What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners can be a cost-effective solution for heating homes and businesses. They also reduce the need for fossil fuels that are non-renewable and help in implementing a sustainable energy strategy.
To ensure efficient burning it is essential to use seasoned wood. Green or unseasoned wood has higher moisture content and may cause creosote accumulation, which can affect performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for a long time and are an extremely green and efficient method of heating your home. The typical design of OWBs favors a slower, cooler fire which results in less efficient combustion and a higher amount of smoke and creosote. These unburned fuels could cause health issues and fire hazards, as well as affect the environment around them.
Moreover the visible plume of smoke produced by OWBs can make neighbors angry and result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement action. This kind of public relations issue can cause serious damage to the value of your property, and could even result in your OWB being shut down.
Crown Royal Stoves has a line of outdoor wood furnaces that are EPA Certified. The Pristine Gasification Series utilizes technology to increase the efficiency of combustion and provide a smokeless, clean burn. This is done through a negative pressure air system which pulls in fresh, dry heated, filtered air from the bottom and pushes it through the chimney faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is achieved by an exclusive design that uses an incredibly efficient multi-pass water-filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly utilized when properly used, when properly used, the Pristine Series OWB can achieve an 99% efficiency in combustion for a smoke-free and cleaner fire. It requires less wood, and produces significantly fewer emission than traditional OWBs. It is essential to use clean, seasoned and dry wood to increase the performance of your OWB. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or a year prior to burning is recommended. It helps ensure a better energy efficient and efficient burn.
You can increase the efficiency of your wood-burning stove through every week a "dry burn". This technique eliminates creosote buildup, keeps your boiler in good condition and extends its lifespan. By adding a creosote-removing stick to your stove every time you fill it up, you can drastically reduce the amount of creosote you use. The product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove could be very dirty due to burnt soot particles. They are difficult to clean and therefore, you must clean any buildup that may be on your stove's glass immediately. In the event that the soot is not removed, it will get harder and become more difficult to remove. It is crucial to select the right cleaners however, you must be careful not to scratch the glass by using anything that can scratch it. This could lead to a weak point that will shatter glass when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Make sure wood burning fires let your wood stove cool completely before cleaning it. Also, be sure that the area around it is covered with newspaper. This will prevent the ash from leaking and staining surfaces.
Based on the quality of the wood that you choose to use, it could take up to one year for your stove to get properly seasoned. The wood that is properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but will also produce less creosote. This is the kind of material that is able to build up on your fireplace, decreasing its efficiency and creating a potential fire hazard. If you're using unseasoned wood or just beginning a new fire in your outdoor wood burner the best thing you can do is to open the lower back door and scoop ashes out 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. This will get rid of any sediment that has built up inside the system, and will keep your boiler in great operating condition.
Once you've completed the sediment flush, it's now time to clean the exterior of your outdoor wood burner. Before you begin, it's important to cover the area around the stove with newspaper. It is also beneficial to wear protective eyewear and gloves. You should also have an shovel, a metal container for ash and a scraping tool. You can use a cloth for an insulator to protect the refractory as you take off coal and ash deposits.
Easy to operate
Despite their popularity (they were one of the 1990s' "it" trends, along with mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, also known as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters are frequently misunderstood. They are different from the popular EPA wood stoves, which are made to burn low temperatures and continuously. They have more combustion and produce more smoke. This is why some local governments regulate or ban their use.
OWBs work best in homes with a high level of insulation. Smoke that is thick and smoldering may be a nuisance to neighbors, which has led many OWBs to be shut down or sued. To allow OWBs to function properly, they must be operated using dry wood with low moisture content. freestanding wood burner of unseasoned or green wood reduces efficiency, leads to creosote build up and can cut down the life of the burner. Drying wood takes time, and a moisture meter is essential for every homeowner.
In contrast, dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) utilize three steps of process that makes use of more available energy from the wood and results in less smoke. These kinds of furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs and can be used with a wider range of fuel. Wood gasification boilers need dry well-seasoned wood. The majority of wood will season within one year. Oak and other hardy trees may take as long as two years. This is due to a lower water content and denser mass. This allows them retain heat for longer, thus increasing efficiency and decreasing pollution. The EPA's "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners learn more about how to burn wood efficiently to minimize air pollution.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves are designed to be eco-friendly. Unlike indoor wood burners that emit significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly without the production of excessive carbon monoxide or heat. They also require less wood to generate the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance than indoor wood burners, and are more tolerant when it comes to the moisture content of the wood. However, outdoor wood burners can only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. This can take a year or more for some types of wood. Make use of a moisture meter prior to loading to measure the amount of water in the wood.
When operating, it is essential to inspect the system periodically for creosote accumulation. Creosote, a by-product of combustion, can accumulate in the chimney and flue when they are not cleaned regularly. It can be eliminated by pouring a creosote removing product into the fire. Regularly cleaning the chimney and flue will help eliminate dangerous creosote accumulations, and increase efficiency.
To attain 99% efficiency in combustion, Crown Royal Stoves designed a brand new air flow technique known as Negative Pressure Gasification. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces employ this technology to pull air from the bottom, forcing all of the gasses through an insulated water surrounded secondary combustion chamber with easy-clean turbines for a smokeless and pollution free burn.