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 help reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
Wood that is well-seasoned is crucial for efficient burning. Wood that is not seasoned or green may have a higher moisture content that can cause creosote to accumulate and reduce performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for years and provide an green and efficient method of heating your home. The design of OWBs encourages an older, cooler fire which leads to less efficient combustion and a higher amount of smoke and creosote. Unburned fuels can lead to health issues and fire hazards, as well as cause harm to the environment around it.
Additionally the visible smoke plume that OWBs produce can cause neighbors to complain. This could result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) taking enforcement action. This kind of problem can affect the value of your property and could cause your OWB being closed.
Crown Royal Stoves has a range of outdoor wood furnaces that are EPA Certified. The Pristine Gasification Series utilizes technology to improve the efficiency of combustion and create smokeless, clean burning. This is accomplished through a negative pressure air system which pulls in fresh, dry heated, filtered, and heated air from the bottom and pushes it out through the chimney at a much faster rate than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished by the unique design of a multi-pass, water filled heat exchanger constructed from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly used, the Pristine Series OWB can achieve an efficiency of 99% for a cleaner and smoke-free fire. It requires less wood, and produces significantly fewer emission than traditional OWBs. To further maximize the effectiveness of your OWB, it is important to burn clean, seasoned, dry wood. It is recommended that you prepare your wood for a minimum of six months or one year before burning it. This will ensure the most efficient and clean burn.
In addition to maximizing the performance of your wood burner, you can also improve its efficiency by executing a "dry burn" every week. This method helps to eliminate creosote accumulation, makes your boiler efficient and extends its lifespan. By adding a stick for removing creosote to your stove each time you fill it up, you can dramatically reduce the amount of creosote you need to use. This product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
The soot particles left behind after burning wood can make a stove look very dirty. These are very hard to shift so if you notice any spots of buildup on the glass of your stove, clean them as soon as you notice them. Any soot that is not eliminated will become hard and make it more difficult. It is crucial to choose the right cleaner however, you should avoid damaging the glass surface with anything that could scratch it. This could lead to a weak spot that can shatter glass when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood stove, you must ensure that it's not lit and completely cool. Also, be sure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will stop the ash from leaking and staining surfaces.
It could take as long as one year for your stove's seasoning to be completed, based on the quality of wood you choose to use. The wood that is properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but also produce less creosote. This is the kind of material that accumulates on your chimney, decreasing its effectiveness and creating an hazard for fire. If you're using unseasoned wood or are just beginning a new fire in your outdoor wood burner the best thing to do is to open up the back door to the lower part and scoop out the ashes into a non-combustible bin every week.
You should also perform a sediment flush on your boiler at least every four years. This is a simple five second flush from the drain valve on your boiler. This will get rid of any sediments that have accumulated up in the system and ensure that your boiler is operating well.
After you've completed the sediment flush, it's now time to clean the exterior of your outdoor wood burner. Before beginning, it is essential to cover the floor around the stove with newspaper. Wearing protective eyewear and gloves is also a good idea. You should also have an ash container, a shovel container for ash, and scraping tools. You can use a cloth for shield to shield the refractory from damage while you remove ash and coal deposits.
Easy to operate
Despite their popularity (they were among the 1990s' "it" trends, together with mullet hairstyles) outdoor wood boilers, also known as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters, are still often misunderstood. They are different from the popular EPA wood stoves, which are designed to burn at low temperatures and continuously. They are able to produce a higher rate of fire and produce more smoke. Some local governments limit or ban their use.
OWBs are best suited to homes with high levels of insulation. Smoke that is dense and smoldering can also cause annoyance to neighbors, which has led many OWBs to be shut down or sued. For OWBs dry wood that has less moisture content is required to work properly. Green or unseasoned wood will reduce efficiency, causing creosote to build up and reduce the life of the burner. Drying wood takes time, and the use of a moisture gauge is a must for the homeowner.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers are, on the other hand they employ a three-step procedure which makes use of the energy contained in the wood. This results in less smoke. These types of furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs and can be used with a greater variety of fuel. Best wood burning stoves require dry and seasoned wood. The majority of wood will mature within a year. Oak and other hardy trees may take up to two years to mature. They are less watery and have a greater density. This lets them store heat for longer, increasing efficiency and decreasing 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 furnaces are designed with the environment in mind. Contrary to indoor wood stoves that emit significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly without the release of excessive carbon monoxide or heat. They also require less wood to produce 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 should only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. Certain kinds of wood can take up to a year. It is crucial to use a moisture meter to measure the amount of water of your wood before loading.
During operation it is important to inspect the system periodically for creosote accumulation. Creosote, a by-product of combustion, can build up in the chimney and flue if they aren't cleaned regularly. It can be eliminated using a creosote removal solution that is poured into the fire. conservatory wood burner of the chimney and flue will remove dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technology called Negative Pressure Gasification to attain 99% efficiency in combustion. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces make use of this technology to draw air from the bottom, forcing all gasses through an insulated water surrounded secondary combustion chamber, which is easy-clean Turbulators to ensure a smoke-free and pollution-free combustion.