Do I have secondary when.....

[SethB2]

almond(similar to oak) in my stove,

Off topic: How long does that take to season compared to oak?

about the same amount of time (maybe a little less)

You're in California, so we're burning the same white "valley" oak, and I don't find oak and almond at all similar. Oak doesn't throw nearly as much heat, and isn't nearly as hard or heavy. I use Oak for starting my fire and getting coals. I use almond to heat from there on out. I'd use almond excusively if it were not so damn hard to get started.

Sorry about the hijack.

 

[SethB2]

almond(similar to oak) in my stove,

Off topic: How long does that take to season compared to oak?

about the same amount of time (maybe a little less)

I'm burning some right now. It's been split about 8 months but still doesn't seem to be in it's prime. I really need to pack it full or the secondaries go out when I reduce the air. With the two year old oak I don't have that trouble.

The almond I have been burning is about a year old and it seems to do OK. It's a little trickier to burn than oak. You need to be hotter than you would expect before you choke it back (in comparison to oak). That might be your problem. I'd suggest leaving the primary air on for a little longer, then see what happens.

It could be the wood though. I'm not sure what the climate is like during the summers in Spain. Here, if almond sits out all summer durring the 95-105 degree days, it's good to go once winter comes.

 

[bokehman]

its 0*f here & ure telling me the secondaries aint drafting?room temp is 70 & stove is hotter.

My stove has twenty 1/16" holes and ten 3/16" holes. That means the total area of the secondary air supply is 0.34 of a square inch (that's equivalent to a 5/8" circular hole). At the same time the flue temp has dropped from 750ish (burn phase) to 250ish (coal stage). At that reduced draft how long do you think it would take to empty your house of warm air through a 5/8" hole?

HABLAS ESPANOL?

Yes!

I'm not sure what the climate is like during the summers in Spain.

I'm in a rain shadow here. There's barely a cloud in the sky the whole summer and the annual rainfall is around 12". Daytime temps are in the 90's and RH is normally 25-35%.

 

[SethB2]

I'm in a rain shadow here. There's barely a cloud in the sky the whole summer and the annual rainfall is around 12". Daytime temps are in the 90's and RH is normally 25-35%.

Sounds fairly similar. We get about 18" of rain a year on average here, though this year we haven't got hardly any. Humidity is a bit lower in the summer, but either way, pretty damn close. I guess that's why they say the the valley in California has a mediterranean climate.

I'm not sure what the problem with your almond is. From what I have available to me, it is easily the best firewood I have burned.

 

[bokehman]

I'm not sure what the problem with your almond is.

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions because the red oak is so much easier to get burning.

 

[SethB2]

I'm not sure what the problem with your almond is.

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions because the red oak is so much easier to get burning.

I haven't burned red oak, but tons of people on this forum have. But .... there probably only a handful of people here that have burned both red oak and almond, because (geographically speaking) they don't grow in the same areas. I'm pretty sure red is better/harder than white, but I have no experience with it.

In comparison to white oak, almond is a lot more difficult to get started. I don't know if that holds true for red. Someone here will probably know. Like I stated before, typically I start my fires with oak, and keep them going with almond.

 

[bokehman]

there probably only a handful of people here that have burned both red oak and almond, because (geographically speaking) they don't grow in the same areas.

They both grow here. I've got almonds in the garden. The red oak grows a few miles away above 1500' ASL. The tree is an evergreen.

 

[SethB2]

there probably only a handful of people here that have burned both red oak and almond, because (geographically speaking) they don't grow in the same areas.

They both grow here. I've got almonds in the garden. The red oak grows a few miles away above 1500' ASL. The tree is an evergreen.

nevermind.

 

[bokehman]

nevermind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_ilex

 

[bokehman]

wonder what the btu loss from the temp difference of 70-0* F

I estimate about 1.4 btu per cubic foot. And if you unfolded that 1 cubic foot so it had a 5/8" cross section it would be 420 feet long. And if you got a 1500 square foot house with 10 foot ceilings (15000 cubic feet) and unfolded that to a 5/8" cross section you'd have a string of air 1200 miles long.

 

[myzamboni]

almond(similar to oak) in my stove,

Off topic: How long does that take to season compared to oak?

about the same amount of time (maybe a little less)

You're in California, so we're burning the same white "valley" oak, and I don't find oak and almond at all similar. Oak doesn't throw nearly as much heat, and isn't nearly as hard or heavy. I use Oak for starting my fire and getting coals. I use almond to heat from there on out. I'd use almond excusively if it were not so damn hard to get started.

Sorry about the hijack.

First, my almond vs. oak experience is from open fireplaces.

Second, WE are not both burning the same 'valley' oak and almond in our stoves as I burn almost exclusively pine.

Third, I never had an issue getting almond to light so maybe your almond is not seasoned enough. Split a piece open and check it with a moisture meter. From my fireplace days I know that 1 year seasoned almond would still hiss.

 

[SethB2]

almond(similar to oak) in my stove,

Off topic: How long does that take to season compared to oak?

about the same amount of time (maybe a little less)

You're in California, so we're burning the same white "valley" oak, and I don't find oak and almond at all similar. Oak doesn't throw nearly as much heat, and isn't nearly as hard or heavy. I use Oak for starting my fire and getting coals. I use almond to heat from there on out. I'd use almond excusively if it were not so damn hard to get started.

Sorry about the hijack.

First, my almond vs. oak experience is from open fireplaces.

Second, WE are not both burning the same 'valley' oak and almond in our stoves as I burn almost exclusively pine.

Third, I never had an issue getting almond to light so maybe your almond is not seasoned enough. Split a piece open and check it with a moisture meter. From my fireplace days I know that 1 year seasoned almond would still hiss.

I didn't mean to upset you.

1) I have no idea how almond and oak act in open fireplaces. Maybe there is no difference. Hell if I know. I used them to heat the home, not for aesthetics.

2) Are you burning almond, oak or pine? You're confusing me. Either way, if you're in the Silicon Valley, there is a good chance you're burning vally oak (when you're not lighting the pine).

The Valley oak is widely distributed in the California Central Valley, the inner coast ranges south of the Eel River and the transverse ranges from the Tehachapi Mountains to the San Fernando Valley. It is also present on Santa Cruz Island and Catalina Island. Some of the most picturesque stands are found in Sonoma Valley, Round Valley in Mendocino County and the upper reaches of the Salinas River.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_oak

But maybe you have access to some hotter oak than I do. If so, I'll bring my chainsaw.

3) I have burned five year old almond and one year old almond and have yet to find much of a difference. Both are more difficult to light than oak, but once they're going, they give off more heat regardless of the age.

Thank you for your time.