Using pallet wood with nails in a cat stove. Yea or Nea?

[WoodpileOCD]

Just read through a good thread on processing pallets in the wood shed with great pics. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/84313/

I know you aren't supposed to use anything that is painted or glued or such but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that you aren't supposed to burn anything with nails in it in a cat stove either but can't for the life of me remember where to go back and check.

Anybody do this now or is it a big no, no. The only thing I can think of is that any metal escaping the nails might react with the catalyst metals in the cat combustor.

 

[bogydave]

BIG NO for Cats
so many different metals with various nails, multiple coatings etc. Some even have glue.

 

[peakbagger]

A lot of pallet nails are galvanized and some have coatings containing lead. Neither is good for a catalyst

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I also would not advise it. Occasionally you may find some metal in the wood, like nails and I doubt one or two would cause any harm but burning wood with nails in all the time would be a different story.

 

[raybonz]

I heated my home for a full year using only pallets in my old CDW cat stove and had pounds of nails in there.. Ran it for 23 years afterwards with cordwood.. Maybe I got lucky but it didn't seem to bother it any.. I don't condone it and back then (1988) there was nobody to tell me it was a bad idea but I would be more concerned with overfiring heating with only pallets plus they made my stove backpuff pretty badly..

Ray

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ray, do you suppose that stove was a lot different from your present stove?

 

[spirilis]

I can imagine the backpuffing especially if you run it down low... if there is such thing as wood that is "too dry" pallet wood qualifies... it pyrolyzes fast as hell, if you add it to a cold firebox I've found the volumnous amounts of smoke coming out of the pallet slats is often enough to snuff what flames have already established (with my substandard chimney setup, anyhow; someone with superior draft might not see that happen). Crack open the door and fan the flames, and you'll quickly see the whole firebox engulfed in flame when all that smoke ignites...

 

[WoodpileOCD]

I heated my home for a full year using only pallets in my old CDW cat stove and had pounds of nails in there.. Ran it for 23 years afterwards with cordwood.. Maybe I got lucky but it didn't seem to bother it any.. I don't condone it and back then (1988) there was nobody to tell me it was a bad idea but I would be more concerned with overfiring heating with only pallets plus they made my stove backpuff pretty badly..

Ray

How long did your cat last. I'm assuming you replaced it at least once in all that time. It's the cat life span that I'm concerned about. I've got enough wood that I wouldn't be using all pallets just mixing it in. I have access to a decent supply of which a goodly number are oak.

Thanks for the input. I'm almost sure I saw it documented somewhere. I'll have to find it.

 

[raybonz]

Ray, do you suppose that stove was a lot different from your present stove?

Yup this stove is a secondary burn stove so no cat.. My 1st cat lasted 6 yrs so nails didn't seem to be a problem.. Maybe I got lucky? Puffing was definitely an issue with pallets and one time a nail got caught in the door and man did that stove get hot!! Thought the stove was gonna melt down until I realized that there was a 1/16" gap in the front doors from a nail caught in there lol.. Man we are talkin' China Syndrome here!!

I am not promoting burning pallets with nails I am simply stating my experience with it.. The new DW stoves are different but not massively different than the old CDW.. Hope othesr chime in and do not take this as gospel please..

Ray

 

[Hass]

There's quite a few users here who burn nails from pallets with cats and have not had any problems.
There's quite a few users here who have had problems with their cats, and have not burned nails.

I'll most likely be burning some nails this year. I'll try to avoid it, but I doubt I will be able to.
Cats are $200.
Pallet wood is free after labor of cutting it, and extremely dry.
Cord wood is $200 a cord.

In my mind, if the cat ONLY lasts one whole burning season, it still may be worth it versus cordwood. Especially since cordwood needs to be seasoned throughout, and generally pallets are already dry as can be.
I have a very very large supply of oak pallets, which are what I'm burning this year for the most part. So we'll see how the cat looks at the end of the year.
I WILL absolutely avoid burning anything pressure treated, or any large lag bolts I see. I know I saw some larger 6'x16' pallets I have that have a few galvanized bolts holding 4x4s together. Those I will either take out or cut out.

 

[raybonz]

There's quite a few users here who burn nails from pallets with cats and have not had any problems.
There's quite a few users here who have had problems with their cats, and have not burned nails.

I'll most likely be burning some nails this year. I'll try to avoid it, but I doubt I will be able to.
Cats are $200.
Pallet wood is free after labor of cutting it, and extremely dry.
Cord wood is $200 a cord.

In my mind, if the cat ONLY lasts one whole burning season, it still may be worth it versus cordwood. Especially since cordwood needs to be seasoned throughout, and generally pallets are already dry as can be.
I have a very very large supply of oak pallets, which are what I'm burning this year for the most part. So we'll see how the cat looks at the end of the year.
I WILL absolutely avoid burning anything pressure treated, or any large lag bolts I see. I know I saw some larger 6'x16' pallets I have that have a few galvanized bolts holding 4x4s together. Those I will either take out or cut out.

Hass your cat has a 6 yr. prorated warranty so it should last longer than that..

Ray

 

[nate379]

I have burned plenty of pallets and old oak flooring in my stove, all had nails.

I ain't scurred.... It's a damn woodstove, not a NASA moon buggy. I think many of you guys just need to throw wood in the things, light a fire, sit back and stop worrying!

 

[Hass]

Hass your cat has a 6 yr. prorated warranty so it should last longer than that..Ray

I know, but I'm just saying that if it does only make it one season I'm not going to cry a river. I would hope for many many years, but BKVP made it sound like burning nails is the end of the world in these stoves. However many burn nails in them with no problems.

 

[raybonz]

Like I said I am not advocating burning pallets with nails or not just stating my experience with it.. After one year of pallets only I was over it.. Cordwood is a far better thing and much more controllable.. Now pallets are for stack next years firewood on period..

Ray