overnight firewood load estimating skills

[H-Ranch]

What a good feeling.

I typically feed the OWB twice a day. The last 2 evenings and mornings I have hit the perfect amount of firewood on the previous load - opened the door each time to find about a small bucket full of hot coals. The system is at idle, the water is up to temperature, and the house is warm. More wood might end up with coals building up and less wood might have to work at it to get the fire going again. As it was just throw more splits in, close the door, and walk away.

It's a little easier to get the right amount for the evening fill when I'm off work as I can add a few splits throughout the day when I'm out there goofing off and then check it one last time before bed. I've also been waiting a couple hours longer than normal in the morning to wait until it's light outside. Call it skill, guessing, or just plain dumb luck - like has been said before, I'd rather be lucky than good.

 

[stihly dan]

My furnace has about 1 split per hour, works well for me. But that's only when its actually cold. the rest of the time it's a crap shoot.

 

[benp]

That's a great feeling!!!

As soon as I think that I have the boiler figured out, it grabs me by the ears and lifts me up by the nuts with its knee.

I can't win.

 

[laynes69]

As long as I have an idea on what the weather is going to do, I'm good. Unfortunately the weather is never right, but I've never woke to a cold furnace. The other night I overloaded the furnace, and had to wait about 3 hours after waking to load. Not a bad thing because I was here, but if I had to work and leave it could have been a problem. Overall, we do pretty good for overnight.

 

[psu927]

You guys don't just load them full every time?

 

[benp]

You guys don't just load them full every time?

I would say each application is different.

My boiler at home, which is forced air, yes I load it full each time.

My buddy's CB 6048 that I am watching while he is in AZ, I would say no, unless I am stretching it to a 20-24 hr burn.

The reason for that is the GIGANTIC coal mound that is left in that sucker. So, I have been throwing a little in when there's less than 12 hours to try and get the mound burnt down and packing it for longer stretches. Which will also eat the wood and mound.

 

[H-Ranch]

You guys don't just load them full every time?

The first season I did, but found that I was getting a LOT of coals built up over several days. Now I play the firewood load estimating game based on expected time to next load, wood species, temperature, wind, phase of the moon, and the price of tea in China.

When it was -20F last year, yeah it was a full load every time.

 

[benp]

The first season I did, but found that I was getting a LOT of coals built up over several days. Now I play the firewood load estimating game based on expected time to next load, wood species, temperature, wind, phase of the moon, and the price of tea in China.

When it was -20F last year, yeah it was a full load every time.

That right there sums it up. An absolute game.

 

[svk]

I would say each application is different.

My boiler at home, which is forced air, yes I load it full each time.

My buddy's CB 6048 that I am watching while he is in AZ, I would say no, unless I am stretching it to a 20-24 hr burn.

The reason for that is the GIGANTIC coal mound that is left in that sucker. So, I have been throwing a little in when there's less than 12 hours to try and get the mound burnt down and packing it for longer stretches. Which will also eat the wood and mound.

Yeah that coal mound will screw with your burn times.

I was burning dimensional scraps yesterday evening and at bed time there was about 8" of coals. Raked them as smooth as I could but it still took up room for a whole row of wood. So I got a ~7 hour burn time instead of 10 like I did the night before.

 

[H-Ranch]

I would say each application is different.

That's right, your mileage may vary depending on your specific application.

That right there sums it up. An absolute game.

It is - that's why I posted when I hit it spot on 4 loads in a row. Actually, this morning was a good guess too.

 

[zogger]

I've never loaded the smogger full up and opened it up, it would go nuke!

 

[Jake Wise]

I think wood type/condition may have the most to do with it. I have been burning down trees all this year and they are hard to read. Some of them only the heart is good so even though I am throwing a good sized chunk in there maybe only half of it is good. Luckily my box is big enough I can almost always get enough wood in there to make my 12 hour schedule. When the ashes get half way up the box I throw some good wood in, turn the blower up all the way and open the stack.

 

[laynes69]

I don't need a full load to go overnight, unless it's bitter cold, or the weekend when I sleep in. Even then, it's based on the weather. I used to cut our wood at maximum length, and load full loads. I realized I don't need to do either, based on weather. It saves me wood that way.

 

[ms310]

I could see there being in issue with burn down if you dont have an ash pan auger system like the cb. With my heatmore, I fill all the way all the time, but each time i stir the coals so the ash goes in the pan, never have to worry about coals.