Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: walkerdogman85 on November 25, 2014, 04:46:52 PM
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Well this year I fell behind on wood cutting. Working and field trials took up my spring and summer so now I am burning green oak that was cut and split a month or so ago. My boiler is constantly running and struggling to make enough heat! I know I'll try a lot harder to have seasoned wood from now on. I know a lot of guys say they prefer green wood but I don't know why they say that as it's a pain to deal woth, always going out and doesn't produce a raging fire. Live and learn I guess.. I hope to get some coal in te near future hopefully that will help. I found it here in central ohio for 70 dollars a ton for lump coal.
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I've heard people talk about coal on here, what does that do?
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Coal is more BTUs and from my experiments I have found I get longer burn times by adding a little coal with wood. I'm sure someone on here can explain it in more detail
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No dead ash or elm in your area?
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There is but we have had some snow and a lot of rain and it's a muddy mess now. I plan on getting some wood cut soon for next year but it's rabbit season now. Live and learn...
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There is but we have had some snow and a lot of rain and it's a muddy mess now. I plan on getting some wood cut soon for next year but it's rabbit season now. Live and learn...
I hear yah there, was a sloppy mess over the weekend, now its trying to freeze back up a little.
Got home last year from Holiday on the 8th of January, Dad managed to burn thru what I thought would last most of the winter, a normal one that is, but spent over a day just plowing a path to the woods, then several more hours dragging dead trees out I had marked the previous fall with a tracked skid steer. I have a 3/4 ton chevy plow truck with a hoist under the bed, a buddy has a 1 ton with a dump body, we filled his truck 3 times for him then filled his again 3 times for me and my pickup four times, pretty much held me thru the rest of the winter.
Wasn't the greatest of stuff but worked since the worst of the cold was over by then, had dead tulip poplar, a few cherry's, a few maples and some dead ash and elm in the mix.
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Maybe splitting some smaller would help to build a bed for the larger pieces to burn better until you can get some drier stuff to mix along with the oak.
Bob
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I will get my maul out and split them this weekend. I am on my third year with the outdoor boiler and have really enjoyed my purchase till now. Its all my fault though. I know my wife was against the whole thing until she took a bath in the hot water. Now she wants me to run it year round... A few guys I work with still swear that using green wood is best...
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I know the feeling. I've ran into that before where all you have is green stuff. You fight it all the time. you'll get it going good then when the stove calls for heat again it doesn't burn good. It smokes like crazy too! I had that problem a few times last year because it was so cold and I wasnt prepared for a winter like that. I would have to go cut just to bring it home and throw it in the boiler. Not fun... I hope you find some decent wood to burn. I know it can be stressful... I just can't see how anyone would recomend burning wet wood unless you absolutely had to but you hear it all the time!
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It does help to split green wood, not the ideal solution but it will burn somewhat better. Also don't let the fire get too low.
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That is why I'm working on getting 3 years ahead. Green wood only gives us OWB burners a black eye.
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I have heard the same thing about guys that like to burn green wood. I have done it a few times just to see and my boiler doesn't like it at all. Pukes out blue smoke and takes forever to come up to temp. Try to get some pallets to cut up and throw in with your wood. I usually cut them into thirds and put the pallet wood in first then your larger pieces on top.
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A friend of mine owns a central boiler 5036 model..He says his boiler likes the green wood.. He says he gets a way longer burn time with green wood..All i know if i throw green or water logged wood in my boiler.. Boiler works..Even with a fan (forced draft) Fire doesn't burn as hot..Fan runs longer times
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I've burnt wild cherry in mine that still had leaves on it, yes it will burn but all that water in the wood just doesn't magically disappear, it condenses somewhere in the firebox or stack and leads to corrosion.
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Best run will be with pallets cut up like woodman said i ran short on wood 1 year and ran 5 cord of green oak fresh of the stump used pallets to do it if you find some places that are glad to get rid of them they might store them inside until you pick them up a cheap skill saw and dodge the nails good luck
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imo,split it up small and it`ll burn.u got a choice
1-throw em in and get your long burn with no heat
or
2-split it small and u will get alot more heat
whenever i burn green wood i always split it smaller atleast u get heat out of what ur burning.
early in the season i always burn stuff off the stump.mostly pine ,cedar.balsam whatever junk is around.
it never seasons but by smaller splits u get more heat faster and less smoke cause cause the fire burns hotter.
try it,it works