http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=58075

Jun. 25 - Alternative biomass fuels like wood chips are starting to compete with conventional coal and gas heating systems in the UK.

Companies and public authorities are starting to think about cleaner ways to heat their offices and other buildings.

Chris Burns reports for Reuters

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.

Posted: June 26th, 2007 under Outdoor Furnaces, Outdoor Wood Burning.
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1. Read and follow all operating instructions supplied by the manufacturer.

2. FUEL USED: Only those listed fuels recommended by the manufacturer of your unit.
Never use the following: trash, plastics, gasoline, rubber, naphtha, household
garbage, material treated with petroleum products (particle board, railroad ties and
pressure treated wood), leaves, paper products, and cardboard.

3. LOADING FUEL: For a more efficient burn, pay careful attention to loading times and
amounts. Follow the manufacturer’s written instructions for recommended loading
times and amounts.

4. STARTERS: Do not use lighter fluids, gasoline, or chemicals.

5. LOCATION: It is recommended that the unit be located with due consideration to the
prevailing wind direction.
• Furnace should be located no less than 100 feet from any residence not served by
the furnace.
• If located within 100 feet to 300 feet to any residence not served by the furnace, it
is recommended that the stack be at least 2 feet higher than the peak of that
residence.

6. Always remember to comply with all applicable state and local codes.

Provided by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA), Outdoor Furnaces Manufacturers Caucus.

Posted: June 20th, 2007 under Outdoor Furnaces, Outdoor Wood Burning.
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When examining the benefits of using outdoor furnaces / outdoor stoves, most people focus on how much money they will save on their heating costs. While heating costs may be one of the major benefits of an outdoor furnace, it is not the only.

An outdoor wood, coal & corn furnace offers the reduced risk of a home fire starting. Whenever wood, coal or dried corn cob is involved there is always a risk of fire starting, no matter what the situation is. Yet it is important to know that every home heating method has some risks. An outdoor wood furnace, if properly installed and operated, will provide you with little to no risk.
In the event that a fire or another accident does occur, your home will be protected. A properly installed furnace will be a safe distance away from home or work work area. This means only the unit and fuel will ignite.

Another benefit to using outdoor furnaces / outdoor stoves is the fact that everything is left outside. This eliminates the hassle of cleaning your home’s interior due to scraps, smoke, soot, odors or insects.
In addition to keeping your home cleaner, it will also help keep the interior smelling fresher. Many homeowners enjoy indoor furnaces for their cost effectiveness of heating, but many do not enjoy the smell that comes with it. Clothes and furniture may end up smelling of smoke. This smell is often difficult or impossible to remove.

The above listing of benefits are just a few reasons why owning a Crown Royal Stove - Outdoor Wood Furnace, is good for both you and your home.

Posted: June 11th, 2007 under Outdoor Furnaces.
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Many people have been asking if burning corn in the Crown Royal Stoves is a good option because of how unsuccessful they have been at burning corn in their existing wood boiler.

The reason you can burn corn in our outdoor wood boilers is due to the shaker grate system. Air is able to move under the corn giving it a complete burn from front to back and bottom to top. The best way to start a corn fire in the Crown Royal Stoves is to light your wood first, then add the corn when the wood is completely caught. It will take some time till you are familiar and comfortable with how to get your corn fire to start the fastest in your outdoor furnace.

Ryan

Posted: June 8th, 2007 under Questions & Answers.
Comments: none

Travis and I have been doing some additional advertising for the Crown Royal Stoves in several publications. If you get any of these magazines make sure to look for the new ads.

Online Farmer Farmers Hotline Farming

Starting in July we will have an ad running in Forest Products Equipment magazine.

Dealers if you are interested in advertising in your local publications, Contact Travis about creating ads for your outdoor wood, coal, and corn furnaces.

Jessica

Posted: June 8th, 2007 under Advertising.
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Use it to fuel a power station. On Wednesday, the energy company E.ON UK announced it was to build Britain’s first wood-burning power station near Lockerbie. The 44 megawatt station will provide enough electricity for 70,000 homes and cut carbon emissions by 140,000 tones a year compared with a coal-fired power station of the same size.”We regard biomass as carbon neutral,” says Dave Reay an environmental scientist at the University of Edinburgh and the author of the book Climate Change Begins at Home. “Trees take in carbon dioxide, which is released again when they die and rot down. This process has a cycle of around 100 years.” By comparison fossil fuels took millions of years to lay down, but have been dug up and burned in just a few hundred years.

Initially the power station will burn forest residue - sawdust, branches and offcuts from a local sawmill. “If this residue wasn’t burnt then it would just rot down and produce carbon dioxide anyway. We can speed this process up by burning it and producing heat and power at the same time,” says Reay. The power station not only reduces reliance on fossil fuels, it will harness energy from something that would otherwise be left lying around.

Eventually, when all the forest residue has been used up, E.ON hopes to encourage local farmers to start producing a fast-growing willow, which can be burned in the power plant.

“Growing crops to feed the biofuel plant has a few caveats,” says Reay. “If the wood has to be trucked in from a long way away, or if fallow land is specially cultivated to grow the crops, then you lose the carbon neutral benefit.” You have to be careful which biofuels you grow. “Some, like sugar-cane, produce greenhouse gases while growing.” But overall a wood-burning power station is likely to be a positive environmental step.

Kate Ravilious / Saturday October 15, 2005 / The Guardian

Posted: June 4th, 2007 under Outdoor Wood Burning.
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