What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burning stoves are a cost-effective method of heating homes and businesses. wood burning fireplace reduce the dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
To ensure efficient burning for efficient burning, it is crucial to use well-seasoned wood. Unseasoned or green wood has a higher moisture content and can cause creosote buildup which reduces performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners have been in use for many years. They are an energy-efficient and green method to heat your home. However, the design of OWBs, which encourages a slow, cooler fire which results in poor combustion and more smoke, creosote, and particulates. These unburned fuels could cause health issues, fire hazards, and cause harm to the environment around it.
Additionally the visible smoke puffs that OWBs generate can cause neighbors to complain. This could result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) and taking enforcement actions. This type of issue can negatively impact the value of your property and could cause your OWB being closed down.
Crown Royal Stoves offers a line of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces called the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to maximize combustion efficiency for a clean, smoke-free burning. This is accomplished with a negative-pressure air system that draws fresh dry heated, filtered, and heated air from the bottom and then pushes it out through the chimney much faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is achieved through an innovative design that makes use of a multi-pass, water-filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly utilized, when properly used, the Pristine Series OWB can achieve an efficiency of 99% for a smoke-free and cleaner fire. It uses less wood, and produces a lot less emission than traditional OWBs. To further maximize your OWB's performance it is essential to burn only dry, clean, and seasoned wood. Seasoning your wood for 6 months or a year prior to burning is recommended. This will ensure a more efficient, more energy efficient burn.
You can increase the efficiency of your wood-burning stove by executing a weekly "dry burn". This method eliminates creosote build up, keeps your boiler in good condition and extends its life span. In addition by putting in a creosote-removing stick each when you load your stove, you will be able to dramatically reduce the amount of creosote used. This product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
A wood-burning stove can become very dirty from burnt soot particles. They are difficult to get rid of and therefore, you must clean any buildup on the glass of your stove as soon as you notice it. In the event that the soot is not removed, it will harden and be even more difficult to get off. Using the right cleaners for the job is vital and you should also make sure you're not damaging the surface of the glass by using anything that could scratch it. This could lead to an area of weakness that could shatter glass when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Be sure to let your wood stove cool completely before cleaning it. Make sure you surround it with newspaper. This will stop the ash from leaking and staining surfaces.
It could take up to one year for your stove's seasoning to be completed, based on the quality of wood you choose to use. The wood that has been treated with a seasoned finish will not only burn more efficiently, but also produce less creosote. This is the material that builds up on your chimney, decreasing its efficiency and posing an hazard for fire. If you're using unseasoned wood, or just starting a fire in your outdoor fireplace, you should open the lower backdoor and scoop the ashes into a noncombustible container each week.
A sediment flush is recommended on your boiler every four years. This involves a simple five-second flush from the bottom drain valve of your boiler. This will remove any sediment that has built up in the system, and ensure that your boiler is operating well.
Once you have done the sediment flush, it's time to clean the outside of your outdoor wood burner. Before starting, it's important to cover the floor surrounding the stove with newspaper. Wearing protective gloves and eyewear is also a good idea. You should also have an shovel, a metal container for ash and scraping tools. You can make use of a cloth as an insulator to shield the refractory from damage while you take off coal and ash deposits.
Easy to Operate
Despite their popularity (they were among the 1990s' "it" trends, along with mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, also referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters are still often misunderstood. These units are different from the popular EPA wood stoves, which are designed to burn at low temperatures and continuously. They are able to produce more fire and generate more smoke. This is the reason why local governments regulate or even ban their use.
OWBs are great to heat homes with insulation levels that are high. The visible, smoldering smoke is also a source of complaint with neighbors and has resulted in many OWBs being shut down or being sued in the past. For OWBs dry wood with a lower moisture content is required to work effectively. Utilizing unseasoned or green wood decreases efficiency, causes creosote to build up and may reduce the lifespan of the burner. A moisture gauge will allow you determine how long it takes for wood to dry.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers however they employ a three-step procedure that makes use of more energy contained in the wood. This results in less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs and are suitable for many different fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry, well-seasoned firewood. The majority of wood will season over the course of one year. Oak and other tough trees could take up to two years. This is because they have less volume of water and a greater density. This enables them to hold heat for longer, thereby increasing efficiency and reduce pollution. The EPA's "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners learn more about burning wood efficiently to minimize pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood stoves are engineered to be environmentally friendly. In contrast to indoor wood burners which generate significant smoke Modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly and 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 also require significantly less maintenance than indoor wood burners and are more accommodating when it comes to the moisture content of the wood. However outdoor wood burners can only be used with properly prepared or "cured" wood. Certain kinds of wood can take up to a full year. Use a moisture gauge prior to loading to check the amount of water contained in the wood.
In the course of operation, it is crucial to examine the system on a regular basis for the accumulation of creosote. Creosote is a byproduct of combustion and can build up in the flue and chimney when it is not cleaned frequently. It can be eliminated by pouring a creosote removing product into the fire. Regularly cleaning the chimney and flue will remove dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.
To attain 99% efficiency in combustion, 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, forcing all gasses through an insulated water surrounded secondary combustion chamber, which is easy-clean turbulators for a smokeless & pollutant-free burn.