Have you ever wondered just how safe DuraFlames firewood is to breathe in?
We all know smoke can irritate those with asthma and other breathing problems, but what about the toxins inside these DuraFlame logs? Are they harmful?
Duraflame logs are considered safe to breathe in when burning them inside your home. However, you should never directly breathe in any smoke – even that from regular firewood – if you can avoid it.
The ingredients inside DuraFlame firelogs are not considered toxic, but you should be aware they do emit some carbon monoxide. This could be dangerous without proper ventilation or a carbon monoxide detector in your home. However, they emit much less carbon monoxide than regular firewood and less emissions overall.
When we compare Duraflame logs to inside firewood, they burn much cleaner, having 75% less carbon monoxide, 80% fewer fine particles, and 90% fewer hazardous air pollutants, as stated by Duraflame themselves.
There was also a study completed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the emissions of firelogs and 2 brands of Duraflame were used in the study.
In this study they concluded:
We have learned about the emission characteristics from these products and have
Content and emission characteristics of Artificial Wax Firelogs
verified that the levels are lower than for cordwood.
When burning any type of wood in your home (including DuraFlame firelogs or any other brand of firelogs) it’s important to ensure correct ventilation and have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home.
Are Duraflame Logs Safe For Indoor Fireplaces?
Duraflame logs are safe for indoor fireplaces, assuming your fireplace has proper ventilation. They are specifically designed with safe indoor use in mind.
These logs are made of bio-wax, agricultural fibers, sawdust, and oils, none of which are considered unsafe to breathe inside.
There are chemically derived ingredients inside Duraflame logs, like their bio-wax (as shown in this press release) and prior to 2007 they used parrafin wax in their firelogs, but this would only pollute the air as much as your standard paraffin candle.
No reputable scientific study has ever shown any candle wax, including paraffin, to be harmful to human health
Healthline
There was also this study conducted by OMNI Environmental services that looked a the pollutants, emissions and costs of firelogs made with bio-wax (what DuraFlame uses) compared to natural gas, LPG and regular firewood.
Source: GlobeNewsWire
- Enviro-Log firelogs have been tested for safety in fireplaces and wood heaters per portions of American National Standard Institute (ANSI)/ Underwriters Laboratories (UL®), and Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC®) standards.
- Enviro-Log firelogs have 70-80 percent less total particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide emissions (on a grams pollutant per event basis) than cordwood (oak or fir) burned in manufactured fireplaces and EPA certified woodstoves.
- Enviro-Log firelogs produce up to 33 percent less greenhouse gases than typical cordwood (oak or fir).
- Enviro-Log firelogs produce 87 percent less creosote in a fireplace than oak cordwood (grams per typical fire basis).
Plus, most of the smoke will ventilate through the chimney anyway, meaning there are fewer particles you will be breathing in.
Be aware that these logs will contribute to some degree of indoor pollution due to carbon monoxide, even though they burn cleaner than standard firewood. Having a carbon monoxide detector in your home is an absolute necessity.
So what can you do to keep yourself safe?
- Build your fire properly – You only need one Duraflame log to start a fire. Place this at the back of your fireplace so most of the smoke will travel upwards.
- Take it outdoors – If you are concerned about breathing in the fumes from Duraflame logs, you can switch to their outdoor logs and have a campfire outside for a relaxing evening activity.
- Clean your chimney regularly – It’s essential to clean often if you burn Duraflame logs regularly. These logs will leave creosote in the chimney (although much less than standard firewood), which can build up and become a fire hazard over time.
- Use a fireplace screen – Whether burning Duraflame logs or regular firewood, always use a fireplace screen to catch flying embers from the open flames.
- Never leave the fire unattended – It goes without saying, never leave an open fire alone with kids or pets.
Is The Smoke From Duraflame Logs Safer Than Regular Firewood?
Duraflame logs burn much cleaner than regular firewood with fewer carbon emissions, less creosote, and fewer finer particles.
This is because less material is burned when using a Duraflame fire log. Therefore, fewer pollutants are emitted.
Although the smoke from Duraflame logs is cleaner and safer than standard firewood, there is a degree of pollution from carbon monoxide, wax, and some ingredients, like the packaging, which is very minimal.
Most will travel up the chimney and dissipate as the burning goes on.
Are There Toxic Ingredients Inside DuraFlame Logs?
Depending on your chosen log, Duraflame logs are typically made of wood fibers, sawdust, wax, coffee grounds, and crushed nut shells.
At a glance, none of these ingredients seem ‘toxic,’ most pollutants and chemicals inside these artificial logs aren’t enough to cause physical harm when inhaled.
- Carbon emissions – Duraflames logs release much fewer carbon emissions than your standard firewood, but these emissions still are high. In a study of artificial fire logs emissions, they were found to have much higher carbon emissions than competitors like The Pine Mountain Super Logs and Java-Logs.
- Bio-wax – DuraFlames logs contain an bio-wax derived from vegetal sources. That being said, this wax is burned in such low concentrations that it’s unlikely to harm your health.
- Packaging – Duraflame states you can leave the packaging on for easy lighting of the logs. The ink could release some chemicals. However, this packaging burns quickly, and most smoke will go up the chimney. It’s not much riskier than using newspapers or magazines to light your fire.
Which DuraFlame Logs Create The Safest Smoke?
All Duraflame logs create safe smoke when burning inside and burn much more efficiently than regular wood, with less smoke and fewer emissions.
If you are concerned about the potential chemicals inside the DuraFlame logs when burning inside your home, you can also use DuraFlames Outdoor Logs.
These logs are made with food-safe ingredients, therefore, are likely much cleaner to breathe in. However, no studies that I’m aware of have been done to confirm this.
These firelogs are designed for the great outdoors and burn brighter and hotter than regular firewood. Specially formulated and tested for roasting campfire foods and marshmallows.
Is The Smoke From Duraflame Logs Safe For Pets To Breathe?
There should be no issues with pets inhaling the smoke from Duraflame logs as long as there is proper ventilation in your fireplace.
As with all firelogs, there is a potential that the smoke could be an irritant to your pet, and this is why you should always provide them access to leave the area if needed.
Of course, keep your pet from going too close to the open flame and never leave them unattended with the fire nearby.
If your pet accidentally ingests DuraFlame logs, they should be okay but likely a little constipated due to the wood fibers inside them. It’s always best to get your vet’s advice to be on the safe side in this instance.
