Desert Wood Burning or "Toto, I do not think we are in Northern Minnesota anymore"

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switepine

New Member
Feb 28, 2022
57
heJinx22
Sooooo..... that said now while I figure out my Woodstove, part of my problem is wood that is TOO DRY! Huh? In northern Minnesota that was never a problem. Now I am learning my Beautiful Dead and down bone hard solid Oak I have been putting up has basically a 0% moisture content and it is causing massive creosote build up. There seems to be no free lunch anywhere. So some of my wood may reach 8-10% if I spend a lot of time checking so my question is how do I remedy the too dry/too green/ too wet wood issue? Spray it down? Leave it uncovered? Mix with hard to find greener wood? if I use a 0% MC (moisture content) piece of oak and a 25% MC.....any other desert rats out there that have hit this snag?
 

bholler

Chimney sweep
Staff member
Jan 14, 2014
32,291
central pa
Sooooo..... that said now while I figure out my Woodstove, part of my problem is wood that is TOO DRY! Huh? In northern Minnesota that was never a problem. Now I am learning my Beautiful Dead and down bone hard solid Oak I have been putting up has basically a 0% moisture content and it is causing massive creosote build up. There seems to be no free lunch anywhere. So some of my wood may reach 8-10% if I spend a lot of time checking so my question is how do I remedy the too dry/too green/ too wet wood issue? Spray it down? Leave it uncovered? Mix with hard to find greener wood? if I use a 0% MC (moisture content) piece of oak and a 25% MC.....any other desert rats out there that have hit this snag?
Just burn it. If you have some stuff that's a bit over 20 mix it in. What issues are you having with the stove?
 

Caw

Minister of Fire
May 26, 2020
1,631
Massachusetts
Wood that's "too dry" shouldn't lead to creosote. It would lead to overfiring and short burns. What's actually happening?
 

stoveliker

Minister of Fire
Nov 17, 2019
7,261
Long Island NY
A stove set back into a fireplace, with a thermostat (Aspen C3) that thus thinks it's hot, so it dials down and makes the thing belch smoke. See other threads with posts of this poster.
 

Caw

Minister of Fire
May 26, 2020
1,631
Massachusetts
A stove set back into a fireplace, with a thermostat (Aspen C3) that thus thinks it's hot, so it dials down and makes the thing belch smoke. See other threads with posts of this poster.
No need, I understand now. Thanks for the save, friend! 👍
 

kennyp2339

Minister of Fire
Feb 16, 2014
6,930
07462
Quick question, I read a few of your threads, what type of chimney do you have?
It might be helpful to insulate your chimney to keep flue gases warmer if your having what I guess would be described as a rapid off gassing issue due to dry of a supply.
 

Caw

Minister of Fire
May 26, 2020
1,631
Massachusetts
Quick question, I read a few of your threads, what type of chimney do you have?
It might be helpful to insulate your chimney to keep flue gases warmer if your having what I guess would be described as a rapid off gassing issue due to dry of a supply.
That might help but seems like a lot of money for a bandaid. I don't think anything is going to really help if it's as stoveliker described outside of getting a stove rated for that space installed properly. The thermostat is jammed into an alcove (fireplace in this case) therefore running the stove incorrectly and he's having issues. He needs manual air control.