Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: pointer80 on January 28, 2014, 04:59:05 PM

Title: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: pointer80 on January 28, 2014, 04:59:05 PM
Just curious how often are you guys filling your owb during these extremely cold days and nights?  Also how much average size wood do you load at one time? 
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: andyhowardcity on January 28, 2014, 05:27:46 PM
Boy, that is a hard question to answer. I fill it full and then check it about every six hours if I'm home. It was -8 last night with a wind chill of -20. 

Filled full with about four rounds that are 8-10 inch diameter and about 27 inches long on top of charcoal this morning. It's been 13 and a half hours and I did a stir after about 12.  Trying to take the charcoal down a little right now.  Mine does awesome if I have a big coal bed. No coal bed, and I'm fortunate to get 11 hours on a full load.
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: coolidge on January 28, 2014, 05:56:01 PM
If its in the teens I can load around 7 pm and go too 2 pm the next day. If its below zero, 5 or so and windy I will have to add 4 or 5 sticks in the am to get through.  -20 below and half a box in the am.
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: chaikwa on January 28, 2014, 06:31:04 PM
Single digit temps will get me an empty firebox in about 8-10 hours. Teens and above I can get 12.
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: hondaracer2oo4 on January 28, 2014, 06:35:06 PM
If it is below 20 degrees which most of this winter has been :bash: It takes 5-6 large pieces to get me 12-14 hours. If it is 30 degrees + it takes me 3 large pieces to get 12-14.
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: willieG on January 28, 2014, 06:55:18 PM
on these cold windy nights lets say your home is using an averge of 20 btu per hour per square foot...you have a 2500 square foot home..50,000 btu per hour x 12 hours..600,000 btu for 12 hour burn..............
now what is considered dry wood will yeild about 6000 btu per pound...and lets say your stove is 70 percent efficent (high) so you will get about 4200 btu from a pound of wood....
600,000 divided by 4200 = close to 142 pounds of wood for your 12 hour burn
things would very  depending on insualtion and other things but  in these sub zero wind chills i dont thin 20 btu per square foot is a bad estiamte for a lot of houses (more for some, less for others maybe?)
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: andyjs on January 28, 2014, 07:23:23 PM
Can load once a day but I like to see what's going on so I load 8 good size pieces to get me 12 hours
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: hondaracer2oo4 on January 28, 2014, 07:37:13 PM
Good grief, 8 pieces? How big??
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: doow14 on January 28, 2014, 08:25:20 PM
the more I think I have this owb figured out the more I find out I don't,to me it not just plug and play (stay warm)I try too stay in tune with the weather,but it doesn't always work out that way.I'm a printer not a meterolwhatsit .I know I use more fuel than I should at times,dont like it but it is what it is.I just know I haven't used a drop of heating oil or p-pane in 4 years. I like too learn,thanks too this sight I have got a bunch of good imfo too help out.THANKS to all of you.  I ,cant wait until the chickens are running around the yard and the g-kids are getting chased by them and the tomatoes are growing tall.been a rough winter,stay warm Dwight
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: AirForcePOL on January 28, 2014, 09:45:28 PM
I've been filling mine until I can't fill it anymore and that gets me about 10 hours on average.   I'm over working my H2 though.
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: Scott7m on January 28, 2014, 09:49:47 PM
There aint much substance to all of this.   We dont know the heat loss pf each home, stove type, line type, etc etc etc etc etc

And what exactly is a piece???? 

If you guys wanna do this and actually compare, how about some folks volunteer to weigh the wood they put in for a few days, keep a log of temps, and give as much detail as you can about the system

But without a standard unit of measure, who knows what all it means
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: andyjs on January 29, 2014, 06:14:21 AM
About 8" -9" pieces but its -12 here
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: caper on January 30, 2014, 05:05:39 PM
gonna keep it simple here with no math involved, heatmaster 5000, fill it to the brim every 12 hrs,   DONE
Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: willieG on January 30, 2014, 05:07:59 PM
Quote from: Scott7m on January 28, 2014, 09:49:47 PM

And what exactly is a piece???? 

depends on  your age :o

Title: Re: how much wood how often on these cold days and nights?
Post by: Scott7m on January 30, 2014, 05:11:16 PM
Quote from: willieG on January 30, 2014, 05:07:59 PM
Quote from: Scott7m on January 28, 2014, 09:49:47 PM

And what exactly is a piece???? 

depends on  your age :o

Lol  :post: