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 need for fossil fuels that are non-renewable and help to create a more resilient energy strategy.
A well-seasoned wood is vital for efficient burning. Wood that is not seasoned or green may contain more moisture which can cause creosote to build up and decrease performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for many years and offer a very green and efficient method of heating your home. However, the typical design of OWBs, which promotes an unsteady, cooler fire which results in poor combustion and more smoke, creosote, as well as particulates. These unburnt fuels can cause health problems, fire hazards, and affect the environment around them.
Moreover the visible smoke that OWBs produce can cause neighbors to complain and could lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement actions. This kind of problem can affect your property value and even result in 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 increase the efficiency of combustion and produce smokeless, clean burning. This is achieved by using a negative pressure air system that pulls fresh, dry, hot and filtered air from the bottom of the boiler, and pushes it out of the chimney at a greater rate than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is achieved by an innovative design that utilizes a multi-pass water filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
When used properly when properly used, when properly used, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can reach the highest efficiency of combustion, which is 99% for a cleaner, smokeless fire that consumes less wood and produces less emissions than traditional OWBs. To further maximize your OWB's performance, it is important to burn only dry, clean, seasoned wood. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or more prior to burning is recommended. It will ensure a more efficient energy efficient and efficient burn.
In addition to maximizing the efficiency of your wood stove and enhancing the efficiency of your wood burner by performing a "dry burn" every week. This method eliminates creosote accumulation, makes your boiler in good condition and extends its life span. Additionally by putting in a creosote remover stick each when you load your stove, you will be able to significantly reduce the amount creosote you use. This product is available from Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove can be extremely dirty due to burned soot particles. These are very hard to remove, so if you see any spots of soot build-up on the glass of your stove, clean them right away. In the event that the soot is not removed, it will harden and be even more difficult to get off. It is essential to use the right cleaners, but you should also avoid damaging the glass surface by using anything that can scratch it. This could result in a weak spot that can shatter glass when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Make sure you let your wood burner cool completely before cleaning it. Make sure that you protect the area around it with newspaper. This will stop any ash spillage that can stain and mark surfaces.
Depending on the quality of the wood that you use, it can take up to an entire year for your stove to be properly and seasoned. The wood that has been seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but also produce less creosote. This is the kind of material that builds up on your chimney, which reduces efficiency and creating the risk of fire. If you're using wood that's not seasoned or are just beginning an outdoor fire fireplace, it's best to open the lower backdoor and scoop the the ashes into a non-combustible container every week.
You should also perform an annual sediment flush on your boiler at least once every four years. This is a simple flush that takes five seconds from the bottom drain valve on your boiler. This will eliminate any sediments that have accumulated up in the system and will ensure that your boiler runs efficiently.
After you've completed the sediment flush, it's now time to clean the outside of your outdoor wood burner. Before you begin, it's crucial to cover the area around the stove with newspaper. Wearing protective eyewear and gloves is an excellent idea. You should also have a shovel, a metal ash container and scraping tools. To protect the refractory you should lay down a cloth to protect it from damage as you scrape away ash and coal deposits.
Simple to Operate
Outdoor wood boilers (also called outdoor furnaces and outdoor wood hydronic heating systems, or outdoor wood heaters) are often misunderstood despite their popularity. They were one of the "it" trends of the 1990s, as were hairstyles for mullets. Unlike their cousin the EPA's popular wood stoves which are designed to burn at low, constant temperatures, these units use more fire and emit more smoke when they operate. Some local governments restrict or prohibit their use.
OWBs are best used to heat homes with high insulation levels. The smoldering, 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. In order for OWBs to function properly, they must be operated using dry wood that has a low moisture content. Using green or unseasoned wood decreases efficiency, causes creosote accumulation and can shorten the life of the burner. Drying wood takes time, and a moisture meter is essential for every homeowner.
In contrast dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) employ a three step process that uses more of the available energy in the wood, resulting in much less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs and can be used to fuel many different fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry, seasoned firewood. The majority of wood can be seasoned over the course of one year. Oak and other hardy trees could take up to two years to mature. They are less water-based and have a denser mass. This enables them to hold heat longer, increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. The EPA's "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners learn more about burning wood efficiently to minimize air pollution.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves are designed to be eco-friendly. Unlike indoor wood burner s that produce significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly without the creation of excessive carbon monoxide or heat. They also require less wood to provide the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.
Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more forgiving of wood moisture content than wood burning stoves for indoor use. Outdoor wood burners are suitable for wood that has been properly "cured" or dried or. Certain types of wood may take up to a full year. Use a moisture meter before loading to check the amount of water present in your wood.
When the system is in operation, it is essential to check the system regularly for creosote build up. Creosote is a by-product of combustion, may build up in the flue and chimney if they are not cleaned regularly. It can be eliminated using a special creosote removal product that is poured into the flame. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney will eliminate dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.
In order to achieve 99% combustion efficiency, Crown Royal Stoves designed an innovative air flow technology known as Negative Pressure Gasification. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces utilize this technology to pull air from the bottom, pushing all gasses through an insulated water surrounded secondary combustion chamber, which is easy-clean Turbulators to ensure a smoke-free and pollution free burn.