What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burning stoves can be an economical solution to heat homes and businesses. They also reduce dependence on fossil fuels that are non-renewable and contribute towards a resilient energy strategy.
Well-seasoned wood is essential for efficient burning. Wood that is not seasoned or green may have a higher moisture content, which can create creosote and decrease performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been around for a long time. They are an energy efficient and eco-friendly method of heating your home. However, the design of OWBs, which promotes an unsteady, cooler fire, results in less combustion and a higher amount of smoke, creosote, as well as particulates. These unburned fuels could cause health problems and fire hazards. They also degrade the environment.
Moreover the visible smoke puffs that OWBs produce can cause neighbors to complain. This could result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) taking enforcement action. This kind of issue could affect the value of your property, and may lead to your OWB being closed down.
Crown Royal Stoves offers a range of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces known as the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to increase the efficiency of combustion for a clean, smoke-free burn. This is achieved through the negative pressure air system that draws fresh, dry, hot, filtered air in from the bottom of the boiler and then pushes it out through the chimney at a higher rate than conventional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished through a unique design which uses an incredibly efficient multi-pass water-filled heat exchanger constructed of 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly used, when used correctly, 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. It is essential to burn clean, seasoned and dry wood in order to maximize the performance of your OWB. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended. It helps ensure a better energy efficient and efficient burn.
You can boost the efficiency of your wood-burning stove by executing a weekly "dry burn". This method eliminates creosote build up, keeps your boiler running efficiently and increases its life span. 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. This product is available at Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove can become very dirty from burnt soot particles. They are extremely difficult to shift If you notice any spots of soot build-up on the glass of your stove, clean them immediately. If not, the soot will begin to become harder and more difficult to remove. It's important to use the right cleaners, but you should also avoid damaging the glass surface with anything that could scratch it. Fireplaces & Stoves could leave a weak spot that could break the glass when exposed to high temperatures.
Be sure to let your wood stove cool completely before cleaning it. Be sure you surround it with newspaper. This will prevent the ash from spreading and staining surfaces.
Based on the quality of the wood that you select, it can take up to an entire year for your stove to be properly well-seasoned. The wood that is seasoned will not only burn more efficiently and last longer, but it will also produce less creosote. This is the substance that accumulates on your chimney, which reduces effectiveness and creating an hazard for fire. If you're using wood that's not seasoned or are just beginning an outdoor fire fireplace, you should open the lower backdoor, 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 simple five second flush from the drain valve of your boiler. This will remove any sediments that have accumulated up in the system, and ensure that your boiler is operating efficiently.
After you have cleaned the exterior of your outdoor fireplace it is time to clean it. Before you begin, it's crucial to cover the floor surrounding the stove with newspaper. Wearing protective gloves and eyewear is an excellent idea. You should also have an ash container, a shovel ash container and scraping tools. You can use a cloth for an insulator to protect the refractory while you scrape away coal and ash deposits.
Easy to Operate
Despite their popularity (they were among the 1990s' "it" trends, together with mullet hairstyles) outdoor wood boilers, also referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters, are often misunderstood. They're not like the popular EPA wood stoves, which are designed to burn at low temperatures and continuously. They have a higher rate of combustion and generate more smoke. Certain local governments restrict or ban their use.
OWBs work best in homes that have high levels of insulation. The smoldering, visible smoke can also be a source of complaints from neighbors, and has led to numerous OWBs being shut down or being sued in the past. To ensure that OWBs to function properly, they must be used with dry wood with low moisture content. Unseasoned or green wood will reduce efficiency, causing creosote to build up and decrease the life 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 of process which makes use of the available energy from the wood and 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, seasoned firewood. The majority of wood will season in 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 lets them store heat for longer, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. The EPA's "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners understand how to burn wood efficiently in order to reduce pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces are constructed with the environment in mind. Contrary to indoor wood stoves that emit significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly and without the creation 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 significantly less maintenance than indoor wood burners, and are more tolerant in regards to the moisture content of the wood. However, outdoor wood burners can only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. This could take a whole year or more for certain types of wood. It is important to make use of a moisture meter to measure the amount of water of your wood prior to loading.
When operating, it is essential to inspect the system periodically for the accumulation of creosote. Creosote, which is a byproduct of combustion, can accumulate in the chimney and flue if they aren't cleaned regularly. It can be removed by pouring a creosote-removing product into the fire. Regular cleaning of the chimney and flue will help eliminate dangerous creosote buildup and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technology called Negative Pressure Gasification to achieve 99% combustion efficiency. This technology is employed in our EPA certified Pristine Series Outdoor Wood Furnaces to draw air from the bottom and force all gases through an enclosed secondary combustion chamber that is which is surrounded by water, with easy-to-clean Turbulators. The result is a smokeless & pollutant free burn.