Proper Operation of a Wood Stove

allen griggs

You have to have dry wood for these new high efficiency stoves.   As I have said I spend a lot of time on the wood stove forum and those guys really know their stuff.   Their ideal wood pile is under a carport.  Set down 2 pt 4x4s side by side, get your wood 4 inches off the ground, and  get lots of ventilation.

And I have a wood pile just like that and my oak and hickory are dry in 2, or 3 years, just like the guys on the forum say.
However I have invented the wood shed pictured above.  This is my zero ventilation wood shed.  It relies on the fact that water vapor will pass through unstained, unpainted wood.  The floor is 16 inches or more off the ground.  No windows and I keep the door closed.
On rainy windy days, the carport woodpile gets rained on.  On foggy days, the outdoors woodpile is immersed in fog.
My wood gets no rain or fog.  It gets sunshine morning and afternoon.  On a sunny 85 degree day, it is 95 inside my woodshed.
I am getting oak, and even hickory dry to 17 percent moisture in 8 months.

JimmyJack

I agree you need dry wood.  I heat my home with 12 to 15 facecords, and have done so for 50 years.  I have a 120 tree farm and firewood is one of my products.  I use hot water heat with a boiler in the basement.  Wood doesnt dry well until it is chunked,  split,  and piled like you say off the ground,  I use pallets for some of my piles. Until this year I used a cordwood saw,  but Im starting to cut back and letting some people cut wood on shares to make my life easier.  The market for hardwood logs has tanked,  but firewood has picked up some of the slack.  I seldom burn wood that has been dried for less than three years.

asop

Whatever you do NEVER put a large piece of coal in!!  My dear old Dad brought over a piece of coal maybe 12" X 18".  I put it in on top of almost fully burned logs.  Well about 4 hours later the belly of of burner started glowing BRIGHT red .  Took some doing but I got it out and thru it out our back door.  It was winter and freezing out.  It kept burning outside on the ground for well over a 24 hour period  

love2shoot

How about small pieces of coal?  Burn hot, blend with wood?

JimmyJack

Price of good hard coal isnt like it used to be ,   if you can find it.  Should work if you be careful.

notnow

If your flue pipe isn't "coal grade", you better be careful. The acidity will eat it up not to mention the exceeding it's heat range.

He Dog

You keep adding buildings and cutting the forest to burn, soon your place will look like the Navajo Rez.  Except you get rain, so you will be living in Atlanta before long, 'cause water runs downhill.

KenK/84Bravo

I have a 10X20 barn roof wood outbuilding to store/dry wood. I also have a 30X40 Metal outbuilding to do the same. Both get well over 100-120° in the direct sun/summer. Once it gets dry, I have an outdoor access only unfinished basement to store dry wood right underneath my living room.

Get to it right underneath my 2nd level back deck. Thinking of installing a trap door/stair set up to get in to the basement from my living room.

I just have to get ahead of it, in terms of splitting/drying.

I appreciate the knowledge, and the insight. Thank you.

allen griggs

He Dog said:

You keep adding buildings and cutting the forest to burn, soon your place will look like the Navajo Rez.  Except you get rain, so you will be living in Atlanta before long, 'cause water runs downhill.

Yes I have lots of buildings.  I built the house and then the addition, so that is two log cabins.  Plus the carport, and the tool shed, and the wood shed.  Five buildings.  I guess I like to build stuff.  I told the girlfriend I want to build another woodshed and she says "One is enough."
I hope the flood doesn't carry me down to Atlanta don't want to live there no more.

kimi

WTG, Allen!   I really have enjoyed all of your postings over the years!

kimi

asop said:

Whatever you do NEVER put a large piece of coal in!!  My dear old Dad brought over a piece of coal maybe 12" X 18".  I put it in on top of almost fully burned logs.  Well about 4 hours later the belly of of burner started glowing BRIGHT red .  Took some doing but I got it out and thru it out our back door.  It was winter and freezing out.  It kept burning outside on the ground for well over a 24 hour period  

I haven't laughed this hard in a good long while!!!  Thanks, man!!!   Too funny!!!

Brookwood

Heck!  It has been about 6 months since my son got me my smart phone and I still use it mainly for phone talking!   Burning wood and having to have smart technology to do it right may make me look stupid, but I will stand on my laurels and continue to sleep well every night! 

MIKE WISKEY

2 things to keep in mind when drying wood
1. off the ground
2. under a roof