Kiln Dried Firewood?
- mattcantwin
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Kiln Dried Firewood?
Pretty much heat my house (small ranch) with a wood burning stove; been doing this for over 30 years.
I have a firewood delivery set for next week.
Yesterday, I came across an ad for kiln dried firewood and called to ask about it.
The salesman claims it is much more efficient than typical firewood; gives a longer, hotter burn with very little ash.
He said a pallet (which is about 1/3 cord) heats about the same as a full cord of regular firewood.
Naturally, it is much more expensive than typical firewood.
Any one have any experience with it?
I have a firewood delivery set for next week.
Yesterday, I came across an ad for kiln dried firewood and called to ask about it.
The salesman claims it is much more efficient than typical firewood; gives a longer, hotter burn with very little ash.
He said a pallet (which is about 1/3 cord) heats about the same as a full cord of regular firewood.
Naturally, it is much more expensive than typical firewood.
Any one have any experience with it?
- stonehead887
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
I have kiln dried wood for a small enclosed wood burner. Compared to some other logs, they burn fast, we will get through 6 or 7 good sized logs in about 3 to 4 hours. It's great for splitting out kindling as that really goes up quickly
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
I don't specifically, but it would make sense that dryer wood combusts cleaner and more efficiently than wood with a higher moisture content. Would also produce less creosote in the chimney. The kiln drying process will make it very dry, but if you then store it outside, it will re-absorb humidity from the air and probably not be any better than well seasoned firewood. I guess it comes down to how you store it and how dry/seasoned your normal firewood is?
My parent's heated their home with wood for 30+ years as well with some supplemental ceiling heat. My dad had a large shed for wood and would rotate the newly chopped wood so he was always burning wood that was aged several years. If you don't have this luxury, kiln drying may have some benefit.
As far as the claim that it produces three times the energy, that sounds like pure sales bullshit. Maybe compared to wet wood, but the comparison against seasoned firewood couldn't be that different as the moisture content difference is only 10-15%.
My parent's heated their home with wood for 30+ years as well with some supplemental ceiling heat. My dad had a large shed for wood and would rotate the newly chopped wood so he was always burning wood that was aged several years. If you don't have this luxury, kiln drying may have some benefit.
As far as the claim that it produces three times the energy, that sounds like pure sales bullshit. Maybe compared to wet wood, but the comparison against seasoned firewood couldn't be that different as the moisture content difference is only 10-15%.
Last edited by dnslater on Thu Sep 13, 2018 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
^^^ Agree with Nick.
Actually all those years of splitting and stacking firewood for my Dad when I was a kid has allowed me to appreciate my remote controlled gas fireplace.
Pour wine, sit, click button = fire. Beautiful.
Actually all those years of splitting and stacking firewood for my Dad when I was a kid has allowed me to appreciate my remote controlled gas fireplace.
Pour wine, sit, click button = fire. Beautiful.
- toxicavenger
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Kiln firewood can get your fireplace to hot and burn your chimney out. Also it burns to fast. Not worth the extra cost at all imo.
Website: http://smallwhitestubbies.com/
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
how do i plug my Nest thermostat into the firewood? Is there a manual online?
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Sweet does the firewood support the latest bluetooth codecs? Also what frequency does it ride on?
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Thanks for the responses.
I have a firewood delivery scheduled for Tuesday.
I think I'll go ahead with that and pick up some kiln dried wood during the heating season to see how it burns/heats in comparison.
I have a firewood delivery scheduled for Tuesday.
I think I'll go ahead with that and pick up some kiln dried wood during the heating season to see how it burns/heats in comparison.
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Drying wood is drying wood. But with kiln dried it's basically subjecting that wood to years long drought conditions for a short period making it burn hotter but subsequently faster. Think the recent Carr Fire in NorCal which killed people before they could evacuate. You're paying for the process though. Air takes longer but two woodworkers in my family have been doing years-long stabilization since before I was born. Time depends on your climate. First in first out for their next projects.
If you have the space double (or triple) your order of conventional wood and let the remainder sit. First in first out... Use half of the previous year order for next year and replenish 1/2 for the next. Rinse and repeat. Lived with my Grandparents for ten years as a kid and split a lot of wood. This is how they did it.
If you have the space double (or triple) your order of conventional wood and let the remainder sit. First in first out... Use half of the previous year order for next year and replenish 1/2 for the next. Rinse and repeat. Lived with my Grandparents for ten years as a kid and split a lot of wood. This is how they did it.
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
I'm going with the traditional firewood; delivery scheduled for tomorrow.
Once the heating season begins, I store a fair amount of wood directly behind the stove.
Seems to work well, even with wood one season old.
Once the heating season begins, I store a fair amount of wood directly behind the stove.
Seems to work well, even with wood one season old.
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
I've got work to do.
- Grahamcombat
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
10-12 cord a year for the first 2/3 of my life, and we did the whole process from felling the trees to stacking in the wood shed. I drove a skidder before I drove a car. My first chores after getting off the bus from school were to stoke the fire and fill the wood box.
With this house I have gone the way of the pellet and it is a pleasant way to go.
With this house I have gone the way of the pellet and it is a pleasant way to go.
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Reminds me, I felled 6 trees a month ago at our place in the mtns that died from Beetle kill. I need to take the chainsaw back up and and size/split it next in a few weeks when we go back up. Hoping that that pus our left over from last year will men we don’t have to buy more wood this year.
As others have said, no experience with kiln dried personally, but I would believe hotter but faster. I don’t buy the burning longer BS.
As others have said, no experience with kiln dried personally, but I would believe hotter but faster. I don’t buy the burning longer BS.
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
When I get too lazy (or old) to wheel barrow the wood from the driveway to the back yard I may opt for a pellet stove.Grahamcombat wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:05 am
With this house I have gone the way of the pellet and it is a pleasant way to go.
What's your experience with pellet stove maintenance?
- Grahamcombat
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Easy day. It’s been super simple because I do routine cleaning on it, which is about 5 minutes a month. I run about a bag and a half per 24hr period - which is ~60lbs - so I’m dumping ash out every 10 days or so. Then vacuum once a month. Shoulda done it years ago.mattcantwin wrote:When I get too lazy (or old) to wheel barrow the wood from the driveway to the back yard I may opt for a pellet stove.Grahamcombat wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:05 am
With this house I have gone the way of the pellet and it is a pleasant way to go.
What's your experience with pellet stove maintenance?
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Agree. I had two wood burners in my primary house 25 years ago and conveying to pellet with a thermostat and it was awesome. The other wood stove hardly ever got used after that.
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
A good day's work.
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Sounds good, thanks.Grahamcombat wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:34 pm
Easy day. It’s been super simple because I do routine cleaning on it, which is about 5 minutes a month. I run about a bag and a half per 24hr period - which is ~60lbs - so I’m dumping ash out every 10 days or so. Then vacuum once a month. Shoulda done it years ago.
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Last load.
Done.
Done.
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Is central heating not an option? Or just not preferred?
- mattcantwin
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
We have base board heat, but have been heating with a wood stove for about 40 years.
We live in a small ranch and it works out fine - nice and toasty in the living room, kitchen, etc. and get to sleep
with nice, heavy blankets at night.
It does require attention throughout the day.
In addition, it looks like 1/3 of the wood just delivered will be going to the log splitter before coming into the house, but I enjoy that;
especially when my wife runs the splitter and I put the wood on it.
The splitter is a recent addition, used a maul previously.
All "this work" makes you really appreciate the heat.
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
As my Dad would tell me when I was growing up cutting and splitting 6 plus cord a year, you get more than one warning when you cut and split your own firewood. Unfortunately I grew up on 80 acres with plenty of trees. We heated with wood my entire time at home...after all the kids left my parents installed a central furnace Dad would still cut and split wood up until his passing at 72 but only as supplemental source of heat.mattcantwin wrote:We have base board heat, but have been heating with a wood stove for about 40 years.
We live in a small ranch and it works out fine - nice and toasty in the living room, kitchen, etc. and get to sleep
with nice, heavy blankets at night.
It does require attention throughout the day.
In addition, it looks like 1/3 of the wood just delivered will be going to the log splitter before coming into the house, but I enjoy that;
especially when my wife runs the splitter and I put the wood on it.
The splitter is a recent addition, used a maul previously.
All "this work" makes you really appreciate the heat.
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Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse.
- 59yukon01
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Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
Did I just click on the Pioneer days thread?
Excuse me while I turn both my furnaces up. I feel a draft.
Excuse me while I turn both my furnaces up. I feel a draft.
Re: Kiln Dried Firewood?
59yukon01 wrote:Did I just click on the Pioneer days thread?
Excuse me while I turn both my furnaces up. I feel a draft.
- Todd
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