The fuel for lighting a bath must meet the following requirements: flare up quickly and provide stable, strong, long-lasting heat. At the same time, do not burn too quickly and do not smoke. Properly prepared, dried firewood from good, dense wood fulfill these conditions and are traditionally in demand among bathhouse lovers. Alternative fuel - Eurowood - is not yet so common, but its popularity is growing from year to year. And there are good reasons for this.
Advantages of fuel briquettes
Burning fuel briquettes does not harm health, since they do not contain chemicals.
Fuel briquettes (euro firewood) are bricks made from compressed plant waste: sawdust, shavings, straw, grain husks, stems, etc. Particles of materials are connected to each other under pressure using organic glue (or do without it at all, if there is enough raw material own resins).
Without a doubt, the production of fuel briquettes contributes to a more efficient use of natural resources. But Eurowood has a lot of other advantages:
- They have a heat transfer rate twice as high as firewood (up to 5000 kcal/kg), while the heating power does not decrease during the combustion process. Such heat indicators are achieved due to the high density and low humidity of the products (for briquettes the latter figure is 5–8%, for firewood it reaches 20%).
- They burn out very slowly (about 4 times longer than firewood), which makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of fuel consumed during the season.
- Do not form soot on the walls of the chimney.
- They burn almost completely, simplifying the cleaning process.
- They burn smoothly and softly: they do not spark, do not make noise, almost do not smoke, do not shoot embers, do not give off a smell, do not emit harmful substances. In other words, they do not create discomfort for people who are close to the flame.
- They are compactly stored in neat stacks, in which they are supplied. Euro firewood does not need to be split, stored in woodpiles, and there is no waste left behind.
The cost of briquettes is 2–3 times higher than firewood, but the difference in price is compensated by their low consumption. In addition, wood is much bulkier and therefore requires additional delivery costs.
Benefits of firewood
Firewood is the most environmentally friendly and odorless material
Traditional fuel has the following advantages:
- wood flares up faster and warms up the room;
- are inexpensive, especially if you do it yourself;
- Well-dried firewood has high heat transfer;
- release when heated essential oils, beneficial effects on the body;
- create a special atmosphere thanks to the crackling and beautiful languages flame.
One of the main advantages of firewood is its availability, because in many regions fuel briquettes simply cannot be found.
What is better to choose for a bath
The best combustion product is firewood that is two years old and stored under the right conditions.
There is no consensus on what is better for a bathhouse, fuel briquettes or firewood.
For many people, a traditional bath has a special, almost sacred, meaning. “I washed myself in the bathhouse - that I was born again”, “The heat does not ache my bones”, “The spirit of the steam room is the holy spirit”, “The bathhouse will wash away all sins” - the widespread love for the bathhouse is embodied in folklore. Visiting a bathhouse is a special ritual, during which one not only washes, but also gets rid of diseases, damage, slander, and is cleansed on a spiritual level.
The bathhouse is essentially an everyday phenomenon, but true fans of the steam room reverently preserve and pass on bathhouse traditions. One of them is heating the bathhouse with “healthy” firewood with the fragrant aroma of resins. From this point of view, the use of real firewood is advisable: it is they who create a unique bathhouse atmosphere, for the sake of which everything is started.
In addition, lovers of a truly hot steam room insist: fuel briquettes do not provide the heat necessary for a real bath.
Yes, they burn for a long time and stably, but they only raise the temperature in the room to a certain level, no matter how much you throw them in. And this often does not suit avid vapers. Proponents of briquettes argue that the aromas of firewood do not enter the steam room anyway, since the heat from the fuel in modern stoves does not come into contact with the stones. You can improve your health with herbal decoctions and steam from a broom. Briquettes are more economical and efficient; after using them, there are no wood chips, dust or other debris left behind.
They burn for a long time, so you don’t need to constantly add fuel, you can safely enjoy your vacation. Briquettes can be used to heat a bathhouse quite well, so for those who prefer to steam “without fanaticism,” Euro-firewood is just the thing. So, taking into account the cost and consumption of briquettes and wood, we can say that there is no significant difference in price between them. Steadily burning Eurowood is a good solution for stoves. For heating baths, many people prefer time-tested wood. Despite the fact that briquettes are positioned by manufacturers as a worthy replacement for traditional fuel, in order to avoid disappointment, it is better to start switching to them with small batches.
Not long ago, an alternative fuel for lighting stoves appeared - fuel briquettes, which are positioned as an analogue of conventional firewood, but with better calorific characteristics. In order not to be unfounded, we decided to compare the capabilities of wood and European firewood, evaluate their technical characteristics, nuances of use and determine whether fuel briquettes or firewood are better for the consumer, which is more profitable.
Comparing firewood and fuel briquettes
Heating with eurowood
I would like to immediately note that ordinary firewood and modern briquettes are a priori different types of fuel, although their operating principle is identical. (Fuel briquettes are closer in nature to coal.) Ordinary firewood has been used for a very long time, but European firewood still has to prove its worth.
By the way, fuel briquettes received the original name “Eurofirewood” due to their similarity with classic firewood both in shape and technical characteristics.
Modern fuel briquettes are produced from food and natural waste. Wood (sawdust, shavings, wood dust, branches and even leaves), straw remaining after processing grain crops (wheat, rye, corn), husks and husks of seeds, nut shells, peat, and in rare cases even manure are actively used. When burning such materials, no harmful substances are released to humans and environment. No other ingredients are added to fuel briquettes.
Fuel briquettes from various materials
Carefully prepared and crushed raw materials are subjected to temperature pressing, during which excess moisture is removed, the material is held together, and becomes dense and strong. Depending on the type of production, all fuel briquettes can be divided into three classes:
- The simplest one is Ruf fuel briquettes.
- More advanced - Nestro fuel briquettes.
- The most modern are Pini-Kay fuel briquettes.
These types of fuel briquettes differ in shape, final processing method (sometimes there is firing to give the final shape and protection from moisture), level of density, which largely depends on the shape of the briquette itself. The composition of Eurowood always remains the same, without adding third-party elements.
Why is Euro firewood so good? Let’s look at its main advantages:
- Created by pressing at high temperatures, Euro firewood has high density and low humidity. That is why the burning time of fuel briquettes is much longer than that of firewood. The level of heat transfer from briquettes is twice as high, which is explained by the same technical characteristics. Ordinary firewood, dried during the year, has a moisture content of about 20%, fresh wood 40-50%, and for fuel briquettes the same figure is 8-9%.
- Made using professional equipment, having the correct shape and good packaging, fuel briquettes are more compact, convenient and easy to store. At the same time, as we have already said, they burn longer and give off more heat than firewood, which means the fuel supply may be smaller. Heating a house with fuel briquettes in Europe is considered a normal practice, moderately economical. In Russia, wood is traditionally used.
Fuel briquettes of the correct shape
- Using fuel briquettes is extremely simple; the technology for burning them is no different from ordinary firewood. You could even say that they are safer to use since the level of fire and its operation can be controlled.
- When storing firewood in the house there is always a lot of garbage, but the briquettes are tightly packed in cellophane and loaded into the oven entirely.
- Eurowood burns with a stable fire, it does not spark or smoke, and the amount of smoke emitted can be called minimal. By loading briquettes into the oven in various ways, you can regulate the intensity of fuel combustion. Not a large number of smoke allows you to save on cleaning the chimney from soot, and also allows the use of such fuel in black baths.
- After using fuel briquettes, very little ash remains, approximately 1% of the total volume of fuel. Unlike firewood, briquettes burn almost completely.
- With proper skill and suitable equipment, you can make fuel briquettes with your own hands. At first glance, the task seems impossible, but upon detailed analysis everything turns out to be very simple. In the future, such production will help significantly save the budget on fuel.
Simple cellophane packaging for fuel briquettes
Having considered the advantages of fuel briquettes, we move on to the disadvantages that also exist:
- Having a high density, European firewood takes a long time to burn in the firebox. When studying whether it is better to heat a stove, with wood or briquettes, you should definitely pay attention to this. You can't start a fire quickly with alternative fuels; you need the right materials. Even a good, dense, dry briquette takes a few minutes to warm up.
- When burning briquettes of some types, characteristic odors may be present. For example, the aroma of burning seed husks may not be to everyone's taste. The ash from Eurobriquettes smells absolutely disgusting, but despite this it is an excellent fertilizer.
- Fuel briquettes are afraid of dampness, even if they are burned on the outside. A product packed in cellophane is not afraid of moisture, but after being removed from a vacuum package, the briquette becomes vulnerable. Due to humidity, Euro firewood crumbles and becomes unsuitable for use.
- Mechanical impacts are also unacceptable for Eurobriquettes. Even when dry, you can break them, especially if they are of poor quality.
- Fuel briquettes are not capable of creating a unique atmosphere of warmth, comfort and coziness that is inherent in firewood. They do not crackle, the fire from them is too simple, smoldering, and their appearance leaves much to be desired, especially homemade options. From an aesthetic point of view, fuel briquettes are not suitable for use in a fireplace.
Burning briquettes in the furnace firebox
When choosing firewood or briquettes for heating your home, you should also analyze ordinary wood, at least for its merits.
Heating with regular wood
Firewood has been used for heating for a very long time; it is a high-quality fuel for the home and bathhouse, barbecue and barbecue. The environmental friendliness of firewood will always be 100%, and this fuel has plenty of other advantages. Let us note the main advantages of firewood, without delving deeply into this topic:
- First of all, I would like to say that the process of harvesting, drying and storing firewood is understandable to everyone. From an early age we know how to look for firewood, collect and light it.
- Lighting wood is not difficult, even when it’s damp. Some types of trees can burn when high humidity, giving off heat.
- The cost of firewood is low, even if you do not go through the entire harvesting cycle, but buy ready-made logs or logs. (However, until the price comparison various types fuel will not claim which is more profitable.)
- Firewood is not afraid of mechanical damage and can be stored in a woodpile in completely different ways.
- From an aesthetic point of view, the wood burns perfectly. They create a beautiful fire and soulful crackle, and when some varieties burn, a characteristic pleasant aroma appears. For open fireplaces, where the appearance of what is happening is important, this fuel is considered optimal.
- Substances released during the combustion of wood have a beneficial effect on a person, they calm nervous system, heal the respiratory system.
Strategic forest reserve for winter
We will also highlight the disadvantages of natural fuel:
- To obtain high heat transfer, the firewood should be well dried under natural conditions, which requires an extremely long time, for example, 1 or 2 years. The best firewood is wood that has lain in a dry shed for a couple of years.
- At long-term storage wood loses some of its qualities, especially fragrant varieties of trees.
- Firewood takes up a lot of space; for its normal storage in the required quantity, it is necessary to build an appropriate structure.
- When using firewood, a lot of debris always appears (chips, bark, wood dust, sawdust).
Having become acquainted with the main capabilities of the two types of fuel, let's make a comparison.
What is more profitable to use?
It’s best to start the comparison with the price of fuel, because that’s what worries us the most. If we take average figures, then 1 cubic meter of fuel briquettes costs about 2 times more than ordinary firewood. As we know, fuel briquettes can be created from different materials, but the price of firewood greatly depends on the type of wood. If you choose the most expensive fuel briquettes and the cheapest wood, the cost can vary by 3 times.
Note that most often there are two types of quality products on the market. High-quality briquettes are denser without cracks or chips, often burned on the outside. Less high-quality briquettes have lower density; they are characterized by a multi-layer structure, which is slightly vulnerable to damage. Such briquettes burn faster and release less energy.
Popular fuel for stoves in homes and baths
Let's compare the performance indicators:
- How long do fuel briquettes burn - usually 2 hours, while simple firewood is about an hour.
- The heat transfer from fuel briquettes is noticeably higher, since the fire in the stove is stable throughout the entire burning time. Firewood usually flares up quickly and gives off maximum heat immediately, and then gradually fades out.
- After using firewood, a lot of coals and ash appear in the firebox, while practically nothing remains of Eurowood.
The main task of fuel briquettes is heating. They burn for a long time, emit a lot of heat, and at the same time do not take up much space in the house, do not litter, and are also environmentally friendly and safe to use like regular firewood. At the same time, they do not create a full-fledged atmosphere of comfort, do not crackle and often emit an unpleasant aroma when burning. It is not for nothing that their name contains the prefix “euro”; this type of fuel was created primarily to save on heating.
If you use fuel briquettes for heating a house, then such a replacement of firewood for the stove is quite relevant, but for lighting a bathhouse, such a choice will not always be justified. As well as for a fireplace, the task of which is not only to heat the house, but also to create an appropriate ambience, which a firewood substitute clearly cannot cope with.
To evaluate the effectiveness of fuel briquettes in each specific case, experiments should be carried out; too many factors influence their operation. Only after you are convinced of the merits of this alternative type of fuel can you give it any assessment.
IN Lately There are a lot of positive reviews online indicating that heating a house with European wood is more profitable than using regular wood. We attribute this to the growing popularity of alternative fuels.
There is no ideal solid fuel. The use of wood, coal and various pressed wastes has its pros and cons, including financial ones. The homeowner’s task is to choose the most profitable option. To clarify this issue, Vitaly Dashko carried out experimental combustion of different types of fuel under real conditions. The goal is to compare which is better for heating a private home - fuel briquettes or firewood. We invite you to 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 wood processing enterprises are located, such a comparison is irrelevant. Firewood and sawdust in those parts are inexpensive or available for free. But we decided to compare them with briquettes for the following reasons:
- There are practically no forests in the southern and desert regions. From here more high price firewood purchased by owners country houses and dachas.
- In these areas, it is advantageous to press any type of combustible mass - coal dust, agricultural waste and peat. Thanks to the development of such production, the cost of briquettes is reduced and they become an alternative to firewood.
- It is more comfortable to heat with pressed products than with wood raw materials, as our experiment will show.
The last reason is conflicting reviews from homeowners about various fuels on thematic forums. A user who does not understand this issue is unlikely to be able to figure out which types of briquettes are best to use for a stove, fireplace or boiler. We will present conclusions and expert opinion on this matter.
Conditions and course of the experiment
The object of inspection is a one-story a private house area of 150 m² with individual heating system from solid fuel boiler. The walls are 300 mm thick and made of white sand-lime brick, inside - air gap. There is no insulation of external fences; the windows are standard metal-plastic.
The remaining experimental conditions look like this:
- The heating system is closed, two-pipe. It is divided into 2 branches - radiators and heated floors. The initial water temperature is 43 °C.
- The average daily ambient temperature is 4–5 °C. The building is cold, warming up for the first time during the heating season.
- The heat source is solid fuel DIZ-24 (24 kW), equipped with turbocharging and an automatic unit for maintaining the set temperature.
- The scheme involves buffer capacity small capacity (150 liters).
Note. Before the experiment, the boiler and coolant were heated to 43 °C by burning small logs.
Task: alternately load 3 types of fuel into the firebox and check the burning duration of each fill at a constant heating mode. The loading size is the same - 10 kg, the automation is set to maintain the water temperature at 50 °C.
Target: determine what will burn faster - firewood or briquettes, how significant the difference will be. The secondary goal is to compare the combustion process of three types of fuel:
- dry firewood from barn storage;
- round briquettes from sunflower husks;
- briquetted peat.
For reference. The type of wood used is small elm (otherwise known as birch bark), the stacking density of freshly cut logs with a moisture content of 50% is 600 kg/m³.
We deliberately did not burn “wood” briquettes made from sawdust. The reasons are obvious: the products are noticeably more expensive than peat and agricultural briquettes, and their combustion properties have been repeatedly tested. If you are interested in this type of solid fuel, we recommend watching the video:
The approximate density of pressed husks is 1800 kg/m³, peat briquettes are 2200 kg/m³. These data are for reference and do not play a big role in the experiment, since the fuel was supplied in the same amount - 10 kg. Let's start with burning wood.
The result of burning wood
During the inspection, the logs were cut into 4 logs and loaded into the firebox, where several hot coals remained. The controller started the fan and the firewood ignited within 1 minute. A total of 10 kg of wood was enough for 1.5 hours of boiler operation, after which the coolant temperature began to decrease.
The weight of each portion of fuel is 10 kg (with a bucket - 10.5 kg) Points worth noting:
- dry firewood 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 quite predictable. If you fill the entire chamber of a heat generator of this model (112 liters) with such fuel, 1 fill will be enough for at least 8 hours. Wet (freshly cut) firewood decays faster: it gives off less heat and is therefore more exposed to fan blowing.
A typical picture when burning dry wood is a slight smoke Briquettes from sunflower husks
Since the pressed husk contains a proportion of vegetable oil, combustion differs in some ways:
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 turns on at intervals of 5 minutes. 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. A nuance: you need to learn how to use fuel correctly - at the initial stage, the “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 what the remains of a briquette look like at the after-burning stage, the boiler water temperature is 50 degrees Combustion of pressed peat
In appearance, peat briquettes resemble, but differ square shape. Products are just as likely to stain your hands, so it’s best to load them with gloves. Typical combustion moments look like this:
- under the influence of supercharging, peat ignites well and produces a stable, powerful flame;
- when the set coolant temperature reaches 50 °C, the fan stops, heating “jumps” to 53-54 °C;
- peat briquettes smoke more strongly than dry firewood;
- the amount of remaining ash is approximately 5-10%.
We couldn’t capture the smoke from the peat bricks in the photo because it was dark outside Note. Peat contains a certain amount of loam, which turns into ash. The size of this share depends on the fuel manufacturer.
The operating time of a solid fuel boiler using peat briquettes is phenomenal - at least 3 hours, which is twice as long as burning the same amount of firewood. An unpleasant nuance is ash content and black dust that sticks to your hands.
The cheaper way to heat your home
The price of fuel for heating a private house is great importance, but it is pointless to consider it in isolation from heat transfer. We will 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, the following prices are asked for proven types of fuel:
- Freshly cut firewood – 20 USD. e. for 1 m³. Let's tie the price to the weight: 20 dollars for 600 kg or 33 cu. e. for 1 ton.
- Briquettes made from pressed sunflower husks – $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, the wood burned out in an hour and a half).
In a similar way, we 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 briquetted sunflower seed husks Interesting result, right? In our case, heating up an absolutely cold building costs 5.28 USD. e. per day for wood, 6.24 dollars for pressed husks and 6.72 cu. e. - on peat “bricks”.
An important nuance. The prices of solid fuel in your region are probably different, and the boiler room has different heating equipment. But the ratio and principle of calculation remain unchanged. Apply this technique and consider what is more profitable - firewood or briquettes in your particular case.
Please note that we took the cost of raw wood (and it will decay sooner) and divided it by the time of full combustion of dry wood. That is, the difference between traditional fuel and briquettes is minimized. We suggest watching the progress of the experiment on video and listening to an expert’s opinion on this matter:
We do not persuade anyone to give up wood heating in favor of briquettes. The purpose of the publication is to convey useful information, help homeowners save money and gain comfort. What conclusions emerge from the comparison:
- The attractiveness of firewood - low price. The main thing is that they are not too raw.
- The previous section indicates the cost of firewood delivered in the form of logs. The latter need to be sawn into logs and split into logs. If in household absent chain Saw, you will have to pay extra for sawing.
- Due to their low density, logs occupy more space than briquettes.
- Pressed waste burns significantly longer than wood and give off more heat. The number of visits to the boiler room will decrease.
Homemade stoves It’s better to burn with wood or put a small amount of briquettes An important nuance. High-calorie fuel briquettes pose a danger to. When the firebox is fully loaded and the chimney is open, the steel body of the stove is often deformed from the effects of high combustion temperatures.
Pressed products are not flawless. Fuel from agro-industrial waste contains vegetable oil, settling on the walls of the chimney in the form of soot, and peat leaves ash. To find optimal solution and clearly select briquettes for the stove, boiler or fireplace, set aside part of the weekend and conduct a similar experiment with a variety of fuels. Combine “bricks” with firewood, watch the results and count the money - this is the sure way to economical heating.
Fuel briquettes- a type of solid fuel, an alternative to conventional firewood or coal. Due to their correct shape and uniform size, they are also called Euro firewood. They can be used in fireplaces, stoves, solid fuel boilers and other heating devices that burn solid fuel.
Next, let's look at what briquettes are made of and what types they come in? What are their advantages and disadvantages over firewood? Do briquettes really provide more heat and burn better? Is it profitable to use them? And also how to choose high-quality briquettes.
What are briquettes made from?
Briquettes are made from waste from wood processing and Food Industry – sawdust, rice husks, buckwheat or seeds. They also use available and inexpensive materials, representing energy value: straw, peat or tyrsa (herbaceous plant).
The briquettes do not contain glue or other binding elements. The briquette gains strength and shape through strong pressing and maximum drying. Therefore, burning them does not harm human health.
Advantages of fuel briquettes
The main advantage of briquettes is that the combustion temperature is 1.5-2 times higher than that of firewood. At a humidity of 20%, the calorific value of wood is 2500-2700 kcal/kg, briquette - 4500-4900 kcal/kg.
And there are simple and logical explanations for this:
- Briquettes have low humidity. The lower the humidity of the firewood, the higher its heat transfer. Normal wood moisture content at proper storage is 15-20%. For briquettes, the humidity is 4-8% and is achieved through forced drying - a mandatory stage in their production.
- Briquettes have high density. Why does oak firewood burn hotter than poplar wood? Because of the density. The density of oak is 0.81 g/cm3, poplar is 0.4 g/cm3. That is, each cm3 of oak contains more useful and combustible woody matter than poplar. Briquette density is 0.95-1g/cm3. Their combustible content per unit volume is even higher than that of oak. Accordingly, the calorific value is higher.
Low humidity and high density are the key to the success of briquettes. If you dry firewood to a moisture content of 4-8%, then its calorific value will be comparable to briquettes.
Other advantages of briquettes:
- Occupy less space.
- Burn more evenly and longer.
- Made from waste. If you care about the environment and the environment.
- Due to low humidity, briquettes emit less soot and pollute the chimney less.
Flaws
- Price. At first glance, fuel briquettes are more expensive than firewood. In fact, this should be taken into account the cost of a unit of heat obtained from firewood and briquettes. Next we will examine this issue in more detail.
- Fear of moisture. Wet briquettes crumble. Storage conditions are critical for them: in a closed, ventilated area.
- There are bad briquettes. When purchasing briquettes, it is not always possible to be sure of the material from which they are made. Anything can be added to wood briquettes: soft wood, rotten, old, low-quality or chemically treated wood, and so on. This creates volume, but reduces the quality of the briquette.
What types of fuel briquettes are there?
Briquettes differ in shape and material of manufacture.
Differences in shape
There are three main forms of fuel briquettes: pini-kei, roof and nestro. Their difference is only in the maximum density that can be achieved in each form. There are no differences in chemical composition or mass calorific value between eurowood No.
Fuel briquettes pini-kay
The highest density is from 1.08 to 1.40 g/cm 3 . Section shape - square or hexagon. There is a through hole in the center, which provides better air movement and combustion of the briquette.
Fuel briquettes RUF
Fuel briquettes made from roof sawdust, in the form of a brick. Have small size and the lowest density - 0.75-0.8 g/cm3.
Briquettes Nestro
Fuel briquettes have a non-stro cylinder shape and an average density of 1 - 1.15 g/cm3.
Peat briquettes
For fuel peat briquettes a special form, not similar to the others. And due to the high ash content and the presence of other harmful impurities in the composition, they are not recommended for use at home. Such briquettes are suitable for industrial furnaces or boilers that can operate on low-quality fuel.
Peat fuel briquette
Differences in material
Eurodrova made from sawdust, seed husks, rice and buckwheat, straw, tyrsa, peat and other materials. The material affects the calorie content of the fuel briquette, ash content, amount of soot emitted, quality and completeness of combustion.
Below in the table is a comparison of the characteristics of briquettes made from different materials - seed husks, rice, straw, tyrsa and sawdust. Such an analysis shows not only that briquettes made from different materials differ from each other. But also the fact that even briquettes from the same material differ in quality and properties.
All data is taken from real test reports of fuel briquettes.
Calorie content, humidity, ash content and density of fuel briquettes made from different materials.
Comments on the table
Seed. The highest calorific value of briquettes made from sunflower seeds husks is 5151 kcal/kg. This is due to their low ash content (2.9-3.6%) and the presence of oil in the briquette, which burns and has energy value. On the other hand, due to the oil, such briquettes pollute the chimney more intensively with soot, and it has to be cleaned more often.
Tree. In second place in calorie content sawdust wood briquettes– 5043 kcal/kg at 4% humidity and 4341 kcal/kg at 10.3% humidity. The ash content of wood briquettes is the same as that of a whole tree - 0.5-2.5%.
Straw. Straw briquettes are not much inferior to sunflower seed husks or sawdust and have good potential use. They have a slightly lower calorie content - 4740 kcal/kg and 4097 kcal/kg, and a relatively high ash content - 4.8-7.3%.
Tyrsa. Tyrsa is a perennial herbaceous plant. Such briquettes have a fairly low ash content - 0.7% and good heat transfer 4400kcal/kg.
Rice. Briquettes made from rice husk have the highest ash content - 20% and low calorific value - 3458 kcal/kg. This is even less than wood at 20% humidity.
Two important conclusions
1. Different ash content
Two samples of straw briquettes have different ash contents - 4.86 and 7.3%.
Ash is mineral substances in wood that either have little energy value or simply do not burn. Therefore, the more ash in the wood, the less its heat transfer.
Different ash contents of fuel briquettes indicate different quality of production and source materials. One manufacturer does not clean the straw well enough to remove dirt and external ash. Another is adding foliage and other materials for volume. At the output, this greatly affects the quality, calorific value and burning time of the fuel briquette. And this situation can happen with any briquettes, not just straw.
2. Different humidity
The moisture content of the briquettes and their seed husks is 2.7% in one case, and 8.51% in the other. Some wood briquettes from sawdust the moisture content is 4.1%, for others it is 10.3%.
This means that the humidity of fuel briquettes is also different. Their strength and calorific value depend on this: at a humidity of 4.1%, the heat transfer of a briquette is 5043 kcal/kg, and at 10% — 4341 kcal/kg.
So in the end it’s cheaper – firewood or briquettes
The main thing about firewood is not the weight and cost, but the cost per unit of heat. You can burn 5kg and 10kg of different wood, but still get the same amount of heat. Let's do a simple calculation (figures as of winter 2013):
- 1 m 3 of firewood weighs 500-600 kg and costs 550 UAH;
- 1 m 3 of briquettes weighs 1000 kg and costs 1800 UAH;
1 m 3 of wood contains 40-50% less real fuel than the same volume of briquettes. Let's determine the cost of 1 ton of firewood.
1 ton of wood = 1.66 m 3. Its cost will be 550 * 1.66 = 913 hryvnia.
Now let’s calculate the cost of 1W of heat generated by firewood and briquettes
As a result, it is clear that the difference is insignificant - 4 kopecks per 1 watt of thermal energy. It turns out that the effect of firewood and briquettes is almost the same, despite the seemingly significant difference in price.
It is important to consider:
- Inadequate quality of firewood. Often, when buying firewood, you can come across freshly cut wood with a moisture content of 40-50%. The calorific value of such firewood is even less
- Firewood takes up more space, which means transporting it will cost even more.
Questions and answers
How much do fuel briquettes weigh?
The weight of a briquette depends on its density. With a pini-kay briquette density of 1.08 – 1.36 g/cm3, one cubic meter weighs 1080–1360 kg. For comparison: 1 cubic meter of oak firewood at a humidity of 20% weighs about 800 kg, birch 750 kg, and pine 520 kg.
Burning time
The burning time of fuel briquettes depends on the same factors as the burning of firewood: traction force and ignition method. If you do not close the damper in time and supply a lot of air to the briquettes, they will burn very quickly.
On the other hand, if you carefully stack the briquettes, set them on fire correctly and provide the minimum amount of air required for combustion, then due to their high density and low humidity they will burn longer than firewood.
The photo shows pini-kei fuel briquettes. They are neatly stacked and burn evenly from left to right.
To choose the best fuel briquettes for home use that will burn well and efficiently, adhere to the following principles:
- Give preference - sawdust wood briquettes. In terms of combustion quality, they are as close as possible to firewood, burn well, have low ash content and high heat transfer. Briquettes made from sunflower seeds husks also provide a lot of heat, but due to the oil, they more intensively pollute the chimney and heating appliance with soot.
- Calorific value of fuel briquettes from hard and coniferous wood is the same, because they are based on the same wood substance. But briquettes from coniferous wood contain resin, which more pollutes the chimney with soot.
- Do not believe in words about the calorific value, humidity and ash content of briquettes. Ask the seller for test reports that indicate the main characteristics of the briquettes. But be prepared for the fact that they may not be there.
- Choose briquettes with maximum density. The higher the density, the more evenly and longer the briquettes burn, and also do not crumble and leave a lot of hot, long-smoldering coals. Pini-key briquettes have the highest density, Nestro briquettes have an average density, and Roof briquettes have the minimum density.
- Before buying a large number of briquettes, take 10-20 kg samples from different places. Check them for strength: if the briquette breaks and crumbles easily, then it is poorly compressed or contains a lot of moisture. Burn each sample in a heating apparatus. Pay attention to the heat, how long and at what level do the briquettes burn? The lower the draft at which briquettes are capable of burning, the better. Look at the coals they leave behind. Do they hold their shape or do they fall apart into little coals? This is the only sure way to choose quality briquettes for heating.
conclusions
- Fuel briquettes are an alternative type of solid fuel to firewood or coal. They are suitable for fireplaces, solid fuel boilers, stoves and other heating appliances.
- Briquettes are made from production waste: sawdust, rice husks, seeds or buckwheat. Inexpensive and accessible materials are also used - straw, peat or tyrsa. The quality of combustion of the briquette and its calorific value depend on the material.
- Briquettes come in three forms: roof, pini-kei and nestro. The shape does not affect the chemical composition, but only the maximum permissible density of the briquette. The highest density is in pikin-kay, low in ruf.
- The two main advantages of briquettes over firewood are higher heat transfer and ease of use. Due to the minimum humidity and ash content, the calorie content of briquettes is higher. And thanks to the correct shape and high density, the briquettes fit tightly to each other and take up less space in the volume.
- Not all briquettes are of equal quality. Even briquettes of the same shape and from the same material can differ in ash content, humidity and combustion temperature. Everything greatly depends on the quality of preparation of the starting materials, the degree of drying and pressing, as well as storage of the finished briquettes.
Everything about fuel briquettes: types, the better the firewood, advantages and disadvantages, recommendations for choosing
Wood stoves are still the main source of heat in too many homes. And, by the way, many owners do not even plan to change them for something else, even if such an opportunity arises. Moreover, now other effective and easy-to-use types of solid fuel are widely available as an alternative to conventional firewood. We are talking about fuel briquettes.
But such diversity can even complicate the problem of choice for inexperienced owners, since a logical question arises - fuel briquettes or firewood, which is better? Let us immediately note that, in principle, there is no ideal fuel material, since each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the option that is economically beneficial and more convenient for owners is usually chosen.
And the easiest way to determine which fuel will help you save on its purchase is to compare its cost, and through an experiment, find out the burning time and thermal output of its different types. True, without discounting other, seemingly secondary, but in fact very important issues: accessibility, ease of transportation, storage, preparation for use, etc.
Basic criteria for choosing fuel for a stove
The first thing you need to decide on before comparing different types of fuel is their basic properties that they must have to efficient heating housing.
If the characteristics of briquetted fuel are indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer, then the parameters of natural firewood have to be determined independently.
So, of the main characteristics that high-quality fuel must meet, three can be distinguished - heat transfer, humidity and ash content, that is, the amount of waste after its combustion.
- Heat dissipation - this is the amount of thermal energy released during fuel combustion (kW), the calculation is based on one kilogram of fuel. Parameter. In addition, it is divided into theoretical and real:
— theoretical heat transfer is the main characteristic of 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. Here there is more emphasis on the quality of the stove or boiler itself.
- Humidity - This is the water content of the fuel, which is indicated as a percentage. The fuel must be dry, so the lower the moisture content, the better. If the fuel is too wet, then during combustion the moisture will begin to evaporate, taking away some of the thermal energy, which will reduce the overall calorie content. That is, wet firewood produces much less heat than dry firewood.
Besides, great content moisture in the fuel contributes to the rapid clogging of the chimney, since the vapors fall out as abundant condensation on the walls, and together with soot they 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 filling made. It is clear that the less waste, the better the quality of fuel.
The optimal indicators for solid fuel used in home 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 firewood it can be significantly higher, especially if they were prepared in summer period or were 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 tree.
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Let's get acquainted with the main characteristics of briquettes and firewood
In order to compare the two types of fuel, you need to know what they are. Both groups are quite heterogeneous - different types of briquettes, as well as wood species, have different characteristics.
Firewood for heating
To make a comparison, let's start our consideration with traditional fuel - firewood. Many stove owners are in no hurry to abandon them, especially since in some regions of the country firewood is abundantly available on the market and has a very affordable price.
Knowing which type of wood has more high heat transfer, experienced homeowners rationally use its characteristics to heat their homes.
Below is a table showing the calorific value different breeds wood used as fuel:
| Wood species | Specific calorific value (for naturally dried firewood), kW/kg | Calorific value, Kcal/kg | Wood density, 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 types of wood are well suited for heating, and which ones are undesirable to use, and why.
Coniferous wood burns well and gives 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 essential resins, which during combustion settle on the walls of the fuel chamber and chimney in the form of greasy soot, clogging heating devices.
That's why the best option Deciduous wood is used for heating. Moreover, some of them even help clean the stove from carbon deposits.
The following table shows the characteristics of several types of hardwood wood that are most often used as fuel:
| Appearance of firewood | Brief description of the characteristics of fuels of different types |
|---|---|
 | Alder firewood does not require special drying - as a rule, it acquires the required condition under natural conditions. For firewood, alder is usually harvested far from bodies of water, that is, at elevations where the soil has low moisture, due to which the firewood dries out very quickly. When burning, alder firewood produces little smoke and excellent heat transfer, which is why they were previously used in black-fired saunas. When burning, alder emits special fumes that can clean the chimney of soot deposits. |
 | Oak firewood is great for heating, but is quite expensive. Oak wood has a high density, so it burns for a long time, giving good heat transfer. Therefore, to heat the room, not so much firewood is required, since when they burn out, they turn into dense coals, which, while smoldering, also provide heat, keeping the stove hot. Oak wood has a specific tart aroma that manifests itself during combustion. Therefore, oak is often used to fire open fireplaces. |
 | Birch firewood can be called a traditional fuel for residential buildings and baths. Therefore, today many people prefer this particular type of wood. Birch fuel is especially good for heating baths, since its wood contains disinfectants. Birch quickly flares up - this process is facilitated by the tar contained in its fibers and bark. This fuel burns quickly, producing great heat and heat transfer, without leaving a large amount of ash and coals. Taking advantage of this property of birch firewood, it is often used to ignite other, denser fuels. The heat transfer from fuel exceeds that of pine and aspen by 25÷30%. Birch firewood is stored without losing its original qualities for 2 years. Further, they lose density, and therefore the heat transfer from them will significantly decrease. |
 | Ash firewood dries quickly after sawing due to the unique structure of the fibers. Firewood made from this type of wood burns from the core, which quickly heats up and flares up. Ash burns intensely and evenly for quite a long time, giving high heat transfer. Wood does not clog the chimney, but it also does not help clean it from other deposits. |
Types of briquetted fuel
This group of solid fuels can be divided according to the form of production into briquettes and euro-firewood. Both types are a product of processing raw material waste from wood processing, agricultural and mining industries. By using special technologies they receive fuel whose properties are even superior to conventional firewood.
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:
- Coal industry waste - hard and brown coal (dust and charge)
- Peat.
- Sunflower, rice, buckwheat husks, as well as straw.
- Wood processing waste - shavings, sawdust, pine needles.
The presented table shows the main parameters of briquettes and euro-firewood made from different raw materials, and also shows their average cost(expressed in conventional monetary units):
| Type of briquetted fuel by material of manufacture | Thermal output, kW/kg | Normal humidity, % | Ash content, % | Fuel cost, standard 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 |
| Eurofirewood from sunflower husks | 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 was taken from the websites of some famous manufacturers briquettes and eurowood. However, products from other companies may differ in cost, down or up.
Coal briquettes
Coal briquettes have a high calorific value - according to this indicator they are the leaders among all other types of briquetted fuel, and at the same time they keep the stove 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 heating devices or in stoves that have a reliable lining. Walls steel furnace can easily burn out from the heat provided by coal.
In addition, this fuel has a number of other disadvantages, of which there are quite a few:
- Briquetted coal good quality has a fairly high cost.
- When burning, coal emits harmful fumes, accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
- Coal actively clogs the chimney with soot.
- The loading process of briquettes into the firebox is quite dirty, just like when loading regular coal.
Briquettes made from coal leave an average amount of solid combustion products - slag. While products made from 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 coal fuel.
Obviously, having saved on purchasing brown coal briquettes, you will have to spend more time on frequent loading, as well as on cleaning the chamber, chimney and floor in the boiler room.
Peat briquettes
Briquettes made from peat are usually inexpensive and quite affordable for any family. They also have a number of other advantages, but this type of fuel also has its own very significant disadvantages.
This fuel is produced by pressing pre-treated peat. By preparing the raw material, its energy qualities are improved by adding various additives.
Peat briquettes produced using new technologies differ significantly in their characteristics from products that were produced previously. But their cost is also slightly higher.
Product characteristics are improved through more powerful pressing or extrusion under high pressure, as well as the addition of crushed wood or coal raw materials to peat. Compaction processes increase the density of the material structure and reduce its moisture content, which helps to increase the thermal output of the fuel during its combustion.
The advantages of high-quality peat products include their following qualities:
- Ecologically pure material. When burned, peat does not emit acrid smoke or harmful air pollutants.
- Briquettes ignite quite easily and, due to their density, burn for a long time.
- When using peat, a small amount of solid products remains as it burns almost completely.
- The remaining peat waste can be used as potash fertilizer soil.
- The convenience of placing briquettes into the heating unit is also important.
- The possibility of using peat for any heating devices, including fireplaces.
- The relatively light weight of the material simplifies its transportation and unloading.
TO negative aspects This material may include:
- There are difficulties with organizing storage. Briquettes must be stored in dry rooms, otherwise they can become saturated with atmospheric moisture, as a result of which rotting processes can develop in their structure. Damp peat will not provide high heat transfer; combustion will be sluggish and accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
- Peat briquettes produced in artisanal conditions, in violation technological rules, burn poorly, leaving a large amount of non-combustible waste and soot.
Unfortunately, a large number of low-quality products have appeared on the market, which significantly spoils the consumer impression of briquetted peat. Such fuel is very inexpensive, but it will also be a lot of hassle - the briquettes do not hold their shape, crumble and produce a large amount of dust.
This is due to the fact that unscrupulous manufacturers make fuel from low-quality raw materials, form and dry it poorly finished goods. 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 the appropriate certificate. As an example, we can cite the products of the companies Prometheus, Smiga and Nestro.
Briquettes from sunflower husks
Fuel briquettes made from sunflower husks 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. They are mainly produced and used in regions where this industrial crop is grown and where there are oil extraction plants.
Considering the positive and negative qualities briquettes or “euro firewood” from sunflower waste will only be taken into account quality products, manufactured in compliance with all technological rules.
This type of fuel is also produced by pressing at high temperatures and pressure. The binder for the raw material particles is natural lignin, which is included in its composition. As a result of thermal pressing and extrusion, excellent briquetted fuel with high density parameters is obtained. Products are hermetically packaged in plastic bags, which helps keep them dry for a long time in any humidity conditions.
The advantages of this type of fuel include its following qualities:
- High heat transfer and combustion duration. Experts have calculated that one kilogram of husk briquettes is enough to heat a room of 40÷50 m² for one hour.
- The fuel produces virtually no smoke.
- Convenient storage of packages with briquettes.
- Environmentally friendly fuel.
- The humidity 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, releasing a large amount of heat.
- After burning briquettes, there is practically no waste left. Thus, their number is within only 1÷5% of the original volume.
- The ash remaining after combustion can be used to fertilize the soil.
The disadvantages of this fuel material include the following:
- Smoke from burning low-quality fuel, as well as remaining waste, can have unpleasant odors that spread throughout the room.
- Fragility and low moisture resistance of briquettes. Humidified fuel becomes practically unusable. Therefore, the supply of briquettes must be stored in sealed packaging, and if the packaging 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 provide the most outstanding heat transfer (if compared, for example, with coal), but given the low ash content and minimal amount soot during 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 its 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 “Euro firewood”, since 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 characteristics is small.
The most popular among owners of stoves or boilers are “euro firewood”, called PINI&KAY, and “euro briquettes” - “RUF”.
- “Eurofirewood” PINI&KAY is a relatively new product that has a number of advantages over coal, firewood and other types of briquetted fuel. Products are produced by molding and pressing pre-dried wood raw materials under high pressure. The outside of the shaped logs has a dark, burnt shell. No chemical components or ingredients are used in the production process adhesive compositions, since the binder for sawdust is natural lignin, which is part of the wood. When heated, lignin acquires excellent astringent qualities, bonding wood particles together, which are compacted with a press. Therefore, “Eurowood” is an environmentally friendly fuel with a high density of 1250 kg/m³, and its ash content is only 1% of the original volume. The burning time of the material in stoves and boilers is 2 hours, and in fireplaces 1 hour 20 minutes.
- RUF “Eurobriquettes” are pressed from sawdust and wood chips, and lignin is also used as an adhesive. They differ from “euro firewood” in their shape - they are produced in the form of bars measuring 155x90x65 mm. This type of fuel has the same characteristics as “eurowood”, but its cost is slightly lower. The combustion time of briquettes ranges from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the set combustion intensity. Products are sold in packs of 12 pieces, and total weight This package is 10 kg. Briquettes also differ from “Euro firewood” in the absence of an internal hole.
The advantages of these briquetted fuel options are the following:
- Environmentally friendly products - they do not contain or emit toxic fumes.
- When burning, briquettes and “Eurowood” do not create sparks and do not scatter coals.
- Low ash content, about 1%.
- Heating appliances operating on this type of fuel require cleaning no more than once a year.
- Briquettes are compact and do not leave behind dirt and dust.
Comparison of firewood and briquettes
To determine which fuel is better, you need to consider some important nuances related to performance and ease of use.
So, if we compare the various aspects associated with 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 packaging that is convenient for carrying. A small amount of fuel can be transferred even in your own car. | Difficulty in transportation. To deliver whole logs, sawn logs or already chopped firewood, it is necessary to order freight transport, which leads to additional costs. |
| Preparation for use | No preparation required. Simply open the package and the fuel is ready for use. | Firewood must be dried, sawed and chopped before use. Then the fuel is stacked in such a way that the wood is constantly ventilated, otherwise it will begin to rot. |
| Storage | Briquettes are not resistant to moisture, so 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. |
| Pollution | Almost all briquettes do not leave any contamination when used. The exceptions are coal and peat fuels. | Firewood leaves behind a lot of sawdust, chips, and bark particles, so after each placement of it in the firebox, the room will have to sweep up the remaining debris. |
| Heat dissipation | Briquettes provide higher heat transfer than wood. | |
| Duration of combustion. | Briquetted fuel burns 1.5÷2 times longer than conventional firewood. | |
| Fuel consumption | Less | Big |
| Smoke | High | Low |
| Ash content | Depending on the material used to make the briquettes, the ash content can be high, medium or low. | Medium-low. |
| Price | High | Average |
From all the above arguments, we can conclude that using briquettes is still more profitable than regular firewood. The main thing is to choose the right type of briquetted fuel, the data of which is given above.
To decide on 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 consider the most optimal option for briquetted fuel to be products made from wood waste. They are the golden mean between firewood and briquettes, that is, they have improved qualities of natural wood. These products have a relatively high cost, but the price is compensated by the duration of combustion, high heat transfer, lower consumption, low ash content and the amount of smoke emitted. Briquettes can have different shapes, but virtually all quality products in this line have very similar characteristics.
Prices for wood briquettes
fuel briquettes wood
- Coal briquettes are also a good option, as they are superior to wood options in terms of combustion duration and heat transfer. However, as noted above, not all heating units are designed to use this fuel. Therefore, when considering its use and choosing a boiler, it is necessary to carefully study the passport of the heating device and the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- If preference is given to brown coal briquettes in order to save as much as possible, then you need to prepare for high fuel consumption, since this material produces very little heat transfer. In addition, this brown coal creates high smoke and ash content. Therefore, when using this fuel option, you will have to clean not only the ash pan, but also the chimney quite often.
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 quite a lot of ash and smokes when burned, clogging the chimney.
- Sometimes in the region it is possible to inexpensively purchase briquetted vegetable waste made from processed products of sunflower, buckwheat, straw, etc. This means that to conduct an 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 detect its burning time, check the amount of smoke emitted, as well as the volume of remaining ash. If these indicators suit the consumer, then you can stock up on this fuel for the entire heating period.
Long burning with water circuit
How to choose a quality product?
By purchasing fuel briquettes from well-known manufacturers, you can rest assured of their quality and declared characteristics.
However, on modern market Quite a lot of handicraft products appeared, made from whatever came to hand. These products are much cheaper than factory-produced and experimentally tested fuel. It is their cost that attracts buyers, but then, when practical application, you may encounter big problems and not get the promised heat transfer.
- For example, well-dried husks are used to produce high-quality briquettes from sunflower waste. In fuel produced by an unknown manufacturer in artisanal conditions, not only dry waste, but also impurities with pomace can go into the compaction. Such briquettes will burn reluctantly, emitting a large amount of smoke, leaving a lot of ash and soot.
- If briquettes or “euro firewood” are easily destroyed - they crumble, turning into dust, then you should not succumb to the persuasion of sellers and purchase them, even if they attract you at a low cost. Such signs indicate low quality raw materials or improper storage of fuel, which made it unsuitable for use. Breaking briquettes will not provide much heat, and they can easily clog the chimney.
- Handicraft products quite often have excessive moisture even to the touch, and a pronounced porous structure and unclear 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 product, then you should only purchase a trial batch of briquettes, put them into practice, and only then 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 main characteristics.
By the way, the results of one of these experiments will be discussed in the next section of the publication.
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An interesting experiment - a comparison of the combustion of wood and some types of briquettes
Conditions for comparative testing
To get a more clear idea of the qualities of some types of solid fuels, the reader will probably be interested in familiarizing himself with the results of one experiment.
So, to compare the duration and quality of combustion of wooden logs and fuel briquettes, an experiment was carried out in which three types of solid fuel were involved:
- Firewood dried in a barn is birch, with a density of 550 kg/m³.
- Peat briquettes - pressing density 2200 kg/m³.
- Briquettes made from sunflower husks with a density of 1800 kg/m³.
A heating system was used for the experiment one-story house, having an area of 150 m². The walls of the building are built from sand-lime brick and have a thickness of 300 mm, with an air gap inside them. The walls are not insulated, window openings Standard metal-plastic windows have been installed.
The experiment was carried out under the following conditions:
- The heating device is a steel boiler with a long-burning solid fuel system “DIZ-24” with a power of 24 kW. The boiler is equipped with an automatic unit that maintains the set temperature, as well as turbocharging.
- Heating two-pipe system closed type, divided into two branches - a conventional heating circuit with installed radiators and a “water heated floor” system.
- In addition, a buffer tank with a volume of 150 liters is built into the heating system circuit.
- The experiment was carried out at an average daily ambient temperature of 4÷6 degrees below zero.
- The building was cold and warmed up for the first time during the heating season.
- Before the experiment began, the coolant was heated to a temperature of 45 degrees using firewood.
The course of the experiment consisted in alternately placing the above types of fuel into the firebox, followed by checking the duration of their combustion in the established mode. The automation is set to a coolant temperature of 50 degrees. The weight of the fuel pack is the same - 10 kilograms.
The purpose of the experiment was to establish the difference in the combustion time of fuel and in their ash content.
The experiment began with burning a pile of wood.
Wood burning
10 kilograms of logs were loaded into a heated boiler on the coals remaining from heating. After the fan controller started, the firewood ignited within one minute. The wood burned for an hour and a half, maintaining the set temperature, after which it began to decline.
There are several points to note from the process:
- The wood burned evenly without producing much smoke.
- After the fuel burned out, a small amount of ash remained in the boiler.
If you fill the entire firebox volume of a heating device, which is 112 liters, with firewood, then one load is enough to maintain the set temperature for at least 8 hours of operation. If you use undried (freshly cut) firewood for heating, then it will give off less heat, since part of the generated thermal energy will go to evaporation of water, that is, it will be wasted.
Briquetted sunflower husks
The next fuel used during the experiment was briquettes made from sunflower waste.
Sunflower has an oily fiber structure, so even after squeezing, processing and pressing the husks, some of the oil is retained in the heating briquettes. In this regard, their combustion has some features:
- Immediately after 10 kg of cylindrical briquettes were placed in the firebox, a sharp temperature jump occurred.
- During active combustion of this fuel, a large amount of smoke is released, so during this period combustion door It is not recommended to open it, as when oxygen enters, a powerful flame appears.
- The coolant temperature immediately rose by 5-7 units, to 57 degrees, after the boost was automatically turned off. Then, when the fuel combustion leveled out, it dropped to the set temperature of 50 degrees.
- The fan turns on periodically, with an interval of 5 minutes for purging, which lasts 10 seconds. The incoming air maintains the specified 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 is completely burned, a small amount of ash remains.
The burning of 10 kg of sunflower briquettes lasted 2 hours 10 minutes, which is 40 minutes longer than the burning of firewood. Thus, immediately after combustion, briquettes made from sunflower husks release a greater amount of thermal 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
By appearance Briquettes made from peat resemble products made from coal dust; they also get your hands dirty. Therefore, it is recommended to load this fuel into the boiler while wearing gloves.
The combustion of this fuel also has its own characteristics, which include the following points:
- Under the influence of air from the supercharging, the peat flares up quickly and produces a powerful, stable flame.
- The fan stops working as soon as the coolant temperature rises to the set temperature, that is, 50 degrees. After turning off the fan, the temperature rises to 54÷55 degrees.
- Peat when burned produces more smoke than from burning dry wood.
- The ash content at the end of combustion was approximately 10% of the initial volume of fuel. Peat contains a small percentage of loam, which does not burn completely, and its content in products depends on the characteristics of the deposit and the fuel manufacturer. The higher quality the product, the fewer impurities it contains.
The boiler operated with 10 kg of peat briquettes, maintaining desired temperature, for 3 hours, which is twice as long 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 combustion duration. Now, it’s worth figuring out which fuel option is more cost-effective.
Which fuel is more cost-effective?
An important factor 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 specific fuel is pointless. Therefore, it is worth calculating both parameters.
For the calculations, we took the average cost of the types of fuel used in the experiment in conventional units per ton, since the price in ruble equivalent is constantly changing:
- Freshly cut wood has an approximate cost of 33 USD.
- Briquettes made from sunflower husks - 57 USD
- Peat pressed into high-quality briquettes - 84 USD
- Since 10 kg of wood burned for an hour and a half, 33:1.5 = 22 cents is needed. This is how much it will cost to heat a boiler for one hour with wood.
- Briquettes made from sunflower husks gave off heat for 2 hours 10 minutes. - 57:2.1=27 cents.
- Peat briquettes burned for 3 hours - this means 84:3 = 28 cents.
As you can see, the results were almost equal.
- Heating with wood will cost 5.28 USD.
- Sunflower briquettes - 6.24 USD
- 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 building yourself, you can simply take the proposed calculation method as a basis and determine how much heating will cost a certain type fuel. After this, it will be clear what is more profitable to use for heating the house.
It is worth considering that the above example shows the cost of raw wood, which has lower heat transfer than the dried version. Dry firewood will cost slightly more. Therefore the difference in cost different types fuel will be reduced to a minimum.
But, again, such a calculation immediately implies a clear understanding - the calorific value of the fuel is taken into account very indirectly. And it would be too bold to talk about the accuracy of the result - the calculation is carried out based on the consideration that the heating device operates constantly.
A more accurate approach still involves taking as a basis the required thermal power required for the full operation of the heating system at home, and the calorie content of the fuel used. This will be discussed below.
You might be interested in information about what it is
How to calculate the required amount of solid fuel based on its calorific qualities?
The starting value for calculations here will be the value of thermal power that is required for high-quality heating of the house.
Important - we're talking about Not about the rated capacity of the heating boiler or furnace. This refers to the amount of heat that can create a comfortable living atmosphere in the premises of the house and compensate for current heat loss.
How to find this parameter? The simplest 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 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, it is actually not difficult to carry out.
How to calculate required power heating systems?
The answer with all the explanations and detailed justifications will be found in a special article on our portal. The entire calculation algorithm is included in an online calculator, with which the calculation turns into a very simple matter. By the way, in the same publication there is another calculator 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 need to be burned to get the expected return.
Not everything, of course, is so simple - in any case, part of the generated heat is simply lost. Such losses are characterized by the coefficient useful action(efficiency) of the device, which is indicated in its passport either as a percentage (for example, 75%), or as a fraction of a unit (for example, efficiency = 0.75).
As a rule, heating devices operating on solid fuel are not famous for their high efficiency. And if the passport data is unknown, then the following values can be taken without much error:
- metal furnace - 60%;
- brick bell furnace - 65%;
- solid fuel boiler - 75%;
- a boiler in which the principle of afterburning pyrolysis gases is implemented - 80%.
The specified calculation algorithm required quantity solid fuel is included in the proposed online calculator. Below we will give some explanations on how to use the program.