Splitting for a Cat Stove. Thicker or Thinner?

[Babaganoosh]

Going to be ordering a new stove any day now. Ideal Steel Hybrid. It can take 22 inch long wood. 18 for N/S loading.

However as cat stoves burn differently than other stoves is there a more optimum thickness to split? Would it be better to split thicker to take advantage of long burn times or thinner since you can back the air down more than a standard stove?

I've already got my wood cut and split for this year..Unfortunately it's 16 inches long and of mixed thickness. Just wondering if it is better to stay the course and keep making a variety or if there is something I don't know about.

 

[owingsia]

just do things like normal.

i find for that stove 18 inch E/W is good but again might just be personal taste.

The biggest issue you will find with cat stoves (any EPA stove to be honest) is that you will need your wood to be DRY.... I dont mean CSS this season to burn this season... I mean a CAT stove is going to really need wood under 20% or depending on the wood 2-4 years CSS. Pine however is the exception. You can do the pine for about 12-18 months... just get it under 20% moisture content... I can get pine to 20% in one season out here if its just hot and no rain like this year.

Pine will actually burn well and because of the cat stove it tends to last a good bit in the stove and keeps the house warm.... thats just my two cents.

These new EPA stoves are not your grand dads on smoke factory that can take wood that was cut down in August to brun in Dec and I am not saying that that is ok by any means. I am simply saying that new EPA stoves are going to be a little more picky... and hey even though an old stove will burn wetter wood does not make it safe for the chimney.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

However as cat stoves burn differently than other stoves is there a more optimum thickness to split?

I've never heard that cat stoves need bigger or smaller splits. Do both and report back to us.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I've never heard that cat stoves need bigger or smaller splits. Do both and report back to us.

Lol. Noooo. I'm asking so I don't have to be the test guy.

I've never really heard anything either but you never know.

If they really thrive with smaller wood and the air turned down low it might be a good thing for people who have space limitations. They can split small and have their wood dried fast enough so that they don't have to have 3 to 4 years of wood on hand.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Lol. Noooo. I'm asking so I don't have to be the test guy.

Why not? It's not like one way will cause spontaneous world peace and the other an irreparable tear in the time/space continuum. Very likely one will work slightly better than the other with no risk to you either way.

 

[Applesister]

Why not? It's not like one way will cause spontaneous world peace and the other an irreparable tear in the time/space continuum. Very likely one will work slightly better than the other with no risk to you either way.

Ha ha ha...thats SO funny!!
Relief from that catholic fear of burning in hell...

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Its a hybrid so its not just a cat stove, its also an over fire. If it doesn't have air under, skinnier splits work better.

 

[JA600L]

Last year many of us running the Ideal Steel saw a more complete burn running north and south. East and west did fine too but seemed to leave more coals behind.

17-18" is what I would go with. The depth to the andirons is just a hair over 18" so you might want to aim a hair under. As far as split size goes, there is no doubt the stove off gasses more with smaller pieces. However, I think a healthy combination of both is good. Also mixing softwood with hardwoods works very well with this stove!