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[Cabo]

This is my second year with an OWB and trying to compare wood consumption compared to last year.  In 2014 I started on Oct. 18 and had used 2 cords as of Dec 19.  This year I started on Oct 17 and it looks like i'll end up at about 2 cords used by Dec 19.  It seems as if it has been much milder this year but similar wood consumption.  The wood I'm using has been cut for 2 years and last years wood had only been cut for a year so there may be some additional usage there.  I guess the only true way is to find how may heating degree days for the 2 years and compare.  Anyone else have a similar experience?

[mlappin]

Hard to say this year, coldest it’s been here was 8F one morning, lots of wind though and a lot of not “cold” days but damp instead. Might have turned the heat up a little in the shop and the house to get the chill out of the bones.

[slimjim]

That seems odd Cabo, you haven't added any heat load have you? Any idea what the moisture content of the wood is and is it the same variety as last year?

[coolidge]

I am in the same boat, started in Sept, burnt 3 cord so far. I am not using my "primo" wood though, saving that for the real cold.

[Cabo]

All the same wood.  12 cord cut at the same time.  No additional heat load added.  I do agree with Mlappin that we've had some damp/dreary days.  I'll check the moisture tonight.  I wondered if the wood was too dry does it continue to burn some when the stove idles?  Or, does the stove use X amount regardless of the load that is on it?

[Cabo]

Actually looked up heating degree days for my are from 2 charts.  For Oct and Nov one showed that there have been 63 fewer HDD this year and the second showed 7 more.  Makes me wonder on the reliability.

[Roger2561]

I fire up my OWB in mid October every year.  Last year at this time I was approaching 2 cord usage; this year I'm approaching 1 cord usage.  I only put enough in to last 12 hours; roughly 4 or 5 pieces of wood.  We haven't hit the cold weather yet.  Some of the nights the temps hit the mid teens but it rebounded into the upper 30's or lower 40's; later this week we may get temps in the 50's approaching 60.  That's crazy!  We haven't experienced 20 degree daytime temps yet.   Roger

[mlappin]

All the same wood.  12 cord cut at the same time.  No additional heat load added.  I do agree with Mlappin that we've had some damp/dreary days.  I'll check the moisture tonight.  I wondered if the wood was too dry does it continue to burn some when the stove idles?  Or, does the stove use X amount regardless of the load that is on it?

Even if it did continue to burn a little after the stove cycles off, with an Optimizer it should still capture that heat and store it in the water for further use.

[Cabo]

Checked the moisture but my meter is for flooring/trim and only displays to 20%.  Looked back on the heating degree days and realized that one table measured at 60 degrees and the other was at 65 degrees.  That explains the difference between the two.

[mlappin]

My General moisture meter has a setting for furniture or firewood, it does read different between the two but I can’t recall which reads wetter.

[James]

Any chance your main system is a hot water boiler? That's what I have, and I notice that there's a bare minimum that I need to burn just to keep the water in my oil boiler hot. Since you've got no extra load and your wood is pretty much the same, maybe 2 cords in that time period is your base line?

[kommandokenny]

.   It seems as if it has been much milder this year but similar wood consumption.  The wood I'm using has been cut for 2 years and last years wood had only been cut for a year so there may be some additional usage there.  I

Just layman's guess, but two year old wood,, unless it's oak,, may burn faster.
I thought 6 months to a year would be about as much seasoning as you would want.

[mlappin]

.   It seems as if it has been much milder this year but similar wood consumption.  The wood I'm using has been cut for 2 years and last years wood had only been cut for a year so there may be some additional usage there.  I

Just layman's guess, but two year old wood,, unless it's oak,, may burn faster.
I thought 6 months to a year would be about as much seasoning as you would want.

Would think it depends on the wood, even cut and split the oak we have here seems to still take over a year before its actually dry. The ash I dropped last winter and processed in the spring is testing between 17-20%,

[coolidge]

Try a 15 degree differential, longer more efficient burn?

[Cabo]

The wood is a mix of ash, maple, beech, and birch.  The 2 pieces i tested (maple and ash) both read at over 20% and that was being split again and testing the fresh split inside.  Never gave it a thought to going with a wider differential.  Actually this AM i adjusted the differential to 7 as it was in the low 50's today.  Would a wider differential cause the wood to idle too long and not re-ignite?