Stupid Question?

[XTROOPER]

I had a lot of moldy and wet wood last year. So, this year I had a 18X26 foot carport put up. I have crushed stone as a floor. My question is, what do you think of buying a large industrial oscillating fan to move air over the pile? Would it be worth the electricity expense, or should I just let the wind just do it's job. We live up on a hill and it always fairly breezy up here. I live in NE PA right near the NY border.

Thanks XTROOPER:msp_scared:

 

[Circle B MN]

Wind is free, and most of us here have more time than money. Keeping it out of the rain will help a lot, after that, let time do it's thing.

 

[MATTYB11]

I agree. Keeping it covered will help with seasoning and reducing mold. If you are burning wood to save money, I would think that the cost of running a large fan all of the time to circulate the air inside would be cost prohibitive.

 

[XTROOPER]

Yep

I really did not want to buy the fan, but we had a chimney fire last winter and scared the heck out of us. Last year the wood pile was covered (too much) with thick plastic. I suspect this carport/wood shed will help quite a bit. We have the back with siding, the other sides are wide open to take advantage of the wind. I also am cleaning the chimney every month now, just to be on the safe side.
Thanks XTROOPER:msp_mellow:

 

[Nosmo]

Chimney Fire

A chimney fire is something we all want to avoid. If I was guessing I'd think it was caused by creosote buildup. If you are cleaning your chimney monthly there shouldn't be any buildup afterwards.

However if the monthly cleaning is necessary it is probably due to one of theses causes. It could be from a constant low smoldering fire or burning wood with a high moiisture content (green wood).

I see in your first post you did have some moldy and moist wood last year. If you burned some of this it may be the cause.

I am assuming from your statement "chimney fire" you are using a fireplace instead of a wood stove. However creosote buildup causes are the same for either of them.

Nosmo

 

[D&B Mack]

Also, stack it so the air can move through it. If the wood is already wet, at this time of year, the center of your pile will not dry.

 

[Doghouse]

Not a stupid question at all. If you dead set on a fan, how about a solar powered one? If the ends are open and it is not stacked too tightly, it *should* be fine. Although we have been getting a lot of rain in the north east this year, huh? Also, some kind of vapor barrier on the floor may help depending on ground moisture content. Did you stack on pallets?
-Matt

 

[avalancher]

If you want to push some air but dont want to spend the cash on a big fan, consider using ceiling fans like you have in your house.They use virtually no power at all, and you can find them cheap at garage sales all over the place.Hang two or three of them in your carport and they work great for pushing air down through the stacks.

It doesnt take a wind machine to dry wood, the trick is to keep a constant breeze flowing through the stacks to dry wood fast and completely.

 

[XTROOPER]

Creosote Build Up

I have a Thermo-Control 500 stove. I had an electric dampener on it, I don't know if that is part of the problem regarding creosote build up and resulting chimney fire. I did place some thick plastic on the ground prior to putting about a foot of crushed #2 stone down as a floor on the carport/wood shed.

 

[zogger]

Dampers

I have a Thermo-Control 500 stove. I had an electric dampener on it, I don't know if that is part of the problem regarding creosote build up and resulting chimney fire. I did place some thick plastic on the ground prior to putting about a foot of crushed #2 stone down as a floor on the carport/wood shed.

Unlike the vast majority of people who burn wood in a heater..I don't use a damper. I stopped decades ago because I was annoyed with the constant stovepipe cleaning and chimney cleaning. I now regulate excess heat going out the stack by adjusting wood size/species and air intake better, and making sure I burn seasoned dry wood.

FWIW. I get little to zero creosote buildup. Yes, I probably burn a little more wood, but..I hates the cleaning and potential dangers.

You don't put a restrictive muffler on a vehicle engine to make it run better.....and all a car engine is is a chemical burning gases heat pump...same as a heater. Long chain hydrocarbons mixed with O2 in the proper ratio.

Now if I had a modern secondary burn designed heater, it would work better than that even, I know I would get more heat with less wood, but still with little to no creosote buildup.

 

[CrappieKeith]

A lack of make up combustion air can be a cause for too much creosote. Keep your flue clean and flue fires are impossible.
Maybe you have a cold flue....too many 90's...wet wood can also be the culprit. Too big of a heater always dampered down can also cause creosote. Sometimes smaller loads are better. A small hot fire is more efficient than a large smoldering fire.

 

[turnkey4099]

I agree. Keeping it covered will help with seasoning and reducing mold. <snip>.

If you mean covered on top only, yes. The OP sounds a bit like he might have had it covered on the sides too.

Harry K

 

[fdoberman]

You're on your way to a solution, but you may have accidentally created an additional problem with the carport and crushed stone.

I stack my wood on rubber linemans blankets that have flunked testing. They are still very moisture proof, and eliminate wicking moisture from the soil.

My shed has a tin roof, and that naturally developes condensation. I solved that problem with a small squirrel cage blower exhausting the moisture laden air from beneath the roof.

The combination of constant exhaust and elimination of water wicked from the ground delivers a very dry shed, especially when fall and winter arrive with low humidity air.

 

[CRThomas]

Wood on ground

I had a lot of moldy and wet wood last year. So, this year I had a 18X26 foot carport put up. I have crushed stone as a floor. My question is, what do you think of buying a large industrial oscillating fan to move air over the pile? Would it be worth the electricity expense, or should I just let the wind just do it's job. We live up on a hill and it always fairly breezy up here. I live in NE PA right near the NY border.

Thanks XTROOPER:msp_scared:

I just dump mine on the ground but I have large creek gravel that I am dumping it on. I have no problem with mold or rot. They dry down to what ever the air temp is. I dug out some hickory for a customer had been out the close to three years just fine. Split it put in the dry down to 8 wrapped and bagged delivered it. I have over a thousand tons stacked in a gravel parking lot. Later

 

[CRThomas]

Wood on ground

I had a lot of moldy and wet wood last year. So, this year I had a 18X26 foot carport put up. I have crushed stone as a floor. My question is, what do you think of buying a large industrial oscillating fan to move air over the pile? Would it be worth the electricity expense, or should I just let the wind just do it's job. We live up on a hill and it always fairly breezy up here. I live in NE PA right near the NY border.

Thanks XTROOPER:msp_scared:

I just dump mine on the ground but I have large creek gravel that I am dumping it on. I have no problem with mold or rot. They dry down to what ever the air temp is. I dug out some hickory for a customer had been out the close to three years just fine. Split it put in the dry down to 8 wrapped and bagged delivered it. I have over a thousand tons stacked in a gravel parking lot. Where my wood is dumped it has about 4 or 5 grade so no water stands. The rock a foot deep no water lays in the rocks.