What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners are an affordable method of heating homes and businesses. They also reduce the dependence on fossil fuels that are non-renewable and contribute to a resilient energy strategy.
Wood that is well-seasoned is crucial for efficient burning. Green or unseasoned wood may have a higher moisture content which can create creosote and slow down performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for many years and offer a very energy efficient and environmentally friendly method to heat your home. However, the standard design of OWBs that encourages a slow, cooler fire which results in poor combustion and more smoke, creosote and particulates. Unburned fuels can cause health problems, fire hazards and degrade the environment.
Additionally, the visible smoke that OWBs produce can cause neighbors to complain and result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement action. 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 that are referred to as the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to maximize combustion efficiency for a clean, smoke-free burning. This is accomplished by using a negative-pressure air system which pulls fresh, dry heated, filtered air from the bottom, and then pushes it up the chimney faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished by the unique design of a multi-pass, water filled heat exchanger constructed from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly used, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can attain the highest efficiency of combustion, which is 99% for a cleaner, smoke-free fire that requires less wood and produces significantly fewer emissions than traditional OWBs. To enhance the effectiveness of your OWB it is crucial to only burn dry, clean, and seasoned wood. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended and helps ensure a better, more energy efficient burn.
In addition to improving the efficiency of your wood stove, you can also improve its efficiency by performing the "dry burn" every week. This method helps to eliminate creosote buildup, keeps your boiler running efficiently and increases its lifespan. By adding a stick for removing creosote to your stove every time you fill it up, you can dramatically reduce the amount of creosote you use. The product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood burning stove can become very dirty from burnt soot particles. These are very hard to remove, so if you see any spots of buildup on the glass of your stove, you must clean them as soon as you notice them. If the soot isn't removed, it will harden, making it even more difficult. Using the right cleaners for the job is crucial however, you must also ensure that you're not damaging the surface of the glass by using anything that could scratch it. This could leave an area of weakness that could break the glass if it's exposed to high temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood burner, you should make sure that it's not lit and completely cool. Make sure that you cover the area surrounding it with newspaper. This will stop any ash spillage that can stain and mark surfaces.
Based on the quality of the wood that you choose to use, it could take up to one year for your stove to be properly well-seasoned. The wood that has been seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but will also produce less creosote. This is the material that builds up on your chimney, decreasing its effectiveness and creating a fire hazard. If you are using unseasoned wood or are just beginning a new fire in your outdoor wood burner, the best thing to do is to open up the back door to the lower part and scoop the ashes into a non-combustible container each week.
A sediment flush should be performed on your boiler every four years. This is a quick five-second flush from the bottom drain valve on your boiler. This will eliminate any sediments that have built in the system and will ensure that your boiler runs well.
After you have cleaned the exterior of your fireplace outside It is now time to clean it. Before you begin, it's crucial to cover the stove's area with newspaper. Wearing gloves and eye protection is an excellent idea. You should also have a ash canister made of metal, a scraping tool and shovel. To protect the refractory you must lay down a cloth to protect it while you scrape away coal and ash deposits.
Easy to operate
Outdoor wood boilers (also called outdoor furnaces, outdoor wood hydronic heating systems, or outdoor wood heaters) are often misunderstood despite their popularity. They were one of the "it" trends of the 1990s, as were mullet hairstyles. Unlike their cousin the EPA's popular wood stoves that are designed to burn at constant, low temperatures, these boilers have a higher fire rate and generate more smoke when they operate. Some local governments limit or prohibit their use.
OWBs are best suited to homes with a high level of insulation. Smoke that is dense and smoldering could cause annoyance to neighbors, which has led many OWBs to be shut down or even sued. For OWBs dry wood with lower moisture content is required to function properly. The use of unseasoned or green wood can reduce efficiency, cause creosote build up and can reduce the lifespan of the burner. small wood burning stove can help you determine the time it takes for wood to dry.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers however, use a three-step process 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 wider range of fuel. Wood gasification boilers require dry well-seasoned and seasoned firewood. The majority of wood will mature over the course of one year. Oak and other hardy trees can take up to two years. This is because they have lower amount of water and a higher density. This enables them to hold heat longer, thus increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. The EPA's "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners learn more about burning wood efficiently, thereby reducing air pollution.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves are engineered to be eco-friendly. In contrast to indoor wood burners which generate significant smoke Modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly and without the production of excessive carbon monoxide or heat. They also require less wood to produce the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners also require significantly less maintenance than indoor wood burners and are more forgiving when it comes to the moisture content of the wood. However outdoor wood burners should only be used with properly treated or "cured" wood. Certain kinds of wood can last for up to a year. Use a moisture gauge prior to loading to determine the amount of water present in your wood.
During operation, it is essential to regularly check the system for the accumulation of creosote. Creosote is a byproduct from combustion and can build up in the chimney and flue if it is not cleaned frequently. It can be eliminated using the use of a special creosote remover that is poured into the flame. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney can remove harmful creosote and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technology known as Negative Pressure Gasification to ensure 99% efficiency in combustion. This technology is employed in our EPA certified Pristine Series Outdoor Wood Furnaces to draw air from the bottom and force all the gases through an insulated secondary combustion chamber surrounded by water with easy-to-clean Turbulators. The result is a smokeless, pollution-free combustion.