I thought builders just didn't use them b/c of the air pollution laws. We have one, and can only use it about 50% of the days in winter (blue days).

[pdth]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

What is a "grandfathered fireplace"? I didn't know they were illegal any more; I thought builders just didn't use them b/c of the air pollution laws. We have one, and can only use it about 50% of the days in winter (blue days).

That's right, builders aren't allowed to use wood-burning fireplaces, at least that's what our builder told us.

[Katarina Witt]

Interesting. We have one; are hoping to use it tonight.

[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.

[Josseppie]

In Pueblo there are no restrictions to wood burning fire places and there are no days you cant use it as our air is always clean!

[lalahartma]

Haven't heard of red days in CoS in 4 years.