A wood-burning boiler is usually considered as the most optimal alternative to gas-powered devices, and this is due not only to the fact that they are remote from gas mains, but also because such facilities are more economical. In regions rich in forest, this type of equipment becomes much more popular than gas.
The firewood boiler has the following distinctive characteristics: such units are heat generating devices that operate on wood fuel and other types of plant waste. The fuel should be in a solid state, and also have a certain level of humidity, since at higher performance the device may be difficult or impossible. In boilers, you can burn wood, the length of which is 30-110 centimeters, and the diameter - up to 5 centimeters, it all depends on the dimensions of the device installed in you, as well as the dimensions of the combustion chamber. In addition, a wood-burning boiler is able to work on wood-shaving briquettes, peat briquettes and briquetted straw. It is possible to use different combinations of fuel. With proper operation, the efficiency can reach 85-88%. With a single load, the duration of effective use often reaches 30 hours.
The boiler of heating on wood has a two-chamber structure of the furnace compartment. Under the influence of high temperature, in the upper chamber the fuel decomposes during pyrolysis into combustible gas, which is then injected into the lower chamber, where its combustion occurs at a sufficiently high temperature. Such a process of fuel combustion passes almost without the formation of smoke, and the ash remains a minimal amount. Pyrolysis gas through a special ceramic nozzle enters the furnace, where it is almost completely burned.
Whether the boiler is working correctly on the wood can be checked visually. You should know that the flame should be as clean as possible, white or yellow, there should not be any hints of soot. Due to the special design and thoughtful technology, during the operation of such boilers carbon monoxide is practically not formed, which is a very significant advantage. The best specimens are usually equipped with ceramic combustion chambers, as well as a forced flue gas system equipped with exhaust fans.
Install this type of equipment can be in stand-alone boiler houses or directly inside the house. They require a horizontal base of metal or concrete, which provides resistance against distortions and subsidence. The area of the base must be three or more times larger than the boiler itself, since the embers may accidentally drop out of it. The chimney is connected by means of a pipe of round or rectangular cross-section, depending on which modification of the boiler. Preferably the vertical ceramic chimney.
It should be said that it is possible to make a wood-fired boiler, but the modern market offers a sufficient number of ready-made solutions.