I don't have a moisture meter as of yet, but I imagine if I can see stuff bubbling out of the cut end of wood, then I probably don't need a meter. Some of my wood is really dry (so it seems) others are wet on the outside about 1 inch. When I load my wood, it pops and crackles something fierce for about 30 minutes. It is red fir. The person I bought the wood from cut it this summer from dead standing trees, but never covered the wood pile and I found out split it prior to delivering it. We have had a lot of moisture here in my neck of Idaho.
I can get my stove temps up to 500+ pretty easy and it stays plus 500 for a couple of hours then cruises at about 400-500 for a few more hours. Burn times are 8-12 hours (if you include only placing wood on a bed of hot coals to restart the stove). When it is time to reload there are lots of coals, which I burn down with small split wood every few loads prior to loading some more of the big splits.
I have 2 questions:
1. is the excessive intial popping/coaling due to moisture or does red for have this intrisic property?
2. Am I screwing up my newly replaced catalytic unit by burning wetter wood? This is my wood source for this season and I probably won't be needing to buy any more this season.
Thanks.
-Ray
I can get my stove temps up to 500+ pretty easy and it stays plus 500 for a couple of hours then cruises at about 400-500 for a few more hours. Burn times are 8-12 hours (if you include only placing wood on a bed of hot coals to restart the stove). When it is time to reload there are lots of coals, which I burn down with small split wood every few loads prior to loading some more of the big splits.
I have 2 questions:
1. is the excessive intial popping/coaling due to moisture or does red for have this intrisic property?
2. Am I screwing up my newly replaced catalytic unit by burning wetter wood? This is my wood source for this season and I probably won't be needing to buy any more this season.
Thanks.
-Ray