Ecologs - any good in EPA stoves?

[Swedishchef]

Hey guys

Got a question for you. My local hardware store has a sale that ends today (too late for me I think) on boxes of eco logs. 9 logs for $4.44. They are made of hardwood fibers. It says that 13 boxes is equivalent to a cord, I presume face cord. So that would mean that 39 boxes would give a real cord.

So for $173.16 I could have a "cord of hardwood" that is mess free. My question: do these logs actually work properly? Will they work in an EPA stove and heat enough? Anybody ever tried these?

Thanks in advance

Andrew

 

[madrone]

A search in the forums for "biobricks" will yield a number of discussions of compressed wood fuel, bricks and logs. I've tried bricks and found them nice to use, but they're too expensive for me compared to free wood.
They burn clean, put out decent heat, and are easy to store and handle. Only real issue is loading the stove so that you don't risk overfiring. I found that loading them tight together helped slow down the burn. I also went through them faster than I thought I would. I seem to remember others here stating that they didn't think the advertised cord equivalency of pressed wood was accurate.

 

[woodchip]

A search in the forums for "biobricks" will yield a number of discussions of compressed wood fuel, bricks and logs. I've tried bricks and found them nice to use, but they're too expensive for me compared to free wood.

A company I saw at a show yesterday was selling straw logs for £4-50 for 3. They reckoned they would burn for 3 hours.

24/7 for a 3 month winter season gives you a cost of (3 hours x 8 = 1 day x 92 for winter) £3312 ($5376) for 3 months.

They reckon they could help save the world.....

Shame I cannot afford to save the world ;-)

 

[raybonz]

Hey guys

Got a question for you. My local hardware store has a sale that ends today (too late for me I think) on boxes of eco logs. 9 logs for $4.44. They are made of hardwood fibers. It says that 13 boxes is equivalent to a cord, I presume face cord. So that would mean that 39 boxes would give a real cord.

So for $173.16 I could have a "cord of hardwood" that is mess free. My question: do these logs actually work properly? Will they work in an EPA stove and heat enough? Anybody ever tried these?

Thanks in advance

Andrew

As long as they are just compressed processed wood scraps I would give them a try and see how they work.. If they do I'd say that's a great deal! Sometimes they tend to burn too hot so be careful and keep an eye on the temps when you test them..

Ray

 

[k9brain]

I bought a pack of WoodBrickFuel last year to burn with some wood that was not quite seasoned. They burned well but don't think Id load the stove with them only. They are just as messy as real wood, sawdust continually flakes off the log.

 

[egclassic]

I bought a pack of WoodBrickFuel last year to burn with some wood that was not quite seasoned. They burned well but don't think Id load the stove with them only. They are just as messy as real wood, sawdust continually flakes off the log.

I tried a couple of packs last year for the same reason. I was not too impressed with them, plus, they just don't give you the same ambience of real wood.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

I was planning go use a ton of the Eco Brick (log?) that was sold by Tractor Supply (USA) last year. I stopped by the local store a couple of days back and was told they plan to sell by the package, not by the ton...looking for a lower cost through buying larger quality. They had nothing in yet.

Now I see in a local paper advertisement form Tractor Supply they are selling "EC0" pictured but listed as "Redstone Wood Fuel". An eight pack is $2.99, but there is no information on the weight of the bricks/logs or the package of 8. I may check further as I'd like to also know what the expected/average BTU content ot the logs/bricks is.

Anyone else seen these at Tractor Supply?

 

[weatherguy]

They have some really good products nowadays, my local nursery sells two kinds plus the bio bricks, they have what they call an over night log, those burn a long time and really give off some serious heat. Then they have a less expensive log that burns about half as long, about the same as bio bricks.
I guess it depends on the quality of the log they sell. I buy the overnight logs and throw a couple in on the frigid nights, they last long and keeps the stove hotter longer so I think they're worth it.

heres some links to different types

http://thepowerlog.com/about-the-power-log.asp

http://www.woodpellets4me.com/bioprod-cozylogs.html

http://www.hearthwise.com/page/page/506662.htm

 

[wood-fan-atic]

I tried some last year (Envi blocks), and was not that impressed. They burn nice, but did not burn as long as I had hoped. $310 for a ton here on Long Island - free delivery. Supposedly , one ton of bricks =one cord of hardwood. Id rather burn my hard-earned scrounged cordwood.

 

[raybonz]

I tried some last year (Envi blocks), and was not that impressed. They burn nice, but did not burn as long as I had hoped. $310 for a ton here on Long Island - free delivery. Supposedly , one ton of bricks =one cord of hardwood. Id rather burn my hard-earned scrounged cordwood.

Personally I do not buy that 1 ton = 1 cord thing unless the cord wood you burn actually weighs a ton per cord.. Oak and many other firewoods weigh roughly double that amount.. We all know that BTU's of wood generally translate to the heavier the wood the higher the BTU's.. Pellets make the same claim and unless they are that much more efficient then it's BS.. The advantage with pellets is you can control the temp output via a t-stat and that is a plus.. With the extra blowers and motors on a pellet stove that has to be factored into running cost as well.. Got off topic a bit but the line seems to have blurred lol..

Ray

 

[will711]

I was planning go use a ton of the Eco Brick (log?) that was sold by Tractor Supply (USA) last year. I stopped by the local store a couple of days back and was told they plan to sell by the package, not by the ton...looking for a lower cost through buying larger quality. They had nothing in yet.

Now I see in a local paper advertisement form Tractor Supply they are selling "EC0" pictured but listed as "Redstone Wood Fuel". An eight pack is $2.99, but there is no information on the weight of the bricks/logs or the package of 8. I may check further as I'd like to also know what the expected/average BTU content ot the logs/bricks is.

Anyone else seen these at Tractor Supply?

I just picked up 5 packs to try. 25lbs./pack estimated btu's is 9000- 14000 / brick fyi the sale ends tomorrow at least in my local store. I like your avatar we are on our third Golden great dogs unconditional love 24/7. Take care.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Yes on love a Golden is tops, great dogs. We no longer have a dog but had befriended a neighbor's Goldendoodle and Labardoodle. The GD is a Golden at heart, but white and a bit smaller. They have since moved, yes and they took their dogs with them : (

Will, are you buying fro Tractor Supply? As I note the picture shows ECO but the script says Redstone. I recall the 9000-14000/brick number from discussions last year. I think that translates to a reasonable cost per BTU, but if I could get seasoned hardwood for under $200 a cord (true cord) I'll keep using the cord wood. I am not dependent of wood for heat, I use it for supplementary and to give my geoghermal ground loop a chance to recover during real cold weather.

As for 1 ton = 1 cord remember the manufactured compressed hardwood is "perfectly" dry (depending on your local conditions I suppose) so there boiling of water is minimum, this means more heat per pound than equivalent cord wood.

 

[kingquad]

I found the burn times to be lacking. Decent quick heat off a small load. Good to throw one or two in if your wood is still a little wet. A ton is definitely not equal to a cord of good dry hardwood IMO.

 

[will711]

Yes on love a Golden is tops, great dogs. We no longer have a dog but had befriended a neighbor's Goldendoodle and Labardoodle. The GD is a Golden at heart, but white and a bit smaller. They have since moved, yes and they took their dogs with them : (

[Will, are you buying fro Tractor Supply?] As I note the picture shows ECO but the script says Redstone. I recall the 9000-14000/brick number from discussions last year. I think that translates to a reasonable cost per BTU, but if I could get seasoned hardwood for under $200 a cord (true cord) I'll keep using the cord wood. I am not dependent of wood for heat, I use it for supplementary and to give my geoghermal ground loop a chance to recover during real cold weather.

As for 1 ton = 1 cord remember the manufactured compressed hardwood is "perfectly" dry (depending on your local conditions I suppose) so there boiling of water is minimum, this means more heat per pound than equivalent cord wood.

Picked them up this morning from my local TS, package has Redstone on it the brick has the E C but not really an O carved into it. Also on package states that Redstone is registered trade mark of TS & for more info on ECO bricks go to the web site ecobricks.net. My guess is that they are repackaged for TS to keep stove shops happy just like wood pellets are re bagged for Lowe's same product just under a different name different price. I'm burning mostly cord wood just wanted to try these. Hope this helps.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Thanks, yes the ECO has a stylized "O" made of circling arrows, as in "recycle"... thus the ECOlogy

At 8 in a 25 pound package, that's 3+ pounds per brick. I have a note that pellets are 9K BTU per pound, thus I'd put the 3 pound brick at easily 25K BTU each, assuming compressed hardwood, which is the claim. This suggests about 200 KBTU per package, at $2.99 at the present. I think that's close to what a gallon of heating oil costs and it has about 130K BTU, so the comparison to oil with a high efficiency air tight wood stove would put the bricks a little less than the cost of heating oil.

I will stop by TC and get a few packages. I think the price last year was $3.99 per package, hopefully less if bought by the ton. As for the equivalence to a cord of wood, if the 9K per pound is correct 2K pounds would hold 18 million btu, from memory oak comes in at about 24 million per cord, assuming properly seasoned wood... and all oak, mixed hardwoods with mediocre seasoning would likely be closer to the content of the ton of bricks, 18 million btus.

 

[begreen]

I found the burn times to be lacking. Decent quick heat off a small load. Good to throw one or two in if your wood is still a little wet. A ton is definitely not equal to a cord of good dry hardwood IMO.

Are these low compression logs? The picture on their website looks like they are. If so, they expand a lot when heated and end up burning much more quickly than the highly compressed products. I didn't like the low compression products I tested, but the high compression products easily equaled good hardwood. Some burned even longer than locust. (Homefire Prest-Logs and the Northern Idaho logs)

Reviews here:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Category:Fuels/

 

[kingquad]

I found the burn times to be lacking. Decent quick heat off a small load. Good to throw one or two in if your wood is still a little wet. A ton is definitely not equal to a cord of good dry hardwood IMO.

Are these low compression logs? The picture on their website looks like they are. If so, they expand a lot when heated and end up burning much more quickly than the highly compressed products. I didn't like the low compression products I tested, but the high compression products easily equaled good hardwood. Some burned even longer than locust. (Homefire Prest-Logs and the Northern Idaho logs)

Reviews here:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Category:Fuels/

Yeah, they must be low compression, cause there was some expansion about 45-60 into the burn. I don't know if they were Ecologs or Ecobricks. I got the from tractor supply.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

My local (rather new store, maybe here for 3 years) seems to be small time on the logs. They had a sale paper out at $2.99 per 25 pound package, when I got there today they were all gone. I had stopped by the store during the week, last week, and asked about the fire logs, got less help than expected. There was not knowledge by the person that the store would be having sale prices of the product in a couple of days, and when I asked about buy by the ton I got a blank response... don't know remembers just selling by the package in the past. Maybe the store buys only one ton at at time.

I can't believe this are low compression, not with the manufacturer claims.

In any case I again don't have even one to try. But, here in NJ the is no need for heat for at least another month. I guess I'd better keep my eye out for a good buy on hardwood, given the dopy store serving my area .

 

[begreen]

It's all relative. Any pressed log is going to need high compression to get the lignins in the wood to bond the product. But there is a big difference in the amount of compression and only a few of the more premium products are high-density compression.

PS: I should have noted that the Hearthwise product mentioned earlier is the same as the HomeFires. They are sold in New England, but not in NJ to my knowledge.

 

[fredarm]

I bought a pallet (81 packages) from TS Labor Day weekend when they were on sale for $2.99 a package. They also gave me a 5% discount for buying the pallet. At that price they are significantly cheaper that the Geo Bricks I burned last year. I had picked up a few packages form TS last year and they seemed to burn fine. I like the bricks because I can keep a ton in the garage and not worry about bugs, etc. I mix them about 50/50 with cordwood that I scrounge.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

My local Tractor Supply doesn't seem to be interested in selling by the ton, or in even having packages on hand when they offer he sale price of $2.99 a package.

At 81 packages $2.99 comes to $242 so if 5% off (sounds good to me) that would almost cover the sales tax, which is 7% in NJ (up from 6% a couple of years ago, a gift from our past governor). When I purchase firewood I don't pay sales tax.

My neighbor got a load today of "seasoned" hardwood, $200 a cord, delivered and dumped. The delivery was by a new pickup pulling a new dump trailer which was big enough to hold more than a cord. The delivery guy told my he was from a local farm and assured me he delivers a cord. I will take a closer look at what the neighbor got, but if a true cord of seasoned HW it is about 20 million BTUs and that's more than one can get out of a ton of Eco Bricks... at the expense of mess and storage. I'm now leaning toward buying a cord from this source to see how good it is. I'd like to find a source I can go to and get consistent quality/quantity.

 

[fredarm]

No sales tax on the bricks in MA because it's a heating fuel. It may be the same in NJ.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

You may be right on the sales tax. hope so. On the other hand don't we pay taxes on electric service? I have to check to be sure... if the darn TS had some Ecobricks in stock I would know because I would have purchase 5 or 10 packages just to give it a try.

EDIT: I checked, and firewood is not taxed as it is a fuel, so same must be true for compressed firewood. I'll be sure to challenge Tractor Supply is they try to add sales tax.

 

[raybonz]

No sales tax on the bricks in MA because it's a heating fuel. It may be the same in NJ.

Interesting I didn't know that but have never bought Ecologs..

Ray

 

[Lynch]

i bought some to mix with my green wood supply ( 1st year burning in this house, so im not ahead yet.)

bought 30 packs of 8 for 2.99 a pack
i have tried them and seem to work pretty good with the wet stuff. hope the will get me threw winter