Well when your OWB doesn't heat like an efficient wood stove, even burning dry wood will create creosote. It's the smoldering low heat fire that'll cause that collection and an air deprived fire doesn't do that well. If they designed a better firebox, larger than your average wood stove, sealed it well and baffles for it all, then dry wood would have a much better burn. Most folks who own these don't have the time to catch up on drying wood. They can only burn what they have and get themselves enough to carry over for the year. I hear 6 cord is almost a minimum for anyone with an OWB. Then I hear that blocking wind with a shed of dunnage or pallets can help with heat retention. These machines have a long way to go in getting efficient but their cost could be astonishing if they were built with the EPA constraints. The particles per hour would be a massive oversight to control with such a belly. But I know this could be a lot better in maintaining heat. Their reputation is shit only because they EAT wood.
I went through approximately 60 face last year (mostly due to the barn attic not being insulated for the first two months) I'm expecting around 45 face this year. I really don't think that anything can stop creosote build up no matter the moisture content just due to how they operate and smolder so much. Thanks for the comments though.
Get yourself a moisture meter and only burn wood 20% moisture or less. Only burn hardwoods like oak. Then you have only a fraction of the mess in the stove. My chimney hasn't been cleaned in 2 years, stuck a flashlight down it yesterday and it was pretty clean. May just shoot a brush down it quick to knock some dust out of it. Edit: I forgot to mention that when your wood moisture is above 20% your efficiency drops exponentially. At 30% moisture you're losing a lot of your potential energy output. At 40% you're at less than 50% efficiency. When you look in the burn box and the chimney and you see creosote the combustion process is under 85% efficiency. Even ideally dried wood, 15-20%, you'll only ever be 85% efficiency with out a afterburner. I should also mention that would below 10% moisture will burn too fast and also lose efficiency but will lack creosote. 15-20% is perfect combustion moisture content.
Hello and thanks for the comment. I do have a meter and the firewood is less than 20%, burning in the wood stove is no issue, usually good hot fires and very little creosote build up. The issue is the outdoor wood boiler spends a lot of time smoldering, once the water temp reaches the set upper limit, the unit turns off the blower fans and closes off intake air. Spring and fall are the worst. This smoldering is what causes the bulk of the creosote build up.
How about a large gas fired blowtorch. You can heat up one section at a time without fear of overheating. I am not sure you can ever get the water jacket hot enough to really burn the creosote off. The water just soaks up the heat.
One thing to try is TSP. Tri sodium phosphate. It does not remove creosote, only catalyses and dries it making it easier to remove. Works well in airtight fireplace.
The smouldering fire and colder surface of the boiler causing the products of combustion to condense on the walls is your issue. Sure it will be great when it’s stacked to the roof and running full tilt but when it gets below that efficiency point it will just gum up.
Thanks for the comment, you're right, it's just how these boilers work, they sit and smolder for hours at a time, especially during spring and fall seasons.
Hello and thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. I do burn seasoned wood, but when the boiler is just smoldering for most of the day, like during early and late winter when temps are mild, it still collects tons of creosote. I suppose I could load less wood and let the water temp drop so the burns are hotter and longer, or maybe set the hysteresis to a wider range, so instead of 170-180, maybe 150-180. Thank you for the input.
Thanks for watching and the comment, I'm trying the creosote remover stuff through out the winter and come spring if it's as bad as last year (which I'm sure it will be) I'll probably give your method a try.
Thanks for watching and the comment, I was doing the burnout about once a month, I'll probably do it half as often now, however, I don't waste heat, I let the water cool down to around 100*, then stuff it with cardboard, by the end of that burn water temp is close to 180..
@@twosawacres8096 Amazing you can heat the water temp that high with just cardboard. That tells me you could actually heat with cardboard itself if you had enough supply of cardboard. Question--Almost 500 gallons in the boiler storage itself of water so how long can you draw down the heat to heat the house, buildings, etc., once you get that 500 gallons up to 180 or so?
@@mrjerry28714 it kinda depends, generally it can heat the barn and house for 15 ish hours after all the wood is gone when outside temps are 25-35*F, obviously less when it's colder out and vs versa.
I'll probably continue to do burnouts throughout the winter, just letting the water temp fall off a bit, then stuff it full of cardboard. But, if you watched my OWB clean out video, I don't think I'll ever do that again. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the comment, I did pick up a few small tubs of creosote remover, I'll probably try that stuff a few times this season first. I have heard of the aluminum can trick, haven't really looked into it though, any idea how it actually works?
@@twosawacres8096 The aluminum cans work really well in a woodstove. I needed to clean the creosote from my chimney and from the stove pipe itself and burned a grocery bag of aluminum cans. The creosote literally peeled away in sheets when I ran the brush through it. I just 'banged' on the side of the stove pipe after taking it down and every bit of the creosote fell out. I was quite amazed, frankly. Nice videos, mate. I really enjoy them. Keep them coming!!
I would think that being submerged in water would limit the temp change and overall expansion of the steel, but honestly I hadn't thought of it till you mentioned it.
Well when your OWB doesn't heat like an efficient wood stove, even burning dry wood will create creosote. It's the smoldering low heat fire that'll cause that collection and an air deprived fire doesn't do that well. If they designed a better firebox, larger than your average wood stove, sealed it well and baffles for it all, then dry wood would have a much better burn.
Most folks who own these don't have the time to catch up on drying wood. They can only burn what they have and get themselves enough to carry over for the year. I hear 6 cord is almost a minimum for anyone with an OWB. Then I hear that blocking wind with a shed of dunnage or pallets can help with heat retention. These machines have a long way to go in getting efficient but their cost could be astonishing if they were built with the EPA constraints. The particles per hour would be a massive oversight to control with such a belly. But I know this could be a lot better in maintaining heat. Their reputation is shit only because they EAT wood.
I went through approximately 60 face last year (mostly due to the barn attic not being insulated for the first two months) I'm expecting around 45 face this year. I really don't think that anything can stop creosote build up no matter the moisture content just due to how they operate and smolder so much. Thanks for the comments though.
ever burn tires in out door wood boiler i was told thay burn super hot
Lol, I've heard they burn a long time too!
Get yourself a moisture meter and only burn wood 20% moisture or less. Only burn hardwoods like oak. Then you have only a fraction of the mess in the stove. My chimney hasn't been cleaned in 2 years, stuck a flashlight down it yesterday and it was pretty clean. May just shoot a brush down it quick to knock some dust out of it.
Edit: I forgot to mention that when your wood moisture is above 20% your efficiency drops exponentially. At 30% moisture you're losing a lot of your potential energy output. At 40% you're at less than 50% efficiency. When you look in the burn box and the chimney and you see creosote the combustion process is under 85% efficiency. Even ideally dried wood, 15-20%, you'll only ever be 85% efficiency with out a afterburner. I should also mention that would below 10% moisture will burn too fast and also lose efficiency but will lack creosote. 15-20% is perfect combustion moisture content.
Hello and thanks for the comment. I do have a meter and the firewood is less than 20%, burning in the wood stove is no issue, usually good hot fires and very little creosote build up. The issue is the outdoor wood boiler spends a lot of time smoldering, once the water temp reaches the set upper limit, the unit turns off the blower fans and closes off intake air. Spring and fall are the worst. This smoldering is what causes the bulk of the creosote build up.
@@twosawacres8096 never ran an outdoor boiler. When I started using moisture meter in my stove the creosote went away. Trying to help.
How about a large gas fired blowtorch. You can heat up one section at a time without fear of overheating. I am not sure you can ever get the water jacket hot enough to really burn the creosote off. The water just soaks up the heat.
I might try that sometime this winter. I'll post back if I do.
One thing to try is TSP. Tri sodium phosphate. It does not remove creosote, only catalyses and dries it making it easier to remove. Works well in airtight fireplace.
Probably like Rutland creosote remover...
@@twosawacres8096 TSP is active ingredient.
The smouldering fire and colder surface of the boiler causing the products of combustion to condense on the walls is your issue. Sure it will be great when it’s stacked to the roof and running full tilt but when it gets below that efficiency point it will just gum up.
Thanks for the comment, you're right, it's just how these boilers work, they sit and smolder for hours at a time, especially during spring and fall seasons.
Burn rock salt when you burn the cardboard. Always worked great for me
Thanks for watching and your feedback, I'll definitely look into it.
Been looking to see if anyone has tried media blasting/ sand blasting/ walnut blasting
Old guy told well season wood does do that .
Burning seasoned wood will eliminate that problem. There's a difference between seasoned wood and dry wood.
Hello and thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. I do burn seasoned wood, but when the boiler is just smoldering for most of the day, like during early and late winter when temps are mild, it still collects tons of creosote. I suppose I could load less wood and let the water temp drop so the burns are hotter and longer, or maybe set the hysteresis to a wider range, so instead of 170-180, maybe 150-180. Thank you for the input.
The downside of wood heat. Good that the burner isn't attached to the house.
Totally worth it though, thank you for watching and commenting.
gallon pump sprayer and fuel oil coat it then do your burn. Coat the in side all done.
Thanks for watching and the comment, I'm trying the creosote remover stuff through out the winter and come spring if it's as bad as last year (which I'm sure it will be) I'll probably give your method a try.
It overheated on you
Mine is 20 years old and I never burn it out. That's a waste of good heat.
Thanks for watching and the comment, I was doing the burnout about once a month, I'll probably do it half as often now, however, I don't waste heat, I let the water cool down to around 100*, then stuff it with cardboard, by the end of that burn water temp is close to 180..
@@twosawacres8096 Amazing you can heat the water temp that high with just cardboard. That tells me you could actually heat with cardboard itself if you had enough supply of cardboard. Question--Almost 500 gallons in the boiler storage itself of water so how long can you draw down the heat to heat the house, buildings, etc., once you get that 500 gallons up to 180 or so?
@@mrjerry28714 it kinda depends, generally it can heat the barn and house for 15 ish hours after all the wood is gone when outside temps are 25-35*F, obviously less when it's colder out and vs versa.
@@twosawacres8096 Wow. That is impressive, mate! Thank you for the reply. I know you are staying warm.
@@twosawacres8096 And I have enjoyed your videos. Keep them coming!!
Never cleaned mine out ever just let it burn and whatever’s in there is in there
I'll probably continue to do burnouts throughout the winter, just letting the water temp fall off a bit, then stuff it full of cardboard. But, if you watched my OWB clean out video, I don't think I'll ever do that again. Thanks for watching.
Hello and good evening try a aluminum can or two
Thanks for the comment, I did pick up a few small tubs of creosote remover, I'll probably try that stuff a few times this season first. I have heard of the aluminum can trick, haven't really looked into it though, any idea how it actually works?
@@twosawacres8096 The aluminum cans work really well in a woodstove. I needed to clean the creosote from my chimney and from the stove pipe itself and burned a grocery bag of aluminum cans. The creosote literally peeled away in sheets when I ran the brush through it. I just 'banged' on the side of the stove pipe after taking it down and every bit of the creosote fell out. I was quite amazed, frankly. Nice videos, mate. I really enjoy them. Keep them coming!!
You need to just open the doors and it will burn right off
what a mess!
Bad for water jacket to fast of expansion weakens it
I would think that being submerged in water would limit the temp change and overall expansion of the steel, but honestly I hadn't thought of it till you mentioned it.
@@twosawacres8096 just don't wanna see ya ruin the water jacket. Rapid expansion is horrible for boilers. You want gradualheat