What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners can be an efficient and cost-effective method of heating homes and businesses. They also reduce the need for fossil fuels that are not renewable and contribute towards a resilient energy strategy.
Well-seasoned wood is essential for efficient burning. Unseasoned or green wood can contain more moisture that can cause creosote to accumulate and decrease performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for many years and are an extremely eco-friendly and energy efficient way to heat your home. However, the standard design of OWBs that encourages the slow and cooler burning that causes less combustion and a higher amount of smoke, creosote and particulates. These unburned fuels could lead to health problems, fire hazards and degrade the environment.
Furthermore, the visible smoke plume that OWBs emit could cause neighbors to voice their concerns and result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement actions. This kind of public relations issue can cause serious damage to the value of your property, and could result in your OWB being shut down.
Crown Royal Stoves offers a range of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces that are referred to as the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to boost the efficiency of combustion for a clean, smokeless burning. This is accomplished by using a negative-pressure air system which pulls in fresh, dry, heated, filtered air from the bottom and pushes it up the chimney much faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished through an exclusive design that uses a multi-pass water-filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
When used properly correctly, when used correctly, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can attain a 99% combustion efficiency for a cleaner, smoke-free fire that requires less wood and produces fewer emissions than traditional OWBs. To maximize the performance of your OWB it is crucial to only burn dry, clean, seasoned wood. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended and will ensure a more efficient, more energy efficient burn.
In addition to improving the efficiency of your wood stove, you can also improve the efficiency of your wood burner by performing a "dry burn" every week. This technique reduces creosote which improves boiler efficiency and prolongs the life of your boiler. By adding a creosote-removing stick to your stove every time you fill it, you can dramatically reduce the amount of creosote you use. This product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove can be extremely dirty due to burned soot particles. They are difficult to remove and therefore, you must clean any buildup on the glass of your stove as soon as you notice it. If the soot isn't removed, it will become hard, making it even more difficult. second hand wood burning stoves is crucial to use the right cleaners, but you should also avoid damaging the glass surface with anything that could scratch it. This could result in a weak point that will shatter glass when exposed high temperatures.
Be sure to allow your wood burner to cool completely before cleaning it. Also, be sure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will stop any spillage of ash that can stain and mark surfaces.
Based on the quality of the wood you select, it can take up to an entire year for your stove to become properly and seasoned. Seasoned wood will not only burn better, but will create less creosote. This is the kind of material that builds up on your fireplace, reducing its efficiency and creating the potential for a fire hazard. If you're using wood that's not seasoned or you're just starting a fire in your outdoor fireplace, you should open the lower backdoor and scoop out the ashes into a non-combustible container every week.
You should also perform an annual sediment flush on your boiler at least once every four years. This involves a simple five-second flush from the drain valve of your boiler. This will get rid of any accumulation of sediment within the system and help keep your boiler in great operating condition.
After you've completed the sediment flush, it's now time to clean the exterior of your outdoor wood burner. Before you begin, it's crucial to cover the stove's area with newspaper. Wearing protective eyewear and gloves is an excellent idea. You should also have a shovel, a metal container for ash and an instrument for scraping. You can use a cloth for shield to shield the refractory from damage while you remove ash and coal deposits.
Simple to operate
Despite their popularity (they were among the 1990s' "it" trends, as were mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, also referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters, are frequently misunderstood. Contrary to the EPA's popular wood stoves which are designed to burn at low, constant temperatures, these heaters use an increased fire rate and produce more smoke when they operate. This is why a few local governments have a policy of regulating or banning their use.
OWBs work best in homes that have high levels of insulation. Smoke that is dense and smoldering may be a nuisance to neighbors, resulting in many OWBs to be shut down or even sued. For OWBs dry wood with less moisture content is needed to work properly. Wood that is not seasoned or green will reduce efficiency, causing creosote build-up and decrease the life of the burner. A moisture gauge will allow you determine how long it takes for wood to dry.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers are, on the other hand utilize a three-step process that utilizes more of the energy available in the wood. This means less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs, and can be used to fuel a wide range of fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry, seasoned wood. Most wood can be seasoned within a year, however oak and other species with a hardy structure can require two years or more to fully mature. This is because they have less water content and denser mass. This enables them to hold heat longer, thus increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. The EPA "Burn Wise' website and Cornell Cooperative Extension are great sources for homeowners to learn how to burn wood efficiently to reduce pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves are engineered to be eco-friendly. Unlike indoor wood burners that generate significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn efficiently and without the creation of excessive heat or carbon monoxide. They also require less wood to provide the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more accepting of moisture content in wood than indoor wood burning stoves. Outdoor wood burners are suitable for wood that has been properly "cured" or dried or. Certain types of wood may last for up to a year. Use a moisture meter before loading to determine the amount of water in your wood.
In the course of operation, it is important to periodically inspect the system for creosote build up. Creosote is a byproduct of combustion and can build up in the chimney and flue in the event that it is not cleaned frequently. It can be removed by pouring a creosote removing product into the fire. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney will remove dangerous creosote and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technique called Negative Pressure Gasification to attain 99% efficiency in combustion. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces utilize this technology to pull air from the bottom, forcing all the gasses into an insulated water-surrounded secondary combustion chamber, which is easy-clean Turbulators to ensure a smoke-free and pollution-free combustion.