Oops!

[Shari]

Well, I reloaded around 11pm tonight figuring I was going to bed soon. I've been burning silver maple so far this season and thought I would try out some elm the last couple of days. Elm seems to take a little longer to get the stove up to temp (c/s/s since 10/09 so, yes, it is well seasoned). I am finding that elm leaves coals longer than the maple I was burning.

Anyhow, previous load was around 4:30. I loaded up around 11pm on a slightly larger bed of coals than I'd had with the maple, got involved in watching a couple of Christmas movies so I am still awake.

House is nice and quiet except for a ceiling fan running on low and a small fan blowing cool air towards the stove room.

Temp right now is 26 outside. Little or no wind.

Hmm... it's getting warm in here. Inside temp right now 81.5.

Oops!



Yes, I cross posted this on another list in case you are wondering.

 

[shawneyboy]

Shari better 81 than 61.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well, you like 81 in the summer, why not now?!

How elm burns depends upon how it was cut and split. If it is all stringy stuff, it will burn fast. If it was dead and the bark off when cut and split it will burn much better.

 

[Stump_Branch]

Backwoods, I have noticed that with some other wood. Why is that?

 

[Shari]

Well, you like 81 in the summer, why not now?!

How elm burns depends upon how it was cut and split. If it is all stringy stuff, it will burn fast. If it was dead and the bark off when cut and split it will burn much better.

You know, I've heard all these horrid tales of stringy Elm - this stuff isn't that stringy (different type of Elm?). I know the tree was down at least 9 months before it was split it but it had all its bark at splitting time. Bark is falling off now though. It was split/stacked October '09 so it is well seasoned.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

With elm, if cut green, when splitting you end up tearing the split apart vs splitting it. This just loosens all the fibers in the wood. The good part of this is that it will give up its moisture fast. The bad part is that it burns really fast. If you cut elm after the bark has fallen off, it is mostly dry wood that you are handling and then you don't rip or tear the wood apart but it splits more like a maple. Because it has not been torn apart it will burn much slower (less wood exposed to flame).

Not sure what other wood you are speaking of.

 

[NH_Wood]

Shari - sure is amazing how warmer temps really can let you get the house warm. When it was a high of 10* and low of 4*, I had a hard time keeping the whole downstairs at ~60-70* and ~ 58* upstairs. As soon as it creeps back to highs in the low 20's and low's in the teens, I can keep the house at ~ 73-74* down and 60-62* up (using a lot less wood to do is as well). I guess this is simple wood burning basics, but it's my first year, so fun to see how the stove performs under different conditions. Cheers!

 

[Shari]

.. so fun to see how the stove performs under different conditions. Cheers!

...and how different types of wood burn. My stacks are a piled maple, elm, locust, oak, etc. Being a new wood burner I'm not mixing the wood because I want to learn how each burns.

 

[Stump_Branch]

I honestly couldnt tell you either. I had a mixed bag of stuff and noticed a few of the same rounds, some had bark the others didnt or little bits still hanging on by a thread. The stuff wasnt overly stringy but very twisted grain. We dont have much elm around here then again maybe I got lucky. I guess I should ask does this apply to other spieces?

 

[Battenkiller]

Shari - sure is amazing how warmer temps really can let you get the house warm. When it was a high of 10* and low of 4*, I had a hard time keeping the whole downstairs at ~60-70* and ~ 58* upstairs. As soon as it creeps back to highs in the low 20's and low's in the teens, I can keep the house at ~ 73-74* down and 60-62* up (using a lot less wood to do is as well). I guess this is simple wood burning basics, but it's my first year, so fun to see how the stove performs under different conditions. Cheers!

Heat always travels from hot areas to colder areas. The bigger the difference in temp between inside and outside, the faster it leaves your house. It's also true for conventional heat sources like gas furnaces, you just don't notice it because the thermostat is picking your pocket and sending the money to the gas company.