How to Properly Install and Maintain an Outdoor Wood Burner

Outdoor wood burners are often called wood boilers. They resemble small sheds with the appearance of a small smokestack. They are used to heat water or a mixture of antifreeze and water which is then circulated through your home.

When outdoor wood boilers approved by the EPA are used with dry wood, they can be an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel heating. They still produce plenty of smoke.

Energy Efficiency

Since the beginning of time, wood has been used to warm homes. With the fluctuating cost of fossil fuels, wood heat is a viable option for many. Not all wood boilers have the same efficiency. In general models that employ wood gasification technology are more efficient than standard model outdoor wood furnaces (OWBs).

The efficiency of energy used by an OWB is influenced by a variety of factors. One is the quality of the firewood used. It is crucial to choose only firewood that has been dried and kept seasoned for at minimum six months; ideally, for a whole year. Dry firewood releases more heat into the atmosphere than wet, green firewood. It also produces more efficiently and emits less pollution.

The boiler's rate of combustion is a further factor. This is the proportion of heat converted by the stove to useful heat. It is typical for manufacturers to advertise the efficiency of their combustion OWBs, but it's important to consider the delivered efficiency. The latter is a measurement of how much heat from the wood reaches your home.

Finally, it is important to ensure that you are operating the OWB to maximize its effectiveness. This means keeping it clean and maintaining the flue vent regularly. The flue vent should be cleaned every week during the heating season in order to minimize the amount of smoke produced by the stove and to prevent obstruction.

Unlike indoor stoves that are installed directly inside your home, an OWB is set up between 90 and 200 feet from your home. The heated water is piped through insulated pipes to your home. The hot water is distributed through a system of heat exchange units to provide warmth throughout your home.

Despite the disadvantages mentioned above, an OWB is a very efficient method of heating your home and save you money on your energy bills. Be sure to choose a high-efficiency unit and follow the correct maintenance procedures to get the most benefit of it. Remember that only dry and seasoned firewood should be burned in an OWB to avoid creating pollution and causing damage to your home.

Environmentally Friendly

Wood is a more eco friendly option to burning fossil fuels, such as propane, gasoline and oil. It is a renewable resource, which means that new trees can grow and replace the ones that were burning for warmth. Wood releases carbon dioxide when burned but it is absorbed by other plants and trees that convert the carbon dioxide back into oxygen for us to breathe. As opposed to fossil fuels burning of wood does not create any other environmental pollution.

A wood furnace can be used to heat garages, homes, sheds and other buildings. These units are also very cost-effective, as they eliminate the need for costly energy bills. These heaters can be used to heat hot tubs or pools that are ideal to relax in winter. A lot of these heaters are EPA and CSA approved which makes them a green 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.

An alternative to a wood furnace is an electric heat pump that extracts heat from the air or ground, allowing it to warm buildings and lessen the need for natural gas, propane or oil. These heat pumps are more efficient than traditional wood stoves, and are regarded as environmentally friendly, but they require a constant supply of raw materials to work efficiently.

Wood-burning heaters remain popular for some due to their low price and eco-friendly. The top models have an efficiency of 85% rating, which is far superior to other heating alternatives. Talk to an expert in outdoor wood burning to find out about the most efficient and eco green models.

Safety

If not properly maintained and installed, a wood-burning woodburning stove could pose a serious risk of fire. The smoke from a fire may be contaminated by carbon monoxide, toxins and fine particles that could cause health issues, such as asthma and reduced lung function. Smoke can also be harmful to carpets, furniture, and clothing. It is therefore important to employ professionals to install your wood stove.

It is recommended to have a professional conduct an inspection of your chimney, wood-burning appliance and stovepipe regularly. These experts can ensure that your OWB meets the local safety standards and is operating in a safe manner. This can help prevent fires from happening in your home or other buildings on your property.

It is important to only use dry, seasoned wood for burning wood in an OWB. To minimize the risk of fire, keep the area surrounding the logs free of debris or combustible materials, such as plastic or paper. Don't burn garbage, trash or treated lumber, as they can release a range of harmful pollutants into the air.

Wood smoke is harmful to everyone, but it is particularly dangerous to children, teenagers and older adults and those who suffer from respiratory or heart conditions. It is also advised that pregnant women and newly-wed mothers avoid exposure to wood smoke since it could negatively affect their unborn baby.

Using an OWB can also cause annoyance to your neighbors. Smoke from a fire may travel through windows that are not closed depending on the weather or wind. It can also cause irritation to eyes and noses. It is a good idea to shut all windows and doors near the stove and to keep pets away from the fire.

Installing carbon dioxide and smoke alarms in every bedroom of your house is also a great idea. Check them frequently. You should also have an escape plan for your family in place and practice it at least once per year. Contact your local PuroClean branch for help with smoke and blaze restoration services. We can help restore smoke-damaged homes or businesses to pre-fire condition.

Maintenance

Wood burning furnaces, also known as outdoor wood burners, or OWBs are great for heating your home using an energy source that is renewable and creating a warm, cozy environment. Like all appliances you use regularly, it requires some maintenance to ensure it is running smoothly.

You will get the most out of your outdoor wood stove if maintain it on a regular basis. The basic cleaning needs of your wood stove wood burning are cleaning the interior, exterior and flue pipe on a regular basis. Be sure to turn off the electricity and the fire prior to beginning cleaning. You will also want to prepare your tools before you start cleaning. These should include newspapers (to cover the floor of your home) safety gloves, a toothbrush and a small shovel as well as a ash-filled metal container instead of a bucket.

Each time you burn wood on your outdoor wood stove, creosote is produced. This residue must be cleaned frequently to ensure optimal air flow in the combustion system. It also helps to keep from the build-up of a substance which can damage the inner layer of the steel water jacket. Using a creosote removal product such as Creosote Buster sticks in your fire can reduce the amount of time and effort required to clean the process.

You'll need to clean the ash tank of your wood burner every week. It is best to empty the ash into a metal container for ash instead of throwing it into a regular garbage container that is filled with trash, plastics and other items that can ignite and explode when you put the hot ashes in the containers.

Based on the type of fuel and amount of heat being drawn from your wood burner, as well as the conditions in the air it is possible to control smoke on a regular basis. If smoke is a problem, you may want to make sure that the flue pipe of your wood stove cleaned on a regular basis. This is a job that isn't easy for DIYers, and is likely to be a task that is better done by experts to avoid any health issues caused by breathing in a lot of wood smoke.