What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners are a cost-effective way to heat homes and businesses. They also reduce the need for fossil fuels that are not renewable and contribute towards a resilient energy strategy.
For efficient combustion, it is important to use well-seasoned wood. Unseasoned or green wood has higher moisture content and may cause creosote that can reduce performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been around for a long time. They are an energy-efficient and eco-friendly method of heating your home. However, the typical design of OWBs, which promotes the slow and cooler burning which results in poor combustion and more smoke, creosote, as well as particulates. These unburned fuels can lead to health problems as well as fire hazards, and can also harm the environment.
Moreover the visible smoke plume that OWBs generate can make neighbors complain. This may result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation), taking enforcement action. This type of public relations issue can cause serious damage to the value of your property and could even result in your OWB being shut down.
Crown Royal Stoves has a range of outdoor wood furnaces that are EPA Certified. The Pristine Gasification Series utilizes technology to improve the efficiency of combustion and create an unburned, clean and smoke-free. This is achieved through an air system that is negative pressure that pulls fresh hot, dry and filtered air from the bottom of the boiler and pushes it out through the chimney at a more rapid rate than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished through the unique design of a multi-pass, water filled heat exchanger made of 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
When used properly when properly used, when properly used, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can attain the highest efficiency of combustion, which is 99% for a cleaner, smoke-free fire that consumes 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. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended. This helps ensure a smoother, more energy efficient burn.
corner wood burning stove can increase the efficiency of your wood-burning stove through every week a "dry burn". This method reduces creosote which increases the efficiency of boilers and extends the life of your boiler. Lastly, by adding a creosote removal stick every when you load your stove, you can drastically cut the amount of creosote you use. The product is available from Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
The soot particles that are left in the aftermath of burning wood can make a stove look very dirty. They are difficult to get rid of, so remove any buildup from the glass of your stove as soon as you notice it. In the event that the soot is not removed, it will become harder and more difficult to remove. It's important to use the right cleaners, but you should also be careful not to scratch the glass with anything that could scratch it. This could cause a weak spot that can shatter glass when exposed high temperatures.
Be sure to allow your wood burner to cool completely before cleaning it. Also, make sure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will prevent the ash from leaking and staining surfaces.
Based on the quality of the wood you use, it can take up to an entire year for your stove to be properly seasoned. The wood that has been properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but will also produce less creosote. This is the substance that builds up on your chimney, decreasing its efficiency and creating an hazard for fire. If you're using wood that's not seasoned or are just beginning a fire in your outdoor fireplace, you should open the lower backdoor and scoop the the ashes into a non-combustible container each week.
It is also recommended to perform an annual sediment flush on your boiler at least once every four years. This involves a simple five-second flush from the bottom drain valve of your boiler. This will get rid of any sediment that has built up inside the system, and will keep your boiler in great operating condition.
After you have cleaned the exterior of your outdoor fireplace It is now time to clean it. Before starting, it's crucial to cover the floor area surrounding the stove with newspaper. Wearing protective gloves and eyewear is an excellent idea. Also, you should have a shovel, a metal container for ash, and an instrument for scraping. You can use a cloth for shield to protect the refractory while you take off coal and ash deposits.
Easy to Operate
Despite their popularity (they were among the 1990s' "it" trends, along with mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, also known as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters, are still often misunderstood. They're different from the popular EPA wood stoves, which are built to burn at low temperatures and run continuously. They are able to produce more fire and generate more smoke. This is why some local governments have a policy of regulating or banning their use.
OWBs are best suited to homes that have high levels of insulation. Smoke that is dense and smoldering can also be a nuisance for neighbors, resulting in many OWBs to be shut down or even sued. To ensure that OWBs to function properly, they must be used with dry wood that has a low moisture content. Unseasoned or green wood can decrease efficiency, cause creosote to accumulate and decrease the life of the burner. A moisture gauge will allow you to determine how long it takes for wood to dry.
In contrast dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) employ a three step process which makes use of the available energy in the wood and results in much less smoke. These types of furnaces are much more efficient than traditional OWBs and can be used with a larger range of fuel. Wood gasification boilers need dry and seasoned wood. Most wood will season within a year, however oak and other species that are hardy could require two years or more to fully mature. They are less water-based and have a greater density. This enables them to hold heat for longer, thereby increasing efficiency and reduce pollution. The EPA "Burn Wise' website and Cornell Cooperative Extension are great resources for homeowners to learn how to burn wood efficiently to reduce pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces have been designed with the environment in mind. Modern outdoor wood furnaces do not generate excessive heat or CO2. They also burn cleaner than indoor wood stoves. They also require less wood to generate the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more forgiving of the moisture content of wood than wood burning stoves for indoor use. However outdoor wood burners can only be used with properly prepared or "cured" wood. It can take a year or more for some types of wood. Make use of a moisture meter prior to loading to check the amount of water in your wood.
When the system is in operation, it is essential to regularly check the system for the build-up of creosote. Creosote is an byproduct of combustion and can build up in the flue and chimney in the event that it is not cleaned regularly. It can be eliminated using the use of a special creosote remover that is poured into the flame. Regular cleaning of the chimney and flue will help eliminate dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.
In order to achieve 99% combustion efficiency, Crown Royal Stoves designed an innovative air flow technology called Negative Pressure Gasification. This technology is used in our EPA certified Pristine Series Outdoor Wood Furnaces to draw air upwards from the bottom and force all gases through an sealed secondary combustion chamber, surrounded by water with easy-to-clean Turbulators. The result is a smokeless and pollution-free burn.