Help settling an owb argument

[aokpops]

Had people tell about wood being to dry . Burning wood is comparable to burning gas in a engine . Dump a little water or sap in your fuel tank . For me about like saying the gas was to dry brunt to fast .

 

[Huskybill]

That’s why the stove or owb has an adjustable intake air damper. With a gage on the stove pipe. With another damper and gage on the pipe I’m thinking the owb has automatic dampers? My last years wood total burning was a tad over two cords. I burn 24/7 when it’s really cold but cut back and use the oil furnance when it’s warmer. But one fire a night takes the chill out.

 

[Cody]

The ash bore is here with its green beetle looking bug. I’m probably looking at cutting my very old large ash trees down soon.

My firewood was over a year seasoned when I would sell it. Some wood burners up north burn wood after it’s been cut four months.

The dead punk oak wood is the best burning its pinkish on the inside. When they cut for a new highway here I went after the punk oak. Others went after the green wood.

DNR says that our county has it, but I've yet to see it. The small town that I bank in is composed of at least half Ash trees so when I go over there I keep my eyes on them. I have trimmed up some Ash trees lately, lot of dead branches in them but I noticed no shiny green bugs.

 

[cantoo]

Cody, I've never seen the actual borer here but in the last years we have the evidence everywhere. Dead branches in the tops, suckers growing from the bottom and bark falling off when hit with tractor tire or whatever. When bark falls off they are covered with borer tracks on the wood. Also the trees are being attached aggressively by wood peckers. The last year has been really bad, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to keep up on the property that I cut on. We have ash trees falling down all over in the approx. 40 acre bush. I only have so much time available to cut.

 

[svk]

We supposedly don’t have ash borer up here but I saw a green bug that looked suspiciously like eab. I tried to run it down to capture it but it was too fast.

 

[Cody]

Cody, I've never seen the actual borer here but in the last years we have the evidence everywhere. Dead branches in the tops, suckers growing from the bottom and bark falling off when hit with tractor tire or whatever. When bark falls off they are covered with borer tracks on the wood. Also the trees are being attached aggressively by wood peckers. The last year has been really bad, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to keep up on the property that I cut on. We have ash trees falling down all over in the approx. 40 acre bush. I only have so much time available to cut.

Well ****. If dead branches up top and suckers growing like crazy are a sign then I best be making a phone call or two. I always thought that when suckers grew it was the tree trying to fight back. I cut a couple large branches at my bil's this spring so they weren't threatening the house and couldn't believe the suckers that popped back up where a partial limb was left for a tire swing, looks about like a bush. Maybe I'll look a little closer at some but there's quite a few around here that look like that.

I'm not a huge fan of ash for firewood but when there's so much of it it's hard to turn down. Mixed with oak or elm it burn's good, but if it's on it's own there'll be a pile of unburnt coals left over if choked down too much. Maybe you could just find a way to get the trunks up off the ground, I'd leave the tops lay but get to what you can, and try to save the rest somehow.

 

[cantoo]

Cody, part of my plan was buying my sawmill so that I could stock pile ash logs for milling later and using up the crap for firewood. Only problem is the time thing, just not enough of it.
This is a google picture.

 

[Cody]

Cody, part of my plan was buying my sawmill so that I could stock pile ash logs for milling later and using up the crap for firewood. Only problem is the time thing, just not enough of it.
This is a google picture. View attachment 664825

A saw mill is something I'm looking into getting some year as well, probably 3-5 years out but as you mention, that whole time thing is usually more of a constraint than anything. There's a lot of work to be done when getting into milling it seems.

 

[cantoo]

I bought a Woodland Mills HM130, nice machine and should work fine for what I want to do. I built a trailer for it so I could move it around if wanted.

 

[Cody]

I bought a Woodland Mills HM130, nice machine and should work fine for what I want to do. I built a trailer for it so I could move it around if wanted.

I don't think I want one on a trailer. A concrete pad would be more than enough, maybe some sort of roof. I could probably get by with one that only cuts 2' diameter logs as well, and 12-14' would be plenty but I'll worry about that more when the time comes.

 

[rngrchad]

If you read about some of the debates that go on and on here you will realize it does not matter. Green wood does burn slower than dry seasoned wood so what. If you have a large supply of wood who cares what it takes to stay warm. If you have some limits then how you manage your supply does matter. It takes a certain amount of BTU's to dry out wood that is either wet or unseasoned and again it does not matter. Take it from an old ***t do not waste time discussing issues that can not be proved. If you had a university visit most people will not listen. Thanks

It's a proven fact that seasoned firewood creates more heat than unseasoned firewood.. What issues are you talking about "that can not be proved" Your confused, or I'm confused about the point your trying to make.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

It's a proven fact that seasoned firewood creates more heat than unseasoned firewood.. What issues are you talking about "that can not be proved" Your confused, or I'm confused about the point your trying to make.

I do not think that there is much debate that seasoned dry wood will produce more BTU's than not dry. My point was that people who are of the mind set that no body knows more than they can not be proved to no matter what. Or they will not listen so no amount of proving will matter. Thanks

 

[JCMC]

Installed OWB in November 1998 first years wood was already seasoned it was Maple 24hr burn on a load with nice bed of coals. Second year cut wood in the fall for that winter green wood 24hr burn time no bed of coals had to rake ash to find coals enough to get fire rekindled. Went back to burning seasoned wood.
First year 9 cord second year 12 cord need I say more. Dry wood burns better.

 

[4seasons]

Just the facts:
1. The number of BTUs to heat a house varies greatly depending on the size the insulation and the outside temperature.
2. The number of BTUs that can be extracted from firewood varies greatly as well. The species of wood and the moisture content are the greatest factors. Other factors include the design of the wood-burning appliance and how many BTUs go up the chimney as opposed to staying in the house. This is where OWBs really suffer as the fire is not in the house thus heat is lost outside and in the plumbing to get it into the house. (I also understand the advantages of a OWB and am not bashing them, only pointing out if you want efficiency the OWB is not the way to go.)
3. The math and science both support your point of seasoned wood being better than green wood. However the only way to truly put it to the test is to build two houses side by side with the same exact OWB using the same plumbing and design. Both houses must have the exact same temperature and other appliances and see the exact same use. Give one house the exact same type of wood and the exact same amount but one green wood and the other 2 year old wood. Then sit back and watch who loads the boiler more often and who runs out of wood first.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Ck0461]

Just the facts:
1. The number of BTUs to heat a house varies greatly depending on the size the insulation and the outside temperature.
2. The number of BTUs that can be extracted from firewood varies greatly as well. The species of wood and the moisture content are the greatest factors. Other factors include the design of the wood-burning appliance and how many BTUs go up the chimney as opposed to staying in the house. This is where OWBs really suffer as the fire is not in the house thus heat is lost outside and in the plumbing to get it into the house. (I also understand the advantages of a OWB and am not bashing them, only pointing out if you want efficiency the OWB is not the way to go.)
3. The math and science both support your point of seasoned wood being better than green wood. However the only way to truly put it to the test is to build two houses side by side with the same exact OWB using the same plumbing and design. Both houses must have the exact same temperature and other appliances and see the exact same use. Give one house the exact same type of wood and the exact same amount but one green wood and the other 2 year old wood. Then sit back and watch who loads the boiler more often and who runs out of wood first.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Or you can ask people who burned both and see witch one was more efficient. It’s a simple question that doesn’t require an experiment. Science has already proven that seasoned wood provides higher BTU’s. Not one person has replied that they burn green or wet wood because it’s better.