What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners

Outdoor wood burners are a cost-effective way to heat homes and businesses. They also reduce dependence on nonrenewable fossils fuels and help in implementing a sustainable 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 accumulate and slow down performance.

Efficient

Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for a long time and offer a very eco-friendly and energy efficient method to heat your home. However, the design of OWBs, which encourages the slow and cooler burning, results in poor combustion and more smoke, creosote and particulates. These unburned fuels can cause health problems as well as fire hazards, and can also harm the environment.

Furthermore, the visible smoke plume produced by OWBs can make neighbors angry and could lead to DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) enforcement action. This kind of public relations issue can cause serious damage to the value of your property and may even result in your OWB being shut down.

Crown Royal Stoves offers a line of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces that are referred to as the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to increase the efficiency of combustion to ensure a smokeless, clean burn. This is accomplished by using a negative pressure air system that pulls fresh hot, dry, filtered air in from the bottom of the boiler and pushes it out of the chimney at a much greater rate than traditional outdoor wood boilers. This is accomplished by an innovative design that makes use of a multi-pass, water-filled heat exchanger constructed from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel.

When properly used, when properly used, the Pristine Gasification Series OWB can reach an efficiency of 99% to create a cleaner, smokeless fire that consumes less wood and produces fewer emissions than traditional OWBs. To maximize the performance of your OWB, it is important to burn clean, seasoned, dry wood. It is recommended that you season your wood for a minimum of six months or one year before burning it. This will ensure an efficient and clean burn.

In addition to increasing the efficiency of your wood burner, you can also improve its efficiency by performing a "dry burn" every week. This method helps to eliminate creosote accumulation, makes your boiler running efficiently and increases its lifespan. Additionally by adding a creosote remover stick each time you load your stove, you can dramatically reduce the amount of creosote you use. The product is available from Wisconsin Wood Furnace.

Clean

A large wood burning stove-burning stove could become very dirty from burnt soot particles. These are very hard to remove If you notice any spots of buildup on the glass of your stove, you must clean them as soon as you notice them. If the soot isn't removed, it will become hard, making it even more difficult. Using the right cleaning products for the job is vital, but also be sure you're not damaging the glass's surface with anything that could scratch it. This could result in a weak spot that will shatter the glass when it's exposed to high temperatures.

Before you begin cleaning your wood burner you must ensure that it is not lit and completely cool. Be sure to cover the area surrounding it with newspaper. This will prevent the ash from spreading and staining surfaces.

It could take up to one year for the seasoning process of your stove to be completed, based on the quality of wood you choose to use. The wood that has been seasoned will not only burn more efficiently, but will also produce less creosote. This is the substance that gets accumulated on your chimney, which reduces effectiveness and creating a fire hazard. If you're using wood that's not seasoned or are just beginning a fire in your outdoor fireplace, it's recommended to open the lower backdoor, and scoop out the ashes into a non-combustible container each week.

A sediment flush should be carried out on your boiler every four years. This is a quick five-second flush from the drain valve on your boiler. This will eliminate any sediment that has built up within the system and help keep your boiler in great operating condition.

Once you've completed the sediment flush, it's now time to clean the exterior of your outdoor wood burner. Before you begin, it's important to cover the stove's area with newspaper. It is also advisable to wear protective eyewear and gloves. You should also have a metal ash container as well as a scraping tool and a shovel. You can use a cloth as an insulator to protect the refractory while you remove ash and coal deposits.

Easy to Operate

Outdoor wood boilers (also called outdoor furnaces or outdoor best wood burning stove hydronic heating systems or outdoor wood heaters) are often misunderstood in spite of their popularity. They were one of the "it" trends of the 1990s, alongside mullet hairstyles. Contrary to the EPA's popular wood stoves which are designed to burn at low, constant temperatures, these units use an increased fire rate and emit more smoke when they operate. This is why a few local governments have a policy of regulating or banning their use.

OWBs are great to heat homes with a high insulation level. Smoke that is thick and smoldering could be a nuisance for neighbors, which has led many OWBs to be shut down or even sued. To allow OWBs to operate properly they must be used with dry wood that has a low moisture content. Utilizing unseasoned or green wood can reduce efficiency, cause creosote accumulation and can cut down the life of the burner. A moisture meter will help you determine how long it takes for outside wood burners to dry.

In contrast dual-stage wood gasification boilers (OWGB) make use of a three step process which makes use of the available energy in the wood and results in a lesser amount of smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than conventional OWBs, and can be used to fuel various fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry well-seasoned and seasoned firewood. The majority of wood will be seasoned within a year, but oak and other species that are hardy could take two years or more to fully mature. They are less watery and have a denser mass. This enables them to hold heat longer, thus increasing efficiency and reduce pollution. The EPA's "Burn Wise" website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners learn more about how to burn wood efficiently to minimize air pollution.

Low Maintenance

Modern outdoor wood stoves are engineered to be environmentally friendly. Unlike indoor wood burners that produce significant smoke, modern outdoor furnaces burn cleanly and without the release of excessive heat or carbon monoxide. They also use less wood to generate the same amount of heat as traditional stoves.

Outdoor wood burners also require significantly less maintenance than indoor wood burners and are more accommodating in regards to the moisture content of the wood. However outdoor wood burners should only be used with properly treated or "cured" wood. This could take a whole year or more for some types of wood. It is crucial to utilize a moisture gauge to check the water content of your wood prior to loading.

In the course of operation, it is crucial to check the system regularly for creosote accumulation. Creosote is a byproduct of combustion and can accumulate in the chimney and flue when it is not cleaned regularly. It can be eliminated by pouring a creosote removal product into the fire. Regular cleaning of the chimney and flue will help eliminate dangerous creosote accumulations and improve efficiency.

To attain 99% efficiency in combustion, Crown Royal Stoves designed a new air flow technology known as Negative Pressure Gasification. Our EPA certified Pristine Series outdoor wood furnaces employ this technology to pull air from the bottom, directing all of the gasses through an insulated water-surrounded secondary combustion chamber that is easy to clean turbulators for a smokeless & pollution-free combustion.