With the right year I can absolutely get oak below 20% in a year. But if it is especially humid or lots of precipitation it doesn't happen. 2 years is almost always good for me.Stacked out in the open where it can get plenty of wind and sun...and its top covered too (sides open)
6-8 months is only enough for a few species...most take a year plus...and a whole bunch more need 2 years...and a few, like Oak, need 3 to be really right...yeah, you can use it in 2, but it lights easier, burns cleaner, and makes more heat at 3 yrs CSS'd.
If you insist on burning <1 yr CSS Oak, then I vote we change your Hearth user name to "Smoldering"
Where should I buy my stove?
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brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
You must cut short, and split small...that and central PA must be much dryer than NEO.
Have you ever tried 3 yrs CSS Oak? Everybody I know that says Oak is fine in 2 years is then impressed how much better it is at 3 yrs.
Heck, I know someone burning 5-6 yrs CSS'd Oak and he swears it just keeps getting better every year.
This is my first year running a cat stove, so I haven't had to do a replacement yet, but I've found mine to be really easy to run, and to produce nice even heat - as I understand it, that's the big selling point of catalytic stoves. The replacement cat for this stove is $160, but Woodstock offers a substantial (20 - 30%) discount if you need to replace it within the first 6 years of purchasing the stove, and a free replacement if you need one within 3 years, so I'm guessing I'll get quite a few years out of it. $25/year seemed fine to me - it's a cost, but not a substantial one.
As far as telling if it's busted, I would guess it's a similar process to telling if it's working when you first start using the stove =P I did a lot of googling the first few times I ran the stove because I was nervous about whether I was doing things correctly, but it seems like a pretty reliable indicator is to watch the stovetop temps after closing the bypass - if they go up quickly while the flue temp stays steady or drops a bit, the cat is working (note: the flue temp behavior seems model-specific - my manual said it would drop with the cat engaged, and that's roughly what I see, but for other stoves apparently the flue temp goes up when the cat is engaged. Presumably down to airflow patterns that vary between different designs?). Other indicators: if it's glowing, it's probably working (although if it's not glowing it might also be working, since the takeoff temp is lower than the glowing temp), and the major/definitive test (daylight only) is to go outside and look at the chimney smoke - if it's black, it's not working, if it's white, it's working (because the cat should be burning all those soot particles and just releasing water vapor).
After my first week of nervous nelly constantly checking the smoke outside, I'm now pretty confident that it will work every time - I check on the stovetop temp periodically anyway, so if it started to go off the rails I would (hopefully) notice, but I don't fuss over it all the time. While I don't have the 36 hour burns of a Blaze King, getting hot coals after an 11 hour overnight burn is pretty nice - the house stays warm over that whole time (only cools to about 68) even when the outside temps are in the teens, so it's still putting out plenty of BTUs even with the long burn time
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Time doesn't matter moisture content does. In 2 years I am typically 16-18% in one year I am usually 19-20. If it goes a 3rd year it really doesn't change much. The difference between a year and 2 is noticable 2 and 3 not really
yooperdave
Minister of Fire
Back in 09, I had some oak slabs that I cut up for firewood. The first year was pointless burning it and I really looked forward to the 2nd year.
It was an improvement but still got the sizzle when lighting it. Waited for the 3rd year and it was quite different.
But......here comes the good part.....the 4th and 5th year were unbelievable! Never did I think waiting that long would make such a difference. This is what wood burners need to see for themselves.
But then, there are those that still believe wood can be too dry for firewood......🤣
It was an improvement but still got the sizzle when lighting it. Waited for the 3rd year and it was quite different.
But......here comes the good part.....the 4th and 5th year were unbelievable! Never did I think waiting that long would make such a difference. This is what wood burners need to see for themselves.
But then, there are those that still believe wood can be too dry for firewood......🤣
Ok guys yes truly dry wood makes a huge difference. But if a person can get it dry in a year or two years and extra 3 won't change anything. It all depends upon size of splits moisture content when split how and where it's stacked air movement temperature humidity etc etc. In some situations yes it may take 5 years in others a year or two is plenty. If I had to wait 5 years to burn my wood I wouldn't be heating with wood.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Ok, the OP knows about importance of dry wood.
Back to his question, visit local shops. Listen carefully but also work with a dealer that listens to you! Whichever brand and model you select, read the installation requirements before you make your purchase.
Then, the list of qualifying IRS 25D Tax Credit stoves has increased recently, so look at that list as well.
BKVP
Back to his question, visit local shops. Listen carefully but also work with a dealer that listens to you! Whichever brand and model you select, read the installation requirements before you make your purchase.
Then, the list of qualifying IRS 25D Tax Credit stoves has increased recently, so look at that list as well.
BKVP
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
If you have another heat source that is good at shoulder seasons, you might consider a tube stove.
A cat stove can put out decent BTUs but is also good at lower outputs in the shoulder season. So, if it has enough output to satisfy your needs during the coldest days, you could do all your heating with it.
Or you could do 95 pct of your heating with it and supplement during the 5 coldest days with a little bit of oil.
There are other stoves that can output more than a BK. But do you want/need to size your stove for the few coldest days or do you want to be able to heat with it during the many shoulder season days without having to go for intermittent fires or be roasted out of your home.
The bottom line is what do you size your stove output for. Most of the days, or the 5 extreme cold days - when one might not reach the wished for 68F but only 64 F or so if one doesn't use a bit of oil or propane or so.
A cat stove can put out decent BTUs but is also good at lower outputs in the shoulder season. So, if it has enough output to satisfy your needs during the coldest days, you could do all your heating with it.
Or you could do 95 pct of your heating with it and supplement during the 5 coldest days with a little bit of oil.
There are other stoves that can output more than a BK. But do you want/need to size your stove for the few coldest days or do you want to be able to heat with it during the many shoulder season days without having to go for intermittent fires or be roasted out of your home.
The bottom line is what do you size your stove output for. Most of the days, or the 5 extreme cold days - when one might not reach the wished for 68F but only 64 F or so if one doesn't use a bit of oil or propane or so.
Many many people heat with nothing more than tube stoves perfectly fine. Not that it matters because the op clearly said they were interested in a cat stove so this discussion really doesn't matter
With a moisture reader wet year 25 dry year 16-20
And to be honest I don’t care how much moisture is in it. If you have a hot enough fire going anything burns nice at 700 doesn’t matter what you put in
And to be honest I don’t care how much moisture is in it. If you have a hot enough fire going anything burns nice at 700 doesn’t matter what you put in
Also there not left in log lengths there splits. It you can’t burn them in a year somthing is wrong I like the chat back and forth. Gets the blood going 😂
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
That is not the case for all modern EPA stoves, even if an old smoke dragon could.
No doesn’t burn but evaporates it a lot quicker that’s for sure. Wood will be burning like she was 4 years old on 20 mins
Yeah and mine will be at that point in a couple mins. It takes lots of BTUs to boil that water. That water then cools the exhaust causing much more potential for creosote buildup.
Now that is enough of this nonsense in this thread. If you want to argue that wet wood works just as well as dry wood please start your own thread about it. We can discuss it there.
Exactly let’s talk stoves more exciting
You get to technical anyway
Bk is the way to go if your looking for the long burn times even heat. Just doesn’t give the big heat. I don’t think the person ever let us know what he would rather. I think the new epa stoves do a pretty good job for what they are. Especially if your getting a bigger epa stove for a house 2,000sq or under. That stove will work wonders
You get to technical anyway
Bk is the way to go if your looking for the long burn times even heat. Just doesn’t give the big heat. I don’t think the person ever let us know what he would rather. I think the new epa stoves do a pretty good job for what they are. Especially if your getting a bigger epa stove for a house 2,000sq or under. That stove will work wonders
"Why stay away from a catalytic stove? The long slow BTU release seems to be just what I'm looking for."
They actually did
Yeah then your golden if that’s what you want. I like cat stoves as well just a little more coat in replacing the cat but that’s it I just don’t think cat stoves are made for big big areas to fill with heat
That absolutely isn't true. The steadier heat from most cat stoves can heat big areas fairly well. As long as the heat loss isn't to high
And the big buck stove and the regency 5200 are both cat stoves that crank out pretty high BTUs though
Don’t know much about the bucks and big cats but I just thought from reading they are an amazing long burn -3-400 degrees But with average heat loss and low temps in a big home 2,400 and up I didn’t think they were really capable
What made you think that? Many people heat larger than that with cat stoves. By the way I am not a pro or anti cat guy. I think cats absolutely have their place as do non cats. I just want to be accurate with the info about them each.
Not all cat stoves are blaze kings.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
The regency 5200 and the BK King 40 have about the same approximately 50,000 BTU per hour listed for burning high. (Even if listing numbers is not all that reliable.)
In the end these stoves don't deviate much from each other even if the technology is different (e.g. triple burn in regency), and details do differ. Most variety is still in what wood you load, how full you stuff the firebox, and how strong your draft is.
In the end these stoves don't deviate much from each other even if the technology is different (e.g. triple burn in regency), and details do differ. Most variety is still in what wood you load, how full you stuff the firebox, and how strong your draft is.
Because of the tubes in the regency the firebox runs at much higher temps which means more temp over more surface area. Having been around both stoves I can tell you without question the 5200 radiates much more heat.
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