What size logs to put in wood stove

[stevohut]

What diameter of log can you burn in a wood stove without the log being split? I'm assuming that because a stove burns hotter then a fireplace you can burn large round logs. Can you also get away with burning slightly green wood in a stove? I would like to get a stove but I don't know anything about them. I finally realized after reading some info on fireplaces that I should stop using mine and block it off because it is such an energy waster. THNX

Steve

 

[Dalmatian90]

Depends.

I split most anything I can't comfortably lift with one hand.

Large rounds will take longer to burn, nice for overnight but won't necessarily put out enough heat -- since they burn longer that's fewer BTUs/hour.

Smaller stuff, conversely, burns faster so puts out more heat. And you can usually stuff them in better.

Air tight stoves (the 1970s "Fisher" style stoves and newer designs), and especially any of the EPA approved stoves need seasoned wood to burn efficiently and cleanly. Green wood will cause creosote build up in the chimney, not reach the temps needed for EPA stoves to work properly, and plug the catalytic converters on stoves that have them.

I'm currently using an old style non-EPA, non-UL approved "Boxwood" stove. These are not air tight at all. Looks just like the ones in pictures of 1930s era CCC camps. Burn quite a bit of wood for the heat they deliver, but they'll burn green wood cleanly (measured by creosote in the chimney, not the copious amounts of steam / smoke coming out the chimney when a new load of wood is put in). I burn mostly green firewood and get about a cup or two of creosote out of the insulated metal chimney each year. Of course I burn about twice as much wood as if I had an efficient stove...the pipe's clean because it's shoving an immense amount of air and heat up the chimney keeping it clean...the smoke doesn't have the time to cool and condense in the chimney.

 

[lobsta1]

Modern EPA stoves need, no make that MUST have seasoned wood!!!!!! If you don't already have your 2010/2011 wood already cut, split & stacked, then next winter with a new EPA stove will be an exercise in frustration. That is assuming you will be burning hardwood.

What will happen is you will have trouble getting the secondary burn to kick off. That is where the high heat will come from as the gasses are burned out of the wood. Then will come a large coal bed that will be difficult to burn down. You will not be getting a great amount of heat out of that coal bed. The secondary burn runs at about 1100 degrees giving you a stove top temp of 500 > 700 degrees.

If you introduce green or unseasoned wood into the mix, you will have to boil off the water vapor which will be about 212 degrees. That kills the secondary burn. With my old pre-EPA Russo, I could almost cut down a tree & throw it in the stove. With my Englander 13, I've had trouble burning oak & locust that was cut, split & stacked under cover two years before.

Having said all that, a modern stove with SEASONED wood throws out a fantastic amount of heat. I have a two story, balloon framed house that was built in 1874. I've done what I could to insulate it but it will never be considered a tight house. Especially on a windy day when the temp gets below about 15 degrees, I have to turn on the oil burner as a supplement. I end up burning about 100 gals. of oil per season. Wood burning in my little stove does the rest.
Al

P.S. You might want to check the forums on **********

 

[Circle B MN]

I would say that regardless of the type of burning vessel you employ, seasoned would is going to perform better and create less emmissions than non seasoned wood. It's not a difficult thing to acquire and maintain a supply of seasoned wood, yet for some reason a lot of people, even on this site, struggle with it.

Splitting your wood makes it easier to handle, as well as accelerates the seasoning process.

 

[Nosmo]

Hi stevohut: It looks like you are on the right track . Block off that old fireplace or possibly think about an insert.

As for myself my fireplace is blocked off and has been since I move into this place in 1990. It is a small house and I have an Englander TR-18 which is an older stove but it certainly does the heating job very well.

I'd say split all your wood 5" and larger, stack it under a covered roof if possible and let it get plenty of air and sunshine if possible for about a year at least.

Nosmo

 

[gwiley]

I only split to the point that my sons can lift it safely. Granted I have an OWB, but I really love being able to feed a 14" round of pine in without ever lifting a tools to it.

The question is how long do need it to burn - larger splits burn longer. Will it cycle regularly? Large rounds that don't get air are more likely to have a hard time restarting - I make sure I have a good bed of coals before burning the largest ones.

Logs need a partner to burn well, something else on fire within a few inches to reflect heat and feed off - you need to still be able to get multiple logs in the stove for the fire to stay lit.

 

[Rudedog]

Hi stevohut: It looks like you are on the right track . Block off that old fireplace or possibly think about an insert.

Nosmo

+1. There are some great inserts out there.

 

[Oldtimer]

Find a Fisher Papa Bear on craigslist or the local swap guide.
The best stove ever made.

Wood size is hardly a concern as long as it's seasoned or dry.
You can burn green wood if you have a good hot fire going first, and then leave your draft open enough to keep the green wood going.
With dry wood, you'll want to cut way back on draft.
Have your local fire dept. come and give you some advice and an inspection.
They will gladly come check things out for you. Safety first.

 

[fields_mj]

The door on my furnace is 10x10, and my box is 27" deep. I cut my wood about 22~24" I marked 8" and 10" off on my axe, and anything under that doesn't get split. I can fit two full size pieces in the stove with room for a couple smaller ones (6"). Burns all night and leaves me a good bed of coals in the morning. Or burns all day and leaves me plenty of coals when I get home for work. If I'm around the house, it's nice to be able to burn 6" rounds, but I just don't have the time to tend to the fire during the day.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Forget Burning Green Wood

What diameter of log can you burn in a wood stove without the log being split? I'm assuming that because a stove burns hotter then a fireplace you can burn large round logs. Can you also get away with burning slightly green wood in a stove? I would like to get a stove but I don't know anything about them. I finally realized after reading some info on fireplaces that I should stop using mine and block it off because it is such an energy waster. THNX

Steve

My Federal Airtight 288 stove will burn an 8" diameter log if placed over a hot bed of coals. I then surround it with a few small logs and it burns all night.

Usually, I do this with only with logs that I know are really dry. I try to never burn green wood. I don't like the sound of snakes hissing at me.

 

[Nosmo]

He's back again but with something new . He must have sold all his tennis shoes.

Nosmo

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I'd say split all your wood 5" and larger, stack it under a covered roof if possible and let it get plenty of air and sunshine if possible for about a year at least.

Yep. As was mentioned, bigger wood = longer burns, all other factors being equal.

Also look into top-down burning. I converted to this method last winter, and I am SOLD on it.

 

[Austin1]

If your cutting Lodgepole Pine now reason not to burn seasoned wood.
You live in a wetter climate than I do but you should with some tree hunting find some nice dead standing Pine or Spruce tree's that are standing dead for many years are bone dry at most the bottom half will need a month of seasoning time when split.
Before I go to bed on a winters night I through some large splits or 6'' Dia logs on the coals good for at least 6/7 hours. But it will be a learning curve every stove is different and every owner is different you like the house at 70° or 75°. It will take some time to figure out your stove if you are new to wood burning.This applies to seasoned wood burners with a new stove too, Stoves are just a fussy as women!

 

[Austin1]

Yep. As was mentioned, bigger wood = longer burns, all other factors being equal.

Also look into top-down burning. I converted to this method last winter, and I am SOLD on it.

Yes it works great! I leaned about it from a Survival teacher way back in 81 in School.You forgot to mention you tip about Waxed Produce boxes cut into strips to get the fire going I did not forget about that one been using it for a year now best fire starter around I have found.

 

[A. Stanton]

Stev,
Good rule of thumb for log size: if you can pick the log up with just your trigger finger and thumb on the same hand, it's the right size.

 

[Oldtimer]

Stev,
Good rule of thumb for log size: if you can pick the log up with just your trigger finger and thumb on the same hand, it's the right size.

My personal rule is almost the same; If I can pick it up (green) on the end with one hand, it doesn't get split. Averages about 6" round.

 

[komatsuvarna]

What is top down burning? Sorry to be an ediot.

 

[Wood Doctor]

What is top down burning? Sorry to be an idiot.

Top town burning means that you place large logs on the bottom of the fire before you light it and kindling (paper, sticks, and whatever) and small logs on top of the big ones. Now light the tinder. The small tinder ignites first, and as it burns, it drops hot coals on the larger logs below. Eventually the large logs below catch fire, join the tinder, and you have a nice warm, controllable fire.

The idea is to control the fire so that it does not run away. Sounds goofy, but it usually works unless you have practically no draft at all and your big logs at the bottom are too green to burn anyway.

 

[Beefie]

I can burn a 11"X 24" round in my indoor wood furnace. This last heating season I had a lot of elm that I didn't split, Got some real nice burn times out of it. I generally don't split anything that is less than 6" round.

Beefie