I should know better - dang it all! I've been having fits the last couple of days as I just couldn't keep a fire going, glass was smoking up, it was a real struggle to get the stove top temp up to even 400 degrees.
I've got 'good' wood out there - I know it - I seasoned it myself. I've been burning elm which was cut late 2008, split/stacked on pallets since October 2009. Tops were covered in winter, etc.
BUT - and here's the big BUT - this is a long row, double row, of around 1-3/4 cord that was butted up to another row of 1 cord of silver maple. Seems once I got through this first 3/4 cord of eelm I was then taking elm that was partially blocked from the wind by that previous cord of silver maple. Guess what? Split/stacked does not season well when butted up to another row! Duh! I know that! Even proved that to myself this week!
So, now that I switched to my hard maple that has been split/stacked out in the breeze/sun all by itself my stove is rockin' and rollin' again.
Of course, I cleaned the chimney today even though I cleaned it right after Christmas, did the dollar bill test on all the gaskets, cleaned out the dog house (air control), etc., etc.
- but -
"It's the wood, dummy!"
"It's the wood, dummy!"
"It's the wood, dummy!"
Repeat after me:
"It's the wood, dummy!"
I've got 'good' wood out there - I know it - I seasoned it myself. I've been burning elm which was cut late 2008, split/stacked on pallets since October 2009. Tops were covered in winter, etc.
BUT - and here's the big BUT - this is a long row, double row, of around 1-3/4 cord that was butted up to another row of 1 cord of silver maple. Seems once I got through this first 3/4 cord of eelm I was then taking elm that was partially blocked from the wind by that previous cord of silver maple. Guess what? Split/stacked does not season well when butted up to another row! Duh! I know that! Even proved that to myself this week!
So, now that I switched to my hard maple that has been split/stacked out in the breeze/sun all by itself my stove is rockin' and rollin' again.
Of course, I cleaned the chimney today even though I cleaned it right after Christmas, did the dollar bill test on all the gaskets, cleaned out the dog house (air control), etc., etc.
- but -
"It's the wood, dummy!"
"It's the wood, dummy!"
"It's the wood, dummy!"
Repeat after me:
"It's the wood, dummy!"