No choice but to burn green

[MNBobcat]

I spent all fall installing my outdoor wood boiler. I'm still 2 weeks away from having it running. I didn't get started cutting wood until 2 weeks ago. I have about 5 cords cut and split. I have oak, elm and pine.

I'm not going to have any choice but to burn green wood this year. I'll plan to clean the chimney at least once a month.

Is it going to be a lost cause trying to get BTUs out of this wood or will my boiler be able to get up to temp but I'll just go through more wood?

 

[Stevebass4]

let's just say i am glad i don't live near you

a lot of energy will be wasted getting the water out of the wood

 

[smokinj]

If you can find some ash would be your best bet

 

[Danno77]

just a waste of good wood, but you have to do what you have to do. A starving man won't pass up a saltine just because it isn't a sandwich.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

After a divorce had me scrambling for every cent several buddies dropped off 'extra' wood. They said I could drop off 'extra' when I had it. My best buddie wasn't even burning, he just scrounged a tree because he same the small stack I had was gone.

You might also try to score some Ash as already suggested or standing dead trees. The top 2/3 are usually pretty dry.

Might be worth it to look up some other local burners and swap, say 2 dry cord for 3 wet.

Pallets can be pretty hand for starting but leave a lot of metal debris.

Good luck! It does get better.
Mike

 

[maplewood]

Burn it, but cringe when you hear it sizzle.
Lesson will be all the more learned.
(Been there, done that. Took me two lessons....)

 

[quads]

It's an outdoor boiler? Around here that's about all they burn in those, is green wood. And nobody I know of ever cleans the little chimney/pipe on them. A buddy of mine has some interesting pictures of the creosote burning out of his.

I think you'll be ok burning green wood this year in your outdoor boiler, and make plans for properly seasoned wood in the future.

 

[firefighterjake]

Ah, just throw some tires in there to get it good and hot . . . . . . and yes, I am kidding.

Around here folks do the same thing as they do around Quads . . . in fact they seem to brag and take a special delight in how large the wood is, how fresh cut it is and how they can pretty much burn up everything and anything . . . and then they wonder why folks don't particularly like OWBs and the smoke being produced.

It sounds like you're not one of those "types" of OWB owners . . . I suspect you'll be able to get by. Perhaps get some pallets . . . they will help.

 

[rdust]

I'd imagine if you can deal with the smoke and realize you're going to use a bunch of extra wood you'll be fine. I was going to put in an OWB before I put the stove in the house this year but didn't want to deal with processing 8-10 cords a wood every year without getting to see a fire from my couch. I've decided if I ever do a boiler it will be something along the lines of an EKO unless someone comes up with a truly efficient OWB.

 

[raybonz]

let's just say i am glad i don't live near you

a lot of energy will be wasted getting the water out of the wood

I second that motion Steve!

Ray

 

[nephron]

how soon to burn after felling?

similar situation, just got a new insert and loving it, but the woodpile that seemed medium-size a couple of weeks ago seems pretty small now. I'm concerned that buying wood will just get me a lousy price on wood that isn't suitable until next season. I do have a place I can cut either standing dead or down trees that have been 'seasoning' for a few years that way. How realistic is it to cut it, split it, and burn it, right off the bat (assume fir and pine, standing dead for 3-4 years)?

 

[LLigetfa]

similar situation, just got a new insert...

Not at all similar. The OP has an OWB that can burn anything. It's not attached to the house so creosote fires are not a concern.

 

[firefighterjake]

how soon to burn after felling?

similar situation, just got a new insert and loving it, but the woodpile that seemed medium-size a couple of weeks ago seems pretty small now. I'm concerned that buying wood will just get me a lousy price on wood that isn't suitable until next season. I do have a place I can cut either standing dead or down trees that have been 'seasoning' for a few years that way. How realistic is it to cut it, split it, and burn it, right off the bat (assume fir and pine, standing dead for 3-4 years)?

Burning standing dead wood really depends on the moisture content. Last year I was burning standing dead elm . . . and what I found was that some of the wood was OK to burn right away (although I was fortunate and had a few months to dry it out a bit more) . . . some wood was marginal . . . and some wood (usually the wood that was only standing dead for a year or so with the bark still on it) was very wet and no good for burning.

Three to four year dead standing dead fir and pine -- I would cut, split and try burning it . . . it really may be hit or miss. Personally, if it's been standing dead that long I might guess you might get away with burning the wood, but you never know . . . I've had some wood that I figured would be fantastic to burn and it wasn't until I got the wood into the woodstove that I discovered there was still more moisture in it than I would have thought . . . fortunately, it's a relatively rare occurrence since I try to at least season the wood for a year.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

OWB, not a big problem. You can burn okay because they have a forced draft. Just expect to burn more wood.

Like quads stated, a lot of people only burn green wood in them. It seems to me after listening to many of them that one big selling point they use is that you can burn green wood in them. So then folks seem to connect that with the thought, gee, I don't have to have any wood piles on hand. I can just go out and cut as I need.

Well, it works, but they burn a lot of extra wood. So it takes a lot more time to get the wood you need or it takes a lot of extra dollars if you are buying wood. Conclusion: it is still better to season the wood no matter what type of burner you have.

 

[raybonz]

OWB, not a big problem. You can burn okay because they have a forced draft. Just expect to burn more wood.

Like quads stated, a lot of people only burn green wood in them. It seems to me after listening to many of them that one big selling point they use is that you can burn green wood in them. So then folks seem to connect that with the thought, gee, I don't have to have any wood piles on hand. I can just go out and cut as I need.

Well, it works, but they burn a lot of extra wood. So it takes a lot more time to get the wood you need or it takes a lot of extra dollars if you are buying wood. Conclusion: it is still better to season the wood no matter what type of burner you have.

I'm sure burning green wet wood is going to be their downfall and give wood burners a bad rap in the long run... Just because wood is a renewable resource doesn't mean we should be irresponsible when we have the facts in hand.. As the saying goes waste not want not.. Beyond that Dennis my old trusty CDW large convection is purring along nicely with well seasoned oak from 2 yrs ago as I type this message.. Sure feels good to be semi-independant! Just went to BJ's with the wife and noticed lots of trimmed off limbs from the power company and when I am off next time I am gonna take a ride in my truck and see what I can get... Was in the woods in front of my house yesterday and found trimmed off limbs from a massive maple near the road (this tree is at least 3' diameter at the trunk!) so I set them aside to be dealt with in the future...

Ray

 

[Flatbedford]

I don't understand the whole green wood in the OWB thing. Why don't OWBs need good, seasoned wood? Why give up so much efficiency boiling the moisture out of the wood?

 

[Chargerman]

I don't understand the whole green wood in the OWB thing. Why don't OWBs need good, seasoned wood? Why give up so much efficiency boiling the moisture out of the wood?

I think it is just because the creosote is not really a factor because a chimney fire is no longer a big issue. At least that is what I hear about from everyone that burns OWB around here.....that and the long time between reloads.

 

[burntime]

Forced draft so give it o2 and it will burn. A waste, but it will burn.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ya, I still don't like that they do it, but so long as it suits them, I guess it is okay. Still, in places it really causes problems and I surely would not want to be doing it. We have all the wood we need and more here but I don't like to waste it.

 

[BrotherBart]

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do to stay warm. For years when we ran out of wood in March or April I would be out hacking up dead down stuff forcing it to burn. Went through tons of anti creosote spray and a lot of chimney brushing be we stayed warm.

In fact up until we got the new EPA stoves everything we burned was cut and split in the prior spring and summer. Dang near all of it red and white oak. Just be ready to do a lot of work and go through a hell of a lot of wood.

 

[MNBobcat]

I hope nobody loses sight of the fact that I don't have a choice but to burn green wood this year. I'll have to post pictures of what I've built.

I had about 500 feet of thermopex to trench and install. I built a 12 x 24 foot shed (pole building style) to house the OWB and my wood. The shed has a built-in fan to evacuate smoke when I open the door. It has power, interior lights and internet, too. I poured 6 inches of concrete where the the stove sits. I ran 30 amps to the shed and from there I ran 30 amps to another building that i moved to our property this fall. I put 500 feet of wire in the ground.

In other words, all fall I was working like a fiend building which left no time for wood at all.

I have 30 acres and no neighbors close by. Smoke isn't going to bother anyone. I know I'll have to clean the chimney monthly. I'll be cutting wood all winter and next year my wood will at least have been able to season for 9 months. I'll try and get ahead so that the year after that my wood will have been seasoned for over a year. A guy has to start somewhere!

I'll take burning green wood over paying out $4,000 a year in propane any day!