Small Splits Vs Large splits of Hardwood...Difference?

[Joey Jones]

I notice my small splits catch immediatly in my wood stove while larger splits, seem to take much longer to catch fire. Hypothetically if I was to fill my stove to capacity with small hardwood splits would I get a shorter burn time than if I did fill it with larger chunks of hardwood? Both scenarios assume wood is well seasoned.

 

[cmonSTART]

Yes. More surface area means a quicker, more intense reaction.

 

[Corey]

That about sums it up - though depending on what you call 'small splits' I wouldn't recommend filling the stove to capacity. You'd probably wind up with an intensely hot fire for a few minutes - most likely overfiring the stove. Just decide what you need out of the stove - a short/hot fire or a long burning more even heat.

 

[kd460]

A good mix of both is what I do when at home/awake. I use the biggies when sleeping or at work. But still stuff some smaller stuff in any empty spaces in the insert before I go to bed. This year I have tried to keep most of my splits on the larger side. I figure I can always make them smaller. KD

 

[jpl1nh]

A good mix of both is what I do when at home/awake. I use the biggies when sleeping or at work. But still stuff some smaller stuff in any empty spaces in the insert before I go to bed. This year I have tried to keep most of my splits on the larger side. I figure I can always make them smaller. KD

Agreed, leave big, you can make smaller. The glue used to make smaller ones big again is not good for your stove! %-P

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Large ones take longer to dry as well, and they will not catch as easily if higher moisture.

 

[savageactor7]

Overall since we got the new stove I've been splitting smaller after I kept bashing the reburner tubes on top of the firebox. I kind of like the performance of the smaller splits...and I we can still load it full to the max and get a good 8hr burn. Coals will last much longer than that but not much usable heat, still hot coals are good to have esp when your away for 10hrs cause soon as you load it you're making heat.

 

[Joey Jones]

Overall since we got the new stove I've been splitting smaller after I kept bashing the reburner tubes on top of the firebox. I kind of like the performance of the smaller splits...and I we can still load it full to the max and get a good 8hr burn. Coals will last much longer than that but not much usable heat, still hot coals are good to have esp when your away for 10hrs cause soon as you load it you're making heat.

Thank you for being truthful about buring small splits ....I see lots of people that do not like to admit that a small split will burn faster and hotter than a large chunk of log. Especially with an E.P.A. Stove.


I did see a Jotul #1 Combie on Craigs list yesterday for $500 and wished that I had bought it instead of this old Englander 13Nc grandfather fickle burning stove. So too late now but i think the Jotul Combie is a better wood stove. It is a monster wood burner and would burn anything, without a flinch, from dead bodies to wet wood...without letting down it's guard. So sorry I couldn't wait that long.

 

[billb3]

Even in an open fireplace big splits can go out, benifit from smaller splits burning well around them.

A little experimenting usually yields the point of 'big' is 'too big'.
A nice size for your stove could very easily be too big for mine, even with a decent bed of coals.

 

[gpcollen1]

Overall since we got the new stove I've been splitting smaller after I kept bashing the reburner tubes on top of the firebox. I kind of like the performance of the smaller splits...and I we can still load it full to the max and get a good 8hr burn. Coals will last much longer than that but not much usable heat, still hot coals are good to have esp when your away for 10hrs cause soon as you load it you're making heat.

Thank you for being truthful about buring small splits ....I see lots of people that do not like to admit that a small split will burn faster and hotter than a large chunk of log. Especially with an E.P.A. Stove.


I did see a Jotul #1 Combie on Craigs list yesterday for $500 and wished that I had bought it instead of this old Englander 13Nc grandfather fickle burning stove. So too late now but i think the Jotul Combie is a better wood stove. It is a monster wood burner and would burn anything, without a flinch, from dead bodies to wet wood...without letting down it's guard. So sorry I couldn't wait that long.

Friends don't let friends burn wet wood...

As for the split size, in general it is nice to be able to burn large splits but that does not mean folks do not burn smaller ones. When I split my wood I go about 50/50. Some logs I split to get larger pieces and some for the smaller ones. The key to getting larger splits burning nicely as well as having the stove burn nicely is to develop a good bed of coals. The best method here is using smaller splits to get to that point. I think you just need to keep practicing with that stove of yours and it'll get easier.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I've never seen anyone imply that a smaller split lasts longer than a large one, EPA stove or not. Maybe someone burning a cat stove might say it- I dunno about cat stoves.

 

[Joey Jones]

I've never seen anyone imply that a smaller split lasts longer than a large one, EPA stove or not. Maybe someone burning a cat stove might say it- I dunno about cat stoves.

You are 100% correct A.P. in yor statement that smaller splits do burn faster and hotter / pound, than their larger cousins. I suspect the B.T.U. output is the same for small and large splits My guess is there is so much more surface area of wood exposed to flame with small kindling size splits. Plus the smaller splits do catch very rapidly as the fire can wrap around these small splits and burn many sides at once rather than a concentration of fire on one area or side of a larger split.

Lots of us newbies have less than perfectly seasoned wood in the 20% moisture content range. And in effect are having trouble bringing our stoves up to full hot burn and keeping them hot even with 1/2 to full damper engaged. Smaller splits are a good way to get higher stove temps and a quicker way to make a bed of roaring coals... It has worked for me.