wood, stoves and particulates

[quanglewangle]

Warning - this post contains advice. If you are adverse to receiving unsolicited advice stop reading now.

We heat our house including radiators and domestic hot water with wood. We have always used kiln dried wood (<15%) because its more efficient and keeps the stove and chimney free of tar,and actually mostly free of soot too. We use 5 m² of wood a year and get about half kilo of soot from 5m liner.

I want to point out that it is quite possible, common in fact, to generate high levels of particulates from kiln dried wood, if the stove isn't used properly. I have been educating local wood burners for some time - help me spread the word....
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Run the stove with the secondary air inlet wide open. If that generates too much heat then run the stove with less wood. Adjust the heat output by varying wood load, not the secondary air. The idea is, in internal combustion engine terms, to run the fire "lean". If you need to clean the glass, there is not enough air for the wood load.

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[edit] Tried attaching a pic. to see if I can do it. This is the stove. We've tidied up a bit in the last eight years or so

[burnie]

Those bits of wood could have made a sofa lol...……………………………...

[veggiechicken]

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This is the stove. We've tidied up a bit in the last eight years or so

I can see why you worry about using the same chopping board for toms and bread! It could be dusty!!

[quanglewangle]

I can see why you worry about using the same chopping board for toms and bread! It could be dusty!!

Yes, it was messy. I missed most of that phase as I was still working up-country, doing a weekly commute on the wonderful Night Riviera sleeper, but mrs quanglewangle went on a bit about it.

She and the dog would come to see me off Sunday evening on the bus into Penzance to catch the train and then meet me Friday off the bus. The dog became convinced I was living all week on the bus and would run after any bus he saw in case I was on it.

[rary]

There was a bit on the wireless the other day where a man said that you have to use kilen dried wood to reduce the particulates given off from the wood, but air dried wood will meet the requirements of the new law once introduced, but then if it was said on the wireless it must be true and of course increase the price of the wood

[nickdub]

It must be getting on for 20 years since I last bought any wood for my stove - mostly old pallets these days + the occasional fallen tree.

Back when I did buy it the bloke was selling off the slabbing from his mill where he cut mostly pit props.
£30 for a 1 ton tipper load dropped in the drive.

[Scarlet]

It must be getting on for 20 years since I last bought any wood for my stove - mostly old pallets these days + the occasional fallen tree.

Same here - We've never bought wood. We use our garden to supply us. Keep planting and cutting and with the odd large tree felled we've never run out of wood yet.
Our pile for next winter drying out - though we've a few more to split.

[burnie]

I buy coal, but not wood, still manage to scavenge plenty.

[quanglewangle]

We don't really have trees on the Atlantic seaboard of West Cornwall. I think the miners used what few there might have been and the wind stops new ones growing back. When we arrived we planted a few, much to the amusement of the neighbors, who stroked their chins, put their heads on one side, and said something like "Trees, huh? We'll see..."

[Snadger]

I think the the new laws will be about water content of wood for burning? Well seasoned wood is similar in water content to 'Kiln dried' so is acceptable.
The wood I buy is well seasoned and cut to a length to suit my stove. Expensive but not quite as expensive as kiln dried.

[quanglewangle]

I think the the new laws will be about water content of wood for burning? Well seasoned wood is similar in water content to 'Kiln dried' so is acceptable.
The wood I buy is well seasoned and cut to a length to suit my stove. Expensive but not quite as expensive as kiln dried.

I doubt the regulations will be enforced at all, at least not in rural areas. I think the target is big city garage forecourts.

[Stan79]

You can buy moisture meters on t’web for a few quid. Recommended to only burn wood that’s under 20% moisture. Split it and it dries faster. I work on cutting one year, drying for two years under cover and then burning.

The wood warms you three times that way too...
Once when you cut it.
Once when you split it.
Once when you burn it.

[Snadger]

I doubt the regulations will be enforced at all, at least not in rural areas. I think the target is big city garage forecourts.

Agreed. It does make me feel better about myself if I try and stick to the rules as far as possible though.

[veggiechicken]

We've never bought wood either. There always seems to be a tree that needs thinning or felling. Its stored under an old carport - reasonably dry and the wind whistles through it. I also dry my washing in there!

[Snadger]

You can buy moisture meters on t’web for a few quid. Recommended to only burn wood that’s under 20% moisture. Split it and it dries faster. I work on cutting one year, drying for two years under cover and then burning.

The wood warms you three times that way too...
Once when you cut it.
Once when you split it.
Once when you burn it.

I buy my wood seasoned and ready cut to size and dumped at the gate. I still get warm three times though.


Once when I shift it and stack it at the top of the garden
Once when I shift some into short term storage near the door
Once when I burn it