I’m wondering if burning some doug fir that’s not green but isn’t very dry would do harm to a catalytic? I’m wondering if mixing with dry and not closing down completely would make any difference?
Catalytic question
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It can be done but you need to burn longer with the bypass open to make sure you dont gum up the cat. You will lose efficiency this way but sometimes you don't always have ideal wood. Best to get a couple years or more ahead on your wood supply.
This will be my first time with an epa stove. I didn’t have much wood ready because I almost went with pellet. I have about a half cord of dry and plan on buying some press logs of some sort. I have about a cord of 2 year old fir logs that I didn’t make it to with my chainsaw mill. I noticed it’s pretty heavy yesterday while cutting it up. I wonder if I stacked a bunch in the room with the stove how long it would take to dry enough . Room will be very warm
Do you have any idea what the actual moisture content is? Like with the little meter? Doug fir seasons fast and we had a pretty long hot summer for the pnw. The cat stoves can tolerate quite a lot of moisture, I don’t think burning it will hurt anything but won’t be as efficient. Give it a try. If it doesn’t bubble water out the ends then it will work pretty well. The thermostat on the bk will help manage the weird way wet wood burns slow at first and then takes off as it dries.
I’m supposed to get a moisture meter with the stove. From what I’ve gathered here, under 20 is ok? Ya, I was surprised how heavy this wood felt. Must have sucked up that last rain spell like a sponge. This fog ain’t helping either. Don’t really mind buying the press logs this first year as I almost went with pellets. This is all new to me. The old stove at the other house never cared what I threw up n there. Just had to clean the chimney which wasn’t much of a task. I’d throw wet wood in at night on purpose during the milder temps
Was the wood split 2 yrs ago? If so it should be dry enough unless it wasn't stacked and covered. Wood piled on the ground does not dry very well, especially the bottom of the pile. If the wood was in log form and not split, then it won't dry very well either.
Also, I’ve never burned press logs, Bruce at Wallace just said not to run more than two. Anything else ? I can’t remember the brand they carry
Ya, the wood was some Left over logs I was going to mill but ran out of time. I had them on some thicker slabs to keep off the ground but evidently not enough. So as far as the press logs, can a guy just get one burning by itself? Or does it take two to keep a flame
I’ve burned a bunch of Niels for testing. Mostly to see if smoke was reduced, it wasn’t btw.
Bruce is unfamiliar with how blaze kings burn compressed wood fuel. You can load as many as you want in a bk and it will munch on them safely. In noncat stoves, the Niels can really run away since so much of their combustion air in unregulated.
That said, start with 3 or four and get a feel for the level of control you have before loading 10 or more. The firebox on a bk is more of a fuel tank.
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When I tested both NIELs and HomeFires in the Castine I burned 3-4 at a time. In our larger T6 I would burn 4 at a time unless the outdoor temps were mild.
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You might also try some Redstones from Tractor Supply. They may prove to be a better buy.
Northern Idaho Energy Logs
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You might also try some Redstones from Tractor Supply. They may prove to be a better buy.
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You will find that due to the high density, these logs are slow to start. You will need a starter like SuperCedars or equiv. I have had the best success by loading them lincoln log style with about a 1-2" gap between the logs and with the starter in the middle.
So this stove is a Lopi cape cod, do you think I’ll be able to shut it down enough to keep it from over firing if I load more than 2?
Start off with a couple to get used to how they burn. A hybrid stove will burn more vigorously than a straight cat stove. Break 2 logs in half so that you have 4 pieces and start with that. You can make a triangle with 3 bottom pieces and the starter in the middle. Light the starter and place the 4th piece on top center once the starter is burning well.
FYI, if doug fir is split and stacked covered in March or April so that the prevailing winds can blow through the stacks, it may be ready to burn by November or December. The key is to split and stack it so that it can start drying out in the core.
Sorry I thought you had a BK. In a hybrid stove I would be sure to start small and maintain control. With that Lopi I would only admit to doing whatever your dealer or the owners manual recommended just in case you need to use your warranty.
I’ve got some dry fir I can mix and hoping I can stack some of the wet in there by it and maybe be dry in a month or so. It’s definitely not green, just a bit heavy. I’ll check with the meter. So less than 20? I’ll be ahead of the game for next year hopefully lol. Thanks again
Less than 20 is the normal definition of seasoned. Some manuals even allow for 25%. In our climate I can only get fir down to about 13% by keeping it out of the rain. Some people get fancy with kilns and greenhouses but I’m talking in sheds or on pallets under cover.
Thanks again. I talked to Bruce the sales guy, said there was a mix up in the pipe order, they screwed up but he made it right. Also said that I could break up the one brand press log and throw the other brand on whole and also said to buy a few of both until I have it figured out before I buy a ton
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