Wood Stove/Fireplace Emissions Study

Impact On Product Replacement & Consumer Opinions

Supplemental Report – Products Combined

8/7/2013
Wood Product Consumer Research

Research Background & Objectives

2

Background:

The Wood Heat Coalition (WHC) represents all distribution channels within the hearth industry, 

including wholesalers, specialty hearth retailers, chimney sweeps, internet retailers, and home centers.

The WHC approached The Stevenson Company with concerns over a proposed tightening of EPA 

emission standards. The EPA proposal intends to reduce the acceptable amount of wood stove/ 

fireplace/insert emissions from 7.5 g/h to as low as 1.3 g/h. To meet these emission standards, most 

manufacturers would need to employ catalytic combustor and/or new design or technology into future 

products. This adds significant cost to the unit and would translate into a dramatic price increase for 

consumers.

In response to the proposed EPA emission standards, the WHC requested a research study to examine 

consumer opinion and replacement opinions given a marketplace with these new standards.

Objectives:

The overall objectives are to provide a view of the existing U.S. wood stove/fireplace/insert market, and 

to determine if consumers are likely to replace their current units with these lower emission products.
3

Methodology & Sample Design

Methodology:

Since the incidence of product ownership is small, to achieve study objectives an online survey was 

conducted. This approach involved interviewing homeowners from targeted geographic locations that 

own a wood stove, wood high efficiency fireplace, or wood fireplace insert in their primary/secondary 

home (vacation home, weekend getaway place, cabin, etc).

The criteria for participation included:

• Adult head of household

• Homeowner

• Target geographic areas with a higher incidence of product ownership and/or colder climates

• Own a wood stove, fireplace insert, or high efficiency fireplace in primary and/or secondary residence 

(Decorative, open wood-burning fireplaces NOT included in the fireplace sample)

• A subsample of consumers intending to purchase in next 12 months was also included

• Primary or equal decision maker regarding product purchase

• Primary or equal product user

Sample Design:

A 15-minute online survey conducted among a sample of 610 consumers.

• Product Owners 539 Completes (419 wood stove owners, 120 H.E. wood fireplace/insert owners)

• Purchase Intenders 71 Completes (47 wood stove intenders, 24 wood fireplace/insert intenders)

Wood Product Consumer Research
4

Respondents were taken through a series of exposures to the different products and technologies and asked their 

likelihood to purchase under various scenarios.

Order of exposure to these descriptions and measures of likelihood to purchase:

1) Product descriptions of wood stoves and wood fireplaces to bring all to an equal understanding of the types 

and technologies. (See product descriptions in Appendix).

2) Exposure to explanations of the Catalytic Combustor technology along with the bypass damper to bring all to 

an equal understanding. (See product types in Appendix).

3) Measure of likelihood to replace their current product at prices ranging from $1,000 - $4,000.

4) Measures of likelihood to pay a premium ranging from $500 to $2,000 for a product with a Catalytic system.

5) Exposure to potential EPA Mandate. (See potential EPA market change in Appendix).

6) Under EPA Mandate, measures of likelihood to pay a premium ranging from $500 to $2,000 for a product with 

a Catalytic or “New Technology” system.

7) Measure of most likely choice of buying a “New Technology” wood-burning product or choosing to do 

something else.

Wood Product Consumer Research

Methodology
5

 Very few non-catalytic system owners are interested in purchasing a product with “New 

Technology” given the price premiums.

• When shown price ranges for a replacement stove or fireplace product, with no assumption of 

technology, only 13% would purchase at $1,000, dwindling to about 3% at $4,000. 

• When exposed to price premiums for a catalytic or “New Technology” system, even fewer are 

willing to opt for a product. Assuming a $500 premium, only 11% will buy, and at a $2,000 

premium only 4% will buy.

• Current owners of catalytic systems are much more likely to purchase at the premium prices 

due to their having purchased premium-priced catalytic systems.

 Exposure to the EPA mandate slightly erodes purchase likelihood.

• While the EPA mandate causes purchase likelihood to decline, the declines are only about 1% 

from their purchase likelihood prior to exposure of the EPA mandate, suggesting that price is 

the biggest detractor.

Wood Product Consumer Research – Summary Of Findings
6

 When purchasing a new product, “Price” is the most important attribute.

• Of the features examined, “Price”, “Efficiency ratings”, and “User-friendly controls” are most 

important.

 Most consumers are not very familiar with Catalytic type products.

• About half of all owners are unsure if they own a Catalytic or Non-Catalytic product.

 Almost half of owners do not know if their product is EPA certified.

• Owners of older products (10+ years) are much less likely to know if their product is EPA 

certified.

• About one-third of owners know they have an EPA certified product, however these owners 

tend to have newer products (less than 5 years old).

 Most owners do not have their product professionally serviced.

• Service is usually conducted by the owner. Once a season is the most common service interval.

 These wood burning products are typically used as a primary heat source for the home.

• During heavy use times the product is generally used daily, and burns an average of 3.43 cords 

of wood per year [Cord Size = 4’ X 4’ X 8’ (128 cubic feet)].

Wood Product Consumer Research – Summary Of Findings
PRODUCT PURCHASE INTEREST

7
Non Cat Owners

3%

4%

6%

13%

- $ 

1,000 $ 

2,000 $ 

3,000 $ 

4,000 $ 

5,000 $ 

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%

Q15. How likely would you be to replace your current [Stove] with a new one if it cost [Price]?

8

Owners

Replacement Product Purchase Interest

(Do Not Own Catalytic)

Product Owners

Very few non catalytic owners are interested in product replacement

• Catalytic owners are much more likely to replace their current product at a premium price point.

(n=425)

SCALE: 1=Not At All Likely to Purchase ... 5=Extremely Likely to Purchase.

NOTE: Percentages are top 2 box and weighted to better reflect purchase likelihood (5= 0.8 weight & 4= 0.4 weight)

20%

22%

26%

32%

- $ 

1,000 $ 

2,000 $ 

3,000 $ 

4,000 $ 

5,000 $ 

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Owners

Replacement Product Purchase Interest

(Own Catalytic)

Cat Owners

(n=114)
4%

5%

7%

11%

- $ 

500 $ 

1,000 $ 

1,500 $ 

2,000 $ 

2,500 $ 

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%

Q18. How likely would you be to [replace your current product with / purchase] one of these Catalytic products if the 

cost was (Price) more than a Non-Catalytic unit? (Before EPA Description)

Q19 How likely would you be to [replace your current product with / purchase] one of these “New Technology” 

products if the cost was (Price) more than today’s products? (After EPA Description)

9

Owners

Catalytic & “New Technology” Purchase Interest

(Do Not Own Catalytic)

Product Owners

After EPA description, purchase interest drops about 1 point

3%

4%

6%

10%

- $ 

500 $ 

1,000 $ 

1,500 $ 

2,000 $ 

2,500 $ 

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%

(n=425) (n=425)

Before EPA Description After EPA Description

• Interest in purchasing a Catalytic or 

“New Technology” product is low.

• 10% of consumers are interested in 

purchasing if the price is $500 more 

than Non-Catalytic products.

SCALE: 1=Not At All Likely to Purchase ... 5=Extremely Likely to Purchase.

NOTE: Percentages are top 2 box and weighted to better reflect purchase 

likelihood (5= 0.8 weight & 4= 0.4 weight)
35%

29%

15% 13%

8%

Fix/repair 

current 

Buy "New 

Technology" 

wood product

Find used with 

"Previous 

Technology"

Eliminate 

wood heater, 

replace with 

alternative 

product

Eliminate 

wood heater, 

not replace 

with 

alternative

Total Owners

Owners are likely to fix their current product or find a used “Previous 

Technology” product

• In a marketplace with the proposed EPA emission changes (and resulting product technology changes), half of 

owners would repair their current product or search for a “Previous Technology” product. 

• With no price premium attached, willingness to purchase a “New Technology” product is higher than when asked 

with a $500 premium. This seems to indicate that consumers are expecting the premium to be $500 or less. 

In this survey we presented information about wood products and how they could be configured in the future. You learned that in the near future “non-catalytic” 

products may no longer be available, and current “catalytic” products may need “new technology” to meet EPA emission standard.

Q20a. (Owners) Based on the marketplace we described, when it comes time to replace your current wood heater, which of the following would you most likely do:

Q20b. (Intenders) Based on the marketplace we described, when it comes time to purchase a wood heater, which of the following would you most likely do:

10

(n=539)

Likely Purchase Action (Owners)

45%

32%

17%

6%

Buy a "New 

Technology" wood 

product

Find used wood 

product with 

"Previous 

Technology"

Find an alternative 

heating product

Forget about 

buying a heating 

product

Total Intenders

(n=71)

Likely Purchase Action (Intenders)
Price is the most important product feature

• Price, efficiency ratings, and user-friendly controls are important product features.

Q17. If you were to purchase a new or replacement [Product], what features would be most important to you? 

Please rank the following from 1 to 7 with 1 being most important to 7 being least important.

11

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference at a 95% confidence level

Feature Importance

45%

18%

9%

9%

8%

6%

6%

18%

22%

20%

12%

11%

9%

9%

12%

19%

23%

11%

12%

13%

10%

10%

14%

16%

14%

14%

15%

16%

5%

14%

13%

14%

18%

20%

16%

4%

8%

12%

18%

18%

20%

20%

5%

6%

7%

22%

20%

17%

24%

Price

Efficiency Rating

User-friendly controls

Made In North America

EPA Performance

Tecnology (Cat/Non-Cat)

Aesthetics

Total Products 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th

(n=610)

NOTE: Mean ranking: 1.00 = First Choice ... 7.00 = Seventh choice

Mean 

Ranking

4.81

4.64

4.57

4.54

3.68

3.31

2.46
PRODUCT USE / INTENDED USE

12
Over half have owned a wood burning product in the past

• Almost two-thirds use or intend to use their wood burning product as a primary heat source.

S11. Is this the first [Product] you [have owned / will have owned], or have you owned a similar product before? 

S14. which of the following best describes the [primary / intended] use of this product?

13

64%

30%

6%

Use mostly as Primary 

heat source

Use mostly as 

Supplemental heat 

source

Use mostly for aesthetic, 

decorative, mood

Total Products

(n=610)

Product Purpose/Intention

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

46%

54%

First Time Have Owned Similar Before

Total Products

(n=610)

Ownership History
These wood burning products are located in the primary residence

S12. Where [is this / will this] [Product] be installed?

S13. What is the approximate square footage of the area you [use / intend to use] this product? (if heating entire home 

provide sq. ft. of home. Otherwise, provide sq. ft of area where product is used)

14

8%

27%

33%

22%

10%

< 500 sq. ft. 500 to <1,000 1,000 to 

<1,500

1,500 to 

<2,000

2,000 sq. ft. or 

more

Total Products

(n=610)

Area Used

97%

2% 1%

Primary Residence Secondary Residence Other

Total Products

Product Location

(n=610)

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)
Most are NOT very familiar with Catalytic products

Q16. We will discuss two types of wood burning products ... catalytic combustion and non-catalytic combustion. 

How familiar are you with Catalytic Combustion products? (Before Cat Description)

15

5%

11%

26% 29% 30%

Extremely 

Familiar

Very Familiar Somewhat 

Familiar

Not Very Familiar Not At All 

Familiar

Total Products

(n=610)

Familiarity with Catalytic Products

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

Unfamiliar

59%

Familiar

16%
PRODUCT OWNERS

16
About 40% of products owned are 10+ years old

• 50% of consumers have owned their home 11+ years.

Q1. What is the approximate age of this [Product]?

Q1a How many years have you owned the place where this [Product] is located?

17

5%

27%

22% 23%

16%

7%

< 1 Yr 1 Yr to <5 

Yrs

5 Yrs to 

<10 Yrs

10 yrs to 

<20Yrs

20+ yrs DK, came 

with home

Product Owners

(n=539)

Age of Product

6%

17%

25% 24%

16%

10%

1 Yr or Less 2 to 4 Yrs 5 to 10 Yrs 11 to 20 Yrs 21 to 30 Yrs 31+ Yrs

Product Owners

(n=539)

Time At Residence

Product Owners
During heavy use times most operate their product daily

• These wood burning products are very likely to be used as a primary heat source, leading to a higher 

frequency of use and more wood burned.

S14 Which of the following best describes the primary use of this [Product]?

Q2. During your heaviest use times, about how often do you use your [Product]?

Q3. Over the course of one year’s use, about how much wood do you burn in your [Product]?

18

65%

29%

7%

Use mostly as Primary 

heat source

Use mostly as 

Supplemental heat 

Use mostly for 

Aesthetic

Product Owners

(n=539)

Product Purpose

75%

13%

6% 1% 6%

Daily Few times/wk Few times/mo Once a month < Once a month

Product Owners

Frequency of Product Use

9%

17% 21% 17%

11%

25%

< 1 Cord 1 to < 2 2 to < 3 3 to < 4 4 to < 5 5+ Cords

Product Owners

Wood Burned Per Year (Cords*)

Mean:3.43 Cords

*Cord defined as 4’ wide x 4’ high x 8’ long (128 cubic feet)

Product Owners
45%

35%

15%

2% 3%

1 Time 2 Times 3 times 4 Time 5+ Times

Replaced Catalytic

Catalytic Replacement Frequency

(n=60)

Almost half of owners DO NOT know which product type they own

• Of those owning a catalytic product, about half have replaced the catalytic combustor in the lifetime of 

the product.

Q5. There are two main types of [Product] ... Catalytic and Non-Catalytic. Which type do you own? (Before Catalytic Explanation)

Q6. In the time that you have owned your catalytic [Product], have you ever replaced the catalytic combustor? (After Catalytic Explanation)

Q7. In the lifetime of your product, how many times have your replaced the catalytic combustor?

19

46%

33%

21%

Not Sure Non-Catalytic Catalytic

Product Owners

(n=539)

Product Type Owned 53% 47%

Yes, have replaced No, haven't replaced

Catalytic Owners

Catalytic Combustor Replacement

(n=114)

Replaced 

Cat

Product Owners
63%

37%

48%

52%

42%

58%

36%

64%

Yes, have replaced No, haven't replaced

<5 Yrs 5 to <10 Yrs 10 to <20 Yrs 20+ Yrs

Older products are much less likely to be catalytic

• While the sample size is small, older catalytic products tend to be less likely to have had the catalytic 

combustor replaced.

Q5. There are two main types of [Product] ... Catalytic and Non-Catalytic. Which type do you own? (Before Catalytic Explanation)

Q6. In the time that you have owned your catalytic [Product], have you ever replaced the catalytic combustor? (After Catalytic Explanation)

20

CD

(n=54) (*n=19)

*Small Sample Size

40%

29% 32%

41%

34%

25%

46%

39%

15%

55%

33%

13%

Not Sure Non-Catalytic Catalytic

<5 Yrs 5 to <10 Yrs 10 to <20 Yrs 20+ Yrs

(n=171)

(A)

Product Type By Age of Product

(n=116)

(B)

(n=124)

(C)

(n=88)

(D)

D

A

(*n=29) (*n=11)

Catalytic Replacement By Age of Product

Product Owners

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference 

at a 95% confidence level
Most are very familiar with reasons for closing bypass damper

• 4 in 10 catalytic owners “always” or “often” run the unit with the bypass damper opened.

Q8. Are you familiar with the purpose of closing the bypass damper on your catalytic [product]? (Before Bypass Description)

Q9. Except for when the unit is started or reloaded, how often do you operate your [Product] in bypass? (After Bypass Description)

21

79%

16%

5%

Yes, very familiar Yes, I do it, but not 

sure why

No, not sure

Catalytic Owners

(n=114)

Why Close Bypass Damper

18% 22%

34%

18%

7%

0%

Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never Not Sure

Catalytic Owners

(n=114)

Operation With Damper Open

Cat Product Owners
• Once a season is the most mentioned service interval.

73%

17%

10%

I service, not 

professionally

I have product serviced 

professionally

New product, hasn't 

needed service yet

Product Owners

(n=539)

Professional Product Service

22

34%

50%

16%

A few times a year Serviced once a season Less than once a season

Product Serviced

Frequency of Service

(n=484)

Product Owners

Typical Maintenance Tasks

(Mentions 3% or More Shown)

Product Owners

(n=539)

(S)

Clean/sweep chimney parts 46%

Ash/soot/creosote removal 33%

Stove pipe cleaning 17%

Replacing parts / maintenance 10%

Inspection/working properly 10%

Clean doors 4%

Burn creosote log 3%

Nothing 25%

Most products are NOT professionally serviced

Q10. Are there any maintenance tasks you regularly perform on your [Product]?

Q11. Do you have your [Product] serviced by a professional?

Q12. How often is your [Product] usually serviced?
Almost half of owners are unsure if their product is EPA certified

EPA-certified wood heater: a heater is EPA-certified (Environmental Protection Agency) when it has a permanent certification 

label stating that it has been certified to the EPA Standard by an independent testing agency. All EPA-certified heaters have 

particulate emissions of less than 7.5 g/h. (7.5 grams per hour), with a vast majority (approximately 85%) below 4.5 g/h.

Q13. Is your [Product] EPA certified?

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference 

at a 95% confidence level

23

Product Owners

37%

18%

45%

Yes, EPA Certified No, Not EPA Certified Not Sure

Product Owners

(n=539)

EPA Certified Product

67%

7%

26%

41%

13%

46%

15% 17%

68%

16%

40%

44%

Yes, EPA Certified No, Not EPA Certified Not Sure

<5 Yrs 5 to <10 Yrs 10 to <20 Yrs 20+ Yrs

(n=171)

(A)

EPA Certified By Age of Product

(n=116)

(B)

(n=124)

(C)

(n=88)

(D)

BCD

CD ABC

A

ABD

A

• Owners of older products are less likely to know if their product is EPA certified.

• About one-third of owners know they have a product that is EPA certified, however these products 

tend to be newer (less than 5 years old).

A
DEMOGRAPHICS

24
15%

31%

29%

17%

5%

3%

< 1,000 sq. ft.

1000 to 1,499

1,500 to 1,999

2,000 to 2,999

3,000 to 3,999

4,000+ sq. ft.

Total Products

88%

8%

2%

2%

1%

Single family 

detached home

Mobile home

Condo / Apartment

Duplex

Other

Total Products

Demographics

Q. How many of each of the following outdoor Hearth grills or smokers does your household currently own and use?

n=xxx n=xxx n=xxx n=xxx

Place of Residence

25

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference at a 95% confidence level.

Size of Residence

78%

13%

8%

Rural

Suburban

Urban

Total Products

Location of Residence

(n=610) (n=610) (n=610)
Demographics

26

37%

63%

Male

Female

Total Products

Gender

4%

16%

18%

21%

24%

17%

< 25

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 54

55 to 64

65+

Total Products

Age

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference at a 95% confidence level.

(n=610) (n=610)
Demographics

27

18%

63%

13%

4%

2%

1

2

3

4

5 or more

Total Products

Adults in Household

62%

16%

14%

6%

1%

1%

0

1

2

3

4

5 or more

Total Products

Children in Household

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference at a 95% confidence level.

(n=610) (n=610)
Demographics

28

34%

9%

13%

6%

2%

20%

1%

15%

Employed full time

Employed part time

Self-employed

Not employed, but looking

Not employed, not looking

Retired

Student

Homemaker

Total Products

Employment

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference at a 95% confidence level.

(n=610)

21%

33%

23%

9%

5%

3%

2%

5%

< $25,000

$25,000 to < $50,000

$50,000 to < $75,000

$75,000 to < $100,000

$100,000 to < $150,000

$150,000 to < $199,000

$200,000 +

No Answer

Total Products

Income

(n=610)
Demographics

29

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference at a 95% confidence level.

3%

25%

32%

13%

16%

3%

9%

Less than high school

High school

Some college, no degree

Associate's degree

College (B.A, B.S,)

Some grad school

Grad school (M.S. M.D)

Total Products

Education

13%

64%

8%

2%

5%

8%

Single, never married

Married

Divorced

Separated

Widowed

Living with partner

Total Products

Marital Status

(n=610) (n=610)
Demographics

30

NOTE: Sample Reflects Owners (n=539) & Intenders (n=71)

CAPITAL letters denote significant difference at a 95% confidence level.

93%

2%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

White

Black / African American

Native American

Mixed

Asian or Pacific Islander

Other

No Answer

Total Products

Race

24%

27%

26%

23%

Northeast

Midwest

South

West

Total Products

Region

(n=610) (n=610)
APPENDIX

Statements & Descriptions

31
32

Wood Freestanding Stove – is a stove that is not installed into an existing masonry fireplace or built into a wall. Some 

freestanding stoves are on legs, others on pedestals, but all sit at least a few inches above the floor. A connector 

(commonly called stove pipe) is used to connect the stove to the chimney. Freestanding stoves are typically sealed units 

with a control to adjust combustion air. They provide longer burn times and are used for heating purposes.

Wood Fireplace Insert – is a firebox surrounded by a shell that's typically made of steel. The box and steel shell create a 

space where convection air can flow between to get the heat out of the fireplace cavity. The wood fireplace insert is 

installed into your existing masonry fireplace to increase heating efficiency. Fireplace inserts are typically sealed units 

with a control to adjust combustion air. They provide longer burn times and are used for heating purposes, converting 

an open fireplace to a heat source.

High Efficiency Wood Fireplace – is a factory made version of a traditional masonry fireplace and is designed to be built 

in where no fireplace existed before. Although it may have brick lining on the inside of the firebox, the shell of the 

fireplace is metal. It is insulated, therefore making it possible to frame the unit into a wall and finish it with a surround. 

In most cases, it is directly connected to a prefabricated chimney. High Efficiency wood fireplaces typically have sealed 

doors and a control to adjust combustion air. They provide longer burn times than a standard fireplace and are used for 

heating purposes.

Decorative, open wood-burning fireplace – [THIS PRODUCT DID NOT QUALIFY FOR STUDY]

is a factory made version of a traditional masonry fireplace. Although it may have brick lining on the inside of the 

firebox, the shell of the fireplace is metal. It is insulated, therefore making it is possible to frame the unit into a wall and 

finish it with a surround. In most cases, it is directly connected to a prefabricated chimney. The unit may or may not 

have doors. If it has doors, they are generally unsealed. There is no control to adjust combustion air and the unit is 

therefore not intended for whole home heating. Rather, it is typically used with the doors open to create some radiant 

warmth and ambiance into a single room. 

Product Descriptions
33

Consumers were shown the following product descriptions to bring them to an equal level of understanding.

You may or may not be familiar with catalytic and non-catalytic style products. Here is a brief description of each type.

Catalytic Heaters: Catalytic wood heaters have an additional control to allow for the bypass of the catalyst during start 

up and reloading. They have a reputation for being more efficient than non-catalytic in a test environment. They are 

also more expensive. The Catalytic Combustor causes the gases and particulates to ignite at a lower than normal 

temperature. That means more emissions are generally burned during a long low burn in the secondary area, resulting 

in less emissions than non-catalytic units. Catalytic units also require regular maintenance to stay at peak combustion 

efficiency, and replacement of the Catalytic combustor every 5-8 years. 

Non-Catalytic Heaters: Non-catalytic wood heaters are more affordable, have less moving parts, and don’t have a 

catalytic combustor to maintain. Like Catalytic units, emissions are reduced due to a secondary combustion area either 

in the firebox or in a secondary combustion area. Due to their design, non-catalytic units often have the benefit of a 

more appealing flame appearance, lower initial cost, and are less complicated to operate.

Product Types

(Catalytic & Non-Catalytic)
34

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is proposing tighter standards on smoke and particulate emissions generated 

from wood freestanding stoves, fireplaces, and wood fireplace inserts. 

The current EPA emission threshold is 7.5 g/h (7.5 grams of smoke & particulate emissions per hour) for Non-Catalytic 

units and 4.1 g/h for Catalytic units.

The Washington State standard is currently the most restrictive at 4.5 g/h for Non-Catalytic units and 2.5 g/h for 

Catalytic units. The vast majority (approximately 85%) of wood heaters sold on the market today already meet this 

standard. The proposed changes by EPA would lower the threshold to as low as 1.3 g/h for both Catalytic and NonCatalytic units.

If these proposed EPA restrictions are implemented, “New Technology” wood stoves, inserts and wood fireplaces will be 

dramatically different to meet these new emissions and efficiency standards. The complexity of these products and their 

operation will change. Manufacturers may need to add catalytic combustors, combustion fans, additional controls, or 

other special devices into future products. Consumer prices would be driven up.

Potential EPA Market Change

(Consumer Description)