This Week's Top Stories Concerning Outdoor Wood Burner
How to Properly Install and Maintain an Outdoor Wood Burner Outdoor wood burners, sometimes called wood boilers, appear like small sheds with the appearance of a small smoke stack. wood burning stoves are used to heat water or a mixture of water and antifreeze which is then circulated around your home. When EPA-approved outdoor wood boilers are made of dry wood, they can provide an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel heating. They still produce a lot of smoke. Energy Efficiency Wood heat has been a popular option to heat homes for centuries. With the fluctuating costs of fossil fuels wood heat is an attractive alternative for a lot of. However, not all wood boilers are created to be equally efficient. As a rule models that make use of wood gasification are more efficient than standard outdoor wood furnaces. There are many elements that affect the efficiency of energy used by an OWB. One is the quality of the wood utilized. It is essential to choose only firewood that has been dried and thoroughly seasoned for at least six months, and best for a full year. Dry firewood ejects more of its heat into the air than wet green wood. It also burns more efficiently and produces less pollution. Another element is the boiler's combustion efficiency, which is the percentage of heat energy converted into heat by the stove. Many manufacturers advertise their OWBs' combustion efficiencies, but it is important to check the delivered efficiency as well. The latter is a measurement of how much available heat that is generated by the wood gets to the home. Finally, it is important to properly operate the OWB to maximize its efficiency. This includes cleaning and maintaining the vent regularly. The flue must also be cleaned weekly during the heating season in order to reduce the amount smoke produced by the stove and to prevent the clogging. In contrast to stoves for indoor use that are installed in your office or home, an OWB can be set up anywhere between 90 and 200 feet from your house. The hot water that is heated in the OWB is then pumped through pipes that are insulated to get to your home. The hot water is then distributed through a system of heat exchange units that provide warmth throughout your home. Despite the disadvantages discussed above, an OWB is a very efficient method of heating your home and can save you money on your energy bills. Make sure you select a high-efficiency model and follow proper maintenance procedures to get the most benefit of it. Don't forget that only dry and seasoned firewood is recommended to be burned in an OWB to avoid polluting the environment and damaging your home. Environmentally Friendly Wood is an environmentally friendly alternative to burning fossil fuels like propane, gasoline and oil. It is a source of renewable energy which means that new trees will be planted to replace the ones which were burned to provide warmth. When wood is burned it releases carbon dioxide but this is reabsorbed and transformed back into oxygen by other plants. In contrast to fossil fuels, burning of wood does not produce any other environmental pollutant. Wood furnaces can be used for heating garages, homes sheds and other structures. They are also economical as they remove the need for expensive energy bills. These heaters can be used to heat hot tubs and pools that are ideal for relaxing in wintertime. Many 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 draw thermal energy from the ground or air which allows them to heat buildings and decrease their need for oil, propane, or natural gas. These heat pumps are more efficient than traditional wood stoves and are seen as green, but they require a constant supply of raw materials to work effectively. Wood-burning heaters are still in high demand for some due to their low price and environmental friendliness. Many of the best models come with an 85% efficiency rating, which is higher than the majority of other heating options. Anyone who is concerned about the environment should consult a professional in outdoor wood burning to learn about the best models that are efficient and eco-friendly. Safety If it is not properly installed and maintained, a wood-burning stove can pose a major danger to fire. Smoke from fires could contain toxins, fine particles, and carbon monoxide, which can cause respiratory problems and asthma. Smoke can also cause harm to carpets, furniture and clothing. Therefore, it is important to hire professionals to install your wood stove. A professional should also check your chimney or stovepipe that burns wood on a regular schedule. They will ensure that your OWB is working safely and that it is compliant with the local safety regulations. This will help to keep fires from forming in your home or other structures on your property. It is essential to make use of dry, seasoned logs for burning wood in an OWB. Also, keep the area around the logs clear of combustible and debris such as plastic or paper, to reduce fire hazards. Don't burn garbage, trash or treated lumber, as these can release a number of harmful pollutants into the air. Wood smoke is harmful to all, but it's particularly dangerous to teenagers, children and older adults, as well as people who suffer from respiratory or heart conditions. It is also recommended that pregnant women and newly-wed mothers avoid wood smoke as it could negatively affect their unborn child. Utilizing an OWB can also cause annoyance to neighbors. Depending on the weather and wind smoke from a fire could blow through open windows. It can also irritate the eyes and noses. Close any windows or doors close to the stove, and keep pets away from it. It is also a good idea to install carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in every room of your house and test them regularly. It is also recommended to make a family evacuation strategy and practice it at the minimum every month. Contact your local PuroClean branch for assistance with smoke and blaze restoration services. We can help restore your smoke-damaged property or business to its pre-fire condition. Maintenance Wood burning furnaces (also called outdoor wood heaters, or OWBs) are excellent for heating your home and creating a warm, cozy atmosphere within your home. Like any appliance that you regularly use, it requires some maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Keeping up with your outdoor wood stove maintenance will ensure that you get the most use out of it. The basic cleaning needs of your wood stove is cleaning the exterior, interior and flue pipe regularly. Be sure to turn off the power and the fire before you begin cleaning. Before you begin cleaning, gather all the materials you need. These include newspapers to cover the floor of your home as well as safety gloves and a toothbrush. Each time you use wood in your outdoor wood burner, it creates creosote that must be cleaned on a regular basis to maintain optimum air flow through the combustion system as well as to stop the accumulation of a substance which corrodes the inner layers of steel in the water jacket. Using a creosote removal product such as Creosote Buster sticks in your fire will help reduce the amount of time and effort needed for the cleaning process. You will need to clean the ash tank of your wood stove every week. It is more efficient to empty the ash into metal containers rather than a regular trash can, which is usually filled with plastics, trash and other substances. They could explode or ignite when the ashes are hot when placed in the container. Smoke from your wood burner may require to be controlled on a regular basis, dependent on the type of wood used, how much heat is being drawn and the weather conditions. If smoke is an issue, you may want to have the flue pipe of your wood stove cleaned on a regular basis. This isn't an easy task for anyone who wants to do it themselves. It is best to leave it to experts to avoid health issues that could result from smoking a lot of smoke from the wood stove.