How to Properly Install and Maintain an Outdoor Wood Burner

Outdoor wood burners are often called wood boilers. They look like small sheds that have the appearance of a small smokestack. They provide heat to water or a mixture of water and antifreeze that is then circulated throughout your home.

When EPA-approved outdoor wood boilers are utilized with dry wood, they are an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel heating. However, they still generate substantial amounts of smoke.

Energy Efficiency

Wood heat has been a popular option to heat homes for centuries. Today, with fluctuating prices for fossil fuels, it is a cost-effective choice for a lot of people. However, not all wood boilers are to be equally efficient. As a rule models that utilize wood gasification technology are more efficient than standard model outdoor wood furnaces (OWBs).

There are a variety of factors that affect the efficiency of energy used by an OWB. One of them is the quality and quantity of the firewood. It is important to select only firewood that has been dried and seasoned for at least six months, and best for a year. Dry firewood ejects more of its heat into the air than wet green wood. It also burns more efficiently and emits less pollution.

The rate of combustion in the boiler is another aspect. This is the amount of heat that is converted by the stove to useful heat. It is typical for manufacturers to promote the efficiency of their combustion OWBs, but it’s crucial to also look at the efficiency of the product. The latter is a measurement of how much heat generated by the wood gets to your home.

Finally, it is important to ensure that you are operating the OWB to ensure its efficiency. This includes keeping it clean and ensuring that the vent is maintained regularly. The flue should be cleaned on a regular basis during the heating season to prevent clogging and reduce the amount of smoke released by the burner.

In contrast to indoor stoves, which are installed in your office or home, an OWB can be set up anywhere between 90 and 200 feet away from your house. The heated water is piped through insulated pipes to your home. The hot water is then distributed via a network of heat exchange units that provide warmth throughout your home.

Despite the disadvantages discussed above, an OWB is a highly efficient way to heat your home and help you save money on your energy bills. Just make sure that you choose a high-efficiency unit and follow the correct maintenance procedures to get the most benefit of it. Be sure to burn dry, seasoned wood in an OWB. This will stop the wood from destroying your home and polluting the air.

Environmentally Friendly

Wood is a green alternative to burning fossil fuels such as gasoline, propane and oil. It is a renewable resource which means that new trees will develop and replace the ones burned for warmth. When wood is burned, it releases carbon dioxide, but this is reabsorbed and transformed back into oxygen by other plants. Unlike fossil fuels, the burning of wood doesn’t generate any other environmental pollutant.

Wood furnaces can be used to heat garages, homes, sheds, and other structures. They are cost-effective since they eliminate the need to pay expensive utility bills. These heaters can be used to heat hot tubs or pools that are ideal for relaxing in wintertime. A lot of these heaters are EPA and CSA approved and are therefore a green alternative for heating your home.

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.

Electric heat pumps are a great alternative to wood furnaces. They extract thermal energy from the air or ground which allows them to heat buildings and reduce their use of propane, oil or natural gas. These heat pumps are more eco-friendly than traditional wood stoves and they are more efficient. However best woodburners require a constant supply of raw materials in order to operate.

Wood-burning heaters are still popular for some because of their low price and environmental stewardship. A majority of the top models have an 85% efficiency rating, which is far better than most other heating alternatives. Speak with an expert in outdoor wood burning to know about the most efficient and eco friendly models.

Safety

If not properly installed and maintained, a wood burning stove can pose a major danger to fire. Smoke from fires can contain toxic substances, fine particles and carbon monoxide, which can cause respiratory problems and asthma. Smoke can also cause harm to carpets, furniture and clothing. This is why it is crucial to employ a professional to install your wood burner.

It is also a good idea to have a professional do an inspection of your chimney, wood-burning appliance and stovepipe regularly. These experts can ensure that your OWB meets local safety standards and is operating in a safe way. This will help to prevent fires from your home or any other buildings on your property.

It is important to only use dry, seasoned logs for burning wood in an OWB. To decrease the chance of fire, you should keep the area surrounding the logs free of debris or combustible materials such as plastic or paper. Do not burn treated wood, garbage or rubbish because they release harmful pollutants into the air.

Wood smoke is dangerous to everyone, but it is particularly dangerous to teenagers, children and older adults and those suffering from respiratory or heart problems. It is also recommended that all new and expecting mothers beware of exposure to wood smoke, as it can adversely affect their babies.

Using an OWB could also cause annoyance to neighbors. Based on the weather and the wind, smoke from a fire could be blown through windows that are not closed. It can also irritate eyes and noses. It is a good idea to shut any windows or doors that are near the stove, and to keep pets away from the flame.

It is recommended to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in each bedroom of your home and test them frequently. You should also have a family escape plan in place and do it at least once a year. For assistance with smoke and restoration services after a fire, contact your local PuroClean office. We can restore your damaged property or business to its pre-fire condition.

Maintenance

Wood burning furnaces (also known as outdoor wood heaters, or OWBs) are great for heating up and creating a warm, cozy space in your home. But like any appliance that you regularly use, they require some maintenance to ensure that they are running smoothly.

Maintaining your outdoor wood stove maintenance will ensure that you get the most use out of it. Regularly cleaning the exterior flue, interior, and pipe is essential. Before you do any cleaning, ensure that the fire has been completely gone and all electrical power to the wood stove is off. You will also want to make sure you have all the necessary supplies before you start cleaning. These include newspapers (to cover the floor of your house), safety gloves, a brush, and an incredibly small shovel as well as a metal ash container instead of a bucket.

Every time you burn wood in your outdoor wood burner, it produces creosote that must be regularly cleaned to maintain optimum air flow through the combustion system and to stop the accumulation of a substance that corrodes the steel’s inner layers in the water jacket. Creosote Removal Products such as Creosote buster sticks can help reduce the time and effort for cleaning.

You’ll need to clean the ash container of your wood burner every week. It is more efficient to empty the ash into a metal container than in the regular trash can which is typically filled with plastics, trash and other substances. They could spark or explode if the ashes are hot when placed into the can.

Smoke from your wood burner may require to be controlled on a regular basis dependent on the kind of wood you use, the amount of heat is being drawn in and atmospheric conditions. If you notice smoke, you may want to have the flue pipe of your wood stove cleaned regularly. This is a challenging task for anyone who wants to do it themselves. It is best left to professionals to avoid health issues that may arise from breathing in a lot of wood smoke.