Fuel briquettes for potbelly stove. Duration of combustion of fuel briquettes

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, original name“Euro firewood” fuel briquettes were given 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 emissions are released. harmful substances for humans and the 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:

1. Simplest - .
2. More advanced - Nestro fuel briquettes.
3. The most modern are Pini-Kay fuel briquettes.

These types differ fuel briquettes by shape, method of final processing (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 on 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. , you can regulate the intensity of fuel combustion. A small amount 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, it is possible. 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. Alternative fuel cannot quickly start a fire; it is necessary suitable 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 removal from vacuum packaging the briquette becomes vulnerable. Due to humidity, Euro firewood crumbles and becomes unsuitable for use.
• Mechanical impacts for Eurobriquettes are also unacceptable. 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 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.

Fuel briquettes are sold in supermarkets in packages, usually 10 kg, and the price for them is not low - 7 rubles per kilogram. They are convenient because they are “under our feet”, we trip over them when buying sausage and potatoes, and they are also quite clean and do not leave any garbage.

But is it profitable to heat a 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, all you have to do is worry about this issue, find out the phone number and responsive suppliers will bring as much firewood as we can pay for.

We compare the real price of firewood and briquettes

Manufacturers claim that the calorific value of fuel briquettes is 4.7 kW/kg. While this figure for dry firewood 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.

It turns out that we overpay for ease of use, but on the other hand, I grabbed a clean package from the counter and carried it... Next, we will consider the ease of use as an experiment, and then we will draw subjective conclusions.
But first, some background information.

For comparison, the calorific value of the best anthracite from 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/m2, the density of firewood is 550 kg/m3, and the bulk density of firewood is 250 kg/m3. There is one nuance associated with this density.

Firewood dealers often demand a standard fee from uninformed buyers for a bulk cubic meter of chopped firewood (250 kg per cubic meter) - which is simply poured out in the yard and then measured. They actually sell firewood at double the price. At the same time, you can buy a cubic meter for the same money, but based on the price based on the density of wood - 500 kg per cubic meter.

Is it convenient to burn with briquettes?

But what about the practice of use, what are the high final consumer qualities? Advertising says that briquettes burn 4 times longer than firewood, - it is indicated that firewood will burn in 30 minutes, while briquettes of the same mass - 120 minutes.

All that remains is to conduct a comparative experiment on burning fuel briquettes and firewood with a humidity of 20%.

Wood briquettes have a moisture content of 8%, they consist of sawdust and wood chips very tightly compressed and bonded with a natural polymer - lignin. Such low humidity and high structure density make it possible to achieve an energy output of 4.7 kW/kg.

For example, as the humidity of firewood increases, its heat output drops sharply. At a humidity of 50% (freshly cut wood), the calorific value of wood is already about 2.2 kW/kg. To reduce the humidity to 15 - 25%, the logs must lie for a year in a woodpile under a canopy.

Experiment

So, having placed 4 large logs with a total weight of 2 kg of 20% humidity in the fireplace on paper and birch bark, we observe their combustion. They burn beautifully, give a strong feeling of warmth, you can’t stand 1 meter away from them, the flame is high and bright. They actually burn out very quickly, completely, although not in half an hour, but in 60 minutes. During this time, according to statistics, firewood supplied about 7.8 kW. And we spent 8 rubles for 2 kilograms.


Now we light the fuel briquettes. They also light up, but burn sluggishly, without flames, the feeling of heat is weak. But they clearly burn longer, and burn out, as stated, in 2 hours. Probably, 9.4 kW was released, although stretching in time does not allow us to “catch” such energy. Spent - 14 rubles.

How else can you heat a solid fuel boiler, stove, fireplace?

Now, for the sake of experiment, we conduct a firebox solid fuel boiler after firewood and briquettes, this is the highest quality anthracite. Breaking a piece of this coal with a hammer is a problem. The planes and edges are shiny, the corners are 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 wood in the boiler - subjectively, the heat is “so-so”, then we pour only two kilograms of coal on top.

It takes a long time to flare up - about an hour, while the wood burns out. The flame is very low but very bright. A poker, lowered into the 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 ten hours.

We give the air to the maximum, the coal burns out in about 2 hours. There is incomparably more heat - probably 22 kW (9500 kcal per kilogram) was actually produced, and the price for pleasure is approximately 18 rubles.

What remains is crumbly white ash, but it is twice as much as from firewood, and it is not suitable for the garden - it is also necessary to organize removal.

In general, intervention in the comparative experiment of coal (anthracite), according to subjective assessments, puts it in 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 quickly, light a fireplace, admire the flames, organize a barbecue - then you undoubtedly need environmentally friendly and inexpensive firewood.

Why then do we need fuel briquettes? - perhaps when you suddenly need to heat it a little, but you really don’t have time, so much so that you forgot to stock up on coal and firewood.

Nevertheless, fuel briquettes confidently occupy their niche in the fuel market, and are in constant demand for heating dachas and country houses. Whether it will be convenient and profitable to use them in specific conditions can only be determined by trial firing...

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 running on 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 accessible and inexpensive materials that have 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:

1. 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.
2. Briquettes have high density. Why oak firewood Do they burn hotter than poplar trees? 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:

1. Occupy less space.
2. Burn more evenly and longer.
3. Made from waste. If you care about the environment and the environment.
4. Due to low humidity, briquettes emit less soot and pollute the chimney less.

Flaws

1. 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.
2. Fear of moisture. Wet briquettes crumble. Storage conditions are critical for them: in a closed, ventilated area.
3. 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. Present in the center through hole, which provides better air movement and briquette combustion.

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 average density 1 - 1.15 g/cm 3.

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. These briquettes are suitable for industrial furnaces or boilers capable of operating 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.

The table below compares the characteristics of briquettes from different materials– husks of sunflower seeds, 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 seeds or sawdust and have good potential for 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 of 0.7% and good heat transfer of 4400 kcal/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 minerals in the composition of wood, which either have low 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. At density briquette pini-kay from 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:

1. 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.
2. Calorific value of fuel briquettes from solid and coniferous species 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Before the purchase large quantity briquettes, take 10-20 kg samples in 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 heating device. 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 thing the right way 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 available materials– 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. Shape does not affect chemical composition, but only to the maximum permissible briquette density. 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 correct form and high density briquettes fit tightly to each other and take up less space in 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

What is the best way to heat a solid fuel boiler or stove in a country house? Firewood, coal or maybe fuel briquettes, so-called. Eurowood? Homeowners are traditionally puzzled by these questions. heating season. We will answer them by referring to the portal’s experience.

• The cheapest way to heat a house is with a solid fuel boiler.
• Features of heating with wood.
• Advantages and disadvantages of fuel briquettes.
• Is it true that heating a house with coal is more convenient and profitable than heating with wood?
• Ease of use and economic benefits different types solid fuel.

The main principle of choosing fuel for a home with a solid fuel boiler

If you make a request on the Internet, the better and cheaper heating Vacation home with a solid fuel boiler, then dozens of proposals and reviews will appear where people talk about their experience. Some just for firewood. Others praise fuel briquettes. And still others prefer coal. The situation is aggravated by the fact that often, suburban residents consider their point of view to be the only correct one and do not want to listen to others. Many copies have been broken in such disputes. How to proceed and come to a common denominator? The solution is to narrow the search for a certain ideal type of fuel for a solid fuel boiler, adhering to the following recommendation.

The more economically profitable the fuel is, the more it is available on the market (or there is free access to it at a reasonable price) in a particular region where the homeowner lives.

Somewhere this is firewood. In other places, the processing of wood waste into fuel briquettes is well established. And in coal-mining regions, this type of fuel, especially if it is possible to choose a deposit with high-quality coal, is beyond competition.

There may be another option, when there is a choice of two or three main types of fuel for TT boilers, but a person cannot decide and choose the most rational one. Next, we will talk about real experience of use, as well as the pros and cons of firewood, fuel briquettes and coal.

Features of heating with wood

Spd User FORUMHOUSE

I heat my house with a 30 kW solid fuel boiler. At first I tried throwing wood into the firebox. Did not like. They burn out in about 30 minutes, maximum in 1 hour. I didn’t get a small amount of coal for testing. I bought fuel briquettes made from sawdust. The full combustion chamber of a TT boiler is about 10 kg, it burns for 1.5 hours from starting to smoldering while maintaining a coolant temperature of at least + 60 °C. IN technical specifications For different boilers they write that the operating time on one stack of firewood is from 4-8 to 12 hours. Is this real and how to achieve it? Share your experience!

According to chicken-A, in his solid fuel boiler, a full load of birch firewood (firebox volume 42 l) burns for about 3 - 4 hours, and sometimes longer. U starper Five logs burn for 3-4 hours. U spdim wood burns from 2 to 6 hours, but a lot depends on the boiler load (if you fill the firebox to a maximum of 20-22 kg), the type of fuel and its humidity.

spdim User FORUMHOUSE

I think the problem with Spd is due to wet firewood, or due to wood laying soft rocks. I have a similar picture if you throw rotten aspen or poplar into the firebox. They burn out quickly, but you can’t get any heat from them. Good dry birch or oak wood burns as it should. Well, the house needs to be well insulated.

So, humidity and type of wood (low, medium and high density) directly affect calorific value (specific heat combustion), i.e. the amount of heat released during the combustion of fuel of a certain volume or mass.

For comparison:

• The specific heat of combustion of 1 kg of freshly cut wood with a humidity of about 50% is 1940 kcal or 2.2 kWh.
• The specific heat of combustion of 1 kg of dried wood with a humidity of about 20% is 3400 kcal or 3.9 kWh.

You cannot heat a solid fuel boiler with freshly cut wood. The fuel must be dried - get rid of excess water. Why is firewood stored in the woodshed and left to dry?

The optimal drying period for firewood is 2 years, after which it becomes an excellent fuel for a TT boiler.

Also, the duration of combustion and the amount of heat generated are affected by the density of wood - the ratio of the mass of wood to its volume (kg/m3).

Dense wood, such as oak, burns longer and hotter than wood of low density, such as poplar, pine, spruce.

Pros and cons of fuel briquettes

Now consider eurowood. Fuel briquettes are made from wood waste and furniture companies. The shavings or sawdust are usually crushed. Then the resulting wood flour is pressed under high pressure and the output is “bricks”, “cylinders”, “tablets” glued together with lignin - a natural polymer.

Fuel briquettes are also made from agro-industrial waste - sunflower husks and straw. From peat and coal.

Advantages of wood fuel briquettes:

• High specific heat of combustion – 4500 - 5000 kcal (5.2 – 5.8 kW*h per 1 kg)
• A small percentage of humidity – 8 - 10%.
• Low ash content – ​​1%.

Coal fuel briquettes provide greater specific heat during combustion than European firewood, but they have a higher ash content.

Practice shows that fuel briquettes, which have a higher density (about 1000 kg/m3) and lower humidity, burn longer and better than firewood.

vita01 User FORUMHOUSE

I will share my experience. There is no gas. The allocated electrical power is small. I don’t want to heat myself with diesel or coal. He heated a solid fuel boiler with dry wood and briquettes. It’s more convenient for me to heat myself with fuel briquettes rather than prepare firewood for future use. Dry them. Briquettes take up three times less storage space than firewood. They burn longer. One bookmark is enough for a day. I want to properly insulate the house and then, I think, the briquettes will be enough for 2 days.

But briquettes are different. Quality greatly depends on the manufacturer and raw materials. Careless manufacturers use waste from plywood production with phenol-formaldehyde glue. Waste from sawmills - bark, croaker. This affects the quality of European firewood and its calorific value.

XUWHUK User FORUMHOUSE

I bought briquettes in the form of “bricks” to try. Didn't like it. They take a long time to flare up. There is little heat from them. The boiler does not turn on maximum power. Before them, I tried fuel briquettes in the form of “cylinders” with a hole in the middle. They burn much better. And they provide much more heat. But they cost more. By the way, even those briquettes in the form of “bricks” still burned better than firewood. Maybe I just came across raw briquettes?

Unlike firewood, fuel briquettes are not purchased with a reserve for 2-3 years in advance. The fresher the product, i.e. just came from production, so much the better. At long-term storage, even packed in protective film eurowood, recruiting excess humidity, which worsens their calorific value.

According to Andreyraduga,when buying fuel briquettes, pay attention not by the name, but by the fact what are they made of. The user bought different briquettes for the fireplace. For example, brown “cylinders” with a hole in the middle, although the most expensive, burned out very quickly. “Bricks”, made not from shavings (this can be seen by eye), but from wood flour and tightly pressed, burn long and hot and produce a little ash.

Ham59 User FORUMHOUSE

Heated a house with an area of ​​210 square meters. m birch firewood, but there is a lot of tar about them. I bought fuel briquettes “bricks”. Within a month, one pallet of European firewood was gone + I bought 20 more packs. Total spent 6100 rubles. If it is 10 - -15 °C outside, then one pallet of Euro firewood is enough for heating. Well, once a week I burn 2-3 aspen logs to clean the boiler and chimney. I used softwood briquettes. The fraction is almost sawdust. They burn very quickly. Unsuitable. Birch briquettes in Perm cost 55 rubles. for 1 pack of 12 pcs. There are 96 packs on a pallet. Total - 5280 rub. Coniferous briquettes – 86 rub. for 1 pack. A pallet costs RUB 8,256. Not profitable. For comparison: when heating with electricity, 2 heating elements of 3 kW each, 10,000 - 12,000 rubles were spent per month.

Is coal the most profitable fuel for a solid fuel boiler?

If you compare the specific heat of combustion of 1 kg of coal, for example, anthracite (6700 kcal, 7.8 kW*h) with fuel briquettes (4500 - 5000 kcal), then you might think that coal, as a fuel for a high-pressure boiler, is beyond competition. In the regions where it is mined, and where there is little forest and no alternative, this is true. But there are different types of coal - low-grade (does not burn well, produces little heat), brown coal, coal with a large inclusion of rock, coking (clogs the furnace with a sintered mass).

Stovemaker62 User FORUMHOUSE

I bought coal once. So it didn't burn while I was in the ash pit construction hair dryer stuck it on. I want to try long-burning coal granules, and coal “tablets” made from coal dust. And in terms of costs, I conducted the following experiment. For kindling, to operating temperature, I need: 1 bucket of coal, or 6 fuel briquettes “bricks”, or 3 bundles of firewood from the store, or 6 euro firewood “cylinders”.

Among the advantages of coal, we note:

• Ease of storage. Unlike firewood, it is enough to pour coal outside and cover it with a banner from precipitation. The main thing is that the coal does not freeze to the ground. Then you will have to break it to collect it in the bucket.
• Lower humidity than firewood and approximately the same as fuel briquettes.
• It is easier to fire a TT boiler with coal. It burns hot and long.

But not everyone will like the dirt and coal dust in the boiler room. To heat a house with coal you need to get used to it.

alexggr User FORUMHOUSE

I heat my house with coal. So far only the first floor, with an area of ​​70 sq. m. m. Boiler power 26 kW. My kindling method is to first throw wood into the firebox. Aspen or birch. When the firewood burns down to coals in 1.5 hours, I pour a layer of coal. When the coal flares up red, I pour a whole bucket onto it. The boiler heats up to 80-85 °C. Experience shows that good coal produces much more heat. The boiler firebox holds about 20 liters of coal. This is enough for 8-9 hours of operation of the heat generator.

Summarizing

As mentioned above, there is no ideal or universal type fuel. Each case must be considered individually, based on their region of residence, availability and price of fuel, boiler design, and degree of insulation of the house.

1. Let's write down the relative availability and low price of firewood as an asset. But the firewood needs to be dried, and not used to heat the boiler “from wheels”. Upon delivery, for example, chopped firewood in bulk, careless suppliers can easily deceive the customer and bring a smaller amount of fuel. Firewood needs to be stored somewhere. To nag. Prick. Carry. Place in the woodshed. Throw it into the firebox more often.

One so-called a firewood stacker (1 firewood stacker approximately = 0.7 cubic meters of wood) weighs about 300 – 350 kg.

1. Fuel briquettes are more expensive, but, thanks to strictly specified geometric dimensions, humidity and density, their actual weight and the amount of thermal energy that they will release during combustion are easily calculated. It is easier to store Euro firewood when unloading it on pallets using a manipulator. They make less dirt. Briquettes burn longer and hotter than firewood, but there are unscrupulous manufacturers.

1. Coal is the most high-calorie fuel. But not all regions have this fuel. affordable price. Not everyone wants the hassle of hauling and stacking coal, getting dirty, or inhaling coal dust. Often, when heating with coal, firewood is needed for the initial lighting of the boiler.

Conclusion - always consider economic feasibility use of one or another type of fuel + ease of use. Your time is also worth something. Bring comparative analysis various types solid fuel bringing it to a common denominator - kilograms.

How do you heat your country house? Share your experience in the comments!

All about comparing different types of solid fuel in the topic:.

The material contains 5 types of sawhorses for sawing firewood and 3 types of spring wood splitters.

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Ecology of consumption. Estate: Fuel briquettes or Euro-firewood are still a novelty, although they appeared quite a long time ago. It wouldn’t hurt to figure out what advantages they have compared to firewood.

As an alternative to wood and coal, fuel briquettes are gaining more and more popularity. They refer to solid look fuel and are suitable for use in fireplaces and stoves of all types.

They have a number of advantages over other types of fuel, including environmental friendliness, which makes them an excellent option for heating residential premises. Next, we will take a closer look at what briquettes are, what they are made from, their advantages, and whether all of them are better – firewood or briquettes.

Fuel briquettes are made from wood waste, coal waste, peat and waste from various agricultural crops. The production technology involves the process of pressing these wastes under high pressure.

The only binding substance contained in briquettes is lignin, which is contained in the cells of waste products. Therefore, briquettes do not contain any adhesive additives to retain their shape and are an environmentally friendly product.

The pressing process also occurs at high temperatures, which contributes to the melting of the surface of the produced briquettes. As a result, the surface finished products more durable, which makes it more convenient to pack and transport.

Advantages of fuel briquettes

• High calorific value

Fuel briquettes are distinguished by their ability to transfer high heat. Their calorific value is 4600-4900 kcal/kg. For comparison, dry birch firewood has a calorific value of about 2200 kcal/kg. And birch wood of all types of wood has the highest heat transfer rates. Therefore, as we see, fuel briquettes provide 2 times more heat than firewood. In addition, throughout the combustion, they maintain a constant temperature.

• Long burning time

Briquettes also have a fairly high density, which is 1000-1200 kg/cub.m. The densest wood suitable for heating is oak. Its density is 690 kg/cub.m. Again we see a big difference in favor of fuel briquettes. Good density, as well as times, contributes to long burning fuel briquettes. They are capable of producing a stable flame from ignition to complete combustion within 2.5-3 hours. With the smoldering mode maintained, one portion of high-quality briquettes will last for 5-7 hours. This means that you will need to add 2-3 times less of them to the stove than if you fired wood.

• Low humidity

The moisture content of fuel briquettes is no more than 4-8%, while the minimum moisture content of wood is 20%. Briquettes have such low humidity due to the drying process, which is a mandatory production step.

Due to their low humidity, briquettes reach high temperature during combustion, which contributes to their high heat transfer.

• Minimum ash content

Compared to firewood and coal, the ash content of briquettes is much lower. After combustion, they leave only 1% ash. Burning coal leaves up to 40% ash. Moreover, briquette ash can also be used as fertilizer, but coal ash will still have to be disposed of.

The advantage of heating with briquettes is that the cost of cleaning and maintaining a fireplace or stove is much reduced.

• Environmental friendliness

Choosing fuel briquettes for heating in the house great option for people who care about their health. Briquettes practically do not emit smoke or other harmful volatile substances, so you can light the stove without burning even with low chimney draft.

Unlike coal, the combustion of briquettes does not create dust that settles in the room. Also, since briquettes are fuel produced from waste, less damage is caused to the environment.

• Ease of storage

Fuel briquettes are convenient both to use and to store. Unlike shapeless firewood, briquettes have a fairly regular and compact shape. Therefore, even if you try to stack the firewood as carefully as possible in a compact woodpile, they will still take up 2-3 times more space than briquettes.

• No condensation on chimneys

Since firewood has more high humidity, during combustion they form condensation on the walls of the chimney. Depending on the degree of humidity of the wood, there will be more or less condensation, respectively. Why is condensation bad? chimney, is that over time it will narrow its working section. With strong condensation, after just one season you will notice a strong drop in draft in the chimney.

The 8% humidity of the briquettes practically does not form condensation, and therefore the chimney remains operational longer.

Which is better: firewood or briquettes?

If we take into account all the advantages of fuel briquettes, which are described above, then briquettes are still the best choice for heating the house. It is also environmentally friendly with minimal impact on environment, and is efficient in heating and easy to use. In addition, it is more economical compared to others popular types fuel, since its consumption is much less. Also, during its operation, you will never have problems with smoke in the chimney, since it practically does not emit smoke. Thanks to all these advantages, fuel briquettes are gaining more and more popularity among owners of stoves and fireplaces.

Although at first glance it may seem that there is a significant difference in price between briquettes and firewood, if you take into account their characteristics (heat transfer and density, since 1 cubic meter of wood contains 40-50% less fuel than briquettes), then the difference the price is quite insignificant. And briquettes, moreover, have a number of other advantages over firewood. published