Firewood Questions

[Ken45101]

I think that any sensible masonry (or similar design) stove should have an exterior source for combustion make-up air. That not only eliminates the depletion of oxygen in the house, it also reduces cold air intrusion by eliminating a negative pressure as well. More sophisticated designs I have seen route the exterior make-up air along side the combustion chamber to preheat it before it enters the combustion.

There is an actual study that has been done (documented on woodheat.org IIRC) that showed there is NO ADVANTAGE of feeding outside air into a stove. Typical stove usage is minor compared to normal air infiltration. There is no efficiency gain because the stove has to heat up colder air, so it just doesn't matter.

You won't "deplete" the oxygen in the house, what goes into the stove is plain air (79% nitrogen, and the rest is mostly oxygen.) Air leaking into the house will have the same percentage of oxygen. The exhaust is going up the chimney, not into the house.

A house that is too tight will reduce how well the stove works since it will reduce the chimney draft. But it makes no difference (according to the study) whether you provide makeup air directly to the stove, or just allow infiltration into the house.

Ken

 

[clemsonfor]

The masonry stoves I know are better suited to area heating... normally they are found in the wall separating the entry area/foyer and livingroom...

The fire burns longer than an hour... it is just the first 45 minutes to an hour till it burns down to embers/coals and then the airtight door is closed and the heat noticeably increases if the timing on closing the door is right... too early and the wood will not completely burn and too late and all the wood burns with little to know residual heat... it's almost like a reactor meltdown when the chamber is sealed full of hot coals at the right moment.

Wood is almost 100% hardwood and typically seasoned 2 to 3 years... in stacks as shown in the poster's pictures.

They do an excellent job of comfort heating those areas... kitchens in these homes are often dual fuel... like an old wedgewood stove... wood and electric or wood and gas.

So they really do not heat the entire house and any area with closed doors will be cold... most of the Europeans I know do not really heat their bedrooms in the deep of winter much... this is where the feather beds and thick down comforters come in to play.

There are many enhancements that can be made... I have seen masonry stoves with copper loops inside to heat water that is then used as hot water or more often as part of a radiant underfloor or radiator heat system... again, not really for the entire house but as an adjunct to warm a bathroom floor or maybe the to take the chill off the bedrooms. A tile floor that is 60 degrees is very comfortable in the depths of winter.

Most home have several different ways to heat and I have never seen forced air in any situation... almost always radiant with a variety of fuels... wood, coal, oil, natural gas and propane with electricity being last except for domestic water... most hot water heaters that are electric use "Night" electricity because it is as much as 40% cheaper in the wee hours of the morning so the water is heated only at night for use during the day... the heaters are typically 80 to 120 gallons... for spot use, point of use electric water heaters are used for the few gallons needed to wash dishes.... washing machines are like dishwashers and they heat the water as needed from only a cold water inlet.

It goes without saying that windows are highly efficient and nearly always triple glaze.

I assume even when this draft door or whatever is closed on the hot coals there is still a small bypass opening to let the smoke and CO2 and CO out. Otherwise it would all go into the house smoke it up and put you to sleep, permenetly!

 

[ultrarunner]

I assume even when this draft door or whatever is closed on the hot coals there is still a small bypass opening to let the smoke and CO2 and CO out. Otherwise it would all go into the house smoke it up and put you to sleep, permenetly!

There is no bypass per say... the chimney is aways open and the smoke has to travel round and round through 7 galleries before it reaches the insulated chimney tile.

As to design... yes, the chimney and stove location is centrally located and much of the house laid out around it.

I will see if I can scan some album pictures this weekend... couldn't find any of mine in digital format.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

 

[ferguson123]

#1 Do y'all cover your firewood after it is split? Tarp, shed, what?

#2 How far do y'all stack the wood from your house?

#3 How long do you let it sit before using it in the fireplace?

no worst thing you could do is completly cover it! it will start to sweat and mold

 

[EE_Bota]

no worst thing you could do is completly cover it! it will start to sweat and mold

I think that it true too. Also, I have been told to keep it out of the dirt so fungus can't get cranked up on it.

People are reluctant to rekick old threads. With the heating season fast approaching, I hope anyone who has anything to say about firewood and wood heat will feel comfortable rekicking this thread at any time.

I just bought a moisture meter a couple of weeks back. A friend and I are going to try to get accurate ideas about the quickest we would want to turn trees into heat.
We enjoy looking into it, and talking about it.

 

[DAY]

Yes, old threads get buried- both on line and in our internal computer/memory bank!
A quick search for "solar firewood drying" nets lots of ideas. "Virginian solar wood dryer" even gives plans and pix!
Basically a saltbox woodshed with some old storm doors/windows facing south, it could be set up anywhere the sun gets to your wood piles(s).

 

[jnelson]

worst thing you could do is completly cover it! it will start to sweat and mold

Definitely agree. Air circulating around the wood is extremely important for carrying away moist from the wood. Sheltered would be a better description for covering wood. A shelter with open sides can keep rain and snow from the wood while open sides allow the air flow required.

JN

 

[grsthegreat]

MIne is split where i cut it and then stored under a lean to on the side of the house. Its seasoned about 18 months or more. One load of fir i had was so wet i let it stay for 3 years before i was able to use it.

 

[grsthegreat]

There is an actual study that has been done (documented on woodheat.org IIRC) that showed there is NO ADVANTAGE of feeding outside air into a stove. Typical stove usage is minor compared to normal air infiltration. There is no efficiency gain because the stove has to heat up colder air, so it just doesn't matter.

You won't "deplete" the oxygen in the house, what goes into the stove is plain air (79% nitrogen, and the rest is mostly oxygen.) Air leaking into the house will have the same percentage of oxygen. The exhaust is going up the chimney, not into the house.

A house that is too tight will reduce how well the stove works since it will reduce the chimney draft. But it makes no difference (according to the study) whether you provide makeup air directly to the stove, or just allow infiltration into the house.

Ken

Maybe so, but here in N. Idaho either the fireplace has outside air or its illegal to install. Its amazing how airtight houses have become.