less than 10% moisture content is real hard to control in the newer stoves. Most only have a limited control of the main combustion air supply and none what so ever on the secondary. with a full load things get out of hand very quickly. I had some very dry- didn't measure it - red oak in the nc30 closing the main was of no help but mechanically blocking the secondary intake got things under control. part of the problem was the 30-50 mph wind blowing at the time also creating excessive draw. I have run into this on other stoves over the years as well. Pretty rare around my parts to have splits less than 12%- and that is stuff that has been sitting in a barn or similar for several years. Most of the time I am fighting to get below 20% due to mother natures whims.
Firewood too dry?!
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The doctor down the road has kiln dried oak, and hickory delivered at an astronomical price for his huge fireplace,usually 8 monstrous plastic wrapped pallets , I took a load about 15 pieces in December when we had 3 days of -30 wind chills and 60 mph winds , in to the BK it went the stuff burned 16 hours , the cat was cherry road no smoke from the chimney.
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
Did you happen to re-split a split and stick it with a moisture meter? Curious as to what it would test out at and if it was kiln dried for the purpose of drying it to properly burn or to simply kill bugs so they can sell over state lines?
No I didn't I just out of curiosity wanted to try it, it had good density to it and burned great, not much difference in reality to my 16% , 18% stuff, fired up quicker.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
All wood stoves, when tested, must use 18-24% m.c. fuel. Knowing this in advance, stoves are tuned for this range.
A combination of m.c. , volume of fuel and burn rate can indicate, as a result of delayed ignition, the combination is not optimal.
Delayed ignitions often result in back puffing smoke into the living quarters.
BKVP
Very interesting post, I never even thought about the humidity in my area affecting my woods moisture level. I thought the longer I leave it out the dryer it would be, I guess my max dryness I could ever expect is 13%. Thanks for posting.
Remember that "kiln dried" can mean many things. Home built kilns, commercial kilns, are tools to dry wood but the operator can choose to dry to whatever MC he wants. Then of course, the environment that the wood is stored in after the kiln drying before you burn it.
In a shed, it's easy to get 12% MC softwoods in the wet side of the PNW after one full summer. It's not that the wood is too dry but maybe the OP meant partially rotten wood that dries out to super lightweight punky popcorn fart type of fuel.
In a shed, it's easy to get 12% MC softwoods in the wet side of the PNW after one full summer. It's not that the wood is too dry but maybe the OP meant partially rotten wood that dries out to super lightweight punky popcorn fart type of fuel.
Chris, I burned a full load of kiln dried oak,hickory that I absconded from my neighbor down the road a doctor. I burned this during a three day blizzard around Xmas 2022, 35 below windchill and 65 mph sustained winds. The full load burned 10 hours and kept the house at 73 King Parlor, would this be typical with wood this dry? THX I have now 20 cords in a metal covered lean to that's reading between 12% and 16% all oak and hickory, probably won't get to burn it for a few years,is there such a thing as too dry, all splits are heavy still some 10 years old. gets hot in the metal covered building, north south windflow.
I have not been able to do this so far on the thick splits we burn. The lowest has been 15%. However, considering how dry this May was and June is becoming, this may be the year.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
What is the piece size? Diameter? 50lbs comprised of 10 pieces burns much faster than 50lbs comprised of 4 pieces. A King can easily handle nearly 80lbs....
BKVP
You’re also by the water with maybe more shade and less wind. I’m also drying out tree service wood that may have been in a yard accumulating before my delivery so “pre dried”. My 2024/2025 wood just got stacked in the shed so it will get two summers. Probably too dry!
Still burning, this morning was in the 40s.
My pieces that I split are minimally 6 in diameter to 10 in diameter,the kiln dried was around 6in.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Not bad. So many variables. If you were "full load", then you cleaned out all coals and ashes. With the size pieces you put in , let's say you had 60lbs-70lbs of fuel. In 10 hours, that 6lbs-8lbs per hour. That is a high burn rate, over 40k btus per/hr avg.
The high wind may have influenced the burn rate as well,. Verify tight fitting door/glass gaskets and try to weigh fuel load, measure M.C. per piece and then we can see what your real how the stove is doing.
The above calls are very loose due to meds I'm taking from knee surgery on Friday.
The high wind may have influenced the burn rate as well,. Verify tight fitting door/glass gaskets and try to weigh fuel load, measure M.C. per piece and then we can see what your real how the stove is doing.
The above calls are very loose due to meds I'm taking from knee surgery on Friday.
Hope you're doing well been there done that, anyway I'm more than satisfied with my parlor 5th year in second BK,King.
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