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[twain]

I have been burning 4 years. I have a central boiler 6048. I live in West Bygod Virginia. I have a very old, very large house, not insulated very well.

1. I built a wood / furnace totally enclosed room on my garage. I enclosed about half of the unit in the wall. I can also store about 3 cords of wood in the room. I installed a fan in the wall to draw the smoke out of the room. Only above the furnace i used 1" foil backed foam covered with tin. The room has proved very helpful and worth every dime.
2. I keep my wood cut well ahead of time. Seasoned wood will make a big difference in consumption.
3. I burn all wood, but the best i have found is. Osage, locust, hickory, hard maple and red elm.
4. Keep ash out of furnace and stirred. It makes a big difference. Keep in mind i have a central boiler.
5. Place the unit as close as possible ( remember prevailing wind) and buy the good pipe. I bought the single pipe with both discharge and return lines inside, foam filled. Insulate everything you can.
6. Round wood better than split.
7. I load the front section of the unit only. I cut 20"
8. I have a metal wheel barry to take out ashes. Wrap some potatoes in foil and put in ashes and take outside.

My opinion only. May help someone new or just starting.

[Treewinder]

Welcome in, good info.
I also built a atructure for my OWB, nice to keep wood and tools in also

[jerkash]

I'm new to this, but I'm wondering why you say round wood is better than split.  Most posts I have read were split wood burns better.

Thanks

[willieG]

here are some thougthsi have read on other sites on this subject (are they true i dont know but sound reasonable)  in an epa gasser splits work better as they burn faster and get you the temps needed for the secondary burn (?) rounds last longer so they are giving off less btu per hour (sounds reasonable but i have never measured myself)

in my own home made stove i try and burn mostly rounds i burn anything from 2 inch rounds to 20 inch rounds
i do not have a gasser so  it doesnt matter to me if my blower has to run longer to reheat the water to the set temp as long as it can recover before dropping too low to supply the btu's being drawn.

in an OWB im not sure it really matters?

lets here some more thoughts on this one

[Bull]

Welcome to the site twain, I agree that split burns faster and hotter and rounds burn longer.

[PatrickfromPA]

In my 3.5 years I have learned that rounds last longer, split wood burns too quick. I find myself out there 2 times a day filling the thing up where as when I burn 4 or 5 large 20" rounds I can get 2 days out of it. Split seasoned "mixed hard wood" that you buy by the truckload is 12 hours at a time.  I personally try to keep my wood to a 30-40 lb weight. it makes it easier throwing them into the back. I have a 5 ft long boiler with a 30" door. I hope this help. Hey does anyone have a good chart on which wood works better or a seasoning schedule ?

[willieG]

In my 3.5 years I have learned that rounds last longer, split wood burns too quick. I find myself out there 2 times a day filling the thing up where as when I burn 4 or 5 large 20" rounds I can get 2 days out of it. Split seasoned "mixed hard wood" that you buy by the truckload is 12 hours at a time.  I personally try to keep my wood to a 30-40 lb weight. it makes it easier throwing them into the back. I have a 5 ft long boiler with a 30" door. I hope this help. Hey does anyone have a good chart on which wood works better or a seasoning schedule ?

i like to season my wood at least 6 or 8 months (but i cut only dead elm so they are partially dried when i cut them) i am cutting now for next winter (i have oak in the shed  that has been in there for 5 years as a badk up in case i cant get to the bush)

as for a chart this one may help?   http://hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/heating_value_wood

[fireboss]

I to have a cb 6048 this is my 2nd winter[ but i heated my pool with it all summer ] iam finding no diferance between split and not split . i bin sticking with the split it is easier to load and its not that cold here 40 during the day and 25-30 at night

[PatrickfromPA]

wow, thanks. Great website thanks for that tip

[twain]

Dang great replys you all

[MattyNH]

5TH year of having my OWB..In the dead of winter Im reloading twice a day..I have friends that have CB's, Hawken,Aqua-Them..No matter what twice a day..I like a good mixture of round and split..The problem with straight round wood, is that the wood doesn't fall into the fire like split wood does.. Round wood gets caught up and then theres a hole in the fire..Either way I find no difference split or whole..In burn time... Whole wood just fills the fire box quicker when reloading..

[martyinmi]

5TH year of having my OWB..In the dead of winter Im reloading twice a day..I have friends that have CB's, Hawken,Aqua-Them..No matter what twice a day..I like a good mixture of round and split..The problem with straight round wood, is that the wood doesn't fall into the fire like split wood does.. Round wood gets caught up and then theres a hole in the fire..Either way I find no difference split or whole..In burn time... Whole wood just fills the fire box quicker when reloading..

I agree

[mikenc]

Keep all in the round i can. Rounds seem to last longer. Mine is just the opposite rounds seems to fall down better, split gets stuck to sides. Cut all mine 22'' long. Only load front of stove, and try to load according to demand. I do try to burn only seasoned wood to.

[johnybcold]

I am new just fired it up a few weeks ago and I am running halfass until the new CPU comes in but I do whatever is easier which means I only split pieces I cannot pick up

[martyinmi]

I'm not CB's biggest fan, but I'm told by my friends who own their gassers that split pieces or smaller rounds really make them shine. You should get more efficient/less smokey burns with many smaller pieces verses a few large ones. Almost all gasser work that way, unless it is a very large one like the CB 3200 or the P&M 450.