What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burning stoves are a cost-effective way to heat homes and businesses. They also reduce the dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
To ensure efficient burning it is essential to use seasoned wood. Unseasoned or shed wood burner has higher moisture content and can create creosote buildup which reduces performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been in use for many years. They are an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way of heating your home. The typical design of OWBs encourages 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, fire hazards, and affect the environment around them.
Furthermore, the visible smoke puffs that OWBs create could cause neighbors to voice their concerns. This may result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) taking enforcement action. This kind of problem can negatively impact the value of your property and could result in your OWB being closed.
Crown Royal Stoves has a line of outdoor wood furnaces that are EPA Certified. The Pristine Gasification Series uses technology to maximize combustion efficiency and create a smokeless, clean burn. This is achieved through an air system that is negative pressure that draws fresh, dry, hot clean air in from the bottom of the boiler and then pushes it back out through the chimney at a more rapid rate than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished by an innovative design that utilizes a multi-pass water filled heat exchanger made of 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
When used properly, when properly used, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can reach a 99% combustion efficiency for a cleaner, smokeless fire that uses less wood and produces less carbon dioxide than traditional OWBs. To further maximize your OWB's performance it is crucial to only burn dry, clean, and seasoned wood. It is recommended that you prepare your wood for a period of six months or a year prior to burning it. This will result in an efficient and clean burn.
In addition to maximizing the efficiency of your wood burner it is also possible to increase its efficiency by performing a "dry burn" every week. This technique reduces creosote, increases boiler efficiency and prolongs the life of your boiler. Lastly, by adding a creosote remover stick each time you load your stove, you can dramatically reduce the amount of creosote that you use. This product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
The soot particles that are left behind after burning wood can make a stove appear very dirty. They are difficult to get rid of so make sure you remove any buildup from the glass of your stove as soon as you notice it. In the event that the soot is not removed, it will get harder and become more difficult to get rid of. Using the correct cleaners for the job is vital, but also be sure you're not damaging the glass's surface with anything that could scratch it. This could result in an area of weakness that could break the glass if it's exposed to high temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood burner, you must ensure that it's not lit and completely cool. Make sure to protect the area around it with newspaper. This will stop any ash spillage that can cause stains and marks on surfaces.
Based on the quality of the wood you choose to use, it could take up to an entire year for your stove to be properly seasoned. The wood that has been treated with a seasoned finish will not only burn more efficiently, but will also produce less creosote. This is the kind of material that accumulates on your fireplace, reducing its effectiveness and creating an opportunity for fire hazards. If you're using unseasoned wood, or just starting a fire in your outdoor fireplace, it's best to open the lower backdoor, and scoop out the ashes into a non-combustible container every week.
A sediment flush is recommended on your boiler every four years. This is a straightforward flush of five seconds from the bottom drain valve on your boiler. This will eliminate any debris that has accumulated inside the system, and will keep your boiler in top functioning condition.
After you have cleaned the exterior of your fireplace that is outside it is time to clean it. Before you begin, it's crucial to cover the stove's area with newspaper. Wearing gloves and eye protection is also a good idea. You should also have a metal ash container, a scraping tool and a shovel. To protect the refractory you need to lay down a piece of cloth to protect it while you scrape away ash and coal deposits.
Easy to operate
Despite their popularity (they were one of the 1990s' "it" trends, as were mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters, are frequently misunderstood. They're different from the popular EPA wood stoves, which are made to burn low temperatures and continuously. They have more fire and produce more smoke. Some local governments limit or ban their use.
OWBs are best suited to homes that have high levels of insulation. The smoldering, visible smoke is also a cause of complaint with neighbors and has resulted in many OWBs being shut down or sued in the past. To ensure that OWBs to function properly, they must be used with dry wood that has a low moisture content. Using green or unseasoned wood decreases efficiency, causes creosote accumulation and can cut down the life of the burner. A moisture meter can help you to determine how long it takes for wood to dry.
In contrast, dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) utilize three steps of process that makes use of more available energy in the wood and results in a lesser amount of smoke. These types of furnaces are more efficient than conventional OWBs and can be used with a greater range of fuel. Wood gasification boilers require dry well-seasoned and well-seasoned firewood. Most wood will season within a year, however oak and other hardy species could require two years or more to fully season. They are less water-based and have a larger mass. 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 minimize air pollution.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces are designed with the environment in mind. Unlike indoor wood burners that produce significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn efficiently and without the creation of excessive heat or carbon monoxide. They also require less wood to generate the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more accepting of moisture content in wood than wood burning stoves that are indoor. However outdoor wood burners can only be used with properly treated or "cured" wood. Some types of wood can last for up to a year. It is essential to utilize a moisture gauge to measure the amount of water of your wood before loading.
When operating, it is essential to examine the system on a regular basis for creosote accumulation. Creosote, which is a byproduct of combustion, may 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 can remove harmful creosote and improve efficiency.
To attain 99% efficiency in combustion, Crown Royal Stoves designed a new air flow technology called Negative Pressure Gasification. This technology is employed in our EPA certified Pristine Series Outdoor Wood Furnaces to draw air from the bottom and push all gases through an sealed secondary combustion chamber, surrounded by water with easy-to-clean turbulators. The result is a smokeless, pollutant free burning.