What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners are a cost-effective solution for heating homes and businesses. They also help to reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
A well-seasoned wood is vital for efficient burning. Unseasoned or green wood can contain more moisture, which can create creosote and reduce performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been around for a long time. They are an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way of heating your home. The typical design of OWBs promotes a slower, cooler fire which results in poorer combustion and a higher amount of smoke and creosote. These unburned fuels can cause health problems as well as fire hazards, and can also harm the environment.
Moreover the visible smoke puffs that OWBs produce can cause neighbors to complain. This could lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) and taking enforcement actions. This kind of public relations issue can be a significant impact on the value of your property, and could even lead to your OWB being shut down.
Crown Royal Stoves offers a line of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces called the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to increase the efficiency of combustion for a clean, smokeless combustion. This is achieved with a negative-pressure air system which pulls in fresh, dry heated, filtered, and heated air from the bottom and pushes it through the chimney at a much faster rate than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is achieved through the unique design of a multi-pass, water-filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
When properly used, when used correctly, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can achieve the highest efficiency of combustion, which is 99% to create a cleaner, smokeless fire that requires less wood and produces significantly less carbon dioxide than traditional OWBs. It is important to use dry, clean, and seasoned wood in order to maximize the performance of your OWB. It is recommended that you get your wood seasoned for a minimum of six months or one year before burning it. This will result in a more efficient and cleaner burn.
In addition to improving the performance of your wood burner, you can also improve its efficiency by executing a "dry burn" every week. This method helps to eliminate creosote buildup, keeps your boiler in good condition and extends its life span. By adding a creosote-removing stick to your stove every time you fill it up, you can drastically reduce the amount of creosote you need to use. This product is available from Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove can become very dirty from burnt soot particles. They are difficult to get rid of and therefore, you must remove any buildup from the glass of your stove as soon as you notice it. Otherwise the soot will become harder and more difficult to get off. Using the right cleaners for the job is vital however, you must also ensure that you're not damaging the glass's surface with anything that might scratch it. This could leave a weak spot that could break the glass when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood burner it is important to ensure that it is unlit and completely cool. Be sure that you protect the area around it with newspaper. This will stop the ash from spreading and staining surfaces.
It could take as long as one year for the seasoning of your stove to be complete, based on the quality of the wood you select. The wood that has been properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but will also produce less creosote. This is the substance that is able to build up on your fireplace, decreasing its efficiency and posing a potential fire hazard. If you're using unseasoned wood, or just starting a fire in your outdoor fireplace, you should open the lower backdoor and scoop the the ashes into a non-combustible container each week.
A sediment flush is recommended on your boiler every four years. large wood burner is a simple five second flush from the bottom drain valve on your boiler. This will remove any debris that has accumulated within the system and help ensure that your boiler is in good functioning condition.
Once you have done the sediment flush, it's now time to clean the exterior of your outdoor wood burner. Before starting, it's crucial to cover the floor surrounding the stove with newspaper. Wearing gloves and eye protection is an excellent idea. Also, you should have a metal ash container along with a scraping tool as well as shovel. You can make use of a cloth as an insulator to shield the refractory from damage while you take off coal and ash deposits.
Easy to operate
Despite their popularity (they were among the 1990s' "it" trends, together with mullet hairstyles) outdoor wood boilers, referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters are still often misunderstood. Unlike their cousin the EPA's popular wood stoves which are designed to burn at constant, low temperatures, these units use more fire and generate more smoke when operating. This is the reason why local governments regulate or even ban their use.
OWBs are best used for heating homes with high insulation levels. The smoldering, dense visible smoke is also a source of complaint with neighbors and has led to many OWBs being shut down or being sued in the past. In order for OWBs to function properly, they must be used with dry wood with a low moisture content. Using green or unseasoned wood decreases efficiency, causes creosote build up and can reduce the lifespan of the burner. A moisture meter can help you determine how long it takes for wood to dry.
In contrast dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) employ a three step process that uses more of the available energy from the wood and results in much less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs and are suitable for a wide range of fuels. Wood gasification boilers need dry, seasoned wood. The majority of wood will be seasoned within a year, however oak and other species that are hardy can take two or more years to fully season. They are less water-based and have a larger mass. This allows them retain heat for longer, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. The EPA's "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners learn more about burning wood efficiently to minimize pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves are designed to be eco-friendly. Modern outdoor wood furnaces do not generate excessive CO2 or heat. They also burn more efficiently than indoor wood stoves. They also require less wood to produce the same amount heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more accepting of the moisture content of wood than wood burning stoves that are indoor. However outdoor wood burners should only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. Certain kinds of wood can last for up to a year. It is crucial to make use of a moisture meter to check the water content of your wood prior to loading.
When operating, it is essential to check the system regularly for the accumulation of creosote. Creosote, which is a byproduct of combustion, can build up in the chimney and flue if they aren't cleaned regularly. It can be removed using a special creosote removal product that is poured into the fire. Regular cleaning of the chimney and flue will eliminate dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technology known as Negative Pressure Gasification to attain 99% efficiency in combustion. This technology is employed in our EPA certified Pristine Series Outdoor Wood Furnaces to pull air up from the bottom and push all gases through an insulated secondary combustion chamber which is surrounded by water, with easy-to-clean turbulators. The result is a smokeless and pollutant-free combustion.