Residential wood heat in the US: Results of a survey investigating user behavior and operation of wood heating appliances

• Published in: Energy and buildings 2024-12, Vol.324 (C), p.114911, Article 114911
• Main Authors: Kilkenny, Kiernan, Zhang, Shaozeng, MacCarty, Nordica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air controls; Cold start; Fuel type; Moisture content
• ISSN: 0378-7788
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114911

•Moisture contents of wood burned ranged from 10 % to 30 %.•Purchasing heaters from dealers increases likelihood of operational training.•Respondents perform cold starts up to every day during the heating season.•Respondents want their heater to run for four to eight hours while unattended. Wood is used as a source of primary and secondary heat by millions of people in the US, but many wood stoves emit levels of particulate matter that negatively impact human health and the environment. Modern wood stoves are designed to pass emissions testing required by regulatory bodies and manufacturers may be hindered in their ability to design for the variability of real-world use. User behavior can strongly impact wood heater emissions, and learning about how they are used in real life could inform the future design of cleaner-burning wood heaters. In this study a survey was performed to investigate the habits, needs, and challenges surrounding residential wood heating in the US. Common user characteristics and behaviors are investigated in categories covering heating technology, fuel use and preference, user behavior, and operation. The data collected from 210 completed survey responses can be used to support and refute anecdotal understandings of wood stove use. Results from this study cover wood heater ages and the presence or lack of catalysts. Fuel provenance, type, seasoning, and storage practices are discussed, along with the ways that respondents learned how to use their stoves and their operational practices including reloading, cold start behavior, and use of air controls. The information presented in this paper can be used to inform industry and regulatory groups as to how people use their wood heaters and highlights areas for potential future research.