wood, stoves and particulates

[Starch]

We have a wood burning stove and are fortunate enough to have a neighbour who works for a joinery company so we have bags of well seasoned wood offcuts which are mostly hardwood, also having worked in construction for 50 years there was always good pickings on site, which earned me the nickname of skip rat, I hate to see anything go to waste.

[Stan79]

We were advised not to burn treated pallets or treated wood due to acid build up in the chimney. We were told that by two stove suppliers and the chimney sweep. As I wouldn’t be certain what was treated or not, I just burn logs.

[nickdub]

We were advised not to burn treated pallets or treated wood due to acid build up in the chimney. We were told that by two stove suppliers and the chimney sweep. As I wouldn’t be certain what was treated or not, I just burn logs.

Horses for courses probably - I've got a v heavy-duty stove-pipe doing the first 1 meter on top of my stove, then a stainless steel pipe inside an existing chimney. Plus I don't light the fire every day, as we have oil fired central heating too.

If I did have to replace something I reckon the cost of 20 years of logs being delivered would be
more than the cost of a new chimney liner :-).

[quanglewangle]

Our kiln dried logs come in pallet crates, in which they have been dried, and they are meant to be burned. We cut them up for kiln dried kindling.

[Mamzie]

I think the new rules only apply to England, not to Scotland or Wales, but I don't think they are well thought out.

We are wood, loose coal and did add oil central heating here instead of coal boiler. It already costs a huge amount for coal, oil and electric

We spent many years with our energy bills neutral thanks to our solar panels as our last house was well insulated with gas central heating, not even a gas fire.

My consolation is that I do feel better that we are not dependent on uninterrupted electric, as can always use our fires and put a pan on the wood stove.

[quanglewangle]

I don't think they are well thought out.

Really? Imagine that....

[Snoop Puss]

^If only our dogs would do the same. We have Swiss Bouvier crosses. Love carrying things. One in particular will bring amazingly large pieces back from walks (big whole branches, very heavy and very awkward to carry as they're quite long, but he manages to negotiate hazards in the way, how I don't know). To balance it all out, however, he takes a branch or, worse still, a nice cut log out regularly with him on autumn and winter walks. Even if you try to head off in a different direction that doesn't take in the wood pile, he'll shoot off and grab what he fancies before joining everyone else.

On the subject of stoves, I sometimes close the butterfly valve just to slow the fire down and make the log last longer. If I opened up the air vents below the fire, we'd be getting through logs like nobody's business. We clean our chimneys at least once a year, sometimes more if we're feeling virtuous.

[Snadger]

Mention of sticks for kindling reminds me of my childhood at my Uncles small holding. We used to spend hours hurling a lump of wood at dead branches on the trees around the house, purely to get kindling. Happy days and my equivalent to playing on the playstation these days but with fresh air and exercise combined.

[Mamzie]

We only have the vent on circle on front of our wood fire, no secondary vent I can find.. No glass its all metal x

[nickdub]

We only have the vent on circle on front of our wood fire, no secondary vent I can find.. No glass its all metal x

On some stoves you can open the panel/door used for clearing the ash a fraction which increases the draft - that's what I do with mine. Be advised this can be dangerous in the sense that the extra draft could cause the fire to get much hotter than normal in the stove, so I'd say try it if you can, but only while you are there for an hour or so to keep an eye on things.

[veggiechicken]

Mention of sticks for kindling reminds me of my childhood at my Uncles small holding. We used to spend hours hurling a lump of wood at dead branches on the trees around the house, purely to get kindling. Happy days and my equivalent to playing on the playstation these days but with fresh air and exercise combined.

As kids, we used to collect driftwood from the beach for our home fire. Sometimes, if Mum had remembered the bread & butter, we'd have a bonfire on the beach, with lumps of bread impaled on an old toasting fork. That toast, oozing with melted butter, was probably the best toast ever!!

[Snadger]

As kids, we used to collect driftwood from the beach for our home fire. Sometimes, if Mum had remembered the bread & butter, we'd have a bonfire on the beach, with lumps of bread impaled on an old toasting fork. That toast, oozing with melted butter, was probably the best toast ever!!

Smoked toast.....lovely!

[veggiechicken]

My Dad had a little old Austin 7 (1930). I can still remember the reg. No. RX 7268.
It didn't have a boot so all the driftwood was piled on the back seat, covered with a grey Army blanket and my brother and I had to sit on these damp, lumpy logs while we drove home. It seemed to take for ever!!

[quanglewangle]

FYI: Primary, secondary and tertiary air

Not all stoves have all of these different air supplies.

Primary air enters below the grate and is usually used only to light the fire, or to rescue a neglected one. On our stove this is the only supply that enters from the room space (the other two supplies are fed from a through-wall duct from the outside).

Secondary air usually enters from a narrow downward pointing slit above the door and keeps the glass clean. Our secondary air is preheated by passing through a metal duct coiled around the firebox to aid this cleaning.

Tertiary air usually enters at the back of the fire - the hottest part - and its job is to ensure complete combustion of any remaining particulates, which are just carbon and will still provide more heat when burnt.

[Stan79]

This thread is a great excuse to show off (one of) my wood stacks....