With the cold weather now upon us, it is time for residents in the Armidale region to think about ways to heat homes effectively and efficiently.
Armidale Regional Council's Director Businesses and Services Scot MacDonald said now is the best time to begin preparing your wood heater to make sure it burns as efficiently as possible.
"Every year, on some nights a blanket of wood smoke covers parts of Armidale due to the large number of households using wood heaters paired with the geography of the area," said Mr MacDonald.
"Much of Armidale sits in a valley and smoke can become trapped in specific conditions such as when there is low wind speed and inversion layers."
To minimise the impact of wood smoke, residents are advised to buy quality wood that is dry and stored in a place away from moisture. Wood from a Firewood Association of Australia supplier is also recommended to ensure it is of appropriate quality.
"Other steps that can be taken include only burning dry, aged hardwood, regularly cleaning out flues, and not letting your fire smoulder overnight," said Mr MacDonald.
"We have found Armidale's air quality is at its worst in the middle of the night, so putting your fire out before you go to bed will help reduce smoke pollution."
Insulating your home effectively is another important strategy to improve heating efficiency and minimise the need to have your fire going overnight.
It's also recommended to regularly go outside and check how much smoke is coming out of the chimney, as excessive smoke is a sign that the heater is creating unnecessary emissions. Scientific research has shown that wood smoke can have adverse health effects, and can heighten symptoms associated with illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia and chronic bronchitis.
Mr MacDonald says it is crucial that we work together to minimise these health impacts.
"Council is serious about improving Armidale's air quality, and with the help from the community, we can make sure we are minimising the potentially harmful consequences that come from excessive wood smoke," he said.
"We also have a number of helpful resources available on our website for the community to refer to if they have any questions about using wood heaters."
To check for hourly updates on Armidale's air quality, scroll to the bottom of the homepage on Council's website.
