What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burning stoves can be an efficient and cost-effective method of heating homes and businesses. They also reduce the need for 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. Wood that is not seasoned or green may contain more moisture which can cause creosote to build up and reduce performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been in use for many years. They are an energy-efficient and green method to heat your home. The design of OWBs encourages the slowing of the fire, making it cooler which leads to less efficient combustion and a higher amount of smoke and creosote. These unburned fuels can cause health problems and fire hazards. They also degrade the environment.
Furthermore the visible plume of smoke that OWBs produce can cause neighbors to complain and could lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement actions. This type of issue can affect your property value and 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 utilizes technology to maximize combustion efficiency and create an unburned, clean and smoke-free. conservatory wood burner is accomplished with a negative-pressure air system that draws in fresh, dry heated, filtered air from the bottom and then pushes it up the chimney at a much faster rate than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished by a unique design that utilizes a multi-pass, water-filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly used properly, the Pristine Series OWB achieves an 99% efficiency in combustion for a cleaner and smoke-free fire. It uses less wood, and produces significantly less emissions than traditional OWBs. It is important to use clean, seasoned and dry wood to increase the performance of your OWB. It is recommended that you prepare your wood for a period of six months or a year before burning it. This will result in an efficient and clean burn.
In addition to increasing the efficiency of your wood burner and enhancing its efficiency by executing an "dry burn" every week. This technique eliminates creosote buildup, keeps your boiler in good condition and extends its life span. By adding a creosote-removing stick to your stove every time you fill it, you can dramatically reduce the amount of creosote you need to use. The product is available from Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
The soot particles left on the stove after burning wood may make a stove look very dirty. They are extremely difficult to move so if you notice any spots of buildup on the glass of your stove, wash them as soon as you notice them. Otherwise the soot will harden and be even more difficult to get rid of. Using the right cleaning products for the job is crucial however, you must also ensure that you're not damaging the surface of the glass with anything that might scratch it. This could result in a weak spot that could shatter the glass when it's exposed to extreme temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood burner you should make sure that it is not lit and completely cool. Also, make sure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will prevent any ash spillage that can stain and mark surfaces.
It can take up to one year for the seasoning process of your stove to be complete, based on the quality of wood you select. The wood that has been properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but will also produce less creosote. This is the substance that builds up on your chimney, which reduces efficiency and creating a fire hazard. If you are using unseasoned wood or just making a fresh fire in your outdoor wood burner, the best thing to do is open the back door to the lower part and scoop the ashes into a non-combustible container each week.
You should also perform an annual sediment flush on your boiler at least once every four years. This is a simple five second flush from the bottom drain valve of your boiler. This will get rid of any debris that has accumulated inside the system and keep your boiler in top functioning condition.
Once you've completed the sediment flush, it's time to clean the exterior of your outdoor wood burner. Before you begin, it's essential to cover the floor area surrounding the stove with newspaper. It is also beneficial to wear protective eyewear and gloves. You should also have a shovel, a metal ash container and a scraping tool. To protect the refractory you should lay down a cloth to protect it while you scrape away 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, as were hairstyles with mullets. In contrast to their EPA-approved counterparts, popular wood stoves, which are designed to burn at constant, low temperatures, these units use more fire and produce more smoke when they operate. Certain local governments restrict or prohibit their use.
OWBs are ideal for heating homes with a high insulation level. Smoke that is thick and smoldering may cause annoyance to neighbors, resulting in many OWBs to be shut down or even sued. To ensure that OWBs to function properly, they must be operated using dry wood with a low moisture content. Wood that is not seasoned or green can decrease efficiency, cause creosote to accumulate and reduce the life of the burner. A moisture meter will help you determine the time it takes for wood to dry.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers, on the other hand utilize a three-step process that makes use of more energy in the wood. This results in less smoke. These types of furnaces are more efficient than conventional OWBs and can be used with a larger variety of fuel. Wood gasification boilers need dry, seasoned wood. The majority of wood will season in a year. Oak and other hardy trees could take up to two years to mature. This is because they have less amount of water and a higher density. This allows them retain heat for longer, thus increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. The EPA "Burn Wise' website and Cornell Cooperative Extension are great resources for homeowners to learn how to burn wood efficiently in order minimize air pollution.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves have been designed to be eco-friendly. Modern outdoor wood furnaces do not emit excessive CO2 or heat. They also burn more efficiently than indoor wood stoves. They also require less wood to produce the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more tolerant of wood moisture content than indoor wood burning stoves. However outdoor wood burners should only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. Certain kinds of wood can take up to a full year. Use a moisture gauge prior to loading to measure the amount of water in the wood.
When operating, it is essential to check the system regularly to check for accumulation of creosote. Creosote is an byproduct of combustion and can build up in the chimney and flue when it is not cleaned frequently. It can be eliminated using the use of a special creosote remover that is poured into the fire. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney will remove 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 push all gases through an enclosed secondary combustion chamber that is that is surrounded by water and easy-to-clean turbines. The result is a smokeless, pollutant-free burning.