If forced to burn 20% wood...

I'm certainly no expert, but I belive 8-10% is extreamly low, the ecobricks I used are supposed to be about 8%. The wood I've been burning has been measuring in the 20-25% range and burns quite well. The wood I have on my property that's been cut for 9 months but not split, it measures around 45% and does not burn well at all. So I think your doing fine at 20%

If it's 20% after re-splitting and checking that fresh surface you're fine, 15-20% is what you want. I'm shocked you received wood in the 8-11% range if it wasn't kiln dried or seasoned in the desert. Around here I think wood reaches it's EMC around 15%.

emt1581 said:

If you had no other option but to burn wood that was around 20% moisture-wise...other than brushing out the chimney more often, what concerns would you have?

Can burning moist wood damage a stove at all?

Personally, I'd probably remove my CAT so I don't damage that. Other than that I'm just curious if it can be done safely.

The reason I ask is because I just got a cord and it's testing around 15% but some of the stuff that was on the bottom of the pile was sitting in the snow for a while and it got pretty moist. Either way I'm not happy with this supplier and don't plan to use him again. The guy I usually get it from gives me 8-11% wood. But he was out. Lesson learned though...for the future I'll know to always have a cord ready to burn and a few in the process of becoming seasoned.

-Emt1581

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I don't see your problem, with the wood or the supplier.

emt1581 said:

I sh*t yall not...8-10 %! Now I paid $200 a cord for it but yup...that low.

So 20% is fine?? The crap drips water off the ends when burning! I figured that was a bad thing.

-Emt1581

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Something is wrong 20% should not drip water off of the ends.

emt1581 said:

I sh*t yall not...8-10 %! Now I paid $200 a cord for it but yup...that low.

So 20% is fine?? The crap drips water off the ends when burning! I figured that was a bad thing.

-Emt1581

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It's not 20% then! You may get a little moisture on the surface for a minute or two but if it's all dripping/boiling water out it's not 20%. How long does it boil water out for? The wood has to be nearing 30% to be boiling water out of the ends.

emt1581 said:

I sh*t yall not...8-10 %! Now I paid $200 a cord for it but yup...that low.

So 20% is fine?? The crap drips water off the ends when burning! I figured that was a bad thing.

-Emt1581

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You need a new moisture meter.

How long does the boiling last? If it's fast(minute or two) it's probably just surface moisture or the ends sucked up a little.

emt1581 said:

rdust said:

How long does the boiling last? If it's fast(minute or two) it's probably just surface moisture or the ends sucked up a little.

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As I said...3/4 of the burn time. And btw, this is in a fireplace NOT a stove. My stove doesn't get installed until 2/8.

-Emt1581

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Yeah, you need a new moisture meter.

emt1581 said:

As I said...3/4 of the burn time. And btw, this is in a fireplace NOT a stove. My stove doesn't get installed until 2/8.

-Emt1581

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I can't imagine it's close to 20% if it's lasting that long. I burned a few sticks last year at 30% that only boiled out water for 5-10 minutes. Post a couple pictures of the splits. What type of wood is it?

When I used my MM on "seasoned wood" I bought there was a difference in moisture in the heartwood and sap wood. After I spilt it I think some red oak read 20% in the heartwood and more like 25 to 27 in the sapwood. Some water would bubble out in the ends for a bit. I decided to use it next year

I pulled this from a site a while back, can't remember which one.

"The right band of firewood moisture is between 15 and 20%. When you get much over 20% you start to see symptoms of sluggish ignition and the inability to turn down the air without extinguishing the flames. Towards 30% the wood sizzles and fires are very sluggish and it is hard to get a clean burn until the wood is almost to the charcoal stage. Above 30% water bubbles from the end grain when the wood is heated and it is very hard to burn at all. Species like poplar/aspen, which have very high native moisture content are virtually non-combustible when not adequately seasoned."

emt1581 said:

rdust said:

How long does the boiling last? If it's fast(minute or two) it's probably just surface moisture or the ends sucked up a little.

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As I said...3/4 of the burn time. And btw, this is in a fireplace NOT a stove. My stove doesn't get installed until 2/8.

-Emt1581

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Hell, if you're buring in a fireplace who cares? The only time I ever used a fireplace was to cool my house off.

To repeat, unless it's kiln dried or you're in the desert (which you're not) your wood cannot be 8-10%. If it was kiln dried, and you let it sit around for a few months in PA, it would no longer be 8%..

I would look at doubling the values you have.

btuser said:

emt1581 said:

rdust said:

How long does the boiling last? If it's fast(minute or two) it's probably just surface moisture or the ends sucked up a little.

Click to expand...

As I said...3/4 of the burn time. And btw, this is in a fireplace NOT a stove. My stove doesn't get installed until 2/8.

-Emt1581

Click to expand...

Hell, if you're buring in a fireplace who cares? The only time I ever used a fireplace was to cool my house off.

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I use my open fieplace on the weekends, it puts off tons of heat, and I know it puts tons of that heat up the flue as well, but it sure heats up a few rooms!

NO ONE wood ever have to force me to burn 20% wood. EVER!

I've tried some moisture meters. Different ones read different %. Didn't mean much to me.
How well it burns to me is the best test.
Burn some, if it lights & burns well, it's probably good seasoned wood.
I have wood at various season times in my shed, I try a few pieces every now & then to see how well it burns.
Typically the oldest is driest, but type of wood maters too. I have some 11 month spruce that burns better than 1-1/2 year birch.
Lots of variables so
I use "how well it lights & burns" as my test. If it smolders on med "stat" setting, it needs more drying time. If it charcoals, & chars & catches fire quickly, it's ready.
I watch my flue for steam, smoke & how well it dissipates or best is not able to tell I have a fire, then it's prime dry wood (no smoke or steam).

Don't know if my way is calibrated to a %, just if it burns like dry wood should, it must be dry enough.

Hard to take my method to a wood supplier & test wood before it's bought though.
But I assume bought wood needs more seasoning from posts here & knowing some wood cutters. Getting wood 2 yr seasoned is/would be an accident
for our wood cutters, an old pile that didn't get sold during last fall & winter might be 1yr seasoned. Most here go cut wood, load their truck, sell it , then go cut another load.
The only "season" most bought wood here knows, is Fall or Winter

Really depends on the wood and when it was cut as well. Most of the time 1-2 years being split and corded is plenty of time, but not always.

I remember about 10 years ago my Dad got ~10 cords of wood that was junk. We never did figure out what the issue with it was, but it didn't burn well. Steamed, water boiled out, etc. My Dad suspected that it had been cut in the spring and was FULL of sap.

Now mind you that he was buying 2-3 years in advance so by the time we were burning this wood it should have been plenty dry.

How far are to putting the prongs on your moitsure meter in? If I just set mine on eth surface it will also read low numbers, however it will read higher if firmly pressed into the wood about 1/4 inch.

If your meter is a multi surface tester make sure its on wood not masonary