Wood Boilers: An Improvement on the Traditional Wood Stove
Wood boilers take the idea of the traditional wood stove and improve on it, solving some problems inherent in wood burning and making wood a clean, safe, and efficient source of heat.
| Comments on article "Wood Boilers: An Improvement on the Traditional Wood Stove" |
| Name |
Views and Comments | Date |
| paul stenning |
You say "The boiler, which can be located inside or outside the home, heats water which can be used in hot water heating systems and, combined with a hot water storage system, can be stored for long periods of time (from seven to ten days) between firings. "
What size hot water tank/storage medium do you have that can store heat for 7 - 10 days!? |
12/21/2007 |
| Jeff P |
When buying a wood boiler be sure to buy a unit which uses wood gasification or a second stage burning of the smoke . not only are they much more eficient but they produce very little smoke . |
9/2/2006 |
| Hoosier Burner |
I agree with the author that outdoor wood fired boilers do have some advantages over indoor wood heating devices. They are safer than burning wood in the house. The firebox is quite large, and you can stuff a big load of wood and not have to reload for a day. They provide not only heat but also a nearly unlimited supply of hot water that can be used for luxuriously long showers or even to heat the inground swimming pool.
But they are not more efficient than current indoor wood stoves and are most definitely not cleaner burning.
You see alot of these in the rural midwest, and often they are quite smoky. One problem is with such a large firebox, you can fuel the boiler with some large pieces of wood. Many people burn whatever tree limbs have fallen in their wood lot or along the fence row, and this unseasoned, green, wet wood produces quite a bit of smoke when burned. Another potential problem associated with the large firebox is the temptation for people to burn items other than dry, seasoned firewood. Some choose to burn treated wood scraps, household garbage, even a tire or two. Now imagine the smoke coming from a short stack no more than 12 feet off of the ground.
Even if burning dry, seasoned wood per manufacturers recommendations, outdoor wood fired boilers are much dirtier than other wood burning devices in terms of the volume of smoke they produce. According to recent studies, outdoor wood fired boilers can emit an average of 160 grams of particulate matter per hour. Compare that amount to a new indoor stove, which averages 6 grams of particulate matter per hour, or a diesel truck, which averages 35 grams per hour. If you live nearby and downwind of an outdoor wood boiler, you will be breathing in much more smoke than if your neighbor had an efficient wood burning device in the house, where the smoke stack extends 2 feet above the peak of the roof!
Outdoor wood fired boilers may be a very attractive option for people in very rural areas where smoke does not affect neighbors. But in areas like towns, cities, neighborhoods, or wherever properties are smaller and / or closer together, these outdoor wood fired boilers have to get much cleaner before they become an acceptable alternative. |
5/15/2006 |
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