OWB.. Seasoned green or mixed?

[blkcloud]

What is the best wood to burn in a owb? I usually try to mix mine about half and half.. dont know if Im doing the right or wrong thing..

 

[NSMaple1]

Burning anything but dry wood in a wood burner of any kind is kind of a poor practice. It costs BTU's to get that water out.

 

[haveawoody]

All properly dry decent wood is best.
Green wood has poor btu, creates lots of creosote and robs the system of energy needed to drive of moisture in the wood before it can burn.

Burning green wood creates the glazed creosote deposits that start chimney fires easily.

 

[mainewoods]

My neighbor gets a load (12 cord) delivered in the spring, tree length. He cuts it into rounds all summer and then splits it, usually in the fall. That wood is nowhere near seasoned, let alone dry. It smokes terrible and smells worse. I can see why people could get upset with some OWB users.

 

[haveawoody]

mainewoods,

You wonder why people go out to load the OWB one day to discover it burnt to the ground in the night.
And you see people burn the same wood in the house woodstove also.

 

[mainewoods]

Yup they do. When I was a volunteer fireman back in the 70's and 80's we had at least a half dozen chimney fires a week. Creosote and unlined old chimneys. Green firewood stacked all around the wood stove, 1 foot away. I will say they made those chimneys sturdy though, unfortunately many times they were all that was left standing.

 

[Cheesecutter]

Green wood smolders, stinks, creates loads of cresote. It may seem like wet wood burns longer, but I'd say the guys burning it have oversized OWBs so they can run them less efficiently. I dry my wood at least 1 year and most of it 3-5 years.

 

[haveawoody]

mainewoods,

People I think believe that green wood burns longer and saves them loading the OWB as often, in fact when you break down the loss in btu it's much more wood and more visits to the OWB.
When an OWB catches fire it usually has some nice insulated pipes and electric cables to be able to migrate over to the house pretty quick and an enclosed building with a stack to really get the OWB structure burning at high temps.
IMO I would treat a OWB the same as a woodstove in the house or maybe even a little better.

Not saying that you can't have a chimney fire burning real nice dry wood but burning greenish wood sure sends the odds of it happening way up.
I bet it was a pretty common site for you to see stacks of green wood when you visited chimney fires.

 

[Bushmans]

What is the best wood to burn in a owb? I usually try to mix mine about half and half.. dont know if Im doing the right or wrong thing..

So you just went and had an OWB installed without any prior knowledge of burning wood?
You didn't bother to read a manual or do a google search on how to burn wood?
You just figured half and half would be OK? I mean they use that ratio for coffee creamer so I see where it fits....Whaaaaaat?

Are you trolling?

If I seem like I'm being a jerk well.... I probably am but seriously you have an OWB which is a major investment and you don't do any research until after the fact?
Or even if you moved into a house with one why wouldn't you research it first?

I've been on AS since 2011 and I still can't believe the amount of people that ask if it's OK to burn green wood!
What has happened to common sense?

 

[naturelover]

People round here prefer it green, it lasts longer.....


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Bushmans]

Bushman, don't jump down a guy's throat for asking a question.

"Really?"
Ok so I'll post one," Is it better to run your chain backwards because the teeth stay sharper longer?"

 

[Cheesecutter]

When I was looking to buy mine almost everybody told me if it fits... it burns. This was a major selling point a few years back. But people got carried away and started burning anything and everything in them

 

[Pruning@trunk]

Talked to a tree guy that has an OWB and he burns 8" or smaller oak logs and burns them all green and un-split and he tells me they burn just fine. Maybe he wastes some BTUs but way less work. Pretty easy if you ask me

 

[Eric Modell]

Around here most people burn there out side heaters with green oak, the bigger the chunks the better.

 

[Bushmans]

And that is exactly why the EPA will continue to crack down on emissions because all of the OWB are burning green and filling the air full of smoke. Stinking cloudy mess!!!!!!!
I have only seen one OWB in my area out of many that seems to be burning right. Every other one is a disgusting attribute to our careless society. As long as it works for you, screw everyone else including and especially your down wind neighbor.
Sure there may be some of you who keep the smoke down but the rest....ridiculous!

 

[phantomblack]

Burn only seasoned, split cordwood. No matter what others say rounds burn poorly, why is that you may ask, because they are wet!

People burning wet wood in OWB's is going to force further regulation and possible bans on them. If that happens I'll be mad, because I am responsible with mine.

 

[blackdogon57]

All properly dry decent wood is best.
Green wood has poor btu, creates lots of creosote and robs the system of energy needed to drive of moisture in the wood before it can burn.

Burning green wood creates the glazed creosote deposits that start chimney fires easily.

Of all the things in life I have to worry about my 6048 burning to the ground is pretty far down the list. Really don't even see how it's possible.

 

[Cheesecutter]

Talked to a tree guy that has an OWB and he burns 8" or smaller oak logs and burns them all green and un-split and he tells me they burn just fine. Maybe he wastes some BTUs hut way less work. Pretty easy if you ask me

Oh it burns and it is less work by far, but just because you can do it that way doesn't mean you should.

 

[ash man]

I usually burn a mix of big seasoned rounds mixed in with smaller limb wood. The only time I split wood is if I can't fit it in my door. I agree though that burning green wood only robs the owb of BTUs.

 

[blkcloud]

thanks for the info..its all good.. even the one who jump down my throat.. I can take it..I have think skin on my face..
when its really cold like it has been here lately 2-3 degrees in the morning.. I have noticed when I load my owb with 2 year old split elm before bed time that in the morning I have nothing but ashes and the temp on the heater is usually around 100-110.. if I mix some green in with it before bed time I still have some pretty big chunks coals left and the temp is around 150 -160.. I have no neighbors... I live in a "holler"..lol