What to choose for kindling and heating - firewood or briquettes? Comparison of fuel briquettes with firewood - practical experience What is more profitable firewood or fuel briquettes

1. Raw materials for briquettes
2. Briquette types
3. Fuel briquettes or firewood - which is better and more economical?
4. Burning period
5. Selection rules

Most people know about fuel briquettes only that they can compete with traditional firewood or coal. What is a modern solid fuel material? What is really better: fuel briquettes or firewood?

Solid fuel, known as eurofirewood, is produced industrially, so each individual element has the same size and regular shape. Briquettes can be burned in solid fuel fireboxes of all types, including stoves, fireplaces and heating boilers.

In the production of heating briquettes, waste is used that is generated at the enterprises of the woodworking industry. They are formed from the husks of cereal plants, straw or peat. To obtain the desired material, small particles are pressed under high pressure and dried at high temperatures. This method allows you to completely abandon the adhesive compositions and other binding components. The densely formed mass does not emit toxic substances when burned, so the fuel is absolutely safe for people and animals.

The main advantages of the material and its disadvantages

The main advantage of pressed briquettes is a high level of heat transfer during combustion, almost twice as high as that of firewood. At a standard level of 20%, firewood gives 2500-2700 kcal / kg of heat, sawdust briquettes - 4500-4900 kcal / kg. The explanation is simple: heat transfer directly depends on the amount of moisture, and for eurofirewood that has undergone thermal drying, it does not exceed 8%.

The briquette has a higher density. For example, oak burns much longer than birch, since oak firewood contains more combustible matter per cubic centimeter (0.81 g / cm 3) than birch, and therefore the increased burning time. The density of a briquette is even higher and equals 0.95–1 g/cm 3 .

Other benefits include:

• compact size, simplifying the task of storage;
• uniform combustion and high calorific value;
• low soot emission due to low moisture content;
• ecological purity of raw materials.

Wood fuel briquettes have disadvantages, which are very conditional. Compressed firewood is more expensive than ordinary lumber, but you need to take into account the cost per unit of heat, which is clearly not in favor of ordinary firewood. Briquettes are afraid of moisture, which destroys their structure, but wood should not be stored in a humid environment.. A significant drawback is that it is impossible to determine the quality and composition of fuel briquettes by eye.

Briquette types

There are several varieties of Eurowood. It depends on the shape and composition of the product. Manufacturers distinguish three main forms of products:

1. Pini-kay (pini-kay). Such eurofirewood has a maximum density (1.08–1.40 g / cm 3). They are made in square or hexagonal briquettes with holes inside for air circulation and better combustion.
2. Nestro. They have a cylindrical shape and are distinguished by an average density (1–1.15 g / cm 3).
3. Ruf (ruf). Such briquettes are produced from sawdust in bricks of low density (0.75–0.8 g / cm 3) and compact sizes.

Table 1: Prices for eurofirewood RUF and Pini cay

Name		Cost, rub.	Calorific value, kcal/kg	Ash content, %
Eurowood RUF		from 5500 - 7500
Pini Kay		from 7500 - 9500

In addition to differences in shape and density, Eurowood differs in its constituent components that directly affect the ash content, the amount of soot produced, the calorific value and the degree of combustion. For example, peat products cannot be used to heat home fires due to the high ash content and harmful fractions in their composition. Such material is intended exclusively for industrial needs. In the table - types of fuel briquettes with comparative characteristics of products from different raw materials. The data in the table are collected on the basis of test reports obtained empirically.

Briquette material	Ash, %	Moisture, %	Highest calorie content, kcal/kg	Lowest calorie content, kcal/kg	Density, g/cm3
Straw	7,3	7,8	4740	3754	1,08
Husk seeds	3,6	2,7	5161	4480	1,15
	2,92	8,51	—	—	—
Tyrsa	0,7	7,5	4400	4200	1,37
rice husk	20,2	7,1	3458	3161	1,16
sawdust	0,8	4	—	—	—
	1,1	10,3	4341	3985	—
	1,16	4,1	5043	4502	0,79

Table decoding for each material

1. Seeds. Due to the low ash content and the content of vegetable oil with high energy value, pressed material of this type shows the best calorific value (5151 kcal / kg), however, such samples emit more soot, which will lead to chimney pollution.
2. Wood. At a moisture content of 4%, pressed sawdust takes an honorable second place in terms of calorie content with an indicator of 5043 kcal / kg, only slightly inferior to the previous sample from seed husks. If the humidity of wood briquettes for heating rises to 10%, the calorific value drops to 4340 kcal/kg.
3. Straw. Straw briquettes take the third place in terms of efficiency after seeds and wood, but they have excellent heat transfer rates (4740 kcal/kg). Ash content is high.
4. Tyrsa (grass). Production is based on the use of perennial plants. With a sufficiently low ash content, the heat transfer of a briquette is 4400 kcal/kg, which is very good.
5. Rice. High ash content and low heat transfer (3458 kcal/kg).

Two samples made from the same raw material may have different ash content and moisture content, as is the case with straw briquettes. Ash consists of minerals with a low energy value, and if there are too many of them in the fuel, then one should not expect long burning and high heat transfer from it.

Different ash content in briquettes identical in composition indicates different production processes and the original quality of raw materials. If the manufacturer did not clean the straw from dust and dirt, or deliberately added leaves to increase the volume of finished products, then such a fuel material will turn out to be of poor quality at the output. And it doesn’t matter if it contains wood, seed husks or tyrsa. The same applies to the humidity of the product, on which the heat transfer of eurofirewood depends: the higher it is, the worse the room will be heated.

Briquettes or firewood: which is better and more economical?

In fuel, weight and price are not as important as the cost of a unit of heat - one cannot do without calculations. One cubic meter of firewood on average weighs about 550 kg. With the same volume, briquettes for furnaces weigh a ton and cost more than three times more. It would seem that it is very profitable to heat a stove or fireplace with ordinary wood, because it costs much less, but this is not entirely true. A cubic meter of wood is inferior in the amount of real fuel to briquettes by almost half. If we evaluate the watt of heat received from each of these samples, then the difference will be a penny, which means that their efficiency is almost the same.

We must not forget about quality. If the wood is too wet, it weighs more, but its efficiency is less.. And for storing large-sized firewood, you need a lot of space, not to mention the cost of shipping.

Burning period

Most people living in villages know how to properly fire a stove. The burning time of any of the materials, whether it is firewood, ordinary coal or a briquette, depends on the same factors: traction force and ignition method. With excessive air supply to the furnace due to untimely closing of the draft damper, the fuel will burn out very quickly. If you correctly melt eurowood, stacking them correctly in the oven and supplying a minimum of oxygen, then due to the low moisture content and high density, they will burn longer.

Selection rules

It is better to give preference to firewood in briquettes, consisting of sawdust. They give off heat well, and such material burns for a long time.

Briquettes for stoves, made from cereal husks, have good calorific value, but due to the oil content, they quickly pollute the chimney with soot, which may require frequent cleaning. The same applies to resinous coniferous wood, from which it is better not to buy fuel briquettes for a bath, stove or fireplace.

When buying, it is advisable to look at the seller's documents for the goods. They contain information about the data of the test report with a detailed description of the product. Choose a good wood material with maximum density.

If you plan to carry out heating with briquettes and need a large batch of goods, take them for a test in a small amount. At home, you can check how hard the briquette is, whether it crumbles from excessive moisture. Evaluate the heat so that in the future you do not have to regret an unsuccessful purchase.

In addition to central heating, people need to maintain baths, saunas, mini-stoves, fireplaces. It is for their furnace that firewood is required. And because this is no longer a daily need, the consumer can treat himself to the appropriate quality. Firewood is a traditional material for a firebox, but today they are being replaced by pressed fuel briquettes, or as they are also called eurobriquettes.

Wood briquettes: varieties

Fuel briquettes, known to the consumer as “euro firewood”, is a solid fuel product that is produced by means of a press, sawdust and other natural materials under high pressure. Connects the constituent parts of lignin, which is contained in plant cultures. So, when creating briquettes, neither an adhesive nor any other chemicals that could harm the environment are used.

There are 2 types of eurofirewood, but they do not differ significantly:

1. Fuel briquettes RUF. They are created using the technology that has already been described: pressed wood chips and sawdust, fastened together with a natural adhesive. Eurofirewood RUF have a rectangular shape. This is an excellent solution, because such fuel is cheap, but the cost does not affect the quality at all.
2. Fuel briquettes Pini-key long burning. They are created using the same technology, but at the last stage, the briquettes are fired without fail. Thanks to firing, the briquettes of this variety become moisture resistant, which ensures their long-term storage. Because of this property, the cost of such fuel is higher. The price for 1 ton is approximately 2000 rubles. Outwardly, Pini-keys do not look like RUF: these euro-firewoods have a shape similar to a standard log, in which there is a through hole.

An alternative to the above briquettes is Nestro eurofirewood from the best German company. You can buy fuel in trade hypermarkets, for example, OBI.

Which is better: fuel briquettes or firewood

Wood briquettes, like any other product, has both its pros and cons. What is better and more profitable to heat, what kind of firewood to buy?

Compared to firewood, briquettes have the following advantages:

1. They do not burn out quickly, 4 times slower than ordinary logs, which makes it possible to consume them in small quantities.
2. They burn almost to ash, leaving behind no more than a percent of the original mass of fuel. But after burning logs, coal remains, which is approximately 20% of the initial amount of fuel. By the way, the ash from burnt-out briquettes can be used as fertilizer in the country: a plant crop on such soil will grow better due to the increased amount of K.
3. The heat transfer of briquettes is many times greater than that of firewood: the difference is 2 times. Eurowood can keep warm during the entire burning time. That is, if for traditional logs the heating power decreases as it burns, and the coals go out in a quarter of an hour, then for fuel briquettes the heat transfer does not change even when there are only coals left from eurofirewood, which will burn for another 60 minutes. This quality is extremely useful for those who love outdoor recreation, barbecue and shish kebab.
4. The fire from burning Eurowood does not spark, almost does not give smoke and smell. So, briquettes harm the environment and do not create discomfort for people who are near the fireplace.
5. When euro fuel burns, it does not emit substances hazardous to human health. The fact is that standard logs contain fungi / mold, which die during combustion, but create smoke harmful to humans.
6. If you ignite long-burning fuel, then soot will not form on the walls of the chimney.
7. The compactness of Eurowood makes it possible to save on space: they are delivered in the form of neatly folded stacks. They are long lasting. Firewood almost always has different shapes and sizes, which creates a storage problem. In addition, firewood is usually “dumped” out of the car onto any unoccupied place on the site, after which the person needs to transfer it to the barn on his own and carefully place it there.

In general, all the advantages of eurofirewood fit in one word: efficiency. Yes, such wood fuel is cheaper and more practical. It is rational for them to replace ordinary firewood. And the efficiency of eurofirewood is higher. Also, one cannot fail to mention several more advantages that distinguish eurofirewood from ordinary ones. For example, one of the advantages is a little waste. From ordinary logs, a large amount of wood chips and other debris. Briquettes do not stain the room. But, does this mean that eurofirewood is definitely better than firewood?

The advantages of firewood, or the better to heat the stove: firewood or briquettes

Despite all the advantages of eurofirewood, firewood is still superior to this type of fuel in some ways.

Namely:

1. Undoubtedly, the fact that eurofirewood burns out more slowly and emits stable heat is a plus, but they give less heat than ordinary firewood. To warm the house for the winter will have to wait.
2. If a person has planned a romantic evening with a cup of fragrant tea and a crackling flame in the fireplace, it is better to use ordinary firewood. The fact is that the briquettes do not emit the characteristic cod that creates the very home comfort. Firewood provides such an effect due to the water that is contained in them and is absent in Eurowood.
3. the ashes of ordinary firewood, if compared, do not emit a pungent odor.
4. Eurofirewood of ordinary quality or varieties of RUF can be quite fragile, sometimes even crumble in the hands. But there is a high quality material, respectively strong.

So, these are the main differences between eurofuel in a bath, fireplace or stove and ordinary firewood. But there is one more nuance that worries those consumers who are concerned about the question of how much firewood costs and what is more profitable to buy. The cost of eurofirewood can be different, it depends on the quality. Briquettes are of the highest and ordinary quality. The highest quality fuel is characterized by a good density: 1400 kg per 1 m 3. It is convenient to kindle them, they burn longer, heat transfer is higher and leave a minimum amount of ash. They are firm and not cracked. Fuels of ordinary quality have a density of about 1000 kg per 1 m 3, layered and more fragile.

In addition, they have less heat output, burn out faster, and leave more ash behind.

If they seem very expensive, even considering the fact of savings compared to ordinary logs, it is possible to make them yourself. To do this, you need to collect all the branches and branches from the site, connect them with clay and fill with water. There should be little liquid component so that the result can be made into a bar shape. The composition that turned out must be poured into molds, pressed and left to dry under the sun. Drying for several days. Naturally, such fuel will be many times inferior to real eurofirewood, but it will make it possible to save money. In addition, the area will be cleared.

Pressed firewood or natural: which is better

So, eurofirewood: burns out more slowly, folds neatly and takes up little space, does not leave debris, does not harm health, and is cheaper than traditional logs. But nothing compares to the unique crackling of a dry log in a fireplace. Yes, and heat the house quickly with the help of briquettes will not work.

The price depends on the manufacturer's costs for the equipment: the more the material is pressed, the higher quality it will be and the faster the equipment on which the fuel is created wears out. This factor of rapid wear and tear is included in the price of the product being sold.

It is clear that high quality eurofirewood will cost more. But at the same time, even eurobriquettes of the highest quality will cost less than ordinary birch logs, and even of ordinary quality - and there is nothing to say.

Therefore, when choosing between eurofuel and logs, one must be guided not only by their characteristics and advantages, but also by personal plans for their use.

Heating boilers without automatic feed function operate on a variety of fuels.

You can heat brown coal, and also use:

• Firewood;
• Peat briquette;
• Granules;
• Anthracite;
• Coke.

Moreover, their calorie content is different, and it depends on how the boiler will work. Therefore, those who buy such a boiler should take into account that when burning the least high-calorie fuel, the power can drop by 30% or more, depending on the level of humidity. There is another moment. Usually the manufacturer indicates the best way to heat a solid fuel boiler and what fuel should be taken as a basis.

That's right, take into account the opinion of an expert and comply with all the requirements in order to achieve maximum heat transfer and make heating the cottage with a boiler as comfortable as possible.

For example, if the manufacturer advises burning brown coal, you need to use it as the main one, and throw another type of fuel only on a hot layer and little by little. Briquettes - can be on peat, straw or sawdust.

What kind of fuel people do not use in order to warm themselves: chipboard scraps, sleepers, euro-firewood and others. They throw into the oven and a large amount of husk seeds. However, the most demanded material for the furnace firebox is wood.

There are eurofirewood:

• Coal;
• Peat;
• oak;
• Hornbeam.

Eurowood should be used when the stove has already flared up after using firewood, as they hold heat for a long period, thereby maintaining a high temperature in the room. Attention! Sometimes a summer resident, wanting to save money, heats the stove with old sleepers, not at all thinking that they are saturated with toxins that do not burn and are harmful to health.

Briquettes for furnaces: reviews

It is correct to use oak or birch logs and not to take spruce and pine. If you put spruce material in the furnace, then during combustion, various resins will begin to be released, which negatively affect the draft of the stove, efficiency, combustion of the material and pollute the chimney. It is ideal to use only those that are compressed. Eurofirewood disintegrating into sawdust can only be taken with traditional logs or brown coal, so as not to spoil the heating equipment. Pellets can also be made from straw or wood waste. They are compressed, like eurofirewood, and are often used in special solid fuel boilers.

Wood stoves are still the main source of heat in so many homes. And, by the way, many owners do not even plan to change them for something else, even if such an opportunity presents itself. Moreover, now, as an alternative to conventional firewood, other efficient and easy-to-use types of solid fuels are also widely represented. We are talking about fuel briquettes.

But such a variety can even complicate the problem of choice for inexperienced owners, since a natural question arises - fuel briquettes or firewood, which is better? We note right away that in principle there is no ideal fuel material, since any of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the option that will be cost-effective and more convenient for owners is usually chosen.

And the easiest way to determine which fuel will help save on its purchase is to compare its cost, and by conducting an experiment, find out the burning time and heat output of its different types. True, while not disregarding other, seemingly minor, but in fact very important issues: accessibility, ease of transportation, storage, preparation for use, etc.

The main criteria for choosing fuel for the furnace

The first thing you need to decide before comparing different types of fuel is their basic properties that they must have in order to effectively heat a home.

If the characteristics of briquetted fuel on the package are indicated by the manufacturer, then the parameters of natural firewood have to be determined independently.

So, from the main characteristics that high-quality fuel must meet, three can be distinguished - these are heat transfer, humidity and ash content, that is, the amount of waste after its combustion.

• Heat dissipation - this is the amount of thermal energy released during the combustion of fuel (kW), one kilogram of fuel is taken as the basis for the calculation. Parameter. In addition, it is divided into theoretical and real:

- theoretical heat transfer is the main characteristic of the fuel - the higher its value, the more heat generated will be used to heat the house;

- real heat transfer is determined by multiplying the theoretical value by the efficiency of the heating device. There is already more emphasis on the quality of the furnace or boiler itself.

• Humidity - 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 part of the thermal energy, which will reduce the total calorie content. That is, raw firewood gives much less heat than dry firewood.

In addition, the high content of moisture in the fuel contributes to the rapid clogging of the chimney, as the vapors fall out as copious condensate on the walls, and together with soot create growths.

• Ash content - this parameter determines the amount of solid waste remaining after the complete burnout of the fuel, as a percentage of the bookmark made. It is clear that the less waste, the better the fuel quality.

The optimal indicators for solid fuel used in domestic swords or boilers are humidity not higher than 15% and ash content not more than 10÷12%.

If the briquettes correspond to the specified moisture parameter, then it can be much higher in firewood, especially if they were harvested in the summer or stored outdoors.

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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We get acquainted with the main characteristics of briquettes and firewood

In order to compare 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 with the traditional fuel - firewood. Many owners of stoves are in no hurry to abandon them, especially since in some regions of the country, firewood is abundant on the market and has a very affordable price.

Knowing which type of wood has a higher heat dissipation, experienced homeowners rationally use its characteristics to heat the house.

Below is a table showing the calorific value of different types of wood used as fuel:

Wood species	Specific calorific value (for firewood of natural drying), kW/kg	Calorific value, Kcal/kg	Density of wood, kg/m³
			Fresh	Dry
Hornbeam	4.2	3650	1050	720
Beech	4,0	3450	970	710
Ash	4.2	3670	1020	750
Oak	4.2	3600	1025	750
Birch	4.2	3750	880	550
Larch	4.3	3850	830	590
Pine	4.4	3800	800	520
Spruce	4.5	3900	790	450
Alder	4.3	3770	830	540

It is immediately necessary to clarify which types of wood are well suited for heating, and which ones are undesirable to use, and why.

Coniferous woods burn well and give a fairly high heat transfer. However, they are not recommended for heating stoves, boilers or fireplaces. This is due to the fact that their structure contains a large amount of essential resins, which, during combustion, settle on the walls of the fuel chamber and chimney in the form of greasy soot, clogging the heating devices.

Therefore, the best option for heating are hardwood. Moreover, some of them even contribute to cleaning the furnace from soot.

The following table presents the features of several types of hardwoods, among those that are most often used as fuel:

The appearance of firewood	Brief description of the characteristics of fuels of different types
	Alder firewood does not require special drying - as a rule, they acquire the necessary state in natural conditions. For firewood, alder is usually harvested, which has grown far from water bodies, that is, on hills where the soil has low humidity, due to which the firewood dries out very quickly. When burning, alder firewood gives little smoke and excellent heat dissipation, so they used to be used in a black-fired sauna. When burning, alder emits special fumes that can clean the chimney from soot deposits.
	Oak firewood is great for heating, but has a fairly high cost. Oak wood has a high density, so it burns for a long time, giving good heat transfer. Therefore, in order to heat the room, not so much firewood is required, since when they burn out, they turn into dense coals, which smolder and also give heat, keeping the stove hot. Oak wood has a specific tart aroma that manifests itself during combustion. Therefore, oak is often used for open fireplaces.
	Birch firewood can be called a traditional fuel for residential buildings and baths. Therefore, even today many people prefer this particular type of wood. Especially birch fuel is good for heating baths, as its wood contains disinfectants. Birch quickly flares up - this process is facilitated by the tar contained in its fibers and bark. This fuel burns quickly, giving great heat and heat output without leaving a large amount of ash and coal. Using this property of birch firewood, they are often used to kindle another, denser fuel. Heat transfer from fuel exceeds the similar parameter 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 peculiar structure of the structure of the fibers. The burning of firewood from this type of wood comes from the core, which quickly heats up and flares up. Ash burns intensively and evenly for quite a long time, giving high heat transfer. Wood does not clog the chimney, but it does not contribute to its cleaning from other plaque.

Varieties of briquetted fuel

This group of solid fuels can be divided according to the form of production into briquettes and eurofirewood. Both types are the product of processing of raw woodworking, agricultural and mining wastes. With the help of special technologies, fuel is obtained that even surpasses conventional firewood in its properties.

Therefore, many owners of houses with autonomous wood heating have recently switched their boilers and stoves to briquetted fuel.

As mentioned above, in specialized stores you can find briquetted fuel made from the following raw materials:

• Waste of the coal industry - hard and brown coal (dust and charge)
• Peat.
• Husks of sunflower, rice, buckwheat, as well as straw.
• Woodworking waste - shavings, sawdust, needles.

The presented table shows the main parameters of briquettes and eurofirewood made from different raw materials, as well as their average cost (expressed in conventional monetary units):

Type of briquetted fuel according to the material of manufacture	Heat output, kW/kg	Normal humidity, %	Ash content, %	Fuel cost, c.u. per ton.
Brown coal briquettes	3÷5	10÷15	30	70
Briquettes from coal	7.55	10÷15	12	150
Briquettes from peat	up to 4.5	before 18	20	90
Euro firewood 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 are taken from the websites of some well-known manufacturers of briquettes and eurofirewood. However, the products of other companies may differ in value up or down.

Briquettes from coal

Coal briquettes have a high calorific value - according to this indicator they are in the lead among all other types of briquetted fuel, and at the same time they keep the furnace hot for a long time. However, they are not suitable for all furnaces and boilers.

Most often, this type of fuel is used in brick and cast-iron heaters or in furnaces with a reliable lining. The walls of a steel furnace can easily burn out from the heat given by coal.

In addition, this fuel has a number of other disadvantages, which are quite a lot:

• Briquetted coal of good quality has a rather high cost.
• When burned, coal emits harmful fumes, accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
• Coal actively clogs the chimney with soot.
• Loading the process of briquettes into the furnace is rather dirty, as is the case with loading conventional coal.

Briquettes made from hard coal leave an average amount of solid combustion products - slag. While brown coal products leave a lot of ash, which is 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 the purchase of brown coal briquettes, you will have to spend more time on frequent loading, as well as 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 very significant drawbacks.

The production of this fuel is carried out by pressing peat, which has undergone preliminary processing. By preparing raw materials, their energy qualities are improved by introducing various additives.

Peat briquettes produced using new technologies differ significantly from products that were made earlier in their characteristics. But their cost is somewhat higher.

Product characteristics are improved by more powerful pressing or extrusion under high pressure, as well as by adding crushed wood or coal raw materials to peat. Compaction processes increase the density of the material structure and reduce its moisture content, which contributes to an increase in the heat output of the fuel during its combustion.

The advantages of high-quality peat products include their following qualities:

• Environmentally friendly material. When burning, peat does not emit acrid smoke, as well as harmful substances polluting the atmosphere.
• Briquettes flare up quite easily and, due to their density, burn for a long time.
• When using peat, a small amount of solid products remains, since it almost completely burns out.
• The waste left from peat can be used as a potash fertilizer for the soil.
• The convenience of laying briquettes into the heating unit is also important.
• The possibility of using peat for any heating devices, including fireplaces.
• The relatively low weight of the material simplifies its transportation and unloading.

The negative aspects of this material include:

• There are difficulties with the organization of storage. Briquettes should be stored in dry rooms, otherwise they can be saturated with atmospheric moisture, as a result of which rotting processes can develop in their structure. Raw peat will not give high heat transfer, combustion will be sluggish, and accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
• Peat briquettes produced in artisanal conditions, in violation of technological rules, do not burn well, leaving a large amount of non-combustible waste and soot.

Unfortunately, a large number of low-quality goods have appeared on the market, which significantly spoils the impression of consumers from briquetted peat. Such fuel is quite inexpensive, but there will be a lot of trouble with it - the briquettes do not keep their shape, crumble and give a large amount of dust.

This is due to the fact that unscrupulous manufacturers make fuel from low-quality raw materials, poorly mold and dry finished products. Therefore, when purchasing peat briquettes, it is worth choosing the material of large manufacturers who are responsible for the manufacturing process of their products. The quality of such fuel is confirmed by an appropriate certificate. As an example, we can cite the products of the companies Prometheus, Smiga and Nestro.

Sunflower husk briquettes

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 have a lower cost.

However, their distribution is not too wide due to the small amount of raw waste. They are mainly produced and used in the regions where this industrial crop is grown and where there are oil extraction enterprises.

Considering the positive and negative qualities of briquettes or "euro firewood" from sunflower waste, only high-quality products made in compliance with all technological rules will be taken into account.

This type of fuel is also produced by pressing at high temperatures and pressure. The binder for the particles of raw materials is natural lignin, which is part of its composition. As a result of thermal pressing and extrusion, an excellent briquetted fuel with high density parameters is obtained. Products are hermetically packed in plastic bags, which helps to keep them dry for a long time in any humidity conditions.

The advantages of this type of fuel include its following qualities:

• High heat transfer and long burning time. Experts calculated that one kilogram of husk briquettes is enough to heat a room with an area of ​​40÷50 m² for one hour.
• The fuel emits practically no smoke.
• Convenience in storage of packages with briquettes.
• Ecological purity of fuel.
• Humidity quality briquettes is 8÷10%, which favorably affects the heat transfer.
• Products made from sunflower waste can burn intensely or smolder for 6-8 hours, releasing a large amount of heat.
• After the combustion of briquettes, there is practically no waste left. So, their number is within the limits of only 1÷5% of the initial volume.
• The ash left after burning can be used to fertilize the soil.

The disadvantages of this fuel material include the following points:

• The smoke from the combustion of low-quality fuel, as well as the remaining waste, may have unpleasant odors that spread throughout the room.
• Briquettes and low moisture resistance of briquettes. Humidified fuel becomes practically unusable. Therefore, the stock of briquettes must be stored in a sealed package, and when the package is opened - only in a dry room.
• Low-quality fuel emits a large amount of smoke due to the abundance of moisture and the low density of the material.

wood briquettes

Wood briquettes do not provide the most outstanding heat transfer (when compared, for example, with coal briquettes), but, given the low ash content and the minimum amount of soot during their combustion, this type of fuel is considered one of the most efficient and convenient to use. The disadvantage of fuel made from wood raw materials is the high cost, which exceeds the price of ordinary firewood, as well as most other fuel briquettes, excluding the coal version.

Wood briquettes are most often called "euro firewood", since in most cases they are produced in the form of logs. However, there are products that have other forms. However, the difference in their performance is small.

The most popular among the owners of stoves or boilers are “euro firewood”, called PINI & KAY, and “euro briquettes” - “RUF”.

• "Eurowood" 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 under high pressure pre-dried wood raw materials. Outside, the molded logs have a dark burnt shell. In the production process, no chemical components or adhesives are used, since natural lignin, which is part of wood, serves as a binder for sawdust. When heated, lignin acquires excellent astringent qualities, fastening wood particles together, which are compacted by a press. Therefore, "Eurofirewood" is an environmentally friendly fuel with a high density of 1250 kg / m³, and their ash content is only 1% of the original volume. The burning time of the material in furnaces and boilers is 2 hours, and in fireplaces 1 hour 20 minutes.

• "Eurobriquettes" RUF are pressed from sawdust and wood chips, and lignin also serves as an adhesive for them. They differ from the "euro firewood" in their shape - they are produced in the form of bars measuring 155 × 90 × 65 mm. This type of fuel has the same characteristics as Euro-firewood, but its cost is somewhat lower. The burning time of briquettes is from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the set burning intensity. Products are sold in packs of 12 pieces, and the total weight of such a pack is 10 kg. Briquettes differ from "eurowood" also in the absence of an internal hole.

The advantages of these options for briquetted fuel are the following points:

• Environmentally friendly products - they do not contain and do not emit toxic fumes.
• When burning, briquettes and "euro firewood" 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

In order to determine which fuel is better, it is necessary to consider some important nuances related to performance and ease of use.

So, if we compare the various points 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, as all briquettes have packaging that is convenient for carrying. A small amount of fuel can be transferred even in your own car.	Difficulty of transportation. For the delivery of whole logs, sawn logs or already chopped firewood, it is necessary to order a freight transport, which leads to additional costs.
Preparation for operation	Do not require preparation. It is enough to open the package and the fuel is ready for use.	Firewood must be dried, sawn and chopped before use. Then the fuel is folded in such a way that the wood is constantly ventilated, otherwise it will begin to rot.
Storage	Briquettes are unstable 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 pollution when they are used. The exceptions are coal and peat fuels.	Firewood leaves behind a lot of sawdust, chips, as well as particles of bark, so after each laying them in the firebox, the room will have to sweep the debris remaining from them.
Heat dissipation	Briquettes give a higher heat transfer than wood.
burning duration.	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	Medium

From all the above arguments, we can conclude that using briquettes is still more profitable than conventional firewood. The main thing is to choose the right type of briquetted fuel, the data of which are 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 products made from woodworking waste to be the best option for briquetted fuel. 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 offset by the duration of burning, high heat transfer, lower consumption, low ash content and the amount of smoke emitted. Briquettes may have different shapes, but in fact all quality products of this line have very similar characteristics.

Prices for wood fuel briquettes

fuel briquettes wood

• Coal briquettes are also a good option, as they are superior to wood options in terms of burning time and heat transfer. However, as noted above, not all heating units are designed for the use of this fuel. Therefore, counting on its use and choosing a boiler, it is necessary to carefully study the passport of the heater and the manufacturer's recommendations.

• If preference is given to brown coal briquettes, in order to save as much as possible, then it is necessary to prepare for a high fuel consumption, since this material gives a very small heat transfer. In addition, this brown coal creates a large smoke and ash content. Therefore, 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 a very good heat transfer, but, like brown coal, it leaves a lot of ash, it smokes during combustion, clogging the chimney.

• Sometimes in the region there is an opportunity to purchase briquetted vegetable waste made from processed products of sunflower, buckwheat, straw, etc. at a low price. So, for the experiment, it is recommended to buy a small batch of fuel and try it in practice. To ensure the quality of the product, it is necessary to detect the time of its burning, check the amount of smoke emission, as well as the amount of ash remaining. If these indicators suit the consumer, then it is possible to stock up on this fuel for the entire heating period.

Long burning with water circuit

How to choose a quality product?

When purchasing fuel briquettes from well-known manufacturers, you can be sure of their quality and declared characteristics.

However, a lot of handicraft products have appeared on the modern market, made from what came to hand. These products are much cheaper than factory-produced and empirically proven fuel. It is their cost that attracts buyers, but then, in practical application, you can encounter big problems and not get the promised heat transfer.

• For example, for the manufacture of high-quality briquettes from sunflower waste, well-dried husks are used. In fuel produced by an unknown manufacturer in artisanal conditions, not only dry waste, but also impurities with pomace can go into the pressing. 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 - crumble, turning into dust, then you should not succumb to the persuasion of sellers and purchase them, even if they attract low cost. Such signs indicate the low quality of raw materials or improper storage of fuel, which made it unsuitable for use. Decaying briquettes will not give much heat, and they can easily clog the chimney.
• Handicraft products quite often, even to the touch, have excessive moisture, a pronounced porous structure and fuzzy shapes are visually noticeable. The first two qualities will significantly reduce heat transfer, and the last factor can reduce 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 there are doubts about the quality of the goods, then it is worth purchasing only a trial batch of briquettes, putting them into practice, and only after that stocking them up for the whole winter or abandoning them 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 - comparing the combustion of firewood and some types of briquettes

Comparative test conditions

In order to get a clearer idea of ​​the qualities of some types of solid fuels, the reader will certainly be interested in familiarizing himself with the results of one experiment.

So, comparing the duration and quality of burning wooden logs and fuel briquettes, an experiment was carried out in which three types of solid fuel were involved:

• Firewood dried in a barn - birch, having a density of 550 kg / m³.
• Peat briquettes - pressing density 2200 kg/m³.
• Briquettes made from sunflower husks, density 1800 kg/m³.

For the experiment, the heating system of a one-story house with an area of ​​150 m² was used. The walls of the building are built of silicate bricks and have a thickness of 300 mm, an air gap is provided inside them. The walls are not insulated, standard metal-plastic windows are installed in the window openings.

The experiment was carried out under the following conditions:

• The heating device is a steel boiler with a long-term combustion system on solid fuel "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.
• A two-pipe heating system of a 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 is cold, warming up for the first time in the heating season.
• Before the start of the experiment, the coolant was heated to a temperature of 45 degrees with the help of firewood.

The course of the experiment consisted in sequentially putting the types of fuel listed above into the furnace, followed by checking the duration of their burning in the established mode. Automation is set to a coolant temperature of 50 degrees. The weight of the fuel bookmark is the same - 10 kilograms.

The purpose of the experiment was to establish the difference in fuel combustion time and in their ash content.

The experiment was started with burning wood bookmarks.

burning wood

10 kilograms of logs were loaded into a heated boiler on the coals remaining from heating. After starting the fan controller, the firewood flared up within one minute. Firewood burned for an hour and a half, maintaining the set temperature, after which it began to decline.

There are a few things to note about the process:

• Firewood burned evenly, without giving much smoke.
• After the fuel burned out, a small amount of ash remained in the boiler.

If the firewood fills the entire volume of the furnace of the heater, which is 112 liters, then one bookmark is enough to maintain the set temperature for at least 8 hours of operation. If undried (freshly cut) firewood is used for heating, then they will give off less heat, since part of the generated thermal energy will go to the evaporation of water, that is, it will be wasted.

Briquetted sunflower husk

The next fuel used during the experiment was briquettes made from sunflower waste.

Sunflower has an oily fiber structure, so even after pressing, processing and pressing the husk, part of the oil is stored in heating briquettes. In this regard, their combustion has some features:

• Immediately after 10 kg of cylindrical briquettes were placed in the furnace, there was a sharp temperature jump.
• With the active combustion of this fuel, a large amount of smoke is released, therefore, it is not recommended to open the furnace door during this period, since a powerful flame occurs when oxygen enters.
• The temperature of the coolant rose immediately by 5 ÷ 7 units, up to 57 degrees, after the automatic shutdown of the boost occurred. Then, when the fuel combustion was leveled, it decreased to the temperature set at 50 degrees.
• The fan turns on periodically, with an interval of 5 minutes for a purge that lasts 10 seconds. The incoming air maintains the set temperature of the coolant until the bulk of the briquettes burns out.
• After the bulk of the Maslenitsa vapors burned out, the amount of smoke decreased significantly.
• When the fuel was completely burned, a small amount of ash remained from it.

The burning of 10 kg of sunflower briquettes lasted 2 hours and 10 minutes, which is 40 minutes longer than burning firewood. So, immediately after ignition, briquettes from sunflower husks emit a greater amount of thermal energy. However, in heating units equipped with a mechanical draft regulator, that is, without turbocharging, the initial heating effect will be significantly lower.

Burning briquettes from pressed peat

In appearance, briquettes made from peat resemble products made from coal dust; they also stain hands. Therefore, it is recommended to load this fuel into the boiler wearing gloves.

The combustion of this fuel also has its own characteristics, which include the following points:

• Under the influence of air from pressurization, peat flares up quickly and gives a powerful stable flame.
• The fan stops its work as soon as the coolant temperature rises to the set one, that is, 50 degrees. After turning off the fan, the temperature rises to 54÷55 degrees.
• Peat when burning produces more smoke than from burning dry firewood.
• 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 out completely, and its content in products depends on the characteristics of the deposit and on the fuel manufacturer. The better the product, the less impurities it contains.

For 10 kg of peat briquettes, the boiler worked, maintaining the desired temperature, for 3 hours, which is twice its operation on the same amount of dry firewood.

Based on the results of the experiment, it can be concluded that peat briquettes are the leader in terms of burning time among the types of fuel used. Now, it’s worth figuring out which of the fuel options is more cost-effective.

Which fuel is more cost effective?

An important value is the amount of fuel needed for a certain period of the heating season and its cost. Therefore, for complete clarity of the results of the experiment, it makes sense to make approximate calculations of these parameters.

However, considering the cost without taking into account the heat transfer of a particular fuel is meaningless. Therefore, it is worth calculating both parameters.

For calculations, the average cost of the types of fuel used in the experiment in conventional units per ton was taken, since the price in ruble terms is constantly changing:

• Freshly cut wood has an approximate cost of 33 USD.
• Briquettes made from sunflower husks - 57 c.u.
• Peat pressed into quality briquettes - 84 c.u.

• Since 10 kg of firewood burned for an hour and a half, 33:1.5 = 22 cents is needed. This is how much it will cost to heat the boiler for one hour with firewood.
• Sunflower husk briquettes gave off heat for 2 hours 10 minutes. - 57:2,1=27 cents.
• Peat briquettes burned for 3 hours - which means 84:3=28 cents.

As you can see, the results are almost identical.

• Heating with wood will cost 5.28 USD.
• Sunflower briquettes - 6.24 USD
• Peat briquettes - 6.72 c.u.

Here it is necessary to clarify that the cost varies 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 particular building on your own, you can simply take the proposed calculation method as a basis and determine how much heating with a certain type of fuel will cost. After that, it will be seen what is more profitable to use for heating the house.

It should be noted that in the above example, the cost of raw wood is given, which has a lower heat transfer than the dried version. Dry firewood will cost a little more. Therefore, the difference in the cost of different types of fuel will be minimized.

But, again, in such a calculation, it is immediately clear that 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 based on the consideration that the heater is constantly working.

A more accurate approach, however, assumes taking as a basis the required thermal power necessary for the full operation of the home heating system, and the calorie content of the fuel used. This will be discussed below.

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How to calculate the required amount of solid fuel, based on its calorific value?

The initial value for the calculations here will be the value of the thermal power that is required for high-quality heating of the house.

Important - it's not about the nameplate capacity of a heating boiler or furnace. This refers to the amount of heat that can create a comfortable atmosphere for living in the premises of the house and compensate for current heat losses.

How to find this setting? The easiest way is to multiply the total area of ​​​​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 that takes into account a lot of important nuances - the climatic conditions of the region, the degree of thermal insulation of building structures, the specifics of both the building itself and each of its premises separately, etc.

We will not dwell on this algorithm in detail now - a very detailed separate article is devoted to it. Follow the link to it - the calculation, although it seems cumbersome, is actually easy to carry out.

How to calculate the required power of the heating system?

The answer with all the explanations and detailed justifications will be found in a special article of our portal. The entire calculation algorithm is included in the online calculator, with which the calculation turns into a very simple matter. By the way, in the same publication, another calculator is given that allows you to assess the degree of thermal insulation of your home.

So, if you know how much heat is required per hour to heat a home, it is easy to calculate, knowing the calorific value of the selected fuel, how many kilograms of it must be burned in order to get the expected return.

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 of performance (COP) 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, COP = 0.75).

As a rule, solid fuel heaters are by no means famous for their high efficiency. And if the passport data is unknown, then the following values ​​\u200b\u200bcan be taken without much error:

• metal oven - 60%;
• bell-type brick oven - 65%;
• solid fuel boiler - 75%;
• boiler, which implements the principle of afterburning pyrolysis gases - 80%.

The specified algorithm for calculating the required amount of solid fuel is included in the proposed online calculator. Below will be given some explanations for working with the program.

There is no ideal solid fuel. The use of wood, coal and various pressed waste has its pros and cons, including financial ones. The task of the homeowner is to choose the most profitable option. To clarify this issue, Vitaly Dashko made an experimental combustion of different types of fuel in real conditions. The goal is to compare what is better for heating a private house - fuel briquettes or firewood. We offer you to get acquainted with the results and video of the process.

Why compare cheap firewood with expensive briquettes

For residents of regions rich in forests, where woodworking enterprises are located, such a comparison is irrelevant. Firewood and sawdust in those parts are inexpensive or donated. But we decided to compare them with briquettes for the following reasons:

1. There are practically no forests in the southern and desert regions. Hence the higher price of firewood bought by the owners of country houses and dachas.
2. In these areas, it is advantageous to press any kind of combustible mass - coal dust, agricultural waste and peat. Thanks to the development of such industries, the cost of briquettes is reduced and they become an alternative to firewood.
3. It is more comfortable to heat with pressed products than with wood raw materials, which our experiment will show.

The last reason is the conflicting reviews of homeowners about various fuels on thematic forums. A user who does not understand this issue is hardly able to figure out which types of briquettes are best used for a stove, fireplace or boiler. We will present the conclusions and opinion of the expert on this matter.

Conditions and course of the experiment

The object of the check is a one-story private house with an area of ​​150 m² with an individual heating system from a solid fuel boiler. The walls, 300 mm thick, are made of white silicate bricks, inside there is an air layer. There is no insulation of external fences, the windows are standard metal-plastic.

The rest of the experiment looks like this:

1. The heating system is closed, two-pipe. It is divided into 2 branches - radiators and underfloor heating. The initial water temperature is 43 °C.
2. The average daily ambient temperature is 4–5 °С. The building is cold, warming up for the first time during the heating season.
3. The heat source is a solid fuel DIZ-24 (24 kW), equipped with a turbocharger and an automatic unit for maintaining the set temperature.
4. The scheme involves a buffer tank of small capacity (150 liters).

Note. Before the experiment, the boiler and coolant were warmed up to 43 °C by burning small logs.

A task: alternately load 3 types of fuel into the furnace and check the burning time of each bookmark with the same heating mode. The load value is the same -10 kg, the automation is set to maintain a water temperature of 50 ° C.

Target: determine what will burn out faster - firewood or briquettes, how significant the difference will be. The secondary objective is to compare the combustion process of the three fuels:

• dry firewood for shed storage;
• round briquettes from sunflower husks;
• briquetted peat.

For reference. The type of wood used is small elm (otherwise - birch bark), the stacking density of freshly cut logs with a moisture content of 50% is 600 kg / m³.

We deliberately did not burn "wooden" briquettes made from sawdust. The reasons are obvious: the products are noticeably more expensive than peat and agricultural briquettes, their combustion properties have been repeatedly tested. If you are interested in this type of solid fuel, we recommend watching the video:

Approximate density of pressed husk is 1800 kg/m³, peat briquettes – 2200 kg/m³. These data are reference data and do not play a big role in the experiment, since the fuel was laid in the same amount - 10 kg. Let's start with burning wood.

The result of burning wood

During the check, the logs were cut into 4 logs and loaded into the furnace, where several hot coals remained. The controller started the fan and firewood flared up within 1 minute. In total, 10 kg of wood was enough for 1.5 hours of boiler operation, after which the temperature of the coolant began to decrease.

The weight of each portion of fuel - 10 kg (together with a bucket - 10.5 kg)

Points to be noted:

• dry firewood gives little smoke and burns very evenly;
• the temperature jump after turning off the fan does not exceed 3 degrees (up to 53 °C);
• a small amount of ash.

The process of burning dry wood is quite predictable. If the entire chamber of the heat generator of this model (112 liters) is filled with such fuel, 1 bookmark will last for at least 8 hours. Raw (freshly cut) firewood decays faster: they give off less heat and therefore are more exposed to blowing by the fan.

A typical picture when burning dry wood is a little smoke

Sunflower husk briquettes

Since the pressed husk contains a share of vegetable oil, combustion has some features:

At the initial stage (left) there is a lot of smoke, then it is almost invisible (right)

For reference. The purge mode lasts 10 seconds and turns on at 5 minute intervals. The goal is to free the boiler chamber from smoke.

The burning time of a portion of agricultural briquettes was 2 hours 10 minutes, which is 40 minutes longer than firewood. Nuance: you need to learn how to use fuel correctly - at the initial stage, "sausages" emit a large amount of heat. By the way, in boilers with (without turbocharging) the effect of primary heating is less pronounced.

This is how the remains of the briquette at the stage of afterburning look, the temperature of the boiler water is 50 degrees

Combustion of pressed peat

In appearance, peat briquettes resemble, but differ in a square shape. The products are equally successful in getting hands dirty, so it is better to load with gloves. The characteristic moments of combustion are as follows:

• under the influence of pressurization, peat ignites well and gives a stable powerful flame;
• when the set temperature of the coolant reaches 50 °C, the fan stops, the heating “jumps” to 53-54 °C;
• peat briquettes smoke stronger than dry firewood;
• the amount of remaining ash is approximately 5-10%.

What kind of smoke from peat bricks, it was not possible to fix in the photo, because it got dark outside

Note. Peat contains a certain proportion of loam, which turns into ash. The value of this share depends on the fuel manufacturer.

The duration of operation of a solid fuel boiler on peat briquettes is phenomenal - at least 3 hours, which is twice the burning of a similar amount of firewood. An unpleasant nuance is the ash content and black dust sticking to the hands.

The cheaper it is to heat a home

The price of fuel for heating a private house is of 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.

Burning peat fuel 3 hours after laying

In the area where our expert lives, they ask for the following price for proven fuels:

1. Freshly cut firewood - 20 c.u. e. for 1 m³. We will tie the price to the mass: $ 20 for 600 kg or 33 USD. e. for 1 ton.
2. A briquette made from pressed sunflower husks costs $57 per ton.
3. Peat briquette - 84 c.u. 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 firewood burned out in an hour and a half).

Similarly, 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 husks of sunflower seeds

Interesting result, right? In our case, the heating of an absolutely cold building costs 5.28 USD. e. per day on firewood, 6.24 dollars - on pressed husks and 6.72 cu. e. - on peat "bricks".

An important nuance. The prices of solid fuels in your region are probably different, and other heating equipment is installed in the boiler room. But the ratio and principle of calculation remains unchanged. Apply this technique and calculate what is more profitable - firewood or briquettes in your particular case.

Note that we took the cost of raw wood (and it will decay sooner) and divided it by the time of full-fledged burning of dry wood. That is, the difference between traditional fuel and briquettes is minimized. We offer to track the progress of the experiment on the video and listen to the expert's opinion on this matter:

We do not persuade anyone to abandon wood heating in favor of a briquette. The purpose of the publication is to convey useful information, help homeowners save money and gain comfort. What conclusions can be drawn from the results of the comparison:

1. The attractiveness of firewood is its low price. The main thing is that they are not too raw.
2. In the previous section, the cost of firewood delivered in the form of logs is indicated. The latter need to be sawn into logs and split into logs. If the household does not have a chain saw, you will have to pay extra for sawing.
3. Due to their low density, logs take up more space than briquettes.
4. Pressed waste burns much longer than wood and gives off more heat. The number of visits to the boiler room will decrease.

It is better to heat home-made stoves with firewood or put a small amount of briquette

An important nuance. High-calorie fuel briquettes are dangerous for. When the firebox is fully loaded and the chimney is open, the steel body of the furnace is often deformed from exposure to high combustion temperatures.

Pressed products are not perfect. Fuel from agro-industrial waste contains vegetable oil, which settles on the walls of the chimney in the form of soot, and peat leaves ash. In order to find the optimal solution and accurately select briquettes for a stove, boiler or fireplace, select a part of the day off and conduct a similar experiment with a variety of fuels. Combine "bricks" with firewood, watch the results and count the money - this is the right way to economical heating.

Heating with wood, it would seem, should have long lost its relevance and sunk into oblivion. After all, almost every house has heating systems. However, not all so simple. There are also baths, saunas and fireplaces. It is they who need wood "feeding". And since this is no longer a necessity, but a rare opportunity to pamper yourself, then you want the appropriate quality. Firewood is the most common material for maintaining a fire. But they are gradually being replaced by fuel briquettes.

What are fuel briquettes

Fuel briquettes, also known as "euro firewood", is one of the representatives of solid fuel, which is made by compressing sawdust and other natural materials under very high pressure. Fastens the constituent parts into a single briquette of lignin contained in any plant. Thus, neither glue nor any other chemicals that could harm the environment are used in the manufacture of eurofirewood.

Types of eurobriquettes

Fuel briquettes are of two types, but the difference between them is not too great:

Eurobriquettes RUF

They are made according to the technology described above: chips and sawdust are pressed together, fastened together with a natural adhesive. They have the shape of a rectangle. The most optimal option, since they are inexpensive, but the price does not affect the quality.

Eurobriquettes Pini-Key

They are made according to the same principle, but at the final stage they also go through the firing process. As a result, eurobriquettes of this type acquire natural protection against moisture, which guarantees their longer storage.

Due to this, the price of such firewood is higher: the markup is about two thousand rubles per ton. Outwardly, they also do not look like RUF: these firewood have a shape close to an ordinary log, with a through hole.

DIY briquette press

What is better to choose ordinary firewood or "euro"?

Fuel briquettes, like any manufactured product, has both its positive and negative aspects. Compared to firewood, briquettes boast the following advantages:

• They burn on average 4 times longer than conventional firewood, which allows them to be consumed in much smaller quantities.
• They literally burn to ash, leaving behind it in the amount of 1% of the initial mass of the material. By the way, after the combustion of firewood, coal remains, which is about 20% of the initial amount of material. By the way, the ash from the burnt eurowood can be used as a fertilizer for the soil: seedlings in this place will grow better due to the increased amount of potassium.
• The heat transfer of euro-dvrs is much higher than that of conventional ones: the difference is 2 times.

• Able to maintain heat literally throughout the entire combustion process. That is, if for ordinary firewood the heating power decreases as it burns, and the coals die out within 15 minutes, then for eurofirewood the level of heat transfer does not change even when only coals are left from the briquette, which continue to burn for another hour. This property is extremely useful for those who like to go outdoors with a barbecue.
• The fire from burning briquettes does not spark, practically does not emit smoke and smell. Thus, eurofirewood does not harm the environment and does not cause discomfort when being near them.
• When burned, Eurowood does not emit substances that are harmful and dangerous to human health. The fact is that ordinary firewood contains fungi and mold, which die during combustion, but create toxic smoke.
• As a result of the combustion of fuel briquettes, soot does not form on the walls of the chimney.

• The compactness of the briquettes allows you to significantly save on space: they are delivered in the form of neatly stacked stacks. Firewood can be of different shapes and sizes, which almost eliminates the possibility of stacking them neatly. Moreover, firewood is usually “dumped” from the truck to any free place on the site, after which you will have to transfer it yourself to the barn and spread it out there.

In general, all the positive aspects of fuel briquettes could be summed up in one word: cost-effectiveness. Although, there are several points that distinguish fuel briquettes from ordinary firewood that are not related to price. For example, one of the very big advantages is cleanliness and order. From ordinary firewood there is a lot of dust, chips and other debris. Briquettes do not have such difficulties. However, does this mean that briquettes are definitely better than firewood?

Advantages of firewood compared to briquettes

• There is no doubt that briquettes burn longer and emit stable heat, but they emit less heat than firewood. It will not work to quickly warm up the room with the help of eurofirewood, you have to wait.
• If you want to spend a pleasant evening with a book, a cup of strong tea and a crackling fire in the fireplace, fuel briquettes will have to be abandoned. The fact is that eurofirewood does not emit a crackle characteristic of ordinary firewood, which creates that very unique feeling of home warmth. Firewood is able to provide such an effect due to the water contained in them and absent in the briquettes.
• No unpleasant smell from the ashes. The ash remaining after the combustion of firewood does not have a pungent odor, characteristic of ash from eurodoors.
• Briquettes of ordinary quality or RUF type can be quite fragile, sometimes even capable of crumbling right in your hands. However, there are high quality briquettes, they are stronger.

So, these are the main differences between fuel briquettes and regular firewood. However, there is another important question that worries the doubters: what is more profitable to buy?

The question is the price!

The cost of fuel briquettes can be different depending on what quality they are. They can be divided into two groups:

• Briquettes of the highest quality. They are characterized by high density: 1400 kg per cubic meter. They burn longer, give off more heat and leave less ash. They have a dense structure without cracks.
• Briquettes of normal quality. Their density is about 1000 kg per cubic meter, they have a layered structure and are more susceptible to damage. In addition, they have less heat dissipation, burn out faster and leave behind more sediment.

The difference in quality and price comes from the manufacturer's costs for equipment: the more the briquette is pressed, the better it will be and the faster the machine on which it is made wears out. This factor of rapid wear and tear is invested in the cost of the goods.

Obviously, high quality briquettes will cost more than ordinary briquettes. But at the same time, even briquettes of the highest quality will cost less than ordinary birch firewood, and even of ordinary quality - even more so.

If they seem too expensive, even taking into account the savings compared to firewood, you can make them yourself. To do this, you need to collect all the branches and knots from the site, mix them with clay and pour water. There should not be too much water so that the bars can be formed as a result.

The resulting mixture is poured into molds, pressed and left to dry under the sun for several days. Of course, such a product will be significantly inferior to real briquettes, but it will save. In addition, the area will be cleaner.

So which is better?

Fuel briquettes burn longer, take up less space, leave no waste, cause less harm to the environment and are cheaper than conventional firewood. However, nothing compares to the soothing crackling of dry birch logs in the fireplace. Yes, and heat the room quickly with the help of briquette fuel will not work.

Thus, when making a choice between a fuel briquette and firewood, it is necessary to be guided not only by their characteristics and advantages, but also by their own plans for their use.

Video: How it works - fuel briquettes