Size of splits for a Wood Gun E100 S.S. gasification boiler

[infinitymike]

This is my first time burning with a gasification stove, in fact other then burning in a fireplace this my time burning to heat my house ever.

So I split almost 6 cord of wood. Now I'm second guessing the size.

Are they to big or to small?

What do ya think?

(broken image removed)
By infinitymike at 2011-09-29


(broken image removed)
By infinitymike at 2011-09-29


(broken image removed)
By infinitymike at 2011-09-29

(broken image removed)
By infinitymike at 2011-09-29

 

[Gasifier]

Split sizes are g-g-g-good Boss. How long has that wood been split and drying? What type of wood is it? If not seasoned properly. What do you have to mix with them? Any dry wood you could mix with them? Pallet wood, scraps from jobsite, etc. I bought a basic moisture meter from Lowe's just to check wood moisture content for my curiosity. I think I paid 28 bucks for it. Do that and check your wood just so you know. The only reason I am saying that is I seem to remember you got the wood not to long ago. If it is a higher moisture content, say 28% +, it may be good to mix some dryer wood scraps with it when you burn. T-t-t-t take it easy Boss.

 

[infinitymike]

Split sizes are g-g-g-good Boss. How long has that wood been split and drying? What type of wood is it? If not seasoned properly. What do you have to mix with them? Any dry wood you could mix with them? Pallet wood, scraps from jobsite, etc. I bought a basic moisture meter from Lowe's just to check wood moisture content for my curiosity. I think I paid 28 bucks for it. Do that and check your wood just so you know. The only reason I am saying that is I seem to remember you got the wood not to long ago. If it is a higher moisture content, say 28% +, it may be good to mix some dryer wood scraps with it when you burn. T-t-t-t take it easy Boss.

That stuff was c/s/s just around the beginning of Sept.

I have a MM from Lowes and when it was split it was reading 29%.
3 cord of mostly Black Locust some Maple and a little Cherry.
I have 3 cord of oak. (that went off the charts with the MM 50%)

I should resplit a split and see whats goin on in the middle.

I have half a cord of doug fir 2x4 and 2x12 all 24"long cutoffs from a job and can continue to get that stuff all the time. (considering the line of work I'm in)

 

[Gasifier]

At 29% you are in the range of what the Wood Gun people say is good. However, it is still not as dry as I would like it. I would try adding some of your kiln dried in with it. No need to split it again. It will be higher moisture content inside. No need for more work. Try mixing about 70-80% splits you have with 20-30% kiln dried. Reminder to you. When I first started my Wood Gun I had one occasion with puffing. You may here a rather loud sound that sounds like a very large, giant deer blowing. Ever been in the woods when it is quiet and heard a really loud blow from a deer that is pissed you are around? Can cause your eyebrows to raise the first time it happens. hh: Don't be alarmed by the boiler if it puffs. It is just getting some oxygen the fire needs. You can adjust your Intake damper on the rear of the Gun that draws air in. I have mine closed about 60% now. Some guys run theirs closed, or almost closed. This seems to help with the puffing. The dryer the wood and more surface area of splits can increase chance of puffing. If loud puffing occurs while you are near boiler and wife hears it, tell wife that was just you lifting weights or doing push ups while you are keeping house warm for family. May lead to more warming. ;-)

 

[infinitymike]

If loud puffing occurs while you are near boiler and wife hears it, tell wife that was just you lifting weights or doing push ups while you are keeping house warm for family. May lead to more warming. ;-)

Actually this forum is getting in the way of "warming" if ya know what I mean.

Kids went out about 5pm Both of us had to leave for seperate appointments at 6pm and my wife comes in a few minutes ago and says "NICE the kids are gone and we are home alone and NOTHING oh well your loss". Tell your friends I said goodbye. She leaves and I am gonna be late if I don't get off this stinkin computer.

GTG

 

[Gasifier]

1.) WIFE
2.) KIDS
3.) House
4.) Wood Gun and wood.
5.) Hearth.com

And somewhere in the mix of 4 and 5, a few beers.

:lol:

 

[willworkforwood]

You are doing very well to be thinking about split size and MC from the get go. My Econoburn (and most other gassers) wouldn't appreciate the wood you currently have. I burn 20% or less, and would DEFINITELY need to mix a lot of dry lumber in with your stuff in order to make my boiler work ok. But, that being said, the Wood Gun might be an exception to the rule - I know the design is different than my boiler. A friend of mine has owned an Eshland Wood Gun for around 25 years - must have been one of the first off the line. He's not big on seasoning wood - cuts late and burns in the same year. Plus I don't think he splits nearly as small as what your pics show. So, although what he does is not "according to Hearth", it's obviously been working well for him for a very long time (never had a boiler problem). Mixing in dry stuff would be great if you can do it, but you also might be ok if you have to use the less seasoned stuff straight-up - you'll just use more wood. And, by next year you will be all set with a yard full of well-seasoned wood ;-)

 

[Gasifier]

You are doing very well to be thinking about split size and MC from the get go. My Econoburn (and most other gassers) wouldn't appreciate the wood you currently have. I burn 20% or less, and would DEFINITELY need to mix a lot of dry lumber in with your stuff in order to make my boiler work ok. But, that being said, the Wood Gun might be an exception to the rule - I know the design is different than my boiler. A friend of mine has owned an Eshland Wood Gun for around 25 years - must have been one of the first off the line. He's not big on seasoning wood - cuts late and burns in the same year. Plus I don't think he splits nearly as small as what your pics show. So, although what he does is not "according to Hearth", it's obviously been working well for him for a very long time (never had a boiler problem). Mixing in dry stuff would be great if you can do it, but you also might be ok if you have to use the less seasoned stuff straight-up - you'll just use more wood. And, by next year you will be all set with a yard full of well-seasoned wood ;-)

Yes Mike, keep at it. The more preparation you do now the better off you will be. The Wood Gun guys say a range of 20-30% moisture content is ideal, but I like it dryer than that. I am getting readings between 16-22% on the Ash I am burning now. (Depending on outside or inside reading.) I am throwing in some Pine that was standing dead as well. That is dryer.

25 years on a wood burning boiler. That is great. Good for him. I hope we all get 25+ years out of the boilers we are running now.

 

[muncybob]

Based on my limited experience with the WG those are as small as I would go. My boiler seems to run better with a mixture of large and medium sized splits. While that 25 yr old unit may run OK with less than ideal wood it will probably consume more overall wood than if it were closer to 20%(also speaking from experience here).

Regarding the back puffing or whatever you want to call it, I have found that it hardly ever happens if I run with the air intake damper about 3/4 closed. AHS told me to run it as much closed as possible while still maintaining a decent fire and 3/4 seems to do it for me.