Chestnut for Wood Burner fuel

[JasonClint]

Hi guys,

I've just moved to a new place and trying to suss out local wood suppliers. I've found a local supplier who offers seemingly good prices, but they are offering the following:

3 Cubic Metre Truck Load Open firewood (Ash, Oak, Cherry, Hornbeam, Birch etc) £150.

3 Cubic Metre Truck Load wood burner (Chestnut) £135.

It seems they are selling the Chestnut cheaper for use in wood burners. Being a complete newbie burner, I just wanted your advice on whether the chestnut was perfectly fine to use in my wood burner or whether I should just get the selection of Ash, Oak, Cherry etc. as it might be better fuel?

Thanks!

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Go for the ash, oak cherry and the like. BTU charts rate chstnut as poor, so poor that the chart I use doesn't list the BTU's in the wood. Don't know what type of chestnut you have in the U.K but all (almost all) of the American Chestnut died from disease decades ago. About all we have left is Chinese Chestnut or hybird varients of Chinese and surviving American Chestnut. I can't inagine there are enough hybirds out there (U.S.) to produce chestnuts for roasting over an open fire let alone wood to burn as fuel.

B.T.W. I've done a lot of cycling and cycle touring in you neck of the woods.

 

[JasonClint]

Great thanks - confirms my suspicion that it's probably worth the extra 15 quid to get the better wood.

Awesome that you've been around here, when were you last here? Did you tour Kent specifically?

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Great thanks - confirms my suspicion that it's probably worth the extra 15 quid to get the better wood.

Awesome that you've been around here, when were you last here? Did you tour Kent specifically?

First trip to Kent and the surrounding area was about 5 years ago. The last trip was in 2011 when my wife and I cycled with some Brit friends who were serving at the same NATO base in Belgium. We had a fantastic time both times.

 

[JasonClint]

Excellent - I've just moved into the 'countryside' (by UK standards) so am enjoying the newfound delights of no piped gas and wood burning. Good to feel some distant connection to 99% of the members of hearth.com from all the way over here!

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I remember my first trip to England in '94; we had no problem adapting to operating our bicycles on the opposite side of the roadway, but going through the rounabouts in the opposite direction was difficult to remember, at least for a short while. Nothing like meeting a heavily laden lorry face to face to jog your memory

 

[JasonClint]

I think it's something about being abroad - I had a similar near-miss in New Zealand and we all drive on the same side of the road!

 

[Wood Duck]

I think the chestnut would be fine, but I agree the other wood is better. If the chestnut were a lot less expensive than the other wood, I'd go with chestnut. As it is, I'd pay the small extra sum for the other woods, which are more dense and therefore contain more BTUs of heat than the chestnut.

 

[JasonClint]

Great - thanks. Looks like a consensus!