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 dependence on fossil fuels that are not renewable and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
Well-seasoned wood is essential for efficient burning. corner wood burning stove that is not seasoned or green has higher moisture content and can cause creosote buildup which reduces performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been in use for many years. They are an energy efficient and eco-friendly method of heating your home. The typical design of OWBs promotes the slowing of the fire, making it cooler which results in less efficient combustion and a higher amount of smoke and creosote. These unburned fuels can cause health issues, fire hazards and degrade the environment.
Additionally, the visible plume of smoke that OWBs emit can make neighbors angry and lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement actions. This kind of problem can have a negative impact on your property value and even result in your OWB being closed.
Crown Royal Stoves offers a line of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces called the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to maximize combustion efficiency for a clean, smoke-free combustion. This is accomplished with a negative-pressure air system that draws in fresh dry heated, filtered, and heated air from the bottom, and then pushes it up the chimney much faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished by a unique design that utilizes a multi-pass, water-filled heat exchanger made of 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
Properly utilized properly, the Pristine Series OWB achieves an 99% efficiency in combustion for a cleaner and smoke-free fire. It requires less wood, and produces significantly fewer emission than traditional OWBs. It is essential to use dry, clean, and seasoned wood to increase the performance of your OWB. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended. This helps ensure a better and more efficient burn.
In addition to improving the performance of your wood stove it is also possible to increase its efficiency by performing a "dry burn" every week. This technique eliminates creosote build up, keeps your boiler in good condition and extends its life span. In addition by putting in a creosote remover stick every time you fill your stove, you will be able to dramatically reduce the amount of creosote that you use. This product is available at Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove could be extremely dirty due to burned soot particles. They are difficult to remove so make sure you clean any buildup on the glass of your stove immediately. Otherwise the soot will become harder and more difficult to get rid of. It is crucial to use the right cleaners however, you must be careful not to scratch the glass by using anything that can scratch it. This could result in a weak spot that can shatter glass when exposed high temperatures.
Make sure small wood burner let your wood stove cool completely before cleaning it. Also, ensure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will stop any spillage of ash that can stain and mark surfaces.
It can take up to one year for your stove's seasoning to be completed, based on the quality of wood you choose to use. The wood that is seasoned will not only burn better, but will create less creosote. This is the material which is able to build up on your fireplace, reducing its effectiveness and creating a potential 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 open the lower back door and scoop ashes out into a non-combustible container every week.
A sediment flush should be carried out on your boiler every four years. It is a simple flush lasting five seconds from the bottom drain valve on your boiler. This will eliminate any sediment that has built up inside the system, and will keep your boiler in great working 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 stove's perimeter with newspaper. Wearing protective gloves and eyewear is also a good idea. Also, you should have an 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 take off 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 acclaim. They were among the "it" trends of the 1990s, alongside mullet hairstyles. Unlike their cousin the EPA's popular wood stoves that are designed to burn at low, constant temperatures, these boilers have an increased fire rate and produce more smoke when they operate. Certain local governments restrict or prohibit their use.
OWBs are great to heat homes with high insulation levels. The visible, smoldering smoke can also be a source of complaint with neighbors and has led to many OWBs being shut down or sued in the past. To allow OWBs to function properly, they must be operated using dry wood that has low moisture content. The use of unseasoned or green wood reduces efficiency, leads to creosote to build up and may reduce the lifespan of the burner. Drying wood takes time and the use of a moisture gauge is a must for any homeowner.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers however, use a three-step process which makes use of the energy available in the wood. This results in less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than conventional OWBs, and are suitable for a wide range of fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry and seasoned wood. Most wood can be seasoned within a year, but oak and other species with a hardy structure may take two years or more to fully season. They are less water-based and have a denser mass. This allows them to hold heat for 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 efficiently burn wood in order minimize pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces have been designed with the environment in mind. Contrary to indoor wood stoves that generate significant smoke Modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly 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 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 treated or "cured" wood. Some types of wood can take up to a full year. Use a moisture gauge prior to loading to determine the amount of water in the wood.
In the course of operation, it is important to regularly check the system for creosote build up. Creosote, which is a byproduct of combustion, can build up in the chimney and flue if they aren't cleaned regularly. It can be eliminated by pouring a creosote-removing product into the fire. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney will eliminate dangerous creosote accumulations, and increase efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technique called Negative Pressure Gasification to ensure 99% efficiency in combustion. This technology is used in our EPA certified Pristine Series Outdoor Wood Furnaces to draw air from the bottom and force all gases through an insulated secondary combustion chamber surrounded by water with easy-to-clean turbines. The result is a smokeless and pollution-free combustion.