Silver maple burns WAY hot

[Cearbhaill]

I had a silver maple taken down in December of 07. The smaller diameter branches (2", 3", 4" rounds) were cut and stacked up off the ground immediately.
It was a massive tree, so I have a lot of this smaller stuff and was hoping to use it all up during the beginning of this season.

I can't control it.
Three times now I have had fires that just get so hot they scare me- 750ºF on the front of my insert. I would have taken a photo of the thermometer but I seriously didn't want to get my camera that close to it! Rutland thermometer pointing at dead three o'clock!
I am uncomfortable with this much heat.

I tried my normal "get it going and then cut back the air" and the temps just keep going up. Then I tried getting it going and cutting back the air in increments. The last time I tried keeping the air open to get the heat up the chimney and out of the firebox and it still got frighteningly hot. Without my blower on high for 90 minutes I would have been toast!

All three times I had a very small fire- 4-5 of these tiny splits and still the heat was extreme.
It's a terrible feeling sitting there watching the temperature read higher and higher and not be able to do anything about it. I finally cut some tinfoil and covered up the entire air control slot.
This was the middle of the night, and if the husband had caught me in that situation I am afraid he would ixnay the irefay.
Noooooo!

I was really hoping to get rid of all this so I could (once again) rearrange my woodpiles. But if I have to mix it with my good winter red oak it is going to be sitting here forever.
Darn.

I guess it is better than sitting in there smoldering.

 

[Brian VT]

Wow. You won't have to worry about creosote buildup. lol
Are you sure there's no air leaks ?

 

[smokinj]

Yes silver maple burns hot just not very long,but all in all i use it 75 percent of the season! Damper on low and air inlet down all the way

 

[Cearbhaill]

Wow. You won't have to worry about creosote buildup. lol
Are you sure there's no air leaks ?

I was just serviced and checked out last month.
Passed the dollar bill test.
It runs fine with oak or hickory, so I would assume no leaks.
It's just that I have so much of these stupid smaller branches of this stuff- pallets full of it.

 

[begreen]

Use the smaller stuff to start fires and then mix it in with large splits.

 

[Cearbhaill]

Yeah, I guess it was unrealistic of me to think I could burn a firebox full of baby splits 10 at a time.
Who knew?

 

[Bill]

If you were a little closer, I would bring my truck and trailer and take that nasty Maple off your hands.

 

[Cearbhaill]

If you were a little closer, I would bring my truck and trailer and take that nasty Maple off your hands.

I would almost give it to you. :coolsmirk:

I have become accustomed to it now, and am able to use it if I mix it in with my good oak.
Good oak I hadn't planned on touching until at least December, but whatcha gonna do.

 

[savageactor7]

Lots of wood will burn hot, it's all part of the learning curve. Next time you wake up to the 20 day morning we can all bet on the wood you'll throw in first.

 

[bsruther]

Silver Maple is everywhere around here. There's a town down the road named after them (Silver Grove). Last season was my first season burning in the insert and Silver Maple was mostly what I had available to me. It seemed like 4 cords went up in a flash. It's decent wood in a pinch and it burns well, but plan on making a lot of trips outside.

I just cut this Silver Maple down 2 weeks ago. I'll probably use it in the garage, because hey, you can't waste wood.

 

[burntime]

I have burned silver maple. Like others have said, you can not load a stove with all small splits and leave the air up! Mix it in and its good to get the stove going!