My personal nightmare with wood!

[Seasoned Oak]

Coal and wood are 2 different animals. Coal is almost pure carbon. Highly concentrated energy. I have both and it is surprising how much volume of wood i go thru for the same amount of heat from a much smaller volume of coal. I agree with Grisu on this one,save the wood for the milder temps,although my harman TL-300 Wood stove will heat my drafty 3000 SF house at any outside temp.

 

[Michael6268]

I have exactly the same stove, almost the same square footage house, and approx. the same chimney.

Last winter (2012), burning 2-year CSS cherry and hickory, I could hold 500 stovetop with my eyes shut, and keep it for 4-5 hours. Temp measured with a magnetic therm at center of stovetop step. Oh, and using pretty big splits- 5-6" on top of coals.

This past winter, I got the same as I finished off that supply of wood, but then got progressively worse results as I started working my way into less-and-less seasoned stacks. By February, I was burning cherry that has sat in rounds for 2 years, but had only been split for maybe 6 months- winter just would not quit and it was that or break up the furniture.

By the end of February, my not-quite-seasoned cherry would only offer an hour or two of flames, and maybe another hour or two of coals, then nada. I stretched it out by adding Envi-blocks, but that's another thread.

Solely based on this, my $0.02 is that there's something we all don't know about the wood. Michael6268, have we checked more splits with the MM? From 4-6 diff places in the stack? And on fresh-split faces? (I know, that's first-grade-level input, but we'll start there...)

Moisture was checked every few days to weekly when I brought wood in. Checked in the center of fresh split.

 

[Grisu]

Moisture was checked every few days to weekly when I brought wood in. Checked in the center of fresh split.

Was the wood at room temp or still cold from the outside?

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Anyone expecting no temperature swings with wood heat will be disappointed. No wood stove puts out the same amount of heat on high output for the entire burn. Cat stoves do a good job at low to med output,but at high output will go thru the wood load faster and require reloading to maintain high output. My temps swing about 3-4 deg from overnight to morning ,with an outside temp of 32. Any colder and the temp swing is greater. If you heat load is too great, 1 wood stove(Even a big one) may not cover it.

 

[Highbeam]

Cat stoves do a good job at low to med output,but at high output will go thru the wood load faster and require reloading to maintain high output.

To be clear, the cat stove goes through wood faster at high output but no faster than a non-cat. It's not like they become wood wasters at a higher setting.

With a properly sized cat stove you don't need to run on high so it really is possible to maintain a relatviely constrant temp through the house. Even a central furnace uses a swing of three degrees or so to prevent short cycling the equipment.

The bottom line for the OP is the downgrade to a more labor intensive and lower output heater was a bad move.

 

[Michael6268]

I totally agree that moving from coal to wood was a step backwards. I only did it because of all the free wood I received when we bought the house and the abundace of wood available on the property. Liked the idea of free fuel.

 

[Michael6268]

Was the wood at room temp or still cold from the outside?

Inside a unheated porch area. Wood came from greenhouse to porch to stove.

 

[Highbeam]

I totally agree that moving from coal to wood was a step backwards. I only did it because of all the free wood I received when we bought the house and the abundace of wood available on the property. Liked the idea of free fuel.

Wood burning for heat was a good move. The trouble is that your demand is so very high that you need something larger than an NC30 to make it easier. A wood furnace may have enough power.

 

[bobdog2o02]

A wood furnace may have enough power.

or two or three NC30's, maybe they could be rigged up like the Dolmar bike, it would need a huge chimney though... lol

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I totally agree that moving from coal to wood was a step backwards. I only did it because of all the free wood I received when we bought the house and the abundace of wood available on the property. Liked the idea of free fuel.

I have both and i too have a lot of free wood. I use the wood stove when convenient and i want to watch a fire, and the coal when i dont have time or wood . Difference with mine is both heat my whole drafty 100 year old 3000 SF house just fine to 75 in any weather ,but i do like the coal as its hot water and all the rooms are the same temp vs the wood which i have to run fans to disperse the heat up thru the 2nd and 3rd floor from the Bsmt install.Besides the coal boiler, I use a TL-300 harman in my home and the Nc-30s are in a workshop & 2nd home im rehabbing.

 

[gyrfalcon]

No one on this site is talking down to me, trust me! I also would argue the fact of thermometer placement. Ever heard of "double wall stoves"? Thermometer on top is totallly useless. My opinion is a more accurate reading of what is happening in your firebox is the front right corner not the top that is separated by a baffle and burn tubes. Either way I dont believe that is a significant factor in this case.

LOL. So it was somebody else who complained "Just felt like I was being talked down to"?

 

[begreen]

Considering this isn't a double-wall stove the thermometer placement statement is not relevant. Most secondary stoves have a baffle and yes the stovetop gets plenty hot. Instead of arguing just try it where suggested.

 

[Michael6268]

LOL. So it was somebody else who complained "Just felt like I was being talked down to"?

Wasnt complaining. Was answering to you (I have no idea why) why I may have been snippy with a previous poster. Do yourself a favor and think before you speak and most of all "grow up"!! Im out on this one for now. Thanks again to you others who really did try to help with sensible constructive posts.

 

[begreen]

And with that... Seems like all that needed to be said has been. Closing thread.