It's True That The Most Common Outside Wood Burners Debate Actually Isn't As Black And White As You May Think
What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners
Outdoor wood burners are an efficient and cost-effective method of heating homes and businesses. They also reduce the dependence on fossil fuels that are non-renewable and aid in a sustainable energy strategy.
For small wood burning stove burning for efficient burning, it is crucial to use well-seasoned wood. Green or unseasoned wood has a higher moisture content and can create creosote buildup which reduces performance.
Efficient
Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for years and are an extremely energy efficient and environmentally friendly method to heat your home. The typical design of OWBs favors an older, cooler fire which results in less efficient combustion and more smoke and creosote. These unburned fuels can cause health issues as well as fire hazards, and can also harm the environment.
Moreover, the visible smoke puffs that OWBs produce can make neighbors complain. This may result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) and taking enforcement actions. This kind of public relations issue can cause serious damage to the value of your property and could even result in 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, smokeless combustion. This is achieved through a negative pressure air system that pulls fresh dry, heated, filtered air from the bottom, and then pushes it through the chimney much faster than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished through an exclusive design that uses a multi-pass water filled heat exchanger made from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.
If properly utilized properly, the Pristine Series OWB has an efficiency of 99% for a smoke-free and cleaner fire. It requires less wood and produces significantly less emissions than traditional OWBs. To further maximize the performance of your OWB, it is important 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 energy efficient and efficient burn.
You can improve the efficiency of your wood-burning stove through each week a "dry burn". This method eliminates creosote accumulation, makes your boiler in good condition and extends its life span. By affixing a creosote-removing stick to your stove each time you fill it up, you can drastically reduce the amount of creosote that you use. This product is available through Wisconsin Wood Furnace.
Clean
The soot particles that are left on the stove after burning wood may make a stove look very dirty. They are extremely difficult to shift, so if you see any spots of buildup on the glass of your stove, wash them as soon as you notice them. If the soot isn't removed, it will begin to harden, making it even more difficult to remove. Using the right cleaning products for the job is essential, but also be sure you're not damaging the glass's surface with anything that could scratch it. This could result in an area of weakness that could break the glass when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Before you begin cleaning your wood stove, it is important to ensure that it's not lit and completely cool. Also, ensure that the surrounding area is covered with newspaper. This will stop any ash spillage that can stain and mark surfaces.
It could take as long as one year for your stove's seasoning to be complete, depending on the quality of the wood you choose to use. wood burning stoves small that is properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but also produce less creosote. This is the material which accumulates on your fireplace, decreasing its efficiency and creating a potential fire hazard. If you're using unseasoned wood or are just making a fresh fire in your outdoor wood burner, the best thing to do is to open up the back door to the lower part and scoop the ashes into a non-combustible bin every week.
A sediment flush should be carried out 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 debris that has accumulated inside the system and ensure that your boiler is in good functioning condition.
After you've completed the sediment flush, it's time to clean the outside of your outdoor wood burner. Before you begin, it's essential to cover the floor around the stove with newspaper. Wearing protective eyewear and gloves is an excellent idea. Also, you should have a metal ash canister as well as a scraping tool and shovel. You can use a cloth as shield to protect the refractory as you scrape away coal and ash deposits.
Simple to Operate
Despite their popularity (they were one of the 1990s' "it" trends, along with mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, also referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters are frequently misunderstood. In contrast to their EPA-approved counterparts, popular wood stoves which are designed to burn at constant, low temperatures, these boilers have more fire and emit more smoke when operating. Some local governments limit or ban their use.
OWBs work best in homes that have high levels of insulation. The visible, smoldering smoke is also a cause of complaints from neighbors, and has led to many OWBs being shut-down or sued in the past. To allow OWBs to operate properly they must be operated using dry wood with a low moisture content. Wood that is not seasoned or green can reduce efficiency, cause creosote build-up, and shorten the lifespan of the burner. Drying wood takes time and an instrument to measure moisture is a must for the homeowner.
Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers are, on the other hand utilize a three-step process which makes use of the energy in the wood. This means less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than conventional OWBs and can be used for various fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry, well-seasoned firewood. The majority of wood can be seasoned over the course of one year. Oak and other tough trees may take as long as two years. They are less watery and have a larger mass. This lets them store heat longer, thus increasing efficiency and reduce pollution. The EPA "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension are great sources for homeowners to learn how to burn wood efficiently in order minimize pollution to the air.
Low Maintenance
Modern outdoor wood furnaces have been designed with the environment in mind. Contrary to indoor wood stoves that produce significant smoke Modern outdoor furnaces burn efficiently and without the release 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 than indoor wood burners and are more forgiving when it comes to the moisture content of the wood. However, outdoor wood burners can only be used with properly seasoned or "cured" wood. It can take a year or more for some types of wood. It is important to utilize a moisture gauge to measure the amount of water of your wood before loading.
When the system is in operation, it is necessary to check the system regularly for the accumulation of creosote. Creosote is an byproduct of combustion that can build up in the flue and chimney in the event that it is not cleaned on a regular basis. It can be eliminated by pouring a creosote removal product into the fire. Regular cleaning of the flue and chimney will remove dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.
Crown Royal Stoves developed a new airflow technique called 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, pushing all of the gasses through an insulated, water-surrounded secondary combustion chamber that is easy to clean turbulators for a smokeless & pollution-free burn.