Wood Furnace Question

[Btenkhoff]

I am sure i know the answer to this but want to be sure. I have a wood burning furnace. This year everything has been going great for the most part. I was using some older wood and the fire was going in the firebox, furnace kicking on. All is well. I switch ranks because i ran out of the older wood and now the wood primarily smolders instead of staying lit, thus furnace doesn't kick on and house temp drops. If i crack the firebox it relights and starts to rock and roll. I close it and 3 minutes later its black in there with smoke. It certainly seems more wood related. I am currently burning hickory from a tree that was down for 6 months whole and i blocked, split and stacked it 12 months ago. I am finding out 12 months for oak and hickory split is not enough. I thought possibly since the tree was dead etc that would help to some degree. I have re-split some of the split wood and measured it with around a 14-15% moisture reading. From what i can tell that is somewhat normal. Can the wood truly be causing the symptoms i am experiencing? I struggle with having enough room for wood to sit for 2 years plus the reality that if i split enough this year i wont be able to burn any next year. I have to think i am not the only one who has this situation. Any advice/ ideas for next year to get me by? Currently i am leaving the door slit for 5-10 minutes at a time monitoring it to get the fire hot enough for the furnace to kick on. Just wanted to add i have the damper fully open when its smoldering still.

 

[sloeffle]

I am finding out 12 months for oak and hickory split is not enough.

In my area it takes two sometimes three years to properly season oak.

Are you taking your reading from a fresh split face ?

Does the wood hiss when it's being burnt ?

When I dealt with wet in the past with my wood furnace I would go to Rural King and buy some biobricks and mix them in with the wet wood. That seemed to help a lot.

 

[all night moe]

Check your flue for good draft. If it has dropped some, it will take more incoming air to draft better. Hence leaving the door cracked open.
Check your chimney cap for build up. If there is a screen, they typically can clog up.

 

[brenndatomu]

I am sure i know the answer to this but want to be sure. I have a wood burning furnace. This year everything has been going great for the most part. I was using some older wood and the fire was going in the firebox, furnace kicking on. All is well. I switch ranks because i ran out of the older wood and now the wood primarily smolders instead of staying lit, thus furnace doesn't kick on and house temp drops. If i crack the firebox it relights and starts to rock and roll. I close it and 3 minutes later its black in there with smoke. It certainly seems more wood related. I am currently burning hickory from a tree that was down for 6 months whole and i blocked, split and stacked it 12 months ago. I am finding out 12 months for oak and hickory split is not enough. I thought possibly since the tree was dead etc that would help to some degree. I have re-split some of the split wood and measured it with around a 14-15% moisture reading. From what i can tell that is somewhat normal. Can the wood truly be causing the symptoms i am experiencing? I struggle with having enough room for wood to sit for 2 years plus the reality that if i split enough this year i wont be able to burn any next year. I have to think i am not the only one who has this situation. Any advice/ ideas for next year to get me by? Currently i am leaving the door slit for 5-10 minutes at a time monitoring it to get the fire hot enough for the furnace to kick on. Just wanted to add i have the damper fully open when its smoldering still.

Classic wet wood symptoms...hickory and oak take 2 years minimum, but really won't be right for 3 years though...unless maybe if you split it small and have it stacked in a sunny/windy spot. Beech is one that has BTUs like oak, but can dry in 1-2 years.
Biobricks as mentioned, scrap untreated lumber, cut up untreated pallets, you could always try to buy some dry wood, but good luck with that. Slab wood and cutoffs can dry fast, if you have any mills around.
Look for soft maple, poplar, pine, boxelder, mostly lower BTU woods, but can dry fast and be mixed in with your wood to get a decent burn.
Even so, you'll need to keep a close eye on your chimney cap (if screened) and clean the flue often.

 

[Btenkhoff]

In my area it takes two sometimes three years to properly season oak.

Are you taking your reading from a fresh split face ?

Does the wood hiss when it's being burnt ?

When I dealt with wet in the past with my wood furnace I would go to Rural King and buy some biobricks and mix them in with the wet wood. That seemed to help a lot.

yes reading from the fresh split face. . It does not hiss from what i can tell. I have heard hissing wood before and it doesnt sound like that. No what on the ends coming out which i have experienced before. On the biobricks how often did you mix those in? I burn my furnace pretty much december to march.

 

[Btenkhoff]

Classic wet wood symptoms...hickory and oak take 2 years minimum, but really won't be right for 3 years though...unless maybe if you split it small and have it stacked in a sunny/windy spot. Beech is one that has BTUs like oak, but can dry in 1-2 years.
Biobricks as mentioned, scrap untreated lumber, cut up untreated pallets, you could always try to buy some dry wood, but good luck with that. Slab wood and cutoffs can dry fast, if you have any mills around.
Look for soft maple, poplar, pine, boxelder, mostly lower BTU woods, but can dry fast and be mixed in with your wood to get a decent burn.
Even so, you'll need to keep a close eye on your chimney cap (if screened) and clean the flue often.

Thanks I will do that. I checked my chimney cap and it is fairly wide mesh and not clogged thankfully. I have my chimney cleaned every year and was told this past fall there was not a lot of creosote build up. I also use a "creosote destroyer" in the fires often. Unfortunately seems like a case of not properly planning and seasoning the wood. I have about 6- ranks of fresh oak that i was hoping to burn next year. Looks like best case the following. Thanks again for the time and wisdom

 

[sloeffle]

On the biobricks how often did you mix those in? I burn my furnace pretty much december to march.

I’d put one maybe two per load.