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Author Topic: Splits vs Rounds  (Read 5918 times)

BIG AL

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Splits vs Rounds
« on: February 10, 2017, 04:11:51 PM »

Maybe a coincidence but I just happened to hit a place in the wood pile where I have mostly rounds 2-5" diameter. So I tried putting a couple splits in the middle and the rest rounds when I loaded the stove the last few times. It has been cold here the last couple days and the wind has been howling , usually takes a toll on trying to heat my drafty old house. Seems like my wood is lasting longer and boiler is recovering faster in burn cycles? anyone else ever notice that is the case with their boilers?
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SE Mass
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E Yoder

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2017, 05:25:11 PM »

I think split wood gasifies quickly, rounds not as fast. Would possibly make the unit run leaner and more efficient. Rounds roll down on the nozzle better.
 It's hard to compare tho. Species of wood, how fast it grew...  Lots of variables.
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mlappin

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2017, 06:39:54 PM »

I heated with nothing but ash tops from October till I ran the processor the first week of January. All rounds, if it need split I left it for the processor, picked the straightest pieces of rthe bottom and the ugly stuff went on top. Not sure about recovering faster but they do burn slower no matter the application.
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BIG AL

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2017, 08:16:02 AM »

Yeah I'm burning all hardwoods cherry , oak , maple at least 1 year dry and covered. Tried loading the same way last night with mostly all rounds again. Boiler went 13 hours under cold windy conditions and I didn't put any extra wood than I normally do. I do think it runs leaner and possibly more efficient. I think this year I will try to mix more rounds in with the splits when I stack the wood so I will always have some of each when I go to load the boiler.
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aarmga

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2017, 08:21:55 PM »

I know u guys generally don't care what someone like me says because I'm new and don't have a heatmaster but for as long as I've lived my father and now I run rounds in our owb as big as we can fit them through the door.  I've lofted some 15" 3 foot long rounds that have been drying for 2 years usually 3 at a time and can see upwards of 24 hour burn times.  Only thing is if I don't have a good hot coal bed it takes a long time to get them burning and I'll loose 20-30 degrees before it catches back up. No way have I ever been able to accomplish that with splits.
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shepherd boy

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2017, 01:44:48 AM »

Do the same with my C375. Wood splitter hasn't been on the tractor for over a year. But they burn half the wood with those G series units, but I burn junk and make smoke. If it goes in a 24" door and 40" long it doesn't get split.
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E Yoder

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2017, 02:29:32 AM »

Aarmga- glad to have you. And everybody. I've learned in working with the intricacies of a wood boiler, never ever throw away another person's idea or way of approaching an issue. It's so complex there are always surprises.
So keep posting!
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E Yoder

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2017, 02:39:46 AM »

I've seen small splits in an updraft grated unit run very very rich and smoke like crazy. Big rounds won't.
But a down draft units needs the smaller wood to keep the coal bed.
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BIG AL

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2017, 04:10:25 PM »

UPDATE , don't get to cocky when you think you have a great idea. I thought I was really on to something when I was burning almost all rounds and getting longer cleaner burn times. BUT last night I let the boiler go a little too long without filling it and burnt up all my coal bed , just a few hot coals left. Raked them into the middle and put a few small splits on top then some bigger splits and a couple rounds and figured it would be all set. Nope! sucked the coals down the nozzle and went out before it ignited the new wood , and at 11 p.m. my low temp alarm went off. :bash: :bash: Spent the next hour out there getting it going again. I think I will get my coal bed built back up and try a good mix. Splits seem to make good coals and rounds burn longer. Good mix of both should work best. :)
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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2017, 04:29:09 PM »

So your longer burn times were due to the coal bed burning away and generating the extra heat?
I usually put rounds on top when loading. I never noticed much difference with rounds or splits.
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BIG AL

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2017, 06:40:53 PM »

wood was lasting longer with 90% rounds , but I had a nice coal bed before and when it burned up , the rounds didn't replace it. I think the splits make a nicer coal bed because they break up better , but they burn faster too. Good mix seems to be best , I agree rounds on top is probably a good choice.When the nice coal bed is gone and the rounds are the only wood left they burn slower and the coals dissapear faster.
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mlappin

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2017, 10:14:07 PM »

UPDATE , don't get to cocky when you think you have a great idea. I thought I was really on to something when I was burning almost all rounds and getting longer cleaner burn times. BUT last night I let the boiler go a little too long without filling it and burnt up all my coal bed , just a few hot coals left. Raked them into the middle and put a few small splits on top then some bigger splits and a couple rounds and figured it would be all set. Nope! sucked the coals down the nozzle and went out before it ignited the new wood , and at 11 p.m. my low temp alarm went off. :bash: :bash: Spent the next hour out there getting it going again. I think I will get my coal bed built back up and try a good mix. Splits seem to make good coals and rounds burn longer. Good mix of both should work best. :)

Yep, came close to the same thing happening a few times when I was burning all rounds from ash tops, if the coals got low enough I grabbed a maul and split some of the larger rounds up.
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schoppy

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2017, 10:49:59 PM »

Just got the most recent e-letter from Heatmaster and they recommended using 6-8 inch rounds for greatest efficiency. I use smaller pieces, round or split to get the coal bed going if necessary or just to fill in (I don't waste firewood, even small stuff).

Pieces I do split I split in much larger sizes, equivalent to the size of 6-8 inch rounds. The more surface area exposed the faster the wood gasses and all the gasses may not burn completely. This was evident when I was burning slab wood. Trying to burn very large pieces makes it hard to have the moisture content in the center of the pieces at the proper level. 
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E Yoder

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2017, 02:41:45 AM »

If you watch your coal bed and moisture level you'll be fine. Every species of wood coals differently. As long as you pay attention to the results and adjust accordingly you can burn quite a variety of fuels.
I don't waste anything either. In the stove it goes!
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BIG AL

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Re: Splits vs Rounds
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2017, 06:32:11 AM »

Schoppy , I got that e-letter too and saw that they now recommended larger pieces when before it was smaller pieces. I found larger splits work great as long as they are dry. I have some oak that I consider too dry and it burns much faster than the stuff I split last year. I split a bunch of the cherry rounds I had the other day that were 6" and they burn better. It's funny that the diagram for loading that comes in the stove manual seems to work very well , and I agree paying attention helps a lot and anticipating heating needs per loading leads to 99% problem free.
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