Wow!! What a difference since last winter.

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corey21

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Oct 28, 2010
2,249
Soutwest VA
Made a fire to take the chill from the house this morning and had 3 small splits of birch and one good sized red oak split burning. My flue probe shot up to 800 once the load got going then settled to 650 and just cruised till the load was burnt up.

My piont is good seasoned wood.Last year i struggled to get that probe up to temp.
 
Is this still with the 12' pipe? Smoke still rolling out, or did the hotter burn increase the draft?
 
Same pipe Just came up with idea about getting more pipe last night.

Not much smoke spillage but still had a little. Maybe last year problem was from bad wood mostly.

Edit. This was with outside temp 41 and inside was 67.
 
Made a fire to take the chill from the house this morning and had 3 small splits of birch and one good sized red oak split burning. My flue probe shot up to 800 once the load got going then settled to 650 and just cruised till the load was burnt up.

My piont is good seasoned wood.Last year i struggled to get that probe up to temp.
I had wood issues last year also....might have an issue later in the season.....go to Bio-Bricks then....I'll never burn questionable wood again....after this year, I should be good to go, and start getting ahead on my stacks.
 
My wood supply is a lot better then last i may be able to get by this winter.
 
I agree Corey. The fuel is more important than the stove! Too many blame the stove when it is poor fuel. Let's hope your problem is solved as it will save you some dollars on extending the chimney.
 
I agree Corey. The fuel is more important than the stove! Too many blame the stove when it is poor fuel. Let's hope your problem is solved as it will save you some dollars on extending the chimney.
Amen brother the fuel is the most important thing and the source of most new wood burner problems or those who haven't been to Hearth.com!

Ray
 
I agree Corey. The fuel is more important than the stove! Too many blame the stove when it is poor fuel. Let's hope your problem is solved as it will save you some dollars on extending the chimney.


I hope it is solved too. Lets just hope i have the right amount of seasoned wood to make it thru this winter i have a good start though. But today i checked into some wood for next winter the land that it is on is owned by the army corps of engineers they said i needed a 2 week permit to get it. I'm going to go get a permit tomorrow or the next day.
 
This is a little bit off topic but is true that i will far less wood because it is seasoned? I have wondering about that.
 
This is a little bit off topic but is true that i will far less wood because it is seasoned? I have wondering about that.
Wet wood uses a lot of its energy boiling off the water so you realize less heat and more creosote in the process. I think your wood consumption should go down and your glass will be cleaner too. Your fires will also be easier to light and your stove will put out heat faster.. All good stuff! Keep us posted..

Ray
 
Wet wood uses a lot of its energy boiling off the water so you realize less heat and more creosote in the process. I think your wood consumption should go down and your glass will be cleaner too. Your fires will also be easier to light and your stove will put out heat faster.. All good stuff! Keep us posted..

Ray

Thank you. sounds like a better winter with my stove.

This morning i got things hot in about 15 minutes i did notice the reduced lighting time. Last year it took all most an hour to build a hot fire.
 
Many of us have experienced the fun & joy of burning really dry well seasoned wood.
The learning curve is fast on this site.
Now, we "Know" what seasoned wood "is" & "means".

Some may never know or experience it. Sad.
I bet 90%, or more, of wood burning issues comes back to the wood.

Hope I never have to got back. So I keep cutting :)
 
Thank you. sounds like a better winter with my stove.

This morning i got things hot in about 15 minutes i did notice the reduced lighting time. Last year it took all most an hour to build a hot fire.
Yup now will need to learn how to burn with your "new" stove because it will make that much difference! :)

Ray
 
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I agree i have a lot to learn still yet. This site is helping me out a lot i thank you guys for all the great info.
 
You're gonna be just fine Corey ;)

Ray
 
This is a little bit off topic but is true that i will far less wood because it is seasoned? I have wondering about that.


Absolutely!!! You will not only burn less wood but will enjoy more heat. They sort of go hand in hand. Most people are really amazed when they finally get hold of some good dry wood and never knew their stove could perform that well. We see this every year. Even the difference between 2 year old wood and 3 year old wood is amazing. Now imagine what it is like to burn 6 year old wood or longer! It is super. Some say it burns too fast but I have never experienced that at all. Simply turning down the draft takes care of the problem. A slower burn, the wood lasts longer and as a great bonus, your chimney will cease to be a problem. You will clean it a lot less often.
 
Absolutely!!! You will not only burn less wood but will enjoy more heat. They sort of go hand in hand. Most people are really amazed when they finally get hold of some good dry wood and never knew their stove could perform that well. We see this every year. Even the difference between 2 year old wood and 3 year old wood is amazing. Now imagine what it is like to burn 6 year old wood or longer! It is super. Some say it burns too fast but I have never experienced that at all. Simply turning down the draft takes care of the problem. A slower burn, the wood lasts longer and as a great bonus, your chimney will cease to be a problem. You will clean it a lot less often.

+1 !
Not boiling water into steam & up the chimney is amazingly more efficient :)
More "usable heat" from less wood ;)

Oh yea; No chimney issues either, cleaner burning.
 
This morning my fire went great again. I went out side to feed my animals there was not a bit of smoke coming from the chimney and i looked at the stove before going out the firebox had a lot of flames air was almost closed probe was 600 it had been at that for a while.

Temps are going to be warming back up for a bit the way it looks
 
Warming up yes. We were 73 yesterday. In 60's today. Frost for the next few nights but no cold on the way right away. Looks to be relatively warm for another week or more.
 
Warming up yes. We were 73 yesterday. In 60's today. Frost for the next few nights but no cold on the way right away. Looks to be relatively warm for another week or more.

It hit 78 today with a really warm breeze blowing.

I have been relocating a kindling pile this evening trying to make some room for some hardwood splitting.
 
Not to be a downer, but the moisute content of 6 year old wood is going to be the same as 2 year old wood. Once it loses it's interior moisture, wood is going to exacty mimic the humidty in the air. The vast majorty of wood will be there after 2 years (oak as an exception). Any other wood in the stack will be higher in moisture in humid periods and lower otherwise. It's not complicated, it's just physics. The 2X6 stud in my wall would measure the same as any top covered stack of 2+ years.
 
Not to be a downer, but the moisute content of 6 year old wood is going to be the same as 2 year old wood. Once it loses it's interior moisture, wood is going to exacty mimic the humidty in the air. The vast majorty of wood will be there after 2 years (oak as an exception). Any other wood in the stack will be higher in moisture in humid periods and lower otherwise. It's not complicated, it's just physics. The 2X6 stud in my wall would measure the same as any top covered stack of 2+ years.

Not all wood is going to lose it's interior moisture content in 2 years though. When I stack multiple rows deep it takes many years for the inside wood to season. I had ash 5 rows deep and still had a m/c in the 30's after 3 years. Single stacked in good sun/wind(which everyone doesn't have) I can get on board with the 2 year deal for everything minus the oak. ;)
 
Not all wood is going to lose it's interior moisture content in 2 years though. When I stack multiple rows deep it takes many years for the inside wood to season. I had ash 5 rows deep and still had a m/c in the 30's after 3 years. Single stacked in good sun/wind(which everyone doesn't have) I can get on board with the 2 year deal for everything minus the oak. ;)

So if im getting this right the higher the stack is the longer it takes to season?
 
No its how many rows you have lets say you stack ten rows deep, the rows are all 4 feet tall by 8 feet long.

The rows in the middle dont get any air like rows 4 , 5 , and 6.

Need to have some space between rows.

Hope this helps.
 
No its how many rows you have lets say you stack ten rows deep, the rows are all 4 feet tall by 8 feet long.

The rows in the middle dont get any air like rows 4 , 5 , and 6.

Need to have some space between rows.

ohh ok im in good shape then. Thank you.
 
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