3+ years and same problems with wood stove

[Charlene Kravec]

Hello,
I have received great advice from this forum and I am very appreciative of a place to come for questions to be answered. I am no expert on wood burning stoves, but I have had the one I have now for 3 seasons. It is an EPA approved New Englander. The first year was a disaster. I bought wood and it was all pretty green. But, the next year, I had cut my own oak, it was split and seasoned for about 11 months. We had a very good year last year.

This year, I cut my own oak and hickory, split and seasoned for 10-11 months. This year has been another disaster. Wood won't burn, get a rolling hot fire -leave door open for 10-15-20 minutes or more, then shut the door and fire goes out. I checked my flue and stove pipes - all are clean. Flue is in good shape (it had never been used before I used it 3 years ago). SURELY all of these EPA approved stoves cannot be this persnickety about wood! I am about to tear what little hair I have out I do not have the room to store 2-3years of firewood so it can season for 2 years. I have folks at church that have newer, epa approved stoves, and cut their wood a few months before they burn it and do not seem to have any problems at all. I am seriously considering to an old Fisher Stove (if I can find one). This is ridiculous

Any help or suggestions (or sympathy) would be greatly appreciated.

We are in pretty much the same boat you are. Moved to East Tennessee in May of 2012 and much to our dismay, some of the wood we cut, split and stacked (non oak or black locust) isn't dry enough to burn (21-22 percent moisture). This was in large measure due to equipment, accessories acquisition and a very wet summer season and high humidity. We are supplementing with Eco Bricks this year and mixing what is truly dry with the almost dry. This year the burns have been better than last year which wasn't great, for the same reasons you cited. It's a frustrating game of "catch-up" we're playing. Also our estimation of how much wood we burned last year was was incorrect because we were buying wood by the rick and not by the cord we've found ourselves in this position. Also our VC Sequoia has a big box and a hearty appetite. Just the way it is. The Shelter Logic canvas tent we put up was a godsend because this year's useable wood has come out of that (elm and poplar primarily). I guess it's all part of the learning curve and our own circumstances. I feel your pain.

 

[dmmoss51]

21-22% isn't terrible under 20% is best but 21-22 shouldn't prevent good buring as much as the 30-35 stuff will IMHO

 

[elmoleaf]

Did we nitpick with you about your actual stove installation yet? Aside from poor wood, perhaps you have a weak draft due to insufficient flue height?
Maybe there are other issues? Exterior chimney with uninsulated flue? Slammer install into oversized flue?
Having a lot of these other details right can make a difference when burning marginal wood.

 

[Soundchasm]

I spent two pretty tough winters going through the same as you. It's very discouraging. And I have a non-epa stove in the basement where I was able to get a fire going with the same wood. Not great, mind you, but self-sustaining. But the difference in creosote between the two stoves is radical.

It was so painful I set out immediately spring 2013 to get wood and make sure it never got wet. First score was silver maple and elm, and boy, am I ever glad now. I split as small as I could AND still finish the job eventually. Got lucky later on with ash, hickory and osage. The MM indicates <20% on the maple and ash, and too high on the hickory and osage. But looking at the two latter, you'd swear they were ready to go.

The temps of the EPA stove are respectable now, but I have more questions for the forum in a future post. Secondaries DO exist!! Today, with a hot fire going, I checked my stack outside, and there was NO smoke. Just a heat signature.

It's hard to admit how dry the stupid wood needs to be. I swore my stove came with the safety feature of being self-extinguishing. I'm still kind of mad about it, but I'm trying to work within the system.

 

[fox9988]

Chimney cap plugged? Can happen in two weeks.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Just for peace of mind and saving your hair. Buy one grocery store pack of wood. If it burns great in the Englander
it's the wood, if it still goes out it's the draw or draft. Pretty sure it's your oak and hickory though.

 

[branchburner]

... most folks cut and burn wood the same year, and never have a problem around here.

I am the only person who is having these type problems (of course I am about the only one with EPA approved stove).

This is common in my neighborhood as well. And for the older stoves, it works. But not for me and my stove, and definitely not with oak. I burn maple, birch, pine, cherry, ash, poplar and others and try to give them all a MINIMUM of a year, which I don't always manage to do... so I also cut a lot of standing dead, branch-wood, and lumber/pallet wood to mix in. Oak is the one wood I now NEVER burn with less than two years cut and split, after too many problems with trying to burn it sooner.

 

[branchburner]

In the meantime other ideas would be things like scrap wood, old pallets etc that are going to be nice and dry

I would add to this: dead branch wood in the 2-4" range. Takes a little more time and effort for the BTUs, but the woods are usually littered with the stuff. It got me through my first year, since I had virtually no seasoned splits on hand when I bought the stove... hence my handle "branchburner".

 

[Bones]

I am the only person who is having these type problems (of course I am about the only one with EPA approved stove). I will just have to make room for the 3 year plan.

Pastor....I think you answered your own question....

Check your mail inbox.....

 

[Sprinter]

much to our dismay, some of the wood we cut, split and stacked (non oak or black locust) isn't dry enough to burn (21-22 percent moisture).

21 or 22 is just fine, as dmmoss suggests. No need to supplement with that. Assuming the measurement is done right, pins in the face of a fresh split. In real world use, meters are only a couple of % accurate anyway. They even read slightly differently for different species. I believe they are calibrated for Douglas Fir.