Watch Out: How Outside Wood Burners Is Taking Over And What To Do About It

What You Need to Know About Outdoor Wood Burners Outdoor wood burners are a cost-effective method of heating homes and businesses. They also help to reduce dependence on fossil fuels that are not renewable and help to create a more resilient energy strategy. Wood that is well-seasoned is crucial for efficient burning. Unseasoned or green wood has a higher moisture content and can create creosote that can reduce performance. Efficient Outdoor wood burners (OWBs) have been around for years and offer a very energy efficient and environmentally friendly method to heat your home. The design of OWBs encourages a slower, cooler fire which results in poorer combustion and more smoke and creosote. freestanding wood burner could cause health problems and fire hazards. They also degrade the environment. Furthermore, the visible smoke plume OWBs generate could cause neighbors to voice their concerns. This could result in DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) taking enforcement action. This kind of problem can affect the value of your property and could result in your OWB being closed. Crown Royal Stoves offers a line of EPA Certified outdoor wood furnaces called the Pristine Gasification Series that utilizes technology to increase the efficiency of combustion for a clean, smokeless burn. This is accomplished by using a negative pressure air system that draws 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 through the unique design of a multi-pass, water filled heat exchanger constructed from 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel. When properly used properly, When properly used, the Pristine Series OWB achieves an efficiency of 99% for a smoke-free and cleaner fire. It consumes less wood and produces significantly less emissions than traditional OWBs. It is important to use dry, clean, and seasoned wood in order to enhance the performance of your OWB. It is recommended that you get your wood seasoned for a period of six months or a year before burning it. This will result in an efficient and clean burn. In addition to improving the efficiency of your wood stove it is also possible to increase its efficiency by performing an “dry burn” every week. This technique eliminates creosote buildup, keeps your boiler efficient and extends its lifespan. Lastly by adding a creosote remover stick each time you fill your stove, you can drastically cut the amount of creosote used. This product is available from Wisconsin Wood Furnace. Clean The soot particles that are left behind after burning wood can make a stove look very dirty. They are extremely difficult to remove, so if you see any areas of build up on the glass of your stove, you must clean them immediately. Soot that is not removed will harden, making it even more difficult. Using the right cleaners for the job is crucial and you should also make sure you're not damaging the glass's surface with anything that might scratch it. This could result in an area of weakness that could break glass when exposed to extreme temperatures. Before you begin cleaning your wood burner you must ensure that it's not lit and completely cool. Be sure that you 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 your stove's seasoning to be completed, based on the quality of wood you select. Wood that is properly seasoned will not only burn more efficiently and last longer, but it will also produce less creosote. This is the material which builds up on your fireplace, reducing its efficiency and creating the potential for a fire hazard. If you're using unseasoned wood or you're just starting a fire in your outdoor fireplace, you should open the lower backdoor and scoop out ashes into a noncombustible container each week. You should also perform a sediment flush on your boiler at least once every four years. This is a quick five-second flush from the bottom drain valve of your boiler. This will eliminate any sediment that has built in the system and will ensure that your boiler runs efficiently. After you have cleaned the exterior of your outdoor fireplace it is time to clean it. Before you begin, it's crucial to cover the stove's area with newspaper. It is also advisable to wear protective eyewear and gloves. You should also have a shovel, a metal container for ash, and scraping tools. You can use a cloth as an insulator to protect the refractory as you scrape away coal and ash deposits. Easy to Operate Despite their popularity (they were among the 1990s' “it” trends, as were mullet haircuts) outdoor wood boilers, also referred to as outdoor furnaces or outdoor wood hydronic heaters, are often misunderstood. These units are not the same as the well-known EPA wood stoves, which are built to burn at low temperatures and run continuously. They have a higher rate of combustion and generate more smoke. This is why some local governments regulate or even ban their use. OWBs are best used to heat homes with a high insulation level. The smoldering, dense visible smoke can also be a source of complaint with neighbors and has led to many OWBs being shut down or being sued in the past. For OWBs, dry wood with lower moisture content is needed to function properly. Green or unseasoned wood can decrease efficiency, cause creosote to accumulate, and shorten the lifespan of the burner. A moisture meter can help you determine how long it takes for wood to dry. Dual-stage wood gasification (OWGB) boilers, on the other hand, use a three-step process which makes use of the energy in the wood. This means less smoke. These furnaces are more efficient than traditional OWBs, and are suitable for a wide range of fuels. Wood gasification boilers require dry well-seasoned wood. The majority of wood can be seasoned within a year. Oak and other tough trees may take up to two years to mature. They are less water-based and have a greater density. This allows them retain heat for longer, increasing efficiency and reducing pollution. The EPA's “Burn Wise” website and Cornell Cooperative Extension can help homeowners understand how to burn wood efficiently, thereby reducing pollution to the air. Low Maintenance Modern outdoor wood stoves are designed to be eco-friendly. Modern outdoor wood furnaces don't emit excessive CO2 or heat. They also burn more efficiently than indoor wood stoves. They also require less wood to produce the same amount of heat as traditional stoves. Outdoor wood burners require less maintenance and are more forgiving of moisture content in wood than wood burning stoves that are indoor. Outdoor wood burners are only suitable for wood that has been properly “cured” or dried or. Certain types of wood may last for up to a year. Use a moisture gauge prior to loading to determine the amount of water in the wood. When the system is in operation, it is important to periodically inspect the system for the build-up of creosote. Creosote, which is a byproduct of combustion, may build up in the flue and chimney if they aren't 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, 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 make use of this technology to draw air from the bottom, forcing all of the gasses through an insulated water-surrounded secondary combustion chamber with easy-clean turbulators for a smokeless & pollution free combustion.