Moisture Content may be too low?

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tsquini

tsquini

Minister of Fire
Jan 8, 2009
712
North Shore, MA
I am currently burning wood that is about 12% MC. Is has been seasoning for about 3 years. It is mostly Maple and Ash. The truth is, I don't know if I like the MC down that low. Here is the Good and Bad of it.
Good
  • Lights up quick
  • Burns hot
Bad
  • It burns way to fast. I am continually feeding wood into the stove
  • Pay more attention to Over firing. I have gotten it a little to hot lately.
Let me hear your thoughts. I am thinking I like a higher MC more.
 
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I am liable to get digitally beaten up for this, but I have been preaching the 20%MC numbers for quite some time. That is what the stove was designed to ingest. A couple points higher or lower is no big deal, but burning stuff at 12% MC is simply the polar opposite of burning stuff that is at 28%.

YES - wood CAN be too dry albeit not typical of air dried stuff unless in a very dry environment.
 
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Buy some "seasoned" wood from an ad in the Penny Saver and mix it in with yours...
 
When I have wood that dry I mix it with some 25% mc to stop the over firing
 
Yes wood can be too dry, it will offgas too quickly and can actually lead to a dirty burn. You need some amount of moisture to control the burn. With that said I'm surprised you have an issue with any wood seasoned/stored outside that's not in a desert climate. It's surprising to me that the wood has reached it's EMC in three years. Your seasoning area must be ideal, maybe storing the wood without a cover or stacking in multiple rows will help keep the MC up a little. I don't think I've ever preached that before. ;lol
 
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Most of the wood was cut was standing dead. Then it sat in logs for 2 years. Then it was cut and stacked for 3 years. I've been living around this wood for so many years it feels like part of the family. The wood was not covered until this September when I placed it under my deck.

I thought at first I might have an air leak. So, I checked my door and ash door seals for leaks. They were fine. I turned my damper down to control the air flow. It made the stove hotter. I figure it has to be the mc of the wood gassing off quickly.
 
Ive posted here a few times in the past about my run in with lodgepole pine that wouldnt register on the meter and would off gas way to early in the stove. It was aged for 6 years from what I could gather. Even if it registers it still has moisture especially when you take into account MM calibration differences for pine. That being said it was still way low for my liking. I kept it for kindling after awhile and moved on to other stacks for my regular burns.
 
Are you sure the wood didn't rot inside the log? That many years without splitting tends to make the wood punkish. After that happens, even red oak will burn like poplar. Fast and hard.
 
Well the post from Jags says it all and you are one of the very few that have the issue but it is an issue. Best to mix with higher moisture wood in the 20-25% range. Possibly you could trade 50/50 with a fellow burner experiencing the more common issue of wood to WET
 
rdust said:
Yes wood can be too dry, it will offgas too quickly and can actually lead to a dirty burn.
Click to expand...

Would the burn still be dirty if the secondaries are engaged?
 
7acres said:
Would the burn still be dirty if the secondaries are engaged?
Click to expand...

Yes - it can be. The problem arises when the wood off gasses at a rate higher than the secondaries can consume. Then up the stack it goes. It can cause an overfire situation as well.
 
Thanks Jags. Good to know. The topic of wood too dry doesn't come up all that often. It's usually the other end of the spectrum that's being discussed!
 
MarylandGuy said:
Are you sure the wood didn't rot inside the log? That many years without splitting tends to make the wood punkish. After that happens, even red oak will burn like poplar. Fast and hard.
Click to expand...
It did start to get a it punky on the outside but the center is fine. I the have a few pieces of white oak the sap wood on the outside is in bad shape. I am at the point I just need to convert this stuff in to ash.
 
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