Trash Burner

[Margaret Treat]

Hello All,
I went to a home yesterday, built in 1924. In the kitchen there was a trash burner, it vents out of the roof was older but well maintained and functioning. Does anyone know anything I should be aware of with these? Thanks! Margaret

 

[Richard Carlsen]

I've seen them since I was a little boy. They were quite common and worked very well to burn trash and garbage using natural gas. Everything was reduced to a fine powder ash. I even remember them being advertised on B&W TV in the Detroit market in the early 50's. It seems that there were two types: If I remember correctly, a great aunt of mine had one somewhere in the kitchen, sort of like a trash compactor today. The other type that generally see a couple of times a year in older houses, is a stand-alone unit that is typically located in the basement or garage. They are about the size of todays hot water baseboard heating units. Many are no longer in use and a lot of people do not know what they are; even the HO's.

However, the advent of certain man-made materials caused them to stop being used as the burning of these materials often produced poisonous gases that were passed into the atmosphere. They in fact were quite a hazard. I don't believe that there is a building code that permits the installation of such waste burners.

I typically just make note of the units existence and let the UW's concern themselves with keeping it or requiring it to be taken out. I am not an expert on the building codes in all of the areas I service and since the presence of such a unit does not impact the value one way or the other, it does not concern the appraisal.

 

[Thomas Fiehler]

Ditto what Richard said. In the old days I would run acroos the incenerator about once a year-now its once every 5 years or so.

 

[Jerry Bone Jr]

Hello All,
I went to a home yesterday, built in 1924. In the kitchen there was a trash burner, it vents out of the roof was older but well maintained and functioning. Does anyone know anything I should be aware of with these? Thanks! Margaret

I can't imagine how a personal use trash burner is legal to use in the state of Oregon.

 

[Margaret Treat]

Thanks for the help.

Jerry,
I know what your thinking, and in particular, this is in Portland which would make the thought of noxious gases filling the clean air even more offensive. So, I will make obvious note of it in the report.

Are you suggesting that I need to see if they are legal to use in Oregon? :Eyecrazy:

 

[Richard Carlsen]

Margaret

Now you are starting to think like a code enforcer (which you are not). First off, these incinerators may be illegal to use but their existence may not be illegal. So one sitting on a basement floor may not be violating any laws.

Just state what you find in the house. Warn the client that the use of such incinerators may not be permitted and advise the client that if this is of concern in a lending situation for them, they should have it inspected and/or removed. Now it is somebody else's problem and not the appraiser whose assignment is to estimate the Market Value of the property.

 

[Jerry Bone Jr]

I will make obvious note of it in the report.
Are you suggesting that I need to see if they are legal to use in Oregon? :Eyecrazy:

No. Just make note & move on. It's not a big deal.
I did a google search.
Here is a link, http://www.kgw.com/news/specialrepo...07_env_sweeps_toxic_wood_smoke_.5511a675.html , to a KGW Special Report about trash burning in Washington & Oregon.
Here is a link, http://www.deq.state.or.us/wr/LocalProjects/BurnBarrelFS.pdf , to a pdf by the DEQ about burning trash in burn barrels outside.
I didn't find anything about an indoor trash burner.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

I even did a house not long ago that had one of those igloo looking incinerators in the back yard. Burning trash hasn't been legal in Colorado Springs for years. Did it affect the value? I don't think so. Might make an interesting dog house, ya think?

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

I even did a house not long ago that had one of those igloo looking incinerators in the back yard. Burning trash hasn't been legal in Colorado Springs for years. Did it affect the value? I don't think so. Might make an interesting dog house, ya think?

Depends if you like the dog I suppose.