Hello!
Happy New Year to everyone.
Had my first load of unsplit "pole wood" (I think that's the term) delivered this past weekend (attaching a few pictures below). Mostly white oak, dropped around late spring and summer. I did this partly because it's more economical, and mostly because the majority of the advice I've received suggests that unsplit logs with a 6-8" diameter and a bit on the greener side will give me a good, long, hot burn per loading.
I'm getting a better handle on mixing the various woods I have - split and unsplit, seasoned and greener... oak, ash, and a little smattering of some pine... to get different burn cycles out of our Heatmor 200CSS. I load it with various mixtures depending on the weather, if I want it heating faster or burning slower with fewer loadings, etc. I'm new to it, but I'm beginning to see the art and science of it all.
So as I cut up these trees that were delivered, I have to decide on lengths. The first two trees I cut tonight I sawed at 24" and, being 8" or so in diameter, are pretty damn heavy (hey, I'm a network engineer, programmer and freelance photographer - not Mr. Brawny lumberjack guy).
I can move them around, but they aren't the easiest thing to toss into the furnace and I don't need to be running a risk of pulling something or fouling up my back in some manner.
My question is whether more manageable 16" lengths might make more sense. I can toss a row into the back, then a row in front to match and stacking on top of those a layer or so. That would be almost like having a 32" log, only divided in the middle. How would that work in terms of burning efficiency, etc? Too tight (it's a 36" deep firebox)? Maybe just 18" logs stacked in the back and some other stuff in the front?
Does it make sense to load the furnace with a tight stack like this or is it best for things to be more random with appreciable gaps for airflow, etc?
Might be overthinking this, but I'd just like to hear what others do to get the most efficient performance without killing themselves.
The photos are of the wood delivery and a shot of my furnace loaded with the split oak I've been using prior to this new delivery.
Thanks!
- Aaron
http://halfpress.com/http://photos.halfpress.com