I just bought a cord of wood, but it's damp and hisses when I burn it. What can I do?

[sstanis]

Microwaves heat water by dielectric and magnetic resonance, given a certain gigahertz. It is the dilelectric (where the water molecules having both positive and negative charges align themselves to the alternating charges) and magetic resonance, which the hydrogen atoms ossicilate when excited by magnetism. Moreover, microwaves have a longer wavelength allowing for deeper penetration as compared to conduction, convective, and infrared (for a given input). Just trying to just one of many ways he could utilize his current supply

 

[cogger]

Hi, I have another question. I am relatively new to the whole wood stove thing, but I just recently bought a cord of wood. When I burn it I hear hissing sounds and see bubbles of moisture at the ends of the wood. This wood was sold to me as "seasoned hardwood".

Is there anything I can do about all that wood that's so damp internally?

Do most of you order your wood in the spring and keep it covered all summer and fall in order to keep it dry for the following winter?

If the wood is just plainly "wet" one thing you can do (if you have to room around your stove) is stack your next days burn pile around your woodstove using the heat to dry it.

If you have lots more room around your stove thanyou can turn your stove palor in to a homemade kiln. LOL. I once knew a ol timer that filed half a room with several piles of wood around his stove and he would give it a week to dry out. Then again running a kettle on the stove didn't make much sense anyway to humidify the air ?#$%^&@

 

[DiscoInferno]

Microwaves heat water by dielectric and magnetic resonance, given a certain gigahertz. It is the dilelectric (where the water molecules having both positive and negative charges align themselves to the alternating charges) and magetic resonance, which the hydrogen atoms ossicilate when excited by magnetism. Moreover, microwaves have a longer wavelength allowing for deeper penetration as compared to conduction, convective, and infrared (for a given input). Just trying to just one of many ways he could utilize his current supply

I'm not questioning the physics of microwave heating, I'm just curious under what experimental conditions it would be 30% more efficient than resistive water heating, which can be made essentially 100% efficient. Just a basic conservation of energy question. Is this a comparison of boiling water on an electric stove vs. a microwave oven? Certainly there the stove radiates energy away that doesn't go into the water. But then the magnetron isn't 100% efficient either.

So how long do you need to nuke a green split to make it burnable? I've not tried this yet, although now I'm tempted.

 

[sstanis]

Depends upon your definition of wet. The stuff that I know, just by looking at it and feeling it, that will hiss, sizzle, spit and bubble. Fill up the ole' nuker and generally within 1/2 hr to 40 min it will burn to the point of none of the above. So I probably brought it down to the 25% moisture level, never stuck a meter in it. I admit that I was skeptical when I 1st read about it on this board, but tried it and it worked. Also was skeptical of north/south burns being longer than East/West. But I when I started burning really thick, dense chunks, I found that by going north/south I could fit more poundage of wood in Heritage than by going East/West, which I guess allowed for my longer burns. That is what I love about this board, alot of people contribute some great ideas. Doesn't hurt to try some of them. Me I work ungodly amount of hours (90+hrs/week without commute). I have maximize my burn times. To me, a few kilowatt hrs here and there drying wood in nuker beats my electric baseboard from kicking on from wet wood smoldering my fire or having to babysit wet wood to get stove up to optimal temp. Now would I go out and buy a couple of cords of green wood and dry it in entirty in the nuker, heck no. But I do know that 12cents to dry 40+ pds of wood that could not have been used makes some sense. Try it you might find it works.

 

[jjbaer]

Microwaves heat water by dielectric and magnetic resonance, given a certain gigahertz. It is the dilelectric (where the water molecules having both positive and negative charges align themselves to the alternating charges) and magetic resonance, which the hydrogen atoms ossicilate when excited by magnetism. Moreover, microwaves have a longer wavelength allowing for deeper penetration as compared to conduction, convective, and infrared (for a given input). Just trying to just one of many ways he could utilize his current supply

From an energy standpoint, it takes a FIXED amount of energy to raise the temp of say, 1 lb of water, 1 deg F and that unit is the BTU. No amount of fancy physics or "new math" will get you around that.....I don't care if you use microwaves, or a blowtorch or electric resistance...BUT...that said, not all heating methods utilize 100% of the energy consumed to heat the water as some is lost to the environment, that is, while it may take 1 BTU to raise 1 lb of water 1 deg F, when using the microwaves it may take say, 1.5 BTU consumed to get 1 BTU into heating the water and with the blowtorch it may take, say, 1.6 BTU consumed to get that same 1 BTU into the water, etc., so, from that standpoint, one method may be more efficient than another.....

 

[carpniels]

Eric,

That is just an insane amount of wood. It would last me 4 years.

Why is is all cut to that one size? You have a boiler, does it not take really long splits? I heard some of them take 24 or30 inch splits. Why are yours so small?

Thanks

Carpniels

 

[slowzuki]

I think the tale of the microwave is it cooks things with 30% less electricity than resistance. Does not change the efficiency, just you are heating less of the room when microwaving. I don't think the microwave is going to dry the wood well, try to boil a glass of water dry in the microwave.

The cheapest way to do it is to split it as fine as possible, leave it indoors for as long as possible and burn it. You don't lose all that much heat burning wet wood it is just hard to burn in an appliance designed to burn dry wood. You may as well buy electric resistance heaters if you are gonna microwave several cords of wood dry.

 

[Andre B.]

I don't think the microwave is going to dry the wood well, try to boil a glass of water dry in the microwave.

The cheapest way to do it is to split it as fine as possible, leave it indoors for as long as possible and burn it. You don't lose all that much heat burning wet wood it is just hard to burn in an appliance designed to burn dry wood. You may as well buy electric resistance heaters if you are gonna microwave several cords of wood dry.

If you get real serious about it you could get one of these.
http://www.made-in-china.com/showro...ina-30KW-Microwave-Wood-Drying-Equipment.html

Small microwave ovens are often used to measure moisture content of wood.
http://www.modernwoodworking.com/00issues/june/news/roughmill.htm

 

[slowzuki]

I must be a purist, kills me to even think about electricity to do something time will do! The microwave kilns sure are fast but eat a lot of power.

 

[NewtownPA]

p.s. off topic but is Newton/Yardley still an insane real estate market

Yes it's pretty nutty around here. Personally I love the area, it's close to Philly and it is possible to commute to NYC Manhattan from here too.

 

[NewtownPA]

Newtown, that seems a lil steep for mixed wood. I used to deliver firewood in that area around Richboro. Of course that was back in the mid to late 80's. It was 125 a cord then for mostly oak with some maple mixed in. Another indicator of drier wood is the color. The wood darkens as it dries. It should be almost brown or grayish looking.
If you have a hard time finding a decent delaer, I can call a landscaper friend of mine that lives in Southampton, he may have, or know a decent person that has decent wood. Down that area theres not many areas to harvest your own. You might be able to get some from the state parks, Tyler, Core Creek et. You'd have to call the park commision and ask. They might not do it down there.


Is Goodnoes still open? Remember going there for icecream all the time.

Hogwildz,

Thanks for your offer to call your friend - I may take you up on that offer in a few months. For now I'm fine though.

I don't really have the equipment for cutting my own wood. All I got is my axe and a wheelbarrow - rather caveman-ish eh??

Goodnoes is no more. It has been levelled (this past fall). It's nothing but dirt now. They had a change of management some time ago. Anyway my wife heard from some ladies at the gym they are going to build a chain restaurant there.

 

[NewtownPA]

Two can play that game, Roo.

Holy WOW!

I live on a quarter acre, so I can't afford to store more than two cords at once.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Eric,

That is just an insane amount of wood. It would last me 4 years.

Why is is all cut to that one size? You have a boiler, does it not take really long splits? I heard some of them take 24 or30 inch splits. Why are yours so small?

Thanks

Carpniels

Those are all between 24 and 26 inches, Carpniels. One of my concerns about the new boiler was finding one that could handle my inventory of cut wood. The Tarms max out at 20 inches, I believe, while the EKO will take up to 27 inches. The boiler I have now would probably take 36-inchers, but that's too much to handle. Can you imagine splitting a 3-foot chunk? Anyway, since I got into boilers I've always cut 24-inch wood. It's fairly easy to split and handle, and it's also easy to keep track of your volume. In my case, that's a consideration.

Each of those rows has four cords.

 

[carpniels]

WOW,

Looks can be deceiving. They looked like 16"ers to me. 24 is indeed large.

Like I said 4 rows of 4 cords each is 4 years of burning.

Carpniels

 

[sgcsalsero]

Each of those rows has four cords.

Eee gads . . did you split all of that with an 8lb maul . .

 

[DiscoInferno]

Two can play that game, Roo.

Holy WOW!

I live on a quarter acre, so I can't afford to store more than two cords at once.

I've managed to fit 6+ cords on my 1/6 acre, mostly in stacks around the house. My house perimeter has been termite treated lately, so that's not an issue.

Here are the stacks on the north and south sides of the house, these are currently being (re)stacked for next year.

 

[DiscoInferno]

And here is the wood in the back of the house (east side). The long row next to the retaining wall is newly stacked for next year, and I'm currently burning off of the other two.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Each of those rows has four cords.

Eee gads . . did you split all of that with an 8lb maul . .

I used a six-pounder on some of it.

 

[NewtownPA]

And here is the wood in the back of the house (east side). The long row next to the retaining wall is newly stacked for next year, and I'm currently burning off of the other two.

Wow you've got a very efficient system of storing your wood! Looks great! I'd just be afraid of wolf spiders coming into the house with all that wood so close. Eewww...

 

[DiscoInferno]

And here is the wood in the back of the house (east side). The long row next to the retaining wall is newly stacked for next year, and I'm currently burning off of the other two.

Wow you've got a very efficient system of storing your wood! Looks great! I'd just be afraid of wolf spiders coming into the house with all that wood so close. Eewww...

They do love to live in the gap between the stack in back and the basement wall, but they mostly stay outside back there. We have had many wolf spiders run in the front door, however, (they hide in the crevices and run in as soon as you open the door) and I don't have any wood stored there. I've had to live with huge wolf spiders ever since college (they liked to drop on you from the ceiling there), and they don't freak me out quite as much any more.

 

[NewtownPA]

And here is the wood in the back of the house (east side). The long row next to the retaining wall is newly stacked for next year, and I'm currently burning off of the other two.

Wow you've got a very efficient system of storing your wood! Looks great! I'd just be afraid of wolf spiders coming into the house with all that wood so close. Eewww...

They do love to live in the gap between the stack in back and the basement wall, but they mostly stay outside back there. We have had many wolf spiders run in the front door, however, (they hide in the crevices and run in as soon as you open the door) and I don't have any wood stored there. I've had to live with huge wolf spiders ever since college (they liked to drop on you from the ceiling there), and they don't freak me out quite as much any more.

I'm telling you, wolf spiders are the devil incarnate! We have large ones as big as your palm and they run almost as fast as a human can walk. Yuck, yuck, yuck! I spray around the entrances to our house to keep them at bay.

 

[TMonter]

Here is a couple pictures of some of my wood pile. This summer I'm going to build a permanent cover on this side of the house for the wood.

 

[TMonter]

Second Picture - Close Up

 

[DoubleClutch]

I'd just be afraid of wolf spiders coming into the house with all that wood so close. Eewww...

You should see our wood piles! I kill black widows in them every year!

 

[Gooserider]

One option that I haven't seen mentioned so far is to look at getting "log length" wood and processing it yourself. This is a medium cost choice between scrounging and cutting it yourself and purchasing cut / split from the wood guy. It does require that you get yourself the appropriate gear (saw, PPE, etc.) but you can probably get away with a lighter saw, and won't need the pickup truck, trailer, or other stuff to move big loads of wood long distances.

Essentially ask wood dealers for a cost on a "tri-axle" load of log-length cordwood. This is the big truck size, and is typically between 5-7 cords worth of wood when processed, but will be delivered as a pile of logs 8-20' long. You will need a place where they can put the wood that can be accessed from your drive or other solid ground they can drive to. You should get this early in the spring, pretty much as soon as the snow is gone, (same thing applies to any other wood) which gives you most of the summer to get it cut and split. My usual drill was to fire up the saw, cut one or two tanks of gas worth, then split what I'd cut, and get the GF to stack it into my woodsheds - The important thing is to get it up off the ground as soon as possible, and possibly cover the tops as the season moves along.

Gooserider