What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners are an efficient and cost-effective method of heating homes and businesses. They also help reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and help to create a more resilient energy strategy.
Well-seasoned woodburning fireplace is essential for efficient burning. Unseasoned or green wood has a higher moisture content and can cause creosote accumulation, which can affect performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for years and offer a very eco-friendly and energy efficient way to heat your home. However, the design of OWBs, which promotes the slow and cooler burning that causes poor combustion and more smoke, creosote, as well as particulates. These unburned fuels could cause health problems as well as fire hazards and deteriorate the surrounding environment.
Furthermore, the visible plume of smoke that OWBs emit can cause neighbors to complain and lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement actions. This kind of issue could have a negative impact on the value of your property, and may result in your OWB being closed down.
Crown Royal Stoves has a range of outdoor wood furnaces that are EPA Certified. The Pristine Gasification Series makes use of technology to maximize combustion efficiency and produce a smokeless, clean burn. This is achieved through a negative pressure air system that draws in fresh, dry heated, filtered air from the bottom and pushes it up the chimney faster 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.
Properly used, When properly used, the Pristine Series OWB achieves an 99% efficiency in combustion for a smoke-free and cleaner fire. It uses less wood, and produces significantly fewer emission than traditional OWBs. To maximize the effectiveness of your OWB it is essential to only burn dry, clean, and seasoned wood. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended. This helps ensure a smoother energy efficient and efficient burn.
In addition to improving the performance of your wood burner it is also possible to increase its efficiency by executing the "dry burn" every week. This technique eliminates creosote build up, keeps your boiler efficient and extends its lifespan. Additionally by putting in a creosote-removing stick every when you load your stove, you can dramatically reduce 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. These are very hard to shift so if you notice any spots of buildup on the glass of your stove, clean them as soon as you notice them. Soot that is not removed will harden, making it even more difficult. It is crucial to select the right cleaners however, you should avoid damaging the glass surface by using anything that can scratch it. This could lead to a weak spot that can break glass when exposed to high temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood stove, you must ensure that it's not lit and completely cool. Also, be sure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will stop the ash from leaking and staining surfaces.
Depending on the quality of the wood you use, it can take up to an entire year for your stove to become properly seasoned. The wood that is seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but will create less creosote. This is the kind of material that is able to build up on your fireplace, reducing its efficiency and posing a potential fire hazard. If you're using unseasoned wood or just making a fresh fire in your outdoor wood burner the best thing to do is open the back door to the lower part and scoop out the ashes into a non-combustible container every week.
A sediment flush should be performed on your boiler every four years. This is a straightforward flush of five seconds from the bottom drain valve on your boiler. This will eliminate any accumulation of sediment inside the system, and will keep your boiler in great working condition.
After you've completed the sediment flush, it's time to clean the outside of your outdoor wood burner. Before you begin, make sure to cover the stove's area with newspaper. It is also helpful to wear gloves and protective eyewear. You should also have a ash canister made of metal as well as a scraping tool and shovel. You can use a cloth for an insulator to protect the refractory while you scrape away coal and ash deposits.
Easy to Operate
Outdoor wood boilers (also called outdoor furnaces and outdoor wood hydronic heating systems or outdoor wood heaters) are often misunderstood despite their acclaim. They were among the "it" trends of the 1990s, along with hairstyles for mullets. They're different from the popular EPA wood stoves, which are designed to burn at low temperatures and continuously. They use a higher rate of burning and produce more smoke. This is why some local governments regulate or ban their use.
OWBs work best for homes with high levels of insulation. Smoke that is thick and smoldering may cause annoyance to neighbors, which has led many OWBs to be shut down or sued. For OWBs dry wood that has lower moisture content is required to perform effectively. Green or unseasoned 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.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers however they employ a three-step procedure that utilizes more of the energy contained in the wood. This means less smoke. These kinds of furnaces are far more efficient than conventional OWBs and can be used with a larger range of fuel. Wood gasification boilers require dry well-seasoned and well-seasoned firewood. The majority of wood will season within the course of a year. Oak and other hardy trees could take up to two years. They are less water-based and have a greater density. This allows them to retain heat for longer, thereby increasing efficiency and decreasing pollution. The EPA "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension are great sources for homeowners to learn how to efficiently burn wood to minimize pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces are constructed with the environment in mind. Modern outdoor wood furnaces don't produce excessive CO2 or heat. They also burn more efficiently than indoor wood stoves. They also require less wood to produce the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance than indoor wood burners, and are more tolerant in regards to the moisture content of the wood. However outdoor wood burners should only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. This could take a whole year or more for some kinds of wood. Make use of a moisture meter prior to loading to check the amount of water present in your wood.
In the course of operation, it is necessary to check the system regularly for the accumulation of creosote. Creosote is an byproduct of combustion that can build up in the chimney and flue when it is not cleaned frequently. It can be removed using a creosote removal solution that is poured into the flame. Regular cleaning of the chimney and flue will eliminate dangerous creosote and improve efficiency.
To attain 99% efficiency in combustion, Crown Royal Stoves designed a new air flow technology known as Negative Pressure Gasification. This technology is used in our EPA certified Pristine Series Outdoor Wood Furnaces to pull air up from the bottom and push all the gases through an insulated secondary combustion chamber surrounded by water with easy-to-clean turbulators. The result is a smokeless & pollutant free combustion.