Fuel characteristics of RUF briquettes:
- They have a high calorific value. Their combustion efficiency can reach 95%, while the ash content does not exceed 1% of the total volume. Eco-friendly ash residues are the best natural fertilizer. Thus, fuel briquettes produce almost no waste;
- 1 ton of briquettes can replace 5 m3 of dry birch logs. When burning, such quantities of fuel produce an amount of heat equivalent to 1.6 tons of wood, 478 m3 of natural gas, 500 liters of diesel fuel, 1 ton of coal, or 685 kg of fuel oil;
- The density of fuel briquettes exceeds the density of regular wood by 12 times. This significantly reduces the space required for storage and transportation. A woodshed stocked with briquettes has an area of only 1 m2. Briquettes have a perfect shape. After sorting, they form a neat compact stack;
- Long burning time. The burning time of a fuel briquette is 2.5-3.0 hours, which is significantly higher than that of dry firewood. Labor costs for carrying fuel to a boiler or furnace are much lower;
- Briquettes are produced at high temperatures and molded under pressure. When sawdust is thermally pressed, all bacteria, fungi, and mold die. Briquettes have no germs and bugs;
- Briquettes can be easily used in boilers. If compared with firewood, briquettes have a small weight;
- The process of burning briquettes does not do any harm to the environment. The minimum amount of combustion products are emitted into the atmosphere;
- When burning, briquettes do not spark or smoke. This increases fire safety and reduces the formation of fouling. The burning of firewood, peat and coal is invariably accompanied by the formation of coke and ash deposits.
How to light briquettes
The process of lighting briquettes is the same as for regular firewood. However, there are certain nuances. The main one is that briquettes do not ignite from an accidental spark, unlike dry logs. It is a great advantage.
You can light a briquette with matches or a wick. At low atmospheric pressure, you can use paper. You can also use lighter fluids. However, it may be undesirable. The fluids contain volatile substances that have a sharp specific odour.
Some manufacturers provide special ignition cubes. They do not cost much and contribute to rapid ignition even with strong winds in open spaces.