How to Properly Install and Maintain an Outdoor Wood Burner
Outdoor wood burners, also called wood boilers, look like small sheds that have an elongated smoke stack. They heat water, or a mixture of antifreeze and water which is then circulated throughout your house.
When used with dry wood and EPA-approved outdoor boilers, they can provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil heating. However, they do produce an enormous amount of smoke.
Energy Efficiency
Since the beginning of time, wood has been used to warm homes. Today, with fluctuating prices for fossil fuels, it is a reasonable choice for a lot of people. There aren't all wood boilers that have the same effectiveness. In general models that make use of wood gasification are more efficient than traditional outdoor wood furnaces.
There are many factors that impact the efficiency of energy used by an OWB. One of these is the quality of the firewood utilized. It is essential to select only firewood that has been dried and seasoned. dried for at least six months and ideally, for the entire year. Dry firewood is more efficient at releasing heat into the air than green, wet wood. It also produces more efficiently and emits less pollution.
Another aspect is the boiler's combustion efficiency (or percentage) of heat energy converted into useful heat by the stove. It is typical for manufacturers to promote the efficiency of their combustion OWBs, however it is important to consider the efficiency of the product. The latter is a measurement of how much heat generated by the wood reaches your home.
It is also crucial to operate the OWB correctly to maximize its effectiveness. This means keeping it clean and maintaining the flue vent on a regular basis. The flue must be cleaned on a weekly basis during the heating season to avoid clogging and reduce the amount of smoke released by the burner.
In contrast to stoves for indoor use that are installed within your office or home, an OWB can be installed anywhere between 90 and 200 feet from your home. The heated water is piped through insulated pipes to your home. The hot water is distributed throughout your home by an appliance that makes use of heat exchangers.
Despite the disadvantages listed above, an OWB can be a highly efficient way to heat your home and save money on energy costs. Just make sure that you choose a high-efficiency unit and follow proper maintenance procedures to make the most of it. Be sure to burn dry and seasoned wood in an OWB. This will prevent the firewood from destroying your home and polluting the air.
Environmentally Friendly
Wood is a more environmentally friendly option to burning fossil fuels like propane, gasoline, and oil. It is a renewable resource, which means that new trees will grow and replace those that were burned to provide warmth. Wood emits carbon dioxide when it burns however, it is absorbed by other trees and plants that convert it back into oxygen to allow us to breathe. Unlike fossil fuels, the burning of wood doesn't produce any other environmental pollution.
Wood furnaces can be used to heat garages, homes, sheds and other structures. They are extremely economical as they do away with the need to pay costly utility bills. These heaters can be used to heat hot tubs and pools that are ideal to relax in winter months. These heaters are EPAand CSA-approved, making them an environmentally friendly option for home heating.
However, a wood stove is not without its drawbacks. Wood smoke contains tiny air particles that can aggravate the symptoms of certain health conditions, such as heart and lung problems. These particles can also contribute to climate change and contaminate water supplies. It is important to use only seasoned firewood in your outdoor wood burner. If your wood isn't seasoned, it will release more smoke, which can irritate those with sensitive respiratory systems.
A substitute for a wood furnace is an electric heat pump, which extracts thermal energy from the ground or air which allows it to heat buildings and decrease the requirement for propane, natural gas or oil. These heat pumps are more efficient than traditional wood stoves and are regarded as green, but they require a continuous supply of raw materials in order to perform properly.
Wood-burning heaters remain popular for some due to their low price and eco-friendly. The most efficient models have an efficiency rating of 85% which is more than the majority of other heating options. Speak with an expert in outdoor wood burning to learn about the most efficient and environmentally sustainable models.
Safety
If it is not properly maintained and installed, a wood burning stove can pose a major risk of fire. Smoke from a fire could be contaminated by carbon monoxide, toxins and fine particles that may cause health issues, including asthma and a reduced lung function. Smoke can also cause a hazard to carpets, furniture and clothing. Because of this, it is crucial to employ an expert to install your wood burner.
It is recommended to have a professional conduct an inspection of your chimney, wood-burning appliance and stovepipe regularly. They will ensure that your OWB is operating in a safe manner and that it is compliant with local safety regulations, which can keep fires from forming within your home or other buildings on your property.
It is crucial to only use dry, seasoned wood when burning wood in an OWB. Also, ensure that the area around logs free of debris and combustible materials like plastic or paper, in order to avoid the danger of fire. Never burn treated lumber, garbage or trash as they can release harmful pollutants into the air.
Wood smoke is dangerous to everyone, but it is particularly harmful to children, teenagers and older adults and those with heart or respiratory conditions. It is also recommended that pregnant women and new mothers avoid wood smoke as it could adversely affect their unborn child.
Using an OWB could also cause trouble to your neighbors. Smoke from a fireplace can blow through windows that are open in response to weather conditions or wind. It can also irritate the nose and eyes. Close all doors and windows that are close to the stove and keep pets away from it.
It is recommended to install carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in each bedroom of your house and test them regularly. You should also have an escape plan for your family in place and test it at least once a year. For assistance with smoke and restoration services after a fire, contact your local PuroClean office. We can help restore smoke-damaged homes or businesses to pre-fire condition.
Maintenance
Wood burning furnaces (also called outdoor wood heaters or OWBs) are ideal for heating your home and creating a cozy warm space in your home. Like all appliances you use regularly it needs some attention to keep it running smoothly.
You will benefit from your outdoor wood stove if maintain it on a regular basis. Cleaning the exterior, interior, and flue pipe is essential. Before you start any cleaning, make sure that the fire is extinguished and that all electrical power to the wood stove is shut off. Before you begin cleaning, collect all your supplies. wood burning stove outdoor include newspapers to cover the floor of your home, safety gloves and a brush.
Every time you burn wood in your outdoor wood burner, it releases creosote residue, which must be cleaned on a regular basis to maintain optimum air flow through the combustion system and also to stop the accumulation of a substance which corrodes the steel's inner layers in the water jacket. Creosote Removal Products such as Creosote buster sticks can reduce the time and effort to clean.
You should also clear the ash tank on your wood burner on a regular basis. It is more efficient to empty the ash into metal containers rather than a regular trash can, which is usually filled with trash, plastics and other items. These could ignite or explode when the hot ashes are placed in the can.
Smoke from your wood stove may require to be controlled regularly, according to the type of wood you use, the amount of heat is being drawn and the weather conditions. If smoke is an issue it is recommended to have the flue pipe of your wood stove cleaned regularly. This is a task that can be difficult for DIYers and is a task which is best left to the experts to avoid any health problems caused by inhaling a lot of smoke from wood.