To split or not to split?

[cmcgalla]

I have seen many folks spend many hours splitting, stacking and covering wood for their OWB.  I only split if it will not fit through the firebox door in my Hardy H4, which is 16"  I can't figure out why people split wood for an OWB, it makes no sense.  Unsplit wood burns longer.  For me it is not BTU's it is burn time, so I am happy with our twice a day loading.  Once at 7 AM and again at 8:30 PM.  Also I used to cover the wood and stack it all nice . . . but I have found it too time consuming.  Anyone else?

[Draco]

If I can lift it and put it into the box, it doesn't get split.  My OWB will take almost 3' length, so if I can pick up a 3' length, that's what it gets cut to.  What has to be split fills up the small spots on top of the pile in the box.

[thecfarm]

I can put in a 54 inch stick in my Heatmor. I may put some in that long 4 inches,but that's about it. I just find a 2 foot piece,about 6-8 inches across goes in alot easier than a 2 foot piece 16 inches across. I use to put big stuff in my other indoor boiler,but not anymore. And I don't stack my wood either. I split it,put it into the loader of the tractor and then it gets dumped into a pile. Covered with a tarp. All this will kinda get done in Nov. I work on my wood off and on all winter. Not the best way,but I have alot more time in the winter to work on wood then summer.

[doctorb]

I don't think you can lump all OWB's into the same basket.  Gasification OWB's tend to require dry fuel to obtain gasification. 

[leonz]

Split wood also burns better.

It also exposes more of the
wood to combustion and in the process
creating a hotter fire with little smoke
AND loss of heat energy in the smoke
as well.

If its split small enough you have very
little smoke and you can batch burn
dry firewood or nearly dry wood
with very little work and less firewood.

[gspren]

  If your burn times are a lot better with round wood then the air control isn't as good as it should be.

[cmcgalla]

Great points.  I am talking about non-gasification burners, thanks Doc.  Also, I have found that when I used to split the wood I burned more wood because it burned quicker.  @gspren can you elaborate on my air control not being correct as I do get longer burn times with unsplit wood?  If burning split wood will decrease my wood consumption then obviously I have some splitting to do. 

[bmcdowell40]

I've always split my wood for my OWB.  I'd rather spend some time splitting in good weather than have to wrestle a 2' long unsplit log into my furnace in freezing temperatures.  I cut all my wood to approximately 2' lengths and split it into halves or quarters, depending on size.

[gspren]

  My comment on air control is that with my non-gasifying OWB whether wood is split or not doesn't effect burn times very much, moisture does. If the water is below set temp the blower provides combustion air and when temp is met the air is shut down so with smaller or split pieces the temp is met faster and then shut down while with bigger pieces the fire isn't as hot so it burns longer in each cycle. Moisture on the other hand takes longer to get the heat up and will burn longer and use more wood although my stove handles all of these scenarios fairly well. Now if using bigger pieces means more cubic feet or pounds of wood per load it should last longer.

[NWP]

If it fits through the door, it burns in my Heatmor. Dry, green, split, unsplit. It doesn't matter.

[angelo c]

Why is it a foreign concept that "dry" anything burns hotter, cleaner and faster then "wet" anything. And split firewood dries better then not split.



Must have something to do wit the "flat" earth conspiracy group er somptin.

[outdoortype]

Why is it a foreign concept that "dry" anything burns hotter, cleaner and faster then "wet" anything. And split firewood dries better then not split.

It depends on the appliance.  OWB users don't care that the air inducer fan runs longer to ignite the more damp wood or the extra smoke it creates.  They care about longer burn times.  I agree with you though, trying to burn damp or unseasoned wood is extremely inefficient due to the fact that so many btus are used to boil off the inhibiting moisture instead of directly heating the medium.  One would assume that dry seasoned wood would heat the water faster meaning more idle or off cycle time.



Must have something to do wit the "flat" earth conspiracy group er somptin.

[Dusty Rhodes]

My unit takes a 3 foot long piece but I don't cut them that length.  2' length and split to about 6-8" diameter.  Why? Easier to handle, wood dries quicker and if I load the firebox 3/4 full I get an 12 hour burn time with good dry hardwood.  I don't need the huge stuff to get the burn time we are after.  I like some even smaller split stuff for the Mrs. to handle in case I am getting home from work late, she is able to put some on the fire until I get home and not kill her arms trying. Yes, a little more work in the splitting process but it works out for us. Each to their own as they say.   

[Logging logginglogging]

I like to split mine on the fine side as it drys better.
I only use really good hard wood, and find my burn times are great.

[talldog]

If one has Birch firewood and one seasons it for 2 years,One should be splitting it

[cmcgalla]

so I guess those of us who do not split wood for our OWB believe the earth is flat . . . not a very helpful comment.  As angleo c pointed out, dry burns faster, so if the wood burns FASTER does that mean I will use MORE wood or less wood?  I just can't figure that out . . .

[Al_Smith]

 :D Those things will burn anything that fits through the door ,firewood ,old railroad ties ,the neighbors cat old records of Don Ho singing tiny bubbles .

[thecfarm]

Al,I don't think the new ones are that way,the gassers. I have the older type. Not fussy at what goes through the door. I don't have to worry about the fire going out,don't have to have any indoor monitors. But it does smoke more,uses more wood I bet too. I have even burned a few porcupines in mine.

[monkeyratmom]

I vote split.  I just can't pick up a whole 3' log.  Alas, my husband thinks it is more economical to split it himself as needed rather than rent a splitter for half a day for $30.  So our wood is rather moist.  Smokes a lot.  If he could go half a day maybe we would have a decent amount, but that doesn't happen.  He always thinks he can do more in a week on his days off than he actually does.   I am going to put my foot down and set a date .  I'm the one who takes the truck and picks it up anyway, and if he doesn't want to help, me and my stepdaughter can run the dang thing.  Just takes us longer to pick it up and stack it.

[Al_Smith]

I some how have this vision of a porcupine in a wood burner .No doubt installed with the aid of a long handled scoop shovel or some other implement suitable for the job .I wonder what the BTU value of a hedge hog is .Most likely more than a cat I'll bet . ;D

[beenthere]

..............  As angleo c pointed out, dry burns faster, so if the wood burns FASTER does that mean I will use MORE wood or less wood?  I just can't figure that out . . .

More or less wood.....  With dry wood, there will be more heat in BTU's per pound of firewood thrown in the burner as the burn will not have to convert as much water to steam, compared to wood of higher moisture content.
That said, some like to add higher moisture wood to get a longer burn and not be so concerned over adding and handling more volume of wood to get the same heat in BTU's.

Myself, I prefer the dry wood (two years in the split form) and less handling volume. Trips to the wood burner are inside, so not a trek through the cold and snow, and I likely feed more often to maintain a fire rather than let the water get to max temp and the damper shut down the air supply (smouldering, etc.).

Each burner needs to be figured out, and what works well for one may not work well for another.

[talldog]

Gray squirrel will burn too. Probably not as much heat as a porcupine though

[thecfarm]

Woodchucks give out more heat than a gray squirrel, but a shunk is even better. Those chipmunks are not much for heat.  :D

[angelo c]

so I guess those of us who do not split wood for our OWB believe the earth is flat . . . not a very helpful comment.  As angleo c pointed out, dry burns faster, so if the wood burns FASTER does that mean I will use MORE wood or less wood?  I just can't figure that out . . .

Never said it "had" to be split. I stated it should be dry and it will dry faster if split prior. There are some woods, if left bark on, will almost never season...it will rot first. Opening the cell structure of the wood changes the design and allows the moisture to evaporate. Less moisture=more btu
Just because it will burn doesnt mean it burns efficiently. Just because it takes longer to burn doesnt mean it heats more.

[angelo c]

Woodchucks give out more heat than a gray squirrel, but a shunk is even better. Those chipmunks are not much for heat.  :D

But can we agree that seasoned woodchucks give off more btu ?