What Moisture % is acceptable??

[Bobaty21]

Hello,
I just had a Blaze King Princess Ultra put in yesterday and the only wood I have access to is partially seasoned split birch. I got a whole cord of it and it varies from 16-25% mositure content (measured with a moisture meter with the two metal prongs). I live in Fairbanks Alaska and its too cold to go find dead standing firewood right now. I put some of it inside my house (63 degrees and its so dry in there that your finger tip almost gets blow off when you flip a light switch!!) to try to aide in quicker drying. My question is, besides the obvious loss in BTU's that come with burning "wet" wood, is there any other negitive effects that it may cause my Converter in my woodstove?

-Also what is the target range % wise that is good for fire wood?

Thank you!
Ben

 

[Circle B MN]

if you have 16% INTERNAL, you are good to go. Anything under 20 seems to be the rule for most.

 

[chucker]

burn it!! as far as electric shock from being too dry, put a coffee can or old pot on your heat source to moisten the air... moisture for a home should be in the 40% range and your wood at the most 20% like mn said... stay warm friend!!

 

[REJ2]

I read your profile, sounds like -40 not at all uncommon? Dam thats cold, i start to cry at about 10 above!

 

[PEKS]

Load 'er up..
You are talking survival here, burn it all..

 

[Bobaty21]

ya it gets down to -60 at the worst but it hasnt been above zero more than like 2 days in over two months. It was -40ish for almost 2 weeks straight and during one week of that it cost me 200 bucks in fuel oil to keep my 1600 sq ft house at 63 degrees. So thats why i opted for a wood stove....thanks for the % advise everyone. BTW i took the internal measurement, split a couple split pieces down a bit more and took a measurement on the fresh split side and got 26 percent....so i guess its not ready yet ;(

 

[chucker]

BTW i took the internal measurement, split a couple split pieces down a bit more and took a measurement on the fresh split side and got 26 percent....so i guess its not ready yet ;( !! dont believe it !! when its cold and your wood has a moisture % of 30 or less its prime rib for heat !! 20% is better for a dry steady heat output, but your not running a "cold fire " .... so at 30% its going to be a hoter than usual fire and 40 below ?? well stoke it to her!!

 

[ktlm]

Bobaty21, I've done a good bit of research on your "city" and the surrounding area. Just out of personal interest. Looks like a very interesting lifestyle for an outdoors type person. Alot of natural beauty in the outskirts also. From what I've heard, you should be very happy with the BK.
If the wood is split and stored inside that should also help with the dry air problem. Stay warm.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Bob, if that wood is indoors, you'll have it dry in very little time. We're quite a ways apart, but here, fresh cut white (paper) birch will peg a moisture meter (50%+), so your wood at 30% is well on it's way to seasoned. If it's split pretty large, consider resplitting some of it to help it along.

I can't comment on what it might do to the catalytic in your stove, hope someone else can, but I suspect keeping a hot fire going will prevent most problems, a cool smoldering fire would be the biggest danger of clogging it in my way of thinking.

 

[logbutcher]

Hey, those prongs enter splits to perhaps 1/8". What are they measuring ? In frozen wood, nothing.
The better moisture meters without prongs used to accurately measure moisture content in fiberglass hulls do not measure anything below 32 F ( 0 C ).

Best: learn to determine whether or not your splits are ready for your burners without gimmick:
weight
looks
sound of 2 splits banged
experience 'telling' seasoned firewood
Sizzle: "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit" :hmm3grin2orange:

And lastly--who the H has the time to "measure" every split ? Curious minds need to know. :eek2:

 

[Circle B MN]

Hey, those prongs enter splits to perhaps 1/8". What are they measuring ? In frozen wood, nothing.
The better moisture meters without prongs used to accurately measure moisture content in fiberglass hulls do not measure anything below 32 F ( 0 C ).

Best: learn to determine whether or not your splits are ready for your burners without gimmick:
weight
looks
sound of 2 splits banged
experience 'telling' seasoned firewood
Sizzle: "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit" :hmm3grin2orange:

And lastly--who the H has the time to "measure" every split ? Curious minds need to know. :eek2:

What the H else are you going to do when it's -40 outside....? :msp_thumbup:

 

[J1m]

What the H else are you going to do when it's -40 outside....? :msp_thumbup:

That right there was funny. I just spit a little coffee on my keyboard. :cool2:

 

[logbutcher]

Top Ten Things to Do When It's -40 F

Top Ten Things To Do When It's -40 F Outdoors

10. Think about Orlando
9. Move to Orlando ( with walker )
8. Make love
7. Learn about the degrees ( get it ? ) of long underwear
6. Adapt
5. Get friendly with an Inuit
4. Practice sleeping with windows open in winter
3. Make love with windows open....in winter
2. Move to Nome
and the top ten thing to do when it is -40 F outdoors---
1. Never whine

P.S. Hold the coffee.

 

[SPDRMNKY]

@ the OP...burn it, and keep it hot

I remember -40F in Fairbanks as being rather pleasant...all things considered. The ice on the roads would turn to sandpaper...making driving easier than at 0F. Maybe I'm just remembering it being -40F after a two week dip to -60F?

as for the top 10 @ -40F...it used to go like this:

10. watch northern lights
9. shag
8. view aurora borealis
7. get frisky
6. relax in hot springs
5. hump
4. throw pot of boiling water into air
3. boink
2. load up stove
1. skin to skin to conserve heat

Watch out for tundra wookies! :smile2:

 

[4seasons]

Just a couple of weeks ago there was a thread where someone was stacking his 30% moisture wood next to the stove and getting 8% moisture reading a few days later. Now he was stacking way too close to the stove for my taste (almost touching it) but just stacking wood in the same room as the stove will dry it in a hurry. The smaller your splits are the faster they will dry. And 30% will burn, just not as hot, clean, or efficient as most people would like. As far as your cat stove burning it I have an old non-cat stove and can't give you any advice on the cat, but if it was all I had to burn I sure would burn it and just clean the flu more often.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I have burned green wood, and you don't get anywhere near the same heat as dry wood, but if you stack a BUNCH near the stove, it will dry out in a hurry and keep the humidity up in the house. We have been burning half wet wood this year with no problems. We stack at least a half cord next to the wood stove and let it dry. It only takes a few days and it burns like paper! I will be putting a small wood stove in the wood shed. Should be able to dry 10 cord in a week or two.

 

[Ironworker]

Anything less than 30 percent is fine, burn it

 

[logbutcher]

Based on the M² O.C.D. here.

Really now, if you heat ( that's not "up from" the furnace @ 65 F ) with wood--furnace, stove, OWB--do you honestly take the time ( time ) to stick your prongs in every
split ? Tell me ? Speak ? :msp_confused:

Do you care ( the no experience ones excluded, new to using firewood ) whether the split is 30%, 25%, 20.314 %, or 8 % % ? Cheeeeese. :bang:

What's the effort and experience simply KNOWING that your firewood is seasoned ? ( Read the M² error readings, the deep penetration of your prongs, the digital display. )

Hey, you can spend that $$$$ on good single malt, expedition long u-wear, a Patriot's hat for XLVI. Or, just get out and cut next winter's wood.

Incomprehensible I tell you. Unbelievable.:taped:

 

[flyboy553]

Technology is a GOOD thing - including moisture meters! I know some old timers who have burned wood since God was a boy do not need them or use them, or even believe in 'em, but that's alright.

I think Logbutcher is missing the point on how they are used. You split a piece open and push the pins in the CENTER(the former middle of the block, prior to splitting) of the piece of wood, there by testing the center where the moisture is. Once you are in the center, the pins do not need to go all the way in to the hilt. Your already IN the center. It is not important to test every single piece, just enough to get a general idea of the MC.

I use mine alot. I sell firewood and people want to know if my firewood is dry. Now I can give them numbers instead of an opinion. After all, what seller wouldn't say of course it is dry! Cripes, a guy wouldn't sell much wood that way, would he!

I been at this a long time, pushing 30 years of selling wood. I personally know when wood is dry enough to burn, but today's world wants NUMBERS!!! And now I can give them to 'em!

Ted

 

[logbutcher]

Ted:
" God was a boy" ??????????????????:cool2:

30 years is a long time. If you can't get trust from your customers, no gadget is gonna do it. Works for milling, forget firewood.

Good luck.