Fuel briquettes are sold in supermarkets in packages, usually 10 kg each, and their price is not small - 7 rubles per kilogram. They are convenient to be "under our feet", we stumble over them, buying sausage and potatoes, and they are also quite clean, do not give garbage.
But is it profitable to heat the house with fuel briquettes? Aren't we spending significant extra money carrying these packages to the dacha? After all, buying firewood is also very simple, it is enough to worry about this issue, find out the phone number and responsive suppliers will bring as much firewood as we can pay.
We compare the real price of firewood and briquettes
Manufacturers state that the calorific value of fuel briquettes is 4.7 kW / kg. While this figure for dry wood is approximately 3.9 kW / kg. If we now substitute the price, we get:
- briquettes - 1.48 rubles / kW;
- dry firewood - 1.02 rubles / kW.
We overpay for the convenience of use, but on the other hand, I grabbed a clean package from the counter and carried it ... Next, let's consider the convenience of use as an experiment, and then draw subjective conclusions.
But before that, a bit of related information.
For comparison, the calorific value of the best anthracite of Donbass is 11.0 kW / kg, natural gas - 11.5 kg / kg. The price of such fuel is low.
The density of fuel briquettes is 950 kg / m 2, the density of firewood is 550 kg / m 3, and the bulk density of wood is 250 kg / m 3. There is one nuance associated with this density.
Firewood traders from uninformed buyers often demand a standard fee for a bulk cubic meter of chopped firewood (250 kg per cubic meter) - which is simply poured in the yard, then measured. Firewood is actually sold at double the price. At the same time, for the same money, you can buy a cubic meter, but based on the price for the density of wood - 500 kg per cubic meter.
Is it convenient to heat with briquettes?
But what about the practice of use, what are the high end consumer qualities? The advertisement says that briquettes burn 4 times longer than firewood - it is indicated that firewood will burn in 30 minutes, while briquettes of the same weight - 120 minutes.
It remains only to carry out a comparative experiment on the combustion of fuel briquettes and firewood with a moisture content of 20%.
Wood briquettes have a moisture content of 8%, they consist of sawdust and chips very tightly compressed and held together by a natural polymer - lignin. Such a low moisture content and high density of the structure allows achieving an energy output of 4.7 kW / kg.
For example, with an increase in the moisture content of firewood, their heat transfer drops sharply. With a moisture content of 50% (freshly cut wood), the calorific value of wood is already about 2.2 kW / kg. In order to lower the humidity to 15 - 25%, the logs must lie for a year in a rasp under a canopy.
Experiment
So, putting 4 large logs with a total mass of 2 kg of 20% moisture in the fireplace on paper and birch bark, we observe their combustion. They burn beautifully, give a strong feeling of warmth, it is impossible to stand next to 1 meter, the flame is high and bright. True, they burn out very quickly, finally, although not in half an hour, but in 60 minutes. During this time, according to statistics, firewood gave about 7.8 kW. And we spent 8 rubles for 2 kilograms. 
Now we kindle the fuel briquettes. They also light up, but they burn sluggishly, without tongues of flame, the feeling of warmth is weak. But they obviously burn longer, and burn out, as stated in 2 hours. Probably, 9.4 kW was released, although stretching in time does not allow "catching" such energy. Spent - 14 rubles.
What else can you heat a solid fuel boiler, stove, fireplace
Now, for the sake of experiment, we carry out the heating of a solid fuel boiler after firewood and briquettes with the real highest quality anthracite. To break a piece of this coal with a hammer is a problem. The planes and edges are shiny, the corners are chipped and sharp, you can even cut yourself…. The density in a piece is about 1.5 tons per cubic meter, and the bulk density is about 1.0 t / m3.
We burn a couple of kilograms of firewood in the boiler - subjectively, the heat is "so-so", then we put only two kilograms of coal on top.
It flares up for a long time - about an hour, until the wood burns out. The flame is very low, but very bright. A poker, dipped in heat, in a minute becomes not even red, but burning. The intensity of combustion directly depends on the supply of oxygen - it can burn out in an hour, or it can smolder for a dozen hours.
We give air to the maximum, coal burns out in about 2 hours. The heat is incomparably more - probably 22 kW (9500 kcal per kilogram) was actually produced, and the price for pleasure is about 18 rubles.
There remains friable white ash, but it is 2 times more than from firewood, and it is not suitable for the garden - you also need to organize transportation.
In general, interference in the comparative experiment of coal (anthracite), according to subjective assessments, takes it to the first place in terms of ease of use and price, if, of course, you need to intensively heat a country house.
But if you want to heat it quickly, light the fireplace, admire the flame, organize a barbecue - then you definitely need eco-friendly and inexpensive firewood.
Why then do we need fuel briquettes? - perhaps when you suddenly need to sink a little, but there is no time, so much so that they forgot to stock up on coal and firewood.
Nevertheless, fuel briquettes are confidently occupying their niche in the fuel market, and are in constant demand for heating summer cottages and country houses. Whether it will be convenient and profitable to use them in specific conditions, it is possible to determine only by trial heating….
In addition to central heating, people need to serve baths, saunas, mini-ovens, fireplaces. It is for their firewood that firewood is required. And because this is no longer a daily requirement, the consumer can pamper himself with the appropriate quality. Firewood is a traditional material for a firebox, but today they are being replaced by pressed fuel briquettes or as they are also called Euro briquettes.
Wood briquettes: varieties
Fuel briquettes, familiar to the consumer as "Eurowood", is a solid fuel product, which is produced by means of a press, sawdust and other natural materials under the highest pressure. It connects the constituent parts of lignin, which is found in plant crops. So, when creating briquettes, neither adhesive nor any other chemicals that could harm the environment are used.
There are 2 types of eurodroves, but they do not differ significantly:
- Fuel briquettes RUF. They are created according to the technology that has already been described: pressed chips and sawdust are held together with a natural adhesive. Eurodroves RUF have a rectangular shape. This is an excellent solution, because such fuel is cheap, but the cost does not affect the quality at all.
- Fuel briquettes Pini-Key of long burning. They are created using the same technology, but at the last stage, the briquettes are fired without fail. Thanks to firing, briquettes of this type become moisture resistant, which ensures their long-term storage. Due to this property, the cost of such fuel is higher. The price for 1 ton is approximately 2000 rubles. Outwardly, Pini-Kei do not look like RUF: these Eurowoods have a shape similar to a standard log, in which there is a through hole.
An alternative to the above briquettes is Nestro Eurowood from the best German company. You can buy fuel in retail hypermarkets, for example, OBI.
Which is better: fuel briquettes or firewood
Wood briquettes, like any other product, have their pros and cons. What is better and more profitable to heat, what kind of firewood to buy?
When compared with wood, briquettes have the following advantages:
- They do not burn out quickly, 4 times slower than ordinary logs, which makes it possible to consume them in small quantities.
- They burn almost to ash, leaving behind no more than a percent of the initial mass of fuel. But after burning the logs, coal remains, which is about 20% of the initial amount of fuel. By the way, ash from briquettes that have burnt out can be used as fertilizer in the country: a plant culture on such soil will grow better due to the increased amount of K.
- The heat transfer of briquettes is several times higher than that of firewood: the difference is 2 times. Eurowood can keep warm during the entire burning time. That is, if the heating power of traditional logs decreases as they burn, and the coals go out in a quarter of an hour, then the heat transfer of fuel briquettes does not change even when only coals remain from the Europark, which will burn for another 60 minutes. This quality is extremely useful for those who like outdoor recreation, with barbecue and barbecue.
- The fire from the burning Europark does not spark, almost does not give off smoke and smell. So, briquettes harm the environment and do not create discomfort for people who are near the fireplace.
- When the euro fuel burns, it does not emit substances hazardous to human health. The fact is that standard logs contain fungi / mold, which die during combustion, but create smoke harmful to humans.
- If you ignite long-burning fuel, soot will not form on the walls of the chimney.
- The compactness of Eurodrops makes it possible to save on space: they are delivered in the form of neatly folded stacks. They are long-burning. Firewood is almost always of a different shape and size, which creates a storage problem. In addition, firewood is usually "dumped" out of the car to any unoccupied place on the site, after which a person has to move it to the shed on his own and put it neatly there.
In general, all the advantages of Eurodrive fit into one word: efficiency. Yes, such wood fuel is cheaper and more practical. It is rational for them to replace ordinary firewood. And the efficiency of eurodrops is higher.Also, one cannot fail to mention a few more advantages that distinguish eurodrives from ordinary ones. For example, one of the advantages is that there is little garbage. Large amounts of wood chips and other debris from ordinary logs. Briquettes do not stain the room. But does this mean that Eurowood is definitely better than firewood?
Advantages of wood, or the better to heat the stove: wood or briquettes
Despite all the advantages of Euro wood, in some ways fire wood is still superior to this type of fuel.
Namely:
- Undoubtedly, the fact that euro wood burns out more slowly and emit stable heat is a plus, but they give less heat than ordinary wood. To warm up the house for the winter, you will need to wait.
- If a person has planned a romantic evening with a cup of fragrant tea and a crackling flame in the fireplace, it is better to use ordinary firewood. The fact is that the briquettes do not emit the typical crackling sound that creates the very home coziness. Firewood provides such an effect due to the water contained in it and is absent in eurowood.
- the ashes of ordinary firewood, if you make a comparison, does not emit a tart smell.
- Eurodroves of normal quality or RUF varieties can be quite fragile, sometimes they even crumble in hands. But there is a high quality material, respectively strong.
So, these are the main differences between euro fuel in a bath, fireplace or stove and ordinary wood. But there is one more nuance that worries those consumers who are worried about the question of how much firewood costs and what is more profitable to buy. The cost of Eurowood can be different, it depends on the quality. Briquettes are of the highest quality and regular quality. The highest quality fuel is characterized by a good density: 1400 kg per 1 m 3. It is convenient to light them up, they burn longer, heat transfer is higher and leave a minimum amount of ash. They are dense, not cracked. Fuel of ordinary quality has a density of about 1000 kg per 1m 3, layered and more fragile.
In addition, they have less heat transfer, burn out faster, and leave more ash behind.
If they also seem very expensive, even taking into account the fact of savings in comparison with ordinary logs, it is possible to make them yourself. To do this, you need to collect all the branches and twigs from the site, connect them with clay and fill with water. There should be a little liquid component so that as a result you can make the shape of a bar. The composition that has turned out must be poured into molds, pressed and left to dry in the sun. Drying for several days. Naturally, such fuel will be at times inferior to real European wood, but it will provide an opportunity to save money. Moreover, the territory will be cleared.
Pressed or natural firewood: which is better
So, Eurowood: burns out more slowly, folds neatly and takes up little space, does not leave garbage, does not harm health, and is cheaper than traditional logs. But nothing beats the inimitable crackle of a dry log in the fireplace. And you won't be able to heat the house quickly with briquettes.
The price depends on the manufacturer's equipment costs: the more the material is pressed, the higher quality it will be and the faster the equipment used to create the fuel wears out. This factor of rapid wear is included in the price of the product being sold.
It is clear that high quality eurowood will cost more. But at the same time, even the highest quality eurobriquettes will cost less than ordinary birch logs, and there is nothing to say about ordinary quality.
Therefore, choosing between Euro fuel and logs, one should be guided not only by their characteristics and advantages, but also by personal plans for their use.
Heating boilers without automatic feed function operate on various types of fuel.
You can burn brown coal, and also use:
- Firewood;
- Peat briquette;
- Granules;
- Anthracite;
- Coke.
Moreover, their calorie content is different, and it depends on how the boiler will work. Therefore, those who buy such a boiler should take into account that when burning the least high-calorie fuel, the power can drop by 30% or more, depending on the level of humidity. There is another moment. Usually, the manufacturer indicates the best way to heat a solid fuel boiler and what kind of fuel should be taken as a basis.
That's right, take into account the opinion of an expert and comply with all requirements in order to achieve maximum heat transfer and make heating a cottage with a boiler as comfortable as possible.
For example, if the manufacturer advises to heat with brown coal, you need to use it as the main one, and throw another type of fuel only on a hot layer and little by little. Briquettes - can be peat, straw or sawdust.
How many fuel people do not use in order to warm up: chipboard trimmings, sleepers, euro wood and others. A large amount of husk seeds are also thrown into the oven. However, the most demanded material for the stove is wood.
Eurodrova are:
- Coal;
- Peat;
- Oak;
- Hornbeam.
Eurowood should be used when the stove has already caught fire after using firewood, since they hold heat for a long period, thereby maintaining a high temperature in the room. Attention! Sometimes a summer resident, wanting to save money, stokes the stove with old sleepers, not at all thinking that they are saturated with toxins that do not burn and are harmful to health.
Briquettes for heating furnaces: reviews
It is correct to use oak or birch logs and do not take spruce and pine. If you put spruce material in the firebox, then during combustion, various resins will begin to be released, which negatively affect the stove draft, efficiency, combustion of the material and pollute the chimney. It is ideal to use only those that are compressed. Euro wood decaying into sawdust can only be taken with traditional logs or brown coal, so as not to spoil the heating equipment. Pellets can also be made from straw or wood waste. They are compressed, like Eurowood, and are often used in special solid fuel boilers.
Wood stoves are still the main source of heat in so many homes. And, by the way, many owners do not even plan to change them for something else, even if the opportunity presents itself. Moreover, now other efficient and easy-to-use types of solid fuels are widely presented as an alternative to ordinary firewood. We are talking about fuel briquettes.
But such a variety can even complicate the problem of choice for inexperienced owners, since a natural question arises - fuel briquettes or firewood, which is better? We note right away that an ideal fuel material, in principle, does not exist, since any of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the option is usually chosen that will be economically viable and more convenient for the owners.
And the easiest way to determine which fuel will help save on its purchase is to compare its cost, and by conducting an experiment, find out the burning time and heat output of its different types. True, without disregarding other seemingly secondary issues, but in fact - very important issues: availability, ease of transportation, storage, preparation for use, etc.
The main criteria for choosing fuel for the furnace
The first thing you need to decide on before comparing different types of fuel is their main properties that they must have for efficient heating of housing.
If the manufacturer specifies the characteristics of briquetted fuel on the packaging, then the parameters of natural firewood have to be determined independently.
So, of the main characteristics that a high-quality fuel must meet, three can be distinguished - these are heat transfer, humidity and ash content, that is, the amount of waste after its combustion.
- Heat dissipation is the amount of thermal energy released during fuel combustion (kW), one kilogram of fuel is taken as the basis for the calculation. Parameter. In addition, it is subdivided into theoretical and real:
- theoretical heat transfer is the main characteristic of the fuel - the higher its value, the more generated heat will be used to heat the house;
- real heat transfer is determined by multiplying the theoretical value by the efficiency of the heating device. There is already more emphasis on the quality of the furnace or boiler itself.
- Humidity - it is the water content of the fuel and is indicated as a percentage. The fuel must be dry, so the lower the moisture reading, the better. If the fuel is too humid, the moisture will begin to evaporate during combustion, taking up some of the thermal energy, which will reduce the total calorie content. That is, raw firewood gives much less heat than dry firewood.
In addition, the high moisture content in the fuel contributes to the rapid clogging of the chimney, since the vapors fall out with abundant condensation on the walls, and together with soot create build-ups.
- Ash content - this parameter determines the amount of solid waste remaining after complete combustion of the fuel, as a percentage of the bookmark made. It is clear that the less waste, the better the fuel.
Optimum indicators for solid fuel used in domestic swords or boilers are humidity no higher than 15% and ash content no more than 10 ÷ 12%.
If the briquettes correspond to the specified humidity parameter, then in the wood it can be much higher, especially if they were harvested in the summer or stored in the open air.
The ash content of briquettes depends on the raw materials from which they are made, and firewood - on the type of wood, their moisture content, as well as on some other properties of the wood.
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We get acquainted with the main characteristics of briquettes and firewood
In order to compare the two fuels, you need to know what they are. Both groups are rather heterogeneous - different types of briquettes, as well as wood species, have different characteristics.
Firewood for heating
To make a comparison, let's start with a traditional fuel - wood. Many owners of stoves are in no hurry to abandon them, especially since in some regions of the country, firewood is abundant on the market and has a very affordable price.
Knowing which type of wood has a higher heat dissipation, experienced homeowners rationally use its characteristics to heat the house.
Below is a table showing the calorific value of different types of wood used as fuel:
| Wood species | Specific calorific value (for naturally dried firewood), kW / kg | Calorific value, Kcal / kg | Density of wood, kg / m³ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh | Dry | |||
| Hornbeam | 4.2 | 3650 | 1050 | 720 |
| Beech | 4,0 | 3450 | 970 | 710 |
| Ash | 4.2 | 3670 | 1020 | 750 |
| Oak | 4.2 | 3600 | 1025 | 750 |
| Birch | 4.2 | 3750 | 880 | 550 |
| Larch | 4.3 | 3850 | 830 | 590 |
| Pine | 4.4 | 3800 | 800 | 520 |
| Spruce | 4.5 | 3900 | 790 | 450 |
| Alder | 4.3 | 3770 | 830 | 540 |
It is immediately necessary to clarify which wood species are well suited for heating, and which are undesirable to use, and why.
Conifers burn well and give a fairly high heat transfer. However, they are not recommended for heating stoves, boilers or fireplaces. This is due to the fact that their structure contains a large amount of ethereal resins, which, when burned, settle on the walls of the fuel chamber and chimney in the form of oily soot, clogging up heating devices.
Therefore, hardwoods are the best option for heating. Moreover, some of them even contribute to cleaning the furnace from carbon deposits.
The following table summarizes the characteristics of several hardwood species most commonly used for fuel:
| Firewood appearance | Brief description of the characteristics of fuels of different breeds |
|---|---|
 | Alder firewood does not require special drying - as a rule, they acquire the necessary state in natural conditions. For firewood, alder is usually harvested, which has grown far from water bodies, that is, on hills where the soil has low moisture, due to which the firewood dries out very quickly. When burning, alder wood gives little smoke and excellent heat transfer, therefore, they were previously used in a black-fired sauna. Alder, when burning, emits special vapors that are able to clean the chimney from soot deposits. |
 | Oak firewood is great for heating, but has a fairly high cost. Oak wood has a high density, so it burns for a long time, giving good heat transfer. Therefore, in order to heat the room, not so much firewood is required, since when they burn out, they turn into dense coals, which smolder, also give heat, keeping the stove hot. Oak wood has a specific tart aroma that appears during combustion. Therefore, oak is often used for stoking open fireplaces. |
 | Birch firewood can be called a traditional fuel for residential buildings and baths. Therefore, even today, many people prefer this particular type of wood. Especially birch fuel is good for heating baths, as its wood contains disinfectants. Birch burns quickly - this process is facilitated by the tar contained in its fibers and bark. This fuel burns quickly, giving a lot of heat and heat transfer, without leaving a lot of ash and coals. Taking advantage of this property of birch firewood, they are often used to light another, denser fuel. The heat transfer from the fuel exceeds the analogous parameter of pine and aspen by 25-30%. Birch firewood is stored without losing its original qualities for 2 years. Then they lose their density, and therefore the heat transfer from them will significantly decrease. |
 | Ash wood after sawing dries out quickly due to the peculiar structure of the structure of the fibers. Firewood from this type of wood burns from the core, which quickly heats up and flares up. Ash burns intensively and evenly for a sufficiently long time, giving high heat transfer. The wood does not clog the chimney, but it also does not help to clear it of other plaque. |
Varieties of briquetted fuel
This group of solid fuels can be divided into briquettes and eurowood by the form of production. Both types are the product of processing of raw materials waste from the woodworking, agricultural and mining industries. With the help of special technologies, they obtain fuel that even surpasses the usual firewood in its properties.
Therefore, many owners of houses with autonomous wood heating have recently switched their boilers and stoves to briquetted fuel.
As mentioned above, in specialized stores you can find briquetted fuel made from the following raw materials:
- Waste from the coal industry - hard and brown coal (dust and charge)
- Peat.
- Hulls of sunflower, rice, buckwheat, and straw.
- Woodworking waste - shavings, sawdust, pine needles.
The table below shows the main parameters of briquettes and eurodrops made from different raw materials, as well as their average cost (expressed in conventional monetary units):
| Type of briquetted fuel by material of manufacture | Heat output, kW / kg | Normal humidity,% | Ash content,% | Fuel cost, conventional units per ton. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown coal briquettes | 3 ÷ 5 | 10 ÷ 15 | 30 | 70 |
| Coal briquettes | 7.55 | 10 ÷ 15 | 12 | 150 |
| Peat briquettes | up to 4.5 | before 18 | 20 | 90 |
| Eurowood from sunflower husk | 4.5 ÷ 5 | 8 ÷ 10 | 5 | 79 |
| Straw briquettes | 4.8 ÷ 5.2 | 8 ÷ 10 | 4 | 65 |
| Wood briquettes | 5.2 ÷ 5.8 | up to 12 | 1 | 102 |
It should be noted that the data for compiling the table were taken from the sites of some well-known manufacturers of briquettes and eurodrives. However, the products of other companies may differ in value upward or downward.
Coal briquettes
Coal briquettes have a high calorific value - according to this indicator, they are the leader among all other types of briquetted fuel, and at the same time keep the furnace hot for a long time. However, they are not suitable for all furnaces and boilers.
Most often, this type of fuel is used in brick and cast iron heaters or in furnaces with reliable lining. The walls of a steel furnace can easily burn out from the heat generated by the coal.
In addition, this fuel has a number of other disadvantages, of which there are quite a few:
- Good quality briquetted coal has a rather high cost.
- When burning, coal gives off harmful vapors, accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
- Coal actively clogs the chimney with soot.
- The loading process of briquettes into the furnace is rather dirty, as when loading ordinary coal.
Briquettes made from coal leave an average amount of solid combustion products - slag. While products made of brown coal leave a lot of ash, which makes up almost a third of the original mass of briquettes, and their heat transfer is much lower. Therefore, the cost of the latter is almost two times less than that of coal fuel.
Obviously, having saved on the purchase of brown coal briquettes, you will have to spend more time on frequent loads, as well as on cleaning the chamber, chimney and floor in the boiler room.
Peat briquettes
Briquettes made from peat are usually inexpensive and readily available for any family. They also have a number of other advantages, but this type of fuel also has its own very significant disadvantages.
The production of this fuel is carried out by pressing the peat that has undergone preliminary processing. By preparing raw materials, its energy qualities are improved, due to the introduction of various additives.
Peat briquettes produced using new technologies differ significantly from the products that were made earlier in their characteristics. But their cost is somewhat higher.
Improvement of product characteristics is carried out due to more powerful pressing or extrusion under the influence of high pressure, as well as the addition of crushed wood or coal raw materials to the peat. Compaction processes increase the density of the material structure and lower its moisture content, which contributes to an increase in the heat transfer of the fuel during its combustion.
The advantages of high-quality peat products include the following qualities:
- Environmentally friendly material. When burning, peat does not emit corrosive smoke, as well as harmful, polluting substances.
- Briquettes flare up quite easily and, due to their density, burn for a long time.
- When using peat, a small amount of solid products remains, as it is almost completely burned out.
- Waste from peat can be used as potash fertilizer for the soil.
- The convenience of laying briquettes in the heating unit is also important.
- The ability to use peat for any heating devices, including fireplaces.
- The relatively low weight of the material makes it easy to transport and unload.
The negative aspects of this material include:
- There are difficulties with organizing storage. Briquettes must be stored in dry rooms, otherwise they can be saturated with atmospheric moisture, as a result of which decay processes can develop in their structure. Raw peat will not give high heat transfer, combustion will be sluggish and accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
- Peat briquettes, produced in artisanal conditions, in violation of technological rules, burn poorly, leaving a large amount of incombustible waste and soot.
To our great regret, a large number of low-quality goods appeared on the market, which significantly spoils the consumers' impression of briquetted peat. Such fuel is quite inexpensive, but there will be a lot of hassle with it - the briquettes do not keep their shape, they crumble and give a large amount of dust.
This is due to the fact that unscrupulous manufacturers make fuel from low-quality raw materials, poorly shape and dry finished products. Therefore, when purchasing peat briquettes, it is worth choosing material from large manufacturers who are responsible for the manufacturing process of their products. The quality of such fuel is confirmed by a corresponding certificate. As an example, we can cite the products of the companies "Prometheus", "Smiga" and "Nestro" (Nestro).
Sunflower husk briquettes
Fuel briquettes made from sunflower husk have good heat transfer, although they are inferior in this parameter, as well as in terms of ash content, to products made from natural wood. True, they also have a lower cost.
However, their distribution is not very widespread due to the small amount of raw material waste. Basically, they are made and used in the regions where this industrial crop is grown and where there are oil extraction plants.
Considering the positive and negative qualities of briquettes or "Eurowood" from sunflower waste, only high-quality products made in compliance with all technological rules will be taken into account.
This type of fuel is also produced by pressing at high temperatures and pressure. The binder for the particles of raw materials is natural lignin, which is included in its composition. As a result of thermal pressing and extrusion, an excellent briquetted fuel with high density parameters is obtained. Products are hermetically packed in plastic bags, which helps to keep them dry for a long time in any humidity conditions.
The advantages of this type of fuel include the following qualities:
- High heat transfer and burning duration. Experts have calculated that one kilogram of husk briquettes is enough to heat a room with an area of 40 ÷ 50 m² for one hour.
- The fuel emits practically no smoke.
- Convenience in storing packages with briquettes.
- Ecological cleanliness of the fuel.
- The moisture content of high-quality briquettes is 8 ÷ 10%, which has a beneficial effect on heat transfer.
- Products made from sunflower waste can burn intensely or smolder for 6-8 hours, emitting a large amount of heat.
- After the briquettes are burned, there is practically no waste. So, their number is within only 1 ÷ 5% of the original volume.
- The ash remaining after burning can be used to fertilize the soil.
The disadvantages of this fuel material include the following points:
- The smoke from burning low-quality fuel, as well as the remaining waste, can have unpleasant odors that spread throughout the room.
- Brittleness and low moisture resistance of briquettes. Wet fuel becomes practically unusable. Therefore, the stock of briquettes must be stored in a sealed package, and when the package is opened - only in a dry room.
- Low-quality fuel emits a large amount of smoke due to the abundance of moisture and low density of the material.
Wood briquettes
Wood briquettes do not give the most outstanding heat transfer (when compared, for example, with coal briquettes), but, given the low ash content and the minimum amount of soot during their combustion, this type of fuel is considered one of the most efficient and convenient to use. The disadvantage of fuel made from wood raw materials is the high cost, which exceeds the price of ordinary firewood, as well as most other fuel briquettes, excluding the coal option.
Wood briquettes are most often called "Eurowood", as in most cases they are produced in the form of logs. However, there are also products that have other shapes. However, the difference in their performance is small.
The most popular among the owners of stoves or boilers are "Eurowood", called PINI & KAY, and "Eurobriquettes" - "RUF".
- "Eurodrova" PINI & KAY is a relatively new product that has a number of advantages over coal, wood and other types of briquetted fuel. Products are made by molding and pressing under high pressure of pre-dried wood raw materials. The outside of the molded logs have a dark burnt shell. In the production process, no chemical components or adhesives are used, since the binder for sawdust is natural lignin, which is part of the wood. When heated, lignin acquires excellent astringent qualities, holding together wood particles, which are compacted with a press. Therefore, "Eurowood" is an environmentally friendly fuel with a high density of 1250 kg / m³, and their ash content is only 1% of the original volume. The burning time of the material in furnaces and boilers is 2 hours, and in fireplaces 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- RUF Eurobriquettes are pressed from sawdust and wood chips, and lignin also serves as an adhesive for them. They differ from "Eurodrops" in their shape - they are produced in the form of bars measuring 155 × 90 × 65 mm. This type of fuel has the same characteristics as "Eurowood", but its cost is somewhat lower. The burning time of briquettes is from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the set combustion intensity. Products are sold in packs of 12 pieces, and the total weight of such a package is 10 kg. Briquettes differ from "Eurodrops" also by the absence of an internal hole.
The advantages of these briquetted fuel options are the following:
- Environmental friendliness of products - they do not contain or emit toxic fumes.
- When burning, briquettes and "Euro wood" do not create sparks and do not scatter coals.
- Low ash content of about 1%.
- Heating devices operating on this type of fuel require cleaning no more than once a year.
- The briquettes are compact and do not leave behind dirt and dust.
Comparison of firewood and briquettes
To determine which fuel is the best, there are some important performance and usability considerations to consider.
So, if we compare the various points related to the transportation, storage and use of firewood and briquettes, we get the following picture:
| Comparative evaluation criteria | Briquetted fuel | Dried firewood |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | Easy transportation of products, since all briquettes have a packaging that is easy to carry. A small amount of fuel can be transferred even in your own car. | Difficulty of transportation. For the delivery of whole logs, sawn logs or already chopped firewood, it is necessary to order freight transport, which leads to additional costs. |
| Preparation for operation | No preparation required. It is enough to open the packaging and the fuel is ready for use. | Firewood must be dried, cut and chopped before use. Then the fuel is added up so that the wood is constantly ventilated, otherwise it will start to rot. |
| Storage | Briquettes are not resistant to moisture, therefore they must be stored in dry rooms or without opening the manufacturer's standard packaging. | Firewood can be stored under any shed. |
| Drying | Not required | Required for freshly cut wood. |
| Contamination | Almost all briquettes, when used, do not leave any contamination. Exceptions are coal and peat fuels. | Firewood leaves behind a lot of sawdust, chips, as well as bark particles, so after each placing them in the firebox, the room will have to be swept up the debris left from them. |
| Heat dissipation | Briquettes give a higher heat transfer than wood. | |
| Burning duration. | Briquetted fuel burns 1.5 ÷ 2 times longer than ordinary firewood. | |
| Fuel consumption | Less | Big |
| Smoke | High | Low |
| Ash content | The ash content can be high, medium or low, depending on the material used to make the briquettes. | Medium to low. |
| Price | High | Average |
From all the above arguments, we can conclude that using briquettes is still more profitable than ordinary firewood. The main thing is to choose the right type of briquetted fuel, the data of which is given above.
To determine the choice of briquettes for heating, it is necessary to take into account not only the above data, that is, the parameters of heat transfer, humidity and ash content, which are indicated by manufacturers, but also the recommendations of specialists and experienced users.
- Experts believe that the most optimal option for briquetted fuel is products made from woodworking waste. They are the golden mean between wood and briquettes, that is, they have improved qualities of natural wood. These products have a relatively high cost, but the price is compensated for by the duration of combustion, high heat transfer, lower consumption, low ash content and the amount of smoke generated. Briquettes can have different shapes, but in fact, all high-quality products in this line have very similar characteristics.
Prices for wood briquettes
fuel briquettes wood
- Coal briquettes are also a good option, since they surpass wood options in terms of burning time and heat transfer. However, as noted above, not all heating units are designed to use this fuel. Therefore, counting on its use and choosing a boiler, it is necessary to carefully study the passport of the heater and the manufacturer's recommendations.
- If preference is given to brown coal briquettes, in order to save as much as possible, then it is necessary to prepare for high fuel consumption, since this material gives very little heat transfer. In addition, this brown coal creates a lot of smoke and ash content. Therefore, using this fuel option, you will have to often clean not only the ash pan, but also the chimney.
Prices for briquettes from corners
fuel briquettes brown coal
- Peat briquettes are also a good choice for heating - the main thing is that the products are of high quality. Peat burns for a long time and gives very good heat transfer, but, like brown coal, it leaves a lot of ash, it smokes when burning, clogging the chimney.
- Sometimes in the region there is an opportunity to inexpensively purchase briquetted plant waste made from processed products of sunflower, buckwheat, straw, etc. This means that for the experiment it is recommended to buy a small batch of fuel and try it in practice. To ensure the quality of the product, it is necessary to record the time of its burning, check the amount of smoke generated, as well as the volume of ash remaining. If these indicators suit the consumer, then you can stock up on this fuel for the entire heating period.
Long burning water circuit
How to choose a quality product?
When purchasing fuel briquettes from well-known manufacturers, there is no doubt about their quality and declared characteristics.
However, a lot of handicraft products have appeared on the modern market, made from what came to hand. These products cost much less than factory-produced, empirically proven fuels. It is their cost that attracts buyers, but then, in practical application, you can face big problems and not get the promised heat transfer.
- For example, for the production of high-quality briquettes from sunflower waste, well-dried husk is used. In the fuel produced by an unknown manufacturer under artisanal conditions, not only dry waste, but also impurities with pomace can go into pressing. Such briquettes will burn reluctantly, emitting a large amount of smoke, leaving a lot of ash and soot.
- If briquettes or "euro wood" are easily destroyed - crumble, turning into dust, then you should not succumb to the persuasions of sellers and purchase them, even if they attract a low cost. Such signs indicate poor quality of raw materials or improper storage of fuel, which made it unsuitable for use. Decaying briquettes will not give much heat, and they can easily clog the chimney.
- Handicraft products quite often have excessive moisture even to the touch, a pronounced porous structure and fuzzy shapes are visually noticeable. The first two qualities will significantly reduce heat transfer, and the last factor can shorten the shelf life of products.
- If you decide to purchase coal briquettes, then you should know that they are black, not brown or gray.
In any case, if doubts arise about the quality of the goods, then it is worth purchasing only a trial batch of briquettes, putting them into practice and only after that stock up on them for the whole winter or refuse in favor of a more reliable option. Burning an experimental amount of fuel will show its real quality and basic characteristics.
By the way, the results of one of such experiments will be discussed in the next section of the publication.
You may be interested in information about what is on the wood
An interesting experiment - comparing the combustion of wood and some types of briquettes
Comparison test conditions
To get a clearer idea of the qualities of certain types of solid fuels, the reader will certainly be interested in familiarizing himself with the results of one experiment.
So, comparing the duration and quality of burning wood logs and fuel briquettes, an experiment was made in which three types of solid fuel were used:
- Firewood dried in a barn is birch with a density of 550 kg / m³.
- Peat briquettes - compacting density 2200 kg / m³.
- Briquettes made from sunflower husk with a density of 1800 kg / m³.
For the experiment, the heating system of a one-story house with an area of 150 m² was used. The walls of the building are made of sand-lime bricks and are 300 mm thick, with an air gap inside them. The walls are not insulated; standard metal-plastic windows are installed in the window openings.
The experiment was carried out under the following conditions:
- The heating device is a steel boiler with a long-term burning system on solid fuel "DIZ-24" with a capacity of 24 kW. The boiler is equipped with an automatic block that maintains the set temperature, as well as a turbocharger.
- A closed-type two-pipe heating system, divided into two branches - a conventional heating circuit with installed radiators and a "water underfloor heating" system.
- In addition, a buffer tank with a volume of 150 liters is built into the heating system diagram.
- The experiment was carried out at an average daily ambient temperature of 4 ÷ 6 degrees below zero.
- The building is cold, it was warming up for the first time during the heating season.
- Before the start of the experiment, the coolant was warmed up to a temperature of 45 degrees using firewood.
The course of the experiment consisted of sequentially loading the above types of fuel into the furnace, followed by checking the duration of their combustion in the specified mode. The automation is set to a coolant temperature of 50 degrees. The weight of the fuel tab is the same - 10 kilograms.
The purpose of the experiment was to establish the difference in fuel combustion time and in their ash content.
The experiment was started by burning a wood-burning block.
Burning firewood
10 kilograms of logs were loaded into a preheated boiler on the coals remaining from heating. After starting the fan controller, the wood was kindled within one minute. The firewood burned for an hour and a half, maintaining the set temperature, after which it began to decrease.
From the process carried out, several points should be noted:
- The firewood burned evenly, without much smoke.
- After the fuel burned out, a small amount of ash remained in the boiler.
If the entire volume of the heater's firebox, which is 112 liters, is filled with wood, then one tab is enough to maintain the set temperature for at least 8 hours of operation. If you use undried (freshly cut) firewood for heating, then they will give off less heat, since part of the generated heat energy will go to evaporate water, that is, it will be wasted.
Briquetted sunflower husk
The next fuel used in the experiment was briquettes made from sunflower waste.
Sunflower has an oily fiber structure, therefore, even after pressing, processing and pressing the husk, part of the oil remains in the heating briquettes. In this regard, their combustion has some features:
- Immediately after 10 kg of cylindrical briquettes were put into the furnace, a sharp temperature jump occurred.
- With active combustion of this fuel, a large amount of smoke is emitted, therefore it is not recommended to open the furnace door during this period, since a powerful flame arises when oxygen is supplied.
- The coolant temperature immediately rose by 5-7 units, up to 57 degrees, after the automatic shutdown of the boost took place. Then, when the fuel combustion was leveled, it dropped to the set temperature of 50 degrees.
- The fan is switched on periodically, with an interval of 5 minutes for a purge, which lasts 10 seconds. The incoming air maintains the set temperature of the coolant until the bulk of the briquettes burns out.
- After the bulk of the oil vapors burned out, the amount of smoke decreased significantly.
- When the fuel has completely burned out, a small amount of ash remains from it.
Burning 10 kg of sunflower briquettes lasted 2 hours 10 minutes, which is 40 minutes more than burning firewood. So, immediately after the fire, sunflower husk briquettes emit more heat energy. However, in heating units equipped with a mechanical draft regulator, that is, without turbocharging, the effect of initial heating will be significantly lower.
Combustion of pressed peat briquettes
In appearance, briquettes made of peat resemble products made from coal dust, they also get your hands dirty. Therefore, it is recommended to load this fuel into the boiler wearing gloves.
The combustion of this fuel also has its own characteristics, which include the following points:
- Under the influence of air from the blowing peat quickly ignites and gives a powerful stable flame.
- The fan stops working as soon as the coolant temperature rises to the set one, that is, 50 degrees. After turning off the fan, the temperature rises to 54 ÷ 55 degrees.
- When peat burns, it produces more smoke than from burning dry wood.
- The ash content at the end of combustion was approximately 10% of the initial volume of the fuel. Peat contains a small percentage of loam, which does not burn out completely, and its content in products depends on the characteristics of the deposit and on the fuel manufacturer. The better the product, the less impurities it contains.
The boiler worked for 10 kg of peat briquettes, maintaining the required temperature, for 3 hours, which is twice as much as its operation on the same amount of dry firewood.
Based on the results of the experiment, we can come to the conclusion that peat briquettes are the leader among the types of fuel used in terms of burning time. Now, it's worth figuring out which of the fuel options is more cost effective.
Which fuel is more cost effective?
An important value is the amount of fuel required for a certain period of the heating season and its cost. Therefore, for complete clarity of the results of the experiment, it makes sense to make approximate calculations of these parameters.
However, considering the cost without taking into account the heat transfer of a particular fuel is meaningless. Therefore, it is worth calculating both parameters.
For calculations, the average cost of the types of fuel used in the experiment was taken in conventional units per ton, since the price in ruble terms is constantly changing:
- Freshly cut wood has an approximate cost of $ 33.
- Briquettes made from sunflower husk - 57 USD
- Peat pressed into high-quality briquettes - 84 USD
- Since 10 kg of firewood burned for an hour and a half, you need 33: 1.5 = 22 cents. This is how much it will cost to heat the boiler for one hour with wood.
- Sunflower husk briquettes gave off heat for 2 hours 10 minutes. - 57: 2.1 = 27 cents.
- The peat briquettes burned for 3 hours, which means 84: 3 = 28 cents.
As you can see, the results are almost equal.
- Heating with wood will cost $ 5.28.
- Sunflower briquettes - $ 6.24
- Peat briquettes - 6.72 USD
Here it is necessary to clarify that the cost does not vary depending on the region of the country. In addition, each private house has its own area, heating system and boiler equipment. To make calculations for a specific structure on your own, you can simply take the proposed calculation methodology as a basis and determine how much heating a certain type of fuel will cost. After that, it will be seen what is more profitable to use for heating the house.
It should be borne in mind that in the above example, the cost of raw wood is given, which has a lower heat transfer than the dried version. Dry firewood will cost a little more. Therefore, the difference in the cost of different types of fuel will be minimized.
But, again, such a calculation immediately implies a clear intelligibility - the calorific value of the fuel is taken into account very indirectly. And it will be too bold to talk about the accuracy of the result - the calculation is carried out on the basis that the heater works constantly.
A more accurate approach nevertheless assumes to take as a basis the required thermal power necessary for the full operation of the system, heated at home, and the calorific value of the fuel used. This will be discussed below.
You may be interested in information about what constitutes
How to calculate the required amount of solid fuel based on its calorific value?
The initial value for carrying out calculations here will be the value of the thermal power that is required for high-quality heating of the house.
Important - we are talking about not about the rated power of the heating boiler or stove. This refers to the amount of heat that can create a comfortable atmosphere for living in the premises of the house and compensate for the current heat loss.
How do I find this parameter? The easiest way is to multiply the total area of the heated premises of the house by 100 (based on the simplified proportion that 100 W of thermal energy is required for each square meter). But it is better to carry out a more detailed calculation, which takes into account a lot of important nuances - the climatic conditions of the region, the degree of thermal insulation of building structures, the specifics of both the building itself and each of its premises separately, etc.
We will not dwell on this algorithm in detail now - a very detailed separate article is devoted to it. Follow the link to it - although the calculation seems cumbersome, in fact it is not difficult to carry out it.
How to calculate the required power of the heating system?
The answer with all the explanations and detailed justifications can be found in a special article on our portal. The entire calculation algorithm is included in the online calculator, with which the calculation turns into a very simple matter. By the way, in the same publication, another calculator is given that allows you to assess the degree of thermal insulation of your home.
So, if you know how much heat is required per hour to heat a home, it is easy to calculate, knowing the calorific value of the selected fuel, how many kilograms of it must be burned in order to get the expected return.
Of course, not everything is so simple - in any case, part of the generated heat is simply lost. Such losses are characterized by the efficiency (efficiency) of the device, which is indicated in its passport, either as a percentage (for example, 75%), or in fractions of a unit (for example, efficiency = 0.75).
As a rule, solid fuel heating devices are by no means famous for their high efficiency. And if the passport data is unknown, then the following values can be taken without much error:
- metal oven - 60%;
- brick bell oven - 65%;
- solid fuel boiler - 75%;
- a boiler in which the principle of afterburning of pyrolysis gases is implemented - 80%.
The specified algorithm for calculating the required amount of solid fuel is included in the proposed online calculator. Below will be given a few explanations on how to work with the program.
Made from pressed sawdust and shavings.
Fuel briquettes (Euro wood) are modern, convenient solid fuel for all types of stoves, boilers, fireplaces.
1 ton (1.5 cubic meters) of fuel briquettes gives an amount of heat equivalent to 5 cubic meters (dump truck) of naturally dried birch firewood.
Briquettes in packs of 10 kg. in foil, on pallets.
1 ton = 100 packs. 1 ton occupies 1m2 of area.
In our company you can buy fuel briquettes in Moscow from one package.
Fuel briquettes price
Peat briquettes
Coal
Wholesale deliveries of fuel briquettes with delivery throughout Russia.
Low prices for the delivery of fuel briquettes in Moscow and nearby regions (see the DELIVERY section). Free unloading! You can buy fuel briquettes in our company at low prices, as well as wholesale eurowood!
Delivery of Eurowood at a convenient time for you, as well as the sale of fuel briquettes with shipment from a warehouse in Moscow. You can pick up paid goods from the warehouse in parts. Special conditions for wholesalers. Discounts are provided for fuel briquettes, depending on the volume of the order.
Storage conditions
The shelf life is not limited, however, it is necessary to protect Eurodrova from moisture. You should store RUF briquettes, Nielsen briquettes, Pini Kay briquettes indoors (in a barn, garage, under a canopy) or cover with foil.
Specifications
Heat transfer 4500-5000 kcal / kg,
Humidity<8%,
Density 0.9 - 1.2 g / cm3,
Ash content<1%
EURODROVA is more convenient and profitable than firewood and coal, because:
firewood of natural moisture (40-55%) ~ 1500 kcal / kg
dry firewood (moisture 25%) 2160 kcal / kg (pine), 2600 kcal / kg (birch)
brown coal 3910 - 4600 kcal / kg
briquettes from wood waste 4500-5000 kcal / kg
coal anthracite 6100 - 7500 kcal / kg
In terms of heat transfer per unit weight, wood fuel briquettes surpass ordinary firewood by 2-3 times and are practically equal to coal. When buying fuel briquettes at a minimum price (from 1 ton), eurowood will cost you less than the equivalent amount of firewood in terms of heat transfer.
The duration of burning and smoldering is 2-3 times longer than ordinary firewood.
It is always ready-to-use fuel - there is no need to saw, chop or dry anything.
EURODROVA is a factory product with constant characteristics (weight, moisture). Unlike ordinary firewood, you will not be fooled with volume, moisture, etc. You know exactly how much you are buying and you can buy any required amount of fuel, from one package. And for this reason, the price for Euro wood is more profitable, in contrast to ordinary wood.
Eurowood (including ruf briquettes, pini kay briquettes) is safer - they burn odorlessly, do not shoot or spark, practically do not give off smoke, soot, carbon monoxide and other harmful substances, unlike firewood or coal. They are not explosive during storage, unlike gas, diesel fuel, etc.
Convenient and clean packaging. Saving space - 1 ton occupies 1m2 of area, the fuel supply can be stored next to the boiler / stove.
When burning euro, firewood (fuel briquettes) form a minimum of ash - 20 times less firewood and 40 times less coal. As a result, cleaning of the stove or fireplace is much easier. Ash can be used as fertilizer.
Fuel briquettes are not subject to mandatory certification in the Russian Federation and therefore the price for fuel briquettes is quite low. Our briquettes are made on German equipment and comply with the DIN standard adopted in Germany. This is confirmed by certificates and conclusions based on the results of various laboratory tests.
Comparison of fuel briquettes with other fuels
Calorific value:
Ash content:
combustion of brown coal produces 40% ash
combustion of black coal produces 20% ash
when wood briquettes are burned, 0.5-1% ash is produced
Ash from Eurodroves can be further used as mineral fertilizer.
CO2 emission during combustion of briquettes:
10 times less than natural gas
30 times less than coke
50 times less than coal
Boiler power when using Euro wood increases up to 50% compared to ordinary wood.
Emission of sulfur during the combustion of Eurodrove<0,08%, что позволяет в 3-4 раза реже чистить дымоход, чем при использовании дров или угля. Существенная экономия на услугах трубочиста!
Eurodrops are produced at high pressure and temperature. The binder is lignin, which is found in the wood itself.
The duration of burning and smoldering of briquettes is on average 2-3 times longer than that of ordinary firewood, they also ensure a constant temperature during combustion. This means that compared to ordinary wood, the stove can be loaded 2-3 times less often. Briquettes are easier to feed into the combustion chamber than wood and coal. They flare up well, burn for a long time and evenly, do not give off sparks and soot.
Eurodrops are well suited for barbecuing or grilling. When grease gets on them, they do not ignite, but continue to smolder or burn with an even low flame. Sale of fuel briquettes is one of the activities of our company.
Briquettes have an average density of 2.5 times higher than firewood, so they take up less space. It is a convenient and clean product for storage and transportation.
It is for these reasons that the sale of fuel briquettes in our country is gaining momentum every year.
The high density also prevents decay and the briquettes can be stored for a long time, protected from moisture.
When burned, briquettes do not have a negative impact on the environment.
Fuel briquettes (euro firewood) are a convenient, economical and environmentally friendly type of fuel. Widely used in Europe for over 20 years!
There is no perfect solid fuel. The use of wood, coal and various pressed waste has its pros and cons, including financial ones. The homeowner's job is to find the most profitable option. To clarify this issue, Vitaly Dashko carried out an experimental combustion of different types of fuel in real conditions. The goal is to compare which is better for heating a private house - fuel briquettes or firewood. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the results and video of the process.
Why compare cheap firewood with expensive briquettes
For residents of regions rich in forests, where woodworking enterprises are located, such a comparison is irrelevant. Firewood and sawdust in those parts are inexpensive or come for nothing. But we decided to compare them with briquettes for the following reasons:
- There are practically no forests in the southern and desert regions. Hence the higher price of firewood bought by the owners of country houses and summer cottages.
- In these areas, it is advantageous to press any kind of combustible mass - coal dust, agricultural waste and peat. Thanks to the development of such industries, the cost of briquettes is reduced and they become an alternative to firewood.
- Heating with pressed products is more comfortable than with wood raw materials, as our experiment will show.
The last reason is the conflicting reviews of homeowners about various fuels on thematic forums. A user who is not versed in this issue is unlikely to be able to navigate which types of briquettes are best used for a stove, fireplace or boiler. We will present the conclusions and expert opinion on this matter.
Conditions and course of the experiment
The object of verification is a one-story private house with an area of 150 m² with an individual heating system from a solid fuel boiler. The walls are 300 mm thick, built of white sand-lime bricks, inside there is an air gap. There is no insulation of external fences, the windows are standard metal-plastic ones.
The rest of the experiment conditions look like this:
- The heating system is closed, two-pipe. Divided into 2 branches - radiators and underfloor heating. The initial water temperature is 43 ° C.
- The average daily ambient temperature is 4–5 ° С. The building is cold, warming up for the first time during the heating season.
- The heat source is a solid fuel DIZ-24 (24 kW), equipped with a turbocharger and an automatic unit for maintaining the set temperature.
- The scheme uses a small capacity buffer tank (150 liters).
Note. Before the experiment, the boiler and coolant were warmed up to 43 ° C by burning small logs.
Task: load 3 types of fuel into the firebox one by one and check the duration of burning of each tab with a constant heating mode. The size of the load is the same -10 kg, the automation is set to maintain the water temperature at 50 ° C.
Target: determine what will burn out faster - firewood or briquettes, how significant the difference will be. The secondary goal is to compare the combustion of three fuels:
- dry shed firewood;
- round briquettes from sunflower husk;
- briquetted peat.
For reference. The wood species used is small elm (otherwise - birch bark), the stacking density of freshly cut logs with a moisture content of 50% is 600 kg / m³.
We deliberately did not burn "wooden" briquettes made from sawdust. The reasons are obvious: the products are much more expensive than peat and agricultural briquettes, their combustion properties have been repeatedly tested. If you are interested in this type of solid fuel, we recommend watching the video:
Approximate density of pressed husk is 1800 kg / m³, peat briquettes - 2200 kg / m³. These data are reference and do not play a large role in the experiment, since the fuel was put in the same amount - 10 kg. Let's start by burning wood.
The result of burning firewood
During the check, the logs were cut into 4 logs and loaded into the furnace, where a few hot coals remained. The controller started the fan and the wood burned for 1 minute. In total, laying 10 kg of wood was enough for 1.5 hours of boiler operation, after which the temperature of the coolant began to decrease.
Weight of each portion of fuel - 10 kg (with a bucket - 10.5 kg) Points to note:
- dry wood produces little smoke and burns very evenly;
- the temperature jump after turning off the fan does not exceed 3 degrees (up to 53 ° C);
- small ash residue.
The process of burning dry wood is fairly predictable. If the entire chamber of the heat generator of this model (112 liters) is filled with such fuel, 1 tab will be enough for at least 8 hours. Raw (freshly cut) firewood decays faster: it gives off less heat and therefore is exposed to more blowing by a fan.
A typical picture when burning dry wood is a little smoke Sunflower husk briquettes
Since the pressed husk contains a portion of vegetable oil, combustion differs in some peculiarities:
At the initial stage (on the left) there is a lot of smoke, then it is practically invisible (on the right) For reference. The purge mode lasts 10 seconds and is activated at 5 minute intervals. The goal is to free the boiler chamber from smoke.
The burning time of a portion of agricultural briquettes was 2 hours 10 minutes, which is 40 minutes longer than firewood. Nuance: you need to learn how to use fuel correctly - at the initial stage, "sausages" emit a large amount of heat. By the way, in boilers with (without turbocharging) the effect of primary heating is less pronounced.
This is how the remnants of briquettes look at the afterburning stage, the boiler water temperature is 50 degrees Combustion of pressed peat
In appearance, peat briquettes resemble, but differ in their square shape. The products are just as successful in getting your hands dirty, so it is better to load them with gloves. The characteristic moments of combustion are as follows:
- under the influence of pressurization, peat ignites well and gives a stable powerful flame;
- when the preset temperature of the coolant reaches 50 ° C, the fan stops, the heating "jumps" to 53-54 ° C;
- peat briquettes smoke stronger than dry wood;
- the amount of the remaining ash is about 5-10%.
What kind of smoke from the peat bricks was not captured in the photo, because it got dark outside Note. Peat contains some proportion of loam, which turns into ash. The amount of this fraction depends on the fuel manufacturer.
The duration of operation of a solid fuel boiler on peat briquettes is phenomenal - at least 3 hours, which is twice the burning of a similar amount of firewood. An unpleasant nuance - ash and black dust sticking to the hands.
The cheaper it is to heat your home
The price of fuel for heating a private house is of great importance, but it is meaningless to consider it in isolation from heat transfer. Let's calculate the cost of heating taking into account both parameters.
Combustion of peat fuel 3 hours after laying In the area where our expert lives, they ask for the following price for proven types of fuel:
- Freshly cut firewood - $ 20 e. for 1 m³. Let's tie the price to the weight: $ 20 per 600 kg or $ 33 e. for 1 ton.
- Briquette of pressed sunflower husk - $ 57 per ton.
- Peat briquette - 84 USD e. / 1 t.
It is easy to calculate that 10 kg of wood will cost 33 cents, the rest of the fuel - 57 and 84 cents, respectively. Then 1 hour of heating on wooden logs costs 33 / 1.5 = 22 cents (remember, firewood burned out in an hour and a half).
In the same way, we will determine the hourly rate for burning briquettes:
- pressed husk: 57 / 2.17 (2 hours 10 minutes) = 26 cents;
- briquetted peat: 84/3 = 28 cents.
Burning of briquetted hulls of sunflower seeds Interesting result, right? In our case, heating up an absolutely cold building costs $ 5.28. e. per day on wood, $ 6.24 - on pressed husk and $ 6.72. e. - on peat "bricks".
An important nuance. The prices of solid fuel in your region are probably different, and different heating equipment is installed in the boiler room. But the ratio and the principle of calculation remains unchanged. Apply this technique and calculate which is more profitable - firewood or briquettes in your particular case.
Note that we took the cost of raw wood (and it will decay sooner) and divided it by the time of full burning of dry wood. That is, the difference between traditional fuel and briquettes is minimized. We offer you to track the progress of the experiment on video and listen to an expert's opinion on this matter:
We do not persuade anyone to give up wood heating in favor of briquettes. The goal of the publication is to convey useful information, help homeowners save money and find comfort. What conclusions suggest themselves from the comparison results:
- The attractiveness of firewood is a low price. The main thing is that they do not turn out to be too raw.
- The previous section shows the cost of firewood delivered in the form of logs. The latter need to be cut into logs and split into logs. If the household does not have a chain saw, you will have to pay extra for sawing.
- Due to their low density, logs take up more space than briquettes.
- Pressed waste burns much longer than wood and gives off more heat. The number of visits to the boiler room will decrease.
It is better to heat homemade stoves with wood or put a small amount of briquettes An important nuance. High-calorie fuel briquettes are hazardous to. When the firebox is fully loaded and the chimney is open, the steel body of the stove is often deformed by the high combustion temperature.
Pressed products are not perfect. Fuel from agro-industrial waste contains vegetable oil that settles on the walls of the chimney in the form of soot, while peat leaves ash. To find the best solution and clearly select briquettes for the stove, boiler or fireplace, set aside a part of the day off and conduct a similar experiment with a variety of fuels. Combine "bricks" with wood, watch the results and count money - this is the sure way to economical heating.