Controlling wood consumption. Anyone try it?

[Mustang71]

What I mean is burning the same amount of wood every week and stacking and measuring wood that way.

It's starting to drive me crazy. I stack wood outside in 4x8 stacks and then bring half a stack but it doesn't quite agree with my 4x4 rack in the garage. That's one issue. That rack should last 2 weeks during normal burning season. Well now it's been colder than average and I'm burning more than I allowed my self. It's driving me crazy.

Anyone else control wood burning like me or am I just crazy.

 

[stevetheboatguy]

If you find a solution to inconsistencies let us all know. I have been fighting negative temps and higher than usual wind. My consumption is through the roof, but that's also because I haven't had a chance to switch over to hardwood yet. Somehow when stacking. Two rows of junk wood got stacked in front of my good. Normally I wouldn't care but right now it sucks. But I can't complain the stacking was done by my father in law and brother in laws. They were just trying to help. Can't fault them for not knowing the difference. So I'll only grumble a little for the inconveniences of loading the boiler twice a day instead of just once.



Steven

 

[Mustang71]

I try to stack the garbage wood at the front so I use it when it's in the 40s but it' been 0 to 10 lately not the normal 20s. I never used to measure out my wood like this. It was just a half a stack every 2 weeks. But those were not measured stacks or the confusing face cord size. Now it's all measured and driving me crazy. I'm not OCD. But certain things need to be certain ways.

 

[blades]

consumption- best way is to segregate by density in about a 3 tier system, low, medium, and high. it always a good idea to set aside types of low coal producing light density fuel for burning down the coals of the high density fuel before a reload or use the compressed wood blocks for that purpose. Just my thoughts as that is what I do.

 

[Mustang71]

I have pallets sitting here that I cut up and use to start fires and to get everything burning. I like the hard wood log and small soft wood combo for burning. But usually one burn is enough to heat the house up. But in this unusual cold temps I'm extending the burns by throwing more logs on once it starts burning down.

Btw I have a wood furnace not a stove so it's a bit different burning style.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I just load the stove (two stoves) and smile.
Some of the splits I've come across lately are 6" x 6", twice the size i normally split Oak. It is two or three years old and burns beautifully, so this year I may be intensionally be splitting larger when restocking the shed. The draw back is the pieces are a bit large to grasp single handed and quite heavy. So a mix of sizes is still in order. These were obviously splits from the TW-6. I kind of miss it.

 

[rarefish383]

What I mean is burning the same amount of wood every week and stacking and measuring wood that way.

It's starting to drive me crazy. I stack wood outside in 4x8 stacks and then bring half a stack but it doesn't quite agree with my 4x4 rack in the garage. That's one issue. That rack should last 2 weeks during normal burning season. Well now it's been colder than average and I'm burning more than I allowed my self. It's driving me crazy.

Anyone else control wood burning like me or am I just crazy.

Your just crazy , Joe.

 

[NSMaple1]

If burning more wood because it's colder out is making you bonkers just imagine how much more $ you'd be spending on oil or LP or electricity if you didn't have that wood.

That usually snaps me out of it.

 

[Mustang71]

I'm still running on my lp from last year. I was hopping I could regulate my wood usage so I can cut and split accordingly.

It was in the 20s today I've only had 2 fires so far with a slow burn log in between to to keep the furnace hot. If it were 0 like it's supposed to be tomorrow I will be on 3 or so long burns at this point.

I'm my own enemy. I wish I could burn snow. Lol

 

[JeffHK454]

I'm voting.....crazy...you're knocking on the OCD door.

My only hard and fast rule is to have at least 7 cord of ready to burn wood dry and under cover by Nov. 1st.

Then I fill a 1/8 cord rack in my garage ... when it's empty I do it again. Wood heating in my house has too many variables that are out of my control to ever fine tune wood usage.

 

[dave_dj1]

No, to answer simply. It takes what it takes and as long as I have plenty I don't care and I don't mind if the furnace comes on once in a while, I figure it needs to be exercised anyway.

 

[laynes69]

I used to be more anal about it, only because I tried every year to have a surplus of wood at the end of the season. Unfortunately, it never happened. I would cut every other day and the weekends, and I would burn thru it. Now I don't worry about it, we use a fraction of the wood. I have more important things to worry about. Like mentioned above, as long as I have wood, I'm good.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I don't try to regulate consumption. I want it warm in the house and use the wood accordingly. Ill have roughly 13 cords under cover prior to the beginning of heating season. Ideally, ill only use half per season so Ill always have seasoned, dry wood near the house.

Ive already put the time and energy into gathering, cutting, splitting and stacking the wood.... Ill only let that go by the wayside and use the furnace for extenuating circumstances. Fortunately, my Wife doesn't work, so she keeps the fires going throughout the day.

 

[Mustang71]

I only burn when I'm home because I'm the only one who will keep the heat going. I use lp about half the season. As long as I keep it to one tank a year I'm good. I don't want to split way to much wood that I have to rotate tons of wood every year so I split as much as my coldest winter has consumed and that's usually enough. But damn it's never this cold or snowy in December this is like February or early March weather. If this cold is a long term thing I'll be splitting wood in a few months for heat.

Winter in western N.Y. is typically the same temp every day with occasional cold spells. That's y I try to regulate wood.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

I am with the cut it, split it, stack it and burn what is needed group. Just wait for a warmer day and set up a little more. Don't sweat the things you cannot control.

 

[sundance]

I don't try to regulate consumption. I want it warm in the house and use the wood accordingly. Ill have roughly 13 cords under cover prior to the beginning of heating season. Ideally, ill only use half per season so Ill always have seasoned, dry wood near the house.

Ive already put the time and energy into gathering, cutting, splitting and stacking the wood.... Ill only let that go by the wayside and use the furnace for extenuating circumstances. Fortunately, my Wife doesn't work, so she keeps the fires going throughout the day.

Brave man to say your wife doesn't work......I made that mistake once.

 

[Mustang71]

I don't believe it but I'd say my wife works harder than I do. Part time with 2 kids. The things men do go unnoticed. It's just me having "fun" keeping this place going in my "spare" time. I work as much as I can and take care of the place and my children. But the wife does her part. I have groceries and clean clothes and a clean house.

 

[aokpops]

I didn't do it on purpose . I bought a new wood furnace about 3 years ago cut the wood burning almost in half . The old furnace had 7 cubit feet fire box the new one has 4 the new one will put out more heat from what I read . I had 9 below f one morning this week the house was 68 when I got up . Had a little hiccup now about 72

 

[aokpops]

I didn't do it on purpose . I bought a new wood furnace about 3 years ago cut the wood burning almost in half . The old furnace had 7 cubit feet fire box the new one has 4 the new one will put out more heat from what I read . I had 9 below f one morning this week the house was 68 when I got up . Had a little hiccup now about 72

 

[crowbuster]

mild winter last few years left a surplus at the wood pile. This yrs cold means it all evens out. Hope for the best, plan for the worst, in wood and life.