June 13 ^th , 2011

NAPA Fuel Stories / NY Times and GMA

Good morning. On Saturday June 11, the New York Times ran a story on NAPA Home Inc. Ethanol Gel Fuel and discussed in detail two cases in which a consumer was badly injured using this product. The link is: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/nyregion/a-firepot-a-safe-label-and-2-horrible-explosions.html?_r=1

This morning Good Morning America ran a story as well and that link is: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/injuries-result-exploding-ceramic-pots-send-flaming-gel/story?id=13825462

Both of these stories are focused on NAPA Home Inc. and their ethanol based fuel. At this time, NAPA Home Inc. is the only company involved in these incidents. However, both stories also speak very generally of gel fuels as a category.

We would like to clarify that our pour gel fuel is not the same product and does not have the same qualities. The main ingredients and formulas are much different and in our tests have not shown the same burning characteristics.

Key differences about Real Flame:

• Real Flame pour gel is an Isopropyl Alcoho l - not Ethanol - based gel fuel. It is a proprietary formula specifically designed and tested for use in our products. It has been sold safely in the US for close to 30 years.
• Real Flame Gel Fuel has been thoroughly tested by independent labs and has proven to be safe when used as directed. Furthermore it has been approved for burning by the Atlanta, Chicago, and Las Vegas Fire Departments to be used at industry trade shows. Records of those tests are on file.
• The labels of our pour gel and canned fuel were designed in conjunction with, and approved by Health Canada, which regulates these types of products and whose standards for labeling are very strict and beyond US requirements.
• This ensures that your customers are well informed regarding the safe use of this flammable gel fuel product.
• We have included pictures of our existing Real Flame Pour Gel labels. You can see that in the directions we boldly state not to add fuel to the reservoir while it is burning.
• Real Flame has been designing, testing and introducing gel-fueled fireplaces for the past 30 years. We have a very reputable name in the industry and the safety of our customers is our top priority. We have compiled years of testing data that demonstrates that commitment.

Our thoughts go out to the injured, and today we have voluntarily contacted and spoken with the US Consumer Products Safety Agency to help them better understand gel fuel technology and to assist them in any way we can.

In the meantime, you can be assured that when used as directed our product continues to be very safe, with more than 250,000 bottles of pour gel sold in the past two years without a single incident.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this please feel free to contact me at anytime.

Best Regards,

John Ridgeway

jridgeway@realflame.com

Vice President Sales and Marketing

Real Flame Company

Fireplaces are shockingly inefficient, which, as far as Cameron Scott understands it, means that you're basking in a mere 10 percent of the heat generated. The rest goes up the chimney. And burning wood creates substantial particulate pollution, which is why fires are banned on Spare the Air days. Must you, then, give up the exquisite pleasure of a fire? No; thankfully, there's the fireplace insert. More

If you haven’t started storing wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove, I’d get started now. The days are already getting shorter, and before you know it summer will be over, and fall’s first chill will be in the air.

But if you’re only stocking wood for a fireplace, and burning wood for its esthetic value rather than as an energy source, there’s still time to gather enough good wood for the winter. If you buy wood, and have it stacked or stack it yourself, you can virtually wait to the last minute.

If you heat your home predominantly by wood, as I do, you should have started stowing wood weeks ago. Compared to most folks who heat their homes by oil, gas, or electricity, I’m among a small minority who heat their homes entirely by wood. I cut it, haul, split, and stack it. That translates to a lot of work. If I can recruit my son to help out, the job is a little easier. More often than not I do the entire, tedious job myself. Since it’s a tough, tiring job that takes a toll on my body, especially arms and legs, I spread it out over four weeks.

Every year, my goal is to find seasoned wood, or wood that is well on its way to being totally seasoned. By just looking at a log or branch, I can tell whether it’s seasoned. Typically, seasoned wood is lighter than unseasoned wood; has a hollow like sound when dropped on the ground; and when cut, it has many cracks from the centre to its ends.

Technically, seasoned wood is dry wood that has a moisture content of 15 per cent to 20 per cent. Most important, it burns hotter and more efficiently, and it reduces wood consumption as much as 25 per cent. That’s why seasoned wood costs a lot more than partially seasoned wood.

If you burn as much wood as I do, which is about eight cords during the chilly and cold months, it’s almost impossible to stock only seasoned wood. Depending upon the state of the wood, whether it’s a recently-cut dead tree or one that has been sitting on the ground for a couple years, it can take six months to a year for wood to dry out. Some experts insist that it takes two years to season wood.

That’s a matter of opinion, because it depends upon the type of wood you’re burning, and how it’s stored. If properly stacked, which is an art in itself, so the wood has plenty of air and light, it will dry pretty quickly, as opposed to wood that is stored in an enclosed area with little or no natural light.

Also, the type of wood burned has a great deal to do with the quality and duration of heat. All wood isn’t the same. Wood aficionados can tell what type of wood is burned by its smell, because every wood has its own distinct smell. That said, I wish I could burn only quality wood, but I have little say in the matter. Mother Nature calls the shots, and I take what I find. Each year it’s different. I can count on a few dead trees on my own property that either fall by themselves following a storm or that I cut down once I’m sure they’re dead.

If you wander North America’s woods and forests, you’ll find a rich variety of hard woods. But the best burning woods are black walnut, sycamore, red and white oak, maple and white and green ash. But there are many other woods that come pretty close.

If you buy wood, it pays to ask about the type of wood you’re getting. The average wood buyer doesn’t know one wood from the other, but it pays to learn something about wood so you know you’re getting quality wood. Reputable loggers selling a variety of seasoned woods should be happy to tell you.

With better delivery methods and more reliable heating, gas fireplaces have become a mainstay in many of today's living areas. Gas provides an easy, effective way to heat your family room or office. Without the worries of excessive smoke or fumes, no heavy lifting and no hauling of buckets or boxes, gas fireplaces also save time, and your back.

See our selection of quality gas fireplaces

In many parts of the country, its time to fire up the fireplace or woodstove for that ambiance and extra heat.

Heating with wood can save you a lot of money. The Old Farmers Almanac reports that burning one cord of wood can generate the equivalent of 200 - 250 gallons of fuel oil. That could be as much as $800 in fuel savings vs. $200 for a cord of wood if you have to purchase it. This savings is based on using an efficient wood burning appliance.

So how much is a cord of wood? Firewood is usually sold by the cord which is equivalent to 128 cubic feet, generally stacked in a 4 ft x ft x 8 ft stack. Generally pieces are cut in 12 to 16 lengths so the stack will usually be 3 to 4 rows deep. A "rick cord" or "face cord" is a smaller quantity of firewood - 4 ft high x 8 ft high, but only one row deep. Make sure you understand what you are buying before you commit to buying a cord of wood.

Whenever possible, you will want to buy and burn the most dense of available woods. Oak, Hickory and the likes are dense woods. You can always tell a dense wood by it weight - assuming it is dried to 20% moisture. A cord of good dense wood will produce about 30 million BTU.

Storing and drying of cord wood is of utmost importance. Some firewood you purchase will be ready to burn, others will not. You can determine the moisture content of any type of wood with a simple moisture meter available here . It is best to stack your wood off the ground and keep the top of the pile covered. Do not cover the sides so as to allow air flow through the pile.

Dealing with Wood Ashes: Use extreme caution when removing ashes from a fireplace or woodstove, as embers in the ashes have the potential to start a fire many hours – or even days – after you think the fire has gone out. Place ashes in a metal container, cover with water and an airtight lid, and set outside, away from the house or anything flammable. Never attempt to remove fresh ashes with a vacuum cleaner or shop vac. Once thoroughly extinguished, wood ashes can be placed in the compost pile, sparingly scattered on the lawn (to increase soil pH levels) or used to treat icy patches on sidewalks and driveways.

Converting a Fireplace for Greater Heat Generation: Wood-burning fireplaces in many homes are designed more for show than as a cost-effective way to supplement the home’s primary heating system. According to the website motherjones.com, installing a fireplace insert – a sort of wood stove that fits inside your fireplace – can increase heating efficiency by 70 percent compared to an open fireplace, at a cost starting around $700 per unit. There is also a variety of other, less expensive devices that can increase your fireplace’s heating efficiency, including installing glass doors to reduce heat loss and adding a blower/fan system to force more hot air into the home.

Don’t Skimp on Chimney Cleaning: Even though I’m all in favor of saving money by doing things myself, it’s a smart investment to have your home’s chimney professionally inspected and cleaned every couple of years. Most home remedies for chimney cleaning – like starting a fire and adding rock salt or potato peels to it – are more myth than fact. A damaged chimney or a chimney fire fueled by the residue buildup inside the flue poses a serious fire hazard to your entire home.