Does seasoned wood burn faster?

[Split]

A simple question but there is a bit more to it.

As I understand seasoned wood burns much more efficiently and safely. I'm glad I've been reading the forums here as ive learned so much from reading yhem about seasoning wood. I tell 'my first-year of wood' story in another thread.

However, do you go through more seasoned wood quicker? It seems like you would as mine is very dry at the moment. You get more heat per split vs wetter wood but do you end up using more over a season? Or does it burn longer in some odd way. Looking forward to this winter with much better seasoned wood than last (My first year and hard to get dry wood in December).

Just would like to hear some of your input.

Appreciated.

 

[Simonkenton]

Dry wood burns faster than green wood. I once had a Sotz wood stove, a giant home made stove made from a 55 gallon drum. That stove would burn anything, green, dry, it didn't care. I specifically had a stack of green oak to put in the Sotz at midnight to get the all night burn.

However my nice Jotul today just won't burn green wood. Halfway green wood just piles up massive coals in the firebox. Dry wood only in the Jotul. As far as how much wood you would burn over a season I don't know. But the first question is, "What kind of wood stove do you have?"

 

[Ashful]

However, do you go through more seasoned wood quicker?

No. In fact, it is the opposite, you will use LESS wood for a given energy output, if the wood contains less water.

Without the aid of the controlled air inlet on a wood stove, such as in an open fireplace, then yes... dry wood would burn faster than green. But with a stove, you are controlling the burn rate to your desire, the open-air burn rate of the wood becomes irrelevant, you are throttling it with the air control.

Moreover you will burn LESS wood for the same heat, if your wood is dry. Don't underestimate how much thermal energy is consumed in converting locked-up water in the wood to steam, it's an endothermic reaction.

 

[Split]

Dry wood burns faster than green wood. I once had a Sotz wood stove, a giant home made stove made from a 55 gallon drum. That stove would burn anything, green, dry, it didn't care. I specifically had a stack of green oak to put in the Sotz at midnight to get the all night burn.

However my nice Jotul today just won't burn green wood. Halfway green wood just piles up massive coals in the firebox. Dry wood only in the Jotul. As far as how much wood you would burn over a season I don't know. But the first question is, "What kind of wood stove do you have?"

Pacific Energy Summit Classic le.

 

[bholler]

Pacific Energy Summit Classic le.

In that stove assuming it is setup and run properly you will use far less dry wood than wet. And yes wet wood will still burn in modern stoves just like it did in old ones. The difference is you notice the performance loss much more in modern stoves because of their higher base level of performance

 

[Split]

No. In fact, it is the opposite, you will use LESS wood for a given energy output, if the wood contains less water.

Without the aid of the controlled air inlet on a wood stove, such as in an open fireplace, then yes... dry wood would burn faster than green. But with a stove, you are controlling the burn rate to your desire, the open-air burn rate of the wood becomes irrelevant, you are throttling it with the air control.

Moreover you will burn LESS wood for the same heat, if your wood is dry. Don't underestimate how much thermal energy is consumed in converting locked-up water in the wood to steam, it's an endothermic reaction.

Yes. Thanks this is good information. Generally last season (my first) I burned all wood with the air intake at minimum (after the fire was established of course). At this setting it burned hot - an issue for another thread I suppose. Perhaps it was drier than I thought but it's definitely not as dry as the stuff I've been seasoning over the spring and summer. I mean that stuff is in a new league of dryness.

I may need to speak with my dealer this year and lower my intake slightly further. I have a strong draft I think.

I'm just hoping for longer burn times than last year. I could get about 5 hours at times. The stove says 6-7 hours I believe but I'm not to sure about that.

Appreciate the input. Thank you.

 

[Split]

In that stove assuming it is setup and run properly you will use far less dry wood than wet. And yes wet wood will still burn in modern stoves just like it did in old ones. The difference is you notice the performance loss much more in modern stoves because of their higher base level of performance

Thanks!

 

[Simonkenton]

Sometimes manufacturers exaggerate burn times.

 

[bholler]

Sometimes manufacturers exaggerate burn times.

Yes absolutely. Or atleast get creative with their definition of burn time

 

[peakbagger]

Every percent of moisture in wood is water that needs to be evaporated from the energy in the wood. Its roughly 1000 btus per pound of water to convert the liquid water to vapor that is carried up the stack. So burning wet wood is the equivalent of just adding water to the fire. If the fire is hot enough it may still burn at a high enough temp to burn clean but as soon as that vapor hits a surface that is cool enough, usually in the stack, it will condense and then run down the stack usually into the firebox or to the clean out. If its an insulated liner it may make it to the top and put out a plume of vapor but normally there is stack cap which will provide a great spot for condensation and it will drip down the stack usually on the outside leaving brown stains.

With a modern stove with tight air control using damp wood is not the way to get long burns.

 

[stoveliker]

Ashful said it right.

Another way of looking at it is that dry wood will burn faster *at the same air setting* as wetter wood. I.e. dial your air down more for dry wood.

Regarding your burn rate: too much draft can be an issue. How tall is your chimney?
Key dampers are good and simple devices to decrease overdraft, and thus better control your burn rate and get more heat out of the stove (rather than up the flue).

 

[Split]

Ashful said it right.

Another way of looking at it is that dry wood will burn faster *at the same air setting* as wetter wood. I.e. dial your air down more for dry wood.

Regarding your burn rate: too much draft can be an issue. How tall is your chimney?
Key dampers are good and simple devices to decrease overdraft, and thus better control your burn rate and get more heat out of the stove (rather than up the flue).

Yeah my chimney is tall. I was going to make another thread about this issue but maybe I can ask here. Sometimes my stove can go into overdrive. Even down on the lowest setting sometimes it's like the air intakes on the bottom baffle are shooting in like jet engines. I think it's my draw from my chimney. I spoke to my dealer and the said sometimes they have to add some feature to these stoves to stop the effects of too much draw. Perhaps that's what they're talking about. I'm aware of the ash drawer issue and this is not it. I've never even used my drawer. I can post a vid of the issue if possible. As a matter of fact, I wanted to make a post about questions to all of my queries about my previous year burning. Some for just general interest because now I'm.hooked on wood but others to get a better understanding of my stove and burn Temps, times, effects etc.

 

[stoveliker]

Best to do that in an appropriately titled new thread.for more/better responses indeed.

If it was the secondary air tubes, it's unlikely to be a (ashpan) leak indeed.

I don't have a secondary burn stove, but I've seen many welding torch flame videos from those tubes. I couldn't tell you if it was overdrafting from that.

It is important to get a reading of the flue temperature as overdrafting is likely pulling more heat.up.the flue.

 

[Ashful]

Ashful said it right.

If I give you her phone number, could you call my wife and repeat that?

Regarding your burn rate: too much draft can be an issue. How tall is your chimney?
Key dampers are good and simple devices to decrease overdraft, and thus better control your burn rate and get more heat out of the stove (rather than up the flue).

You beat me to it. This is smelling like a case of strong draft. Since draft numbers are typically too low to measure on a home-made barometer (think 0.05" water column), you'd do well to ebay a cheap magnehelic or other barometer, capable of measuring 0.01" WC resolution / increments. Most stoves want something well under 0.1"WC (think closer to 0.05") when run wide open on a fully-preheated system.

Or if you're comfortable with it, skip the measurement, and fly a key damper by the seat of your pants. Many here have and do, and eventually get a good enough feel for it to not need a gauge to tell them what to do.

I'm at the other end of the spectrum, I have a 0.25" WC full scale magnehelic mounted to the wall behind my stove, permanently plumbed into the pipe above a key damper. Even trained my wife and oldest kid to tune it to the gauge.

 

[Split]

I have a flue gauge. My stove generally burns quite high at around 900°F. It can get up to around 1200° when in that certain circumstance.

 

[Ashful]

I have a flue gauge. My stove generally burns quite high at around 900°F. It can get up to around 1200° when in that certain circumstance.

That's possibly another indicator of high draft. I'd say you have two options:

1. Buy a barometer capable of .01" WC resolution, and measure your draft. Confirm it is indeed high, install a key damper, and learn the damper setting that gives you the recommended draft for your stove (if listed in manual), or just tune to .05 to .10" water column.

2. Skip the measurement, knowing draft is likely high, install a key damper, and see how that affects performance.

Key dampers cost $7 and take all of 20 minutes to install, so this isn't exactly a big deal. They create an extra obstacle when cleaning, but also not a big deal, I just run my whip type (SootEater) brush up one side, back down, flip the damper, and do the bottom of the pipe a second time.