What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burning stoves can be a cost-effective solution for heating homes and businesses. They also help reduce the dependence on fossil fuels that are non-renewable and help to create a more resilient energy strategy.
Wood that is well-seasoned is crucial for efficient burning. Unseasoned or green wood can contain more moisture which can cause creosote to build up and decrease performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been around for many years. They are an energy efficient and green method to heat your home. The design of OWBs encourages an older, cooler fire which results in less efficient combustion, and more smoke and creosote. Unburned fuels can lead to health problems as well as fire hazards, and can also harm the environment.
Additionally the visible smoke puffs that OWBs produce could cause neighbors to voice their concerns. This could result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) taking enforcement action. This kind of public relations issue could cause serious damage to the value of your property, and could even lead to your OWB being shut down.
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 produce smokeless, clean burning. This is achieved with a negative-pressure air system that draws in fresh dry heated, filtered air from the bottom and then pushes it up the chimney much faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is achieved through a unique design that utilizes a multi-pass, water filled heat exchanger constructed from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly used correctly, when properly used, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can reach an efficiency of 99% for a cleaner, smokeless fire that uses less wood and produces less carbon dioxide than traditional OWBs. To further maximize the effectiveness of your OWB, it is important 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 before burning it. This will ensure a more efficient and cleaner burn.
You can boost the efficiency of your wood-burning stove by performing a weekly "dry burn". This technique reduces creosote which improves boiler efficiency and prolongs the life of your boiler. By adding a stick for removing creosote to your stove each time you fill it up, you can drastically reduce the amount of creosote you need to use. This product is available at Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove could become very dirty from burnt soot particles. These are very hard to shift so if you notice any spots of buildup on the glass of your stove, clean them immediately. If the soot isn't removed, it will begin to harden and make it more difficult to remove. It is essential to use the right cleaners however, you should avoid damaging the glass surface by using anything that can scratch it. Best wood burning stoves could result in an area of weakness that could shatter glass when exposed high temperatures.
Make sure you allow your wood burner to cool completely before cleaning it. Also, be sure 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 the seasoning of your stove to be completed, based on the quality of wood you choose to use. The wood that is treated with a seasoned finish will not only burn more efficiently, but also produce less creosote. This is the kind of material that is able to build up on your fireplace, decreasing its effectiveness and creating the potential for a fire hazard. If you're using wood that's not seasoned, or just starting an outdoor fire fireplace, it's recommended to open the lower backdoor and scoop out the ashes into a non-combustible container every week.
You should also do an annual sediment flush on your boiler at least every four years. This is a quick five-second flush from the drain valve of your boiler. This will get rid of any sediments that have built up in the system and keep your boiler working well.
Once you have done the sediment flush, it's now time to clean the outside of your outdoor wood burner. Before starting, it's essential to cover the floor area around the stove with newspaper. It is also advisable to wear protective eyewear and gloves. You should also have a metal ash canister as well as a scraping tool and shovel. You can use a cloth as a shield 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, along with mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters are frequently misunderstood. In contrast to their EPA-approved counterparts, popular wood stoves, which are designed to burn at low, constant temperatures, these boilers have an increased fire rate and emit more smoke when they operate. 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 for neighbors, which has led many OWBs to be shut down or sued. In order for OWBs to function properly, they must be used with dry wood that has a low moisture content. The use of unseasoned or green wood can reduce efficiency, cause creosote build up and can shorten the life of the burner. Drying wood takes time and a moisture meter is a must for any homeowner.
In contrast dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) utilize three steps that makes use of more available energy in the wood and results in a lesser amount of smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs, and are suitable for many different fuels. wood burning stoves uk need dry and seasoned wood. The majority of wood will mature over the course of one year. Oak and other tough trees could take up to two years to mature. They are less water-based and have a larger mass. This enables them to hold heat longer, 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 pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves have been designed to be eco-friendly. Contrary to indoor wood stoves that generate significant smoke Modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly without the production of excessive heat or carbon monoxide. They also use less wood to generate the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more accepting of wood moisture content than indoor wood burning stoves. However, outdoor wood burners can only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. Certain kinds of wood can take up to a year. It is essential to use a moisture meter to determine the amount of water of your wood prior to loading.
When the system is in operation, it is necessary to periodically inspect the system for creosote build up. Creosote is a byproduct from combustion and can build up in the flue and chimney if it is not cleaned regularly. It can be removed using the use of a special creosote remover that is poured into the fire. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney will eliminate dangerous creosote and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technology known as Negative Pressure Gasification to attain 99% efficiency in combustion. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces utilize this technology to pull air from the bottom, forcing all of the gasses through an insulated water-surrounded secondary combustion chamber that is easy to clean turbulators for a smokeless & pollution-free burn.