What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners are a cost-effective method of heating homes and businesses. They also reduce the dependence on fossil fuels that are non-renewable and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
Well-seasoned wood is essential for efficient burning. Green or unseasoned wood may have a higher moisture content which can cause creosote to build up and reduce performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for years and are an extremely eco-friendly and energy efficient method of heating your home. The typical design of OWBs encourages the slowing of the fire, making it cooler which results in poorer combustion and more smoke and creosote. These unburned fuels could lead to health problems, fire hazards and degrade the environment.
Furthermore the visible smoke puffs that OWBs produce can cause neighbors to complain. This could lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) taking enforcement action. This type of issue can affect the value of your property and could result in your OWB being closed.
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 increase the efficiency of combustion for a clean, smoke-free combustion. This is achieved through a negative pressure air system which pulls fresh dry, heated, filtered air from the bottom and pushes it through the chimney faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished through a unique design which uses a multi-pass water-filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly used, the Pristine Series OWB has a 99% combustion rate for a cleaner and smokeless fire. It requires less wood, and produces significantly fewer emission than traditional OWBs. To enhance the effectiveness of your OWB it is essential to only burn dry, clean, seasoned wood. The process of preparing your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended. It helps ensure a better, more energy efficient burn.
You can increase the efficiency of your wood-burning stove by performing every week a "dry burn". This method lowers the amount of creosote in your home which improves boiler efficiency and extends the lifespan of your boiler. By adding a stick for removing creosote to your stove every time you fill it, you can drastically reduce the amount of creosote that you use. This product is available at Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
The soot particles that are left on the stove after burning wood may make a stove appear very dirty. They are difficult to remove, so remove any buildup from the glass of your stove as soon as you notice it. If the soot isn't removed, it will become hard and make it more difficult to remove. Using the right cleaners for the job is crucial however, you must also ensure that you're not damaging the surface of the glass with anything that could scratch it. This could cause a weak point that will shatter glass when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood burner you should make sure that it is unlit and completely cool. Also, make sure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will prevent any spillage of ash that can cause stains and marks on surfaces.
Based on the quality of the wood you choose to use, it could take up to a year for your stove to be properly and seasoned. Wood that is properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently and will produce less creosote. This is the substance that builds up on your fireplace, decreasing its effectiveness and creating a potential fire hazard. If you are using unseasoned wood, or just starting a new fire in your outdoor wood burner, the best thing to do is to open up the lower back door and scoop the ashes into a non-combustible bin every week.
A sediment flush is recommended on your boiler every four years. This is a simple five second flush from the bottom drain valve of your boiler. small wood burning stove will get rid of any sediment that has built up within the system and help ensure that your boiler is in good operating condition.
After you have cleaned the outside of your fireplace outside It is now time to clean it. Before you begin, it's crucial to cover the area around the stove with newspaper. It is also beneficial to wear protective eyewear and gloves. You should also have a metal ash canister along with a scraping tool as well as a shovel. To protect the refractory you must lay down a cloth to shield it as you scrape away coal and ash deposits.
Easy to operate
Outdoor wood boilers (also known as outdoor furnaces and outdoor wood hydronic heating systems, or outdoor wood heaters) are often misunderstood in spite of their popularity. They were among the "it" trends of the 1990s, alongside mullet hairstyles. Contrary to the EPA's popular wood stoves which are designed to burn at low, constant temperatures, these heaters use more fire and emit more smoke when they operate. This is why some local governments have a policy of regulating or banning their use.
OWBs work best in homes with a high level of insulation. The smoldering, visible smoke can also be a source of complaint with neighbors and has led to numerous OWBs being shut down or being sued in the past. In order for OWBs to operate properly they should be operated with dry wood that has a low moisture content. Green or unseasoned wood can decrease efficiency, cause creosote to build up, and shorten the lifespan of the burner. Drying wood takes time and a moisture meter is a must for the homeowner.
In contrast, dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) employ three steps that makes use of more available energy in the wood, resulting in much less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than conventional OWBs, and are suitable for a wide range of fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry, well-seasoned firewood. Most wood can be seasoned within a year, however oak and other hardy species can require two years or more to fully mature. This is due to less amount of water and a higher density. This lets them store 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 reduce air pollution.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces are designed with the environment in mind. Contrary to indoor wood stoves that emit significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn efficiently and without the release of excessive carbon monoxide or heat. 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 the moisture content of wood than wood burning stoves that are indoor. However outdoor wood burners should only be used with properly treated or "cured" wood. This can take a year or more for certain types of wood. It is crucial to make use of a moisture meter to determine the amount of water of your wood prior to loading.
In the course of operation, it is essential to check the system regularly for the accumulation of creosote. Creosote is a byproduct from combustion and can accumulate in the chimney and flue if it is not cleaned regularly. It can be removed with the use of a special creosote remover that is poured into the flame. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney will help eliminate dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technology called Negative Pressure Gasification to attain 99% efficiency in combustion. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces make use of this technology to draw air from the bottom, directing all the gasses into an insulated water-surrounded secondary combustion chamber, which is easy-clean Turbulators to ensure a smoke-free and pollutant-free burn.