What does everyone think about how ash burns and heats? Thanks to the ash bore it’s readily available and free or very cheep. Just before I acquire a bunch and cut and split it all. Thanks
Burning Ash.
- Thread starter Erichomeowner
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Excellent firewood. Get all you can! Seasons well, burns decent even if it isn't perfectly well seasoned... Doesn't have the BTU's of oak, hickory, beech; but I've had people tell me they would burn it before anything else.
Gearhead660
Minister of Fire
Good stuff. Seasons quick. Towards top of my favorite woods to burn. Had peak eab killed trees here a couple years back. Still have about 2 cords ready for next winter.
Gearhead, there's tree services around here still that are looking for people to come load up they have so much. Mequon & Cedarburg I know of for sure... I think I may have told you that in a different thread, so sorry if I'm repeating info to you.
Gearhead660
Minister of Fire
Dont doubt it. My town went through and marked all the trees that needed to be removed a year or so ago. Trees were already dead, so not much of a preventative measure...
yeah everyone around me are cutting all the ash also figure I would set my self up next winter.
It's all I've burnt for the last 3 years and it heats well......one of the best things about ash imo is how easy it is to process. If you use an axe for splitting you will be a happy person. One strike splits non stop.
Medic21
Minister of Fire
It’s been 100% of what I burned some years. This year it was probably 50%. I’ve had no problem with it. Clean and hot. Won’t last as long as Oak, fruit trees, or locust but, I wouldn’t pass any up at all.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
My stacks are getting more and more ash every year, I always get stuff that was taken down as dead fall and while oaks and maples still happen, ash wood seems to be the recent leader around here. I like burning it to, it splits pretty decently and bigger splits seem to be the best, talking +5" diameter to about 7"
L&H tree service. Last year he was saying he had 2 acres of pasture full of piles. I talked to him a month ago and it was too muddy to get in, but I would think we should be able to get in soon.
Ash is probably the best "all purpose" wood in my opinion, you can use it for kindling to quarter splits to large fuelwood pieces, burns nice and seasons quickly and like someone said it's very easy to split and work with.
Medic21
Minister of Fire
In a pinch I’ll even burn it green in the boiler. Takes a couple cycles but cleans up and burns nice after that.
Disclaimer, I’m not worried about creosote buildup in the boiler, a chimney fire is just cleaning the chimney...
It usually splits well, dries well, heats well - a little below oak, well below hickory, but isn't everything? Very few sparks to worry about. I'm unfortunately about out of ash trees on my property to clean up. I'd rather have the live trees, but as firewood goes, it's been probably 80% of what I've burned the last 5 years.
I'll echo what's been said, I love ash. Not as common in my area, but when I've gotten some I've loved splitting it.
EODMSgt
Feeling the Heat
As others have said, ash is excellent firewood and I scrounge all that I can. It's been one of my top three for years. Ash isn't the best for an all-nighter though as it does burn quicker than the more dense woods like oak and beech.
yinpin
Burning Hunk
That has been my go to for the past three years simply because they have been taken down by the forestry and just left in peoples yards. Most people don't know what to do with that much wood so I offer to take it 
I have sold some to friends after I seasoned it and split it because I don't have enough space and I have two old ladies who have a bunch they want gone. Need more room!
I have sold some to friends after I seasoned it and split it because I don't have enough space and I have two old ladies who have a bunch they want gone. Need more room!Guy down the road was giving some away, I took all I needed. A guy asked before he read the post that it was ash, said it's illegal to bring ash into PA....True?
Check the DNr website. In WI, we have "quarantine" county's that firewood can't be hauled out of into "non-quarantine" county's...
In Ohio, you're not allowed to move ash out of the quarantine zone. On the other hand, every county in the state is quarantined. Apparently this means you can't take it out of state into or through places that aren't quarantined, but driving a county over to get it / sell it should be OK. I'm aware of campgrounds and other areas that won't let you bring ANY firewood in, regardless of species, presumably to make it easier to enforce the quarantine and not require identifying the species of every stick of wood that moves through the checkpoint. If you're camping, just buy it where you'll burn it.
red oak
Minister of Fire
Ash is my favorite firewood. It is lighter than oak which was all I cut for years. It splits incredibly easy - I split all by hand. Dries pretty fast and the heat is below oak but not too much below. Lots of dead ash in the National Forest near me and I took all I could. Great firewood!
It’s almost all I burned last year. I love the stuff; however, I make sure it’s from within the county.
heavy hammer
Minister of Fire
Lately it is all I have been burning and stacks have been growing every year from it. A great wood!
hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
It has only one downside to me -- doesn't burn very hot; doesn't kindle very easily and doesn't make for interesting fires.
Upsides:
Plentiful
Good BTUs
Splits real easy
Seasons pretty fast
Not prone to rot or fungus in the stacks if split
Usually easy to have some in the living room -- lack of bugs, etc.
A great wood to have if you also have oak and hickory to make those fires hot and interesting.
Upsides:
Plentiful
Good BTUs
Splits real easy
Seasons pretty fast
Not prone to rot or fungus in the stacks if split
Usually easy to have some in the living room -- lack of bugs, etc.
A great wood to have if you also have oak and hickory to make those fires hot and interesting.
