What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners are a cost-effective way to heat homes and businesses. They also help to reduce dependence on fossil fuels that are not renewable and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
For efficient combustion for efficient burning, it is crucial to use seasoned wood. Wood that is not seasoned or green has a higher moisture content and can cause creosote buildup which reduces performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for a long time and offer a very eco-friendly and energy efficient method of heating your home. The typical design of OWBs encourages a slower, cooler fire which results in less efficient combustion and more smoke and creosote. These unburnt fuels can cause health issues and fire hazards, as well as cause harm to the environment around it.
Furthermore the visible smoke produced by OWBs can cause neighbors to complain and lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement actions. This kind of problem can have a negative impact on the value of your property, and may lead to your OWB being shut down.
Crown Royal Stoves offers a range of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces known as the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to boost the efficiency of combustion for a clean, smoke-free combustion. This is accomplished by using 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 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 from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
When properly used, the Pristine Series OWB has an 99% efficiency in combustion for a cleaner and smoke-free fire. It uses less wood and produces a lot less emission than traditional OWBs. It is important to burn only dry, clean, and seasoned 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 prior to burning it. This will result in an efficient and clean burn.
In addition to improving the performance of your wood stove, you can also improve its efficiency by performing an "dry burn" every week. This method helps to eliminate creosote build up, keeps your boiler running efficiently and increases its lifespan. In addition by putting in a creosote removal stick each time you fill your stove, you can drastically cut the amount of creosote that you use. This product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove could be extremely dirty due to burned soot particles. These are very hard to move If you notice any spots of soot build-up on the glass of your stove, wash them as soon as you notice them. Soot that is not removed will begin to harden, making it even more difficult to remove. It's important to use the right cleaners however, you must avoid damaging the glass surface by using anything that can scratch it. This could result in an area of weakness that could break the glass if it's exposed to extreme temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood burner, it is important to ensure that it is unlit and completely cool. Make sure to protect the area around it with newspaper. This will prevent any ash spillage that could stain and mark surfaces.
It could take up to one year for the seasoning process of your stove to be completed, based on the quality of the 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 substance that is able to build up on your fireplace, reducing its effectiveness and creating a potential fire hazard. If you're using wood that's not seasoned or are just beginning a fire in your outdoor fireplace, it's best to open the lower backdoor and scoop out ashes into a noncombustible container each week.
A sediment flush is recommended on your boiler every four years. It is a simple flush that takes five seconds from the drain valve on your boiler. This will remove any sediments that have accumulated up in the system, and ensure that your boiler is operating well.
Once you've completed the sediment flush, it's time to clean the outside of your outdoor wood burner. Before Wood burner clearance sale begin, it's crucial to cover the area around the stove with newspaper. It is also helpful to wear protective eyewear and gloves. Also, you should have a ash canister made of metal as well as a scraping tool and shovel. You can make use of a cloth as shield to protect the refractory while you remove ash and coal 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 despite their acclaim. They were among the "it" trends of the 1990s, alongside 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 a higher fire rate and generate more smoke when operating. Certain local governments restrict or ban their use.
OWBs are best suited to homes that have high levels of insulation. The smoldering, dense visible smoke is also a cause of complaint with neighbors and has led to many OWBs being shut-down or being sued in the past. For OWBs dry wood that has less moisture content is needed to perform properly. Unseasoned or green wood will reduce efficiency, causing creosote build-up and decrease 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) employ three steps which makes use of the available energy from the wood and results in much less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs, and can be used for various fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry well-seasoned and well-seasoned firewood. The majority of wood will mature within a year. Oak and other tough trees can take up to two years. They are less water-based and have a greater density. This allows them to hold heat for longer, thereby increasing efficiency and decreasing pollution. The EPA "Burn Wise' website and Cornell Cooperative Extension are great sources for homeowners to understand how to efficiently burn wood in order minimize pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces have been designed with the environment in mind. Unlike indoor wood burners that emit significant smoke modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly 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 tolerant of the moisture content of wood than wood burning stoves for indoor use. Outdoor wood burners are suitable for wood that has been properly "cured" or seasoned. It can take a year or more for some kinds of wood. It is essential to use a moisture meter to check the water content of your wood prior to loading.
In the course of operation, it is essential to periodically inspect the system 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 can remove harmful creosote, and boost efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technology known as Negative Pressure Gasification to ensure 99% efficiency in combustion. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces utilize this technology to pull air from the bottom, forcing all gasses through an insulated water surrounded secondary combustion chamber with easy-clean turbulators for a smokeless & pollution free burn.