Moisture Meter readings

[rkofler]

I'm sure this has been answered, sorry, I couldn't find it.
What is a good moisture reading for firewood? 10%, 20%?
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Battenkiller]

I'm sure this has been answered, sorry, I couldn't find it.
What is a good moisture reading for firewood? 10%, 20%?
Thanks for the feedback.

25% or less on a resistance-type meter is the high end of which you should be burning. Lower is better, naturally.

 

[ruserious2008]

Also been said before but since it sounds like you got a new meter measurement should be on the inside of a fresh split. I usually will take 5 splits and measure in various places and average them for a number to use. Keep in mind if its mixed species stuff like oak can take 2-3 years to dry whereas ash can dry over a summer so check each species also.
GL

 

[Jags]

BK is on it. 25% top end. 20% - ideal.

 

[CTYank]

Round here, with my stove, I find that 0% is ideal.

Quick light-off, quick to enable draft-closing, minimal steam sent up-flue.

Then again, I don't stoke it like a steam-boiler. 2 cords/winter is a lot.

 

[oldspark]

Round here, with my stove, I find that 0% is ideal.

Quick light-off, quick to enable draft-closing, minimal steam sent up-flue.

Then again, I don't stoke it like a steam-boiler. 2 cords/winter is a lot.

) You have been hittin the hardwood again haven't you?

 

[cptoneleg]

Round here, with my stove, I find that 0% is ideal.

Quick light-off, quick to enable draft-closing, minimal steam sent up-flue.

Then again, I don't stoke it like a steam-boiler. 2 cords/winter is a lot.

) You have been hittin the hardwood again haven't you?

:lol: :lol: he must thank we are talking about smoking dope or something

 

[bogydave]

I'm sure this has been answered, sorry, I couldn't find it.
What is a good moisture reading for firewood? 10%, 20%?
Thanks for the feedback.

10% or 20% is good dry wood.
Many of the BTU charts use 20% as a standard for dry wood.
10% is better & will burn hotter, keep good air control to the stove, & a great burn

 

[oldspark]

I dont think I can get my wood to 10% here in Iowa.

 

[lukem]

I measured some cherry last night that came in at 15% - 16%. I was cut from standing dead, split and stacked in the woodshed about 18 months ago. The stacks in the woodshed are 4 rows wide, 17 feet long, and 7 feet high....this cherry came from basically the middle. I think that's about as good as I'm going to get in the midwest.

 

[Battenkiller]

I dont think I can get my wood to 10% here in Iowa.

I get curious when someone says something like that, so I sometimes look up the average EMC in that area. Driving through southern SD just above you in September several years ago, it seemed as hot and dry as you could imagine. So, I am amazed to see that that NYC, which is right on the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by water, has an EMC 3 points lower than where you are at this time of year. Guess that's why all those wealthy Manhattanites just love their big cat stoves. :lol:

OS if you really think 10% MC is better than your 14-15%, bring it inside for a couple weeks in the winter. It'll get there. ;-)

 

[oldspark]

I dont think I can get my wood to 10% here in Iowa.

I get curious when someone says something like that, so I sometimes look up the average EMC in that area. Driving through southern SD just above you in September several years ago, it seemed as hot and dry as you could imagine. So, I am amazed to see that that NYC, which is right on the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by water, has an EMC 3 points lower than where you are at this time of year. Guess that's why all those wealthy Manhattanites just love their big cat stoves. :lol:

OS if you really think 10% MC is better than your 14-15%, bring it inside for a couple weeks in the winter. It'll get there. ;-)

I dont think 10% is better than 14% cause I dont know but now that you mention it I might have some that dry that has been in the house a while.

 

[James02]

My question is as follows.....When everybody says oak takes 2 or 3 years, is that for a good size split....The wood I had delivered a few months ago isn't terrible wide in diameter.

 

[oldspark]

My question is as follows.....When everybody says oak takes 2 or 3 years, is that for a good size split....The wood I had delivered a few months ago isn't terrible wide in diameter.

Hard to answer that with out writing a report due to the many varibles but I would say a medium split, some (including me) can get oak dry in less than 2 years (18 months with two summers works great for me). So split it small if you want it quicker and make sure it is stacked in single rows where it can get wind and sun. Best to do your own fact finding and do all you can to get the best drying conditions possible.

 

[Battenkiller]

My question is as follows.....When everybody says oak takes 2 or 3 years, is that for a good size split....The wood I had delivered a few months ago isn't terrible wide in diameter.

Depends on what you consider to be a good size split. ;-)

Smaller and thinner splits dry much faster, but bigger splits burn longer and more evenly. However, faced with the prospect of having to burn oak with short seasoning time, I would split it thin. Thin drier splits burn a heck of a lot better than thicker moister ones.

Two 2x4" splits will dry more than twice as fast as one 4x4" split. Not only have you nearly doubled the drying surface area of the sides, the water in the center of each smaller split only has to diffuse half as far to get to the outside. Even at the same cross-sectional area, the thinner split wins the race.

For example, with pieces of the same length, a 2x4" split has the same volume as a 2.8" square split or a debarked 3.2" round, but there is more exposed surface area in the 2x4 than in the 2.8x2.8", which in turn has more surface area than the round. Therefore, the 2x4 will dry fastest, the the square will be next, and the round will dry slowest.

At identical relative humidities and other drying conditions, wood drying becomes a diffusion limited process. The shorter the distance the water has to diffuse from the inside to the outside of the split, the faster it will dry.

 

[oldspark]

BK Why do I always like your answers better than mine? :red:

 

[Battenkiller]

BK Why do I always like your answers better than mine? :red:

Same reason I like your electrical answers better than mine, I guess.