burning pine..

[mikereynolds]

I burn it!

I burn Pine and most other woods available. I also clean my chimney because I don't care to put out a fire. I don't burn Athol, Palm, Joshbua Trees or styro-foam.

 

[zogger]

Just started today on splitting and stacking some of the big pine that was cut down in the back yard last year. Cut to size and let sit, the bark is now loose and falling off, BUT, some of the larger rounds are still real juicy and don't want to split. Serious splashing when hit. There's some fine line there where once it gets "dry enough" in the round it busts like nothing, but I tried some of them today that were like hitting rubber. I'll just leave them sit in the heat another month. Even if they get bugs, once split and stacked the bugs vamoose. I managed to get a lot of them done though, only about 50-60 more to go out of that tree.....

I'm (well, my beautiful assistant) is stacking on a really large pallet I found the other side of the farm, it is around a 6x8, it laid flat on the back of my chebby bed, up on the rails, bringing it back. We levelled it out with pressure treated scraps and bricks. Should be able to fit an easy 1.5 cords on it, stacked loose. However much it takes *that* pine is going on *that* pallet, even if I have to stack with a ladder. I got too much other stuff to split laying around, freeking cords and cords and trees down all over to finish cutting up. Having to get creative with where I am stacking now.

That mambo log, what's left of the big pine we'll cut up, in the background there, I am saving for my friend Josh to try his soon to be new to him 084 out on. Have to have something worthy!

 

[porta mill]

There are many thought on burning pine I burn a bunch of it but I do it in an owb . I personally would not burn it in a wood burner inside my house . I know a few people who burn it in a fire place in there house but there is probably a foot thick of concrete in the fire place . I also live in NE PA and I find hard wood all over the place for free. I am not sure where you live in in pa but there are farms all over the place a good source of scrounging hard wood .

 

[zogger]

My trick

There are many thought on burning pine I burn a bunch of it but I do it in an owb . I personally would not burn it in a wood burner inside my house . I know a few people who burn it in a fire place in there house but there is probably a foot thick of concrete in the fire place . I also live in NE PA and I find hard wood all over the place for free. I am not sure where you live in in pa but there are farms all over the place a good source of scrounging hard wood .

My trick to avoid problems with any wood as regards chimney build up is..I STOPPED using a damper decades ago. I adjust my burn with species/size and air intake. When I used a damper all the time, because that was "how everyone does it" I was out there cleaning every month in the winter, etc, same as everyone else. I thought about it one day and just opened it up..learned how to run the thing properly that week, experimenting, then left it open all winter, and removed it entirely and plugged the little rod holes the next summer. Didn't have to clean the pipes again, short of in the summer take them out, knock them a bit, reinstall. I moved my stove out to the yard to cook on in the warmer months anyway, so that was no big deal. Negligible if any soot or buildup.

Since then, no damper. I don't even own a damper. Our brick chimney here has zee-ro flaky stuff, ever, I check every year, and have yet to see any appreciable build up of anything.There's just nothing there to clean. And this is not a super dooper epa turbo charged direct forced air injection system, just an old regular old wood heater.

You car or truck is a heat engine, same as a stove, just has some pistons, but same deal. Does it make any sense at all to put a crimp or restriction in your exhaust pipe? Does it make it run better/cleaner/more power/better mileage? Nope, nope, nope and nope. I've never heard of anyone purposely restricting their exhaust to "improve" anything on any sort of heat engine pump except woodstoves.

I think dampers are "hoop snake" old wive's tales junk science from a hundred years ago and it is so ingrained, even with manufacturers, that you "have" to have a damper, that the practice continues.

Yes, it takes just a little more forethought on loading the stove and adjusting the air for the results you want at any particular time, but that's it. I get all night burns whenever I want, low cool fires, medium fires, infernos max heat, whatever it calls for that day/night.

And it REALLY keeps the chimney clean.

AFAIK, I am the only dude in the known universe who doesn't run a damper on an indoor heater. I would certainly like to hear from anyone else who has tried that for an entire season.

 

[darkbyrd]

AFAIK, I am the only dude in the known universe who doesn't run a damper on an indoor heater. I would certainly like to hear from anyone else who has tried that for an entire season.

I have an old circulating stove, and I've never had a damper. I thought about getting one, but never did, and learned how to do it with the thermostat and species. It is easier now that it is airtight with a new top, but rarely do I wish I had a damper to calm the fire down, and that is usually an error on my part (usually misjudging afternoon tempertures). An airtight stove is important I think. If you can't control the air going in, you need control of the air going out.

 

[Philbo]

Huh. Interesting post!

This past winter we moved to a house with very old wood stoves. The one downstairs in the kitchen is a rectangular stove about 28" deep. No damper, just two air inlet knobs that can be taken off completely or closed up completely, with a baffle in the top of the stove. I'd never used an indoor stove without some type of flue damper on it, and it took a little getting used to, but I was quickly and easily able to get all night burns (8 hours) with a nice bed of coals hiding out in the back of the stove in the morning. Just get it raging before bed, load it up with some nice chunks, and close off the air inlet knobs. Still drawing from the flue, but just radiates heat all night with a hot and slow burn (black locust mostly.)

As far as burning pine, I'm glad I read this thread. Here in the Southeast and Appalachian mtns, oak, locust, and maple are gold for wood burning and pine is frowned upon. I might just have to grab some from the wood stash (that's already been cut and sitting for a year or so) along with the other hardwoods I just cut up.....:msp_unsure:

 

[dingeryote]

Huh. Interesting post!

This past winter we moved to a house with very old wood stoves. The one downstairs in the kitchen is a rectangular stove about 28" deep. No damper, just two air inlet knobs that can be taken off completely or closed up completely, with a baffle in the top of the stove. I'd never used an indoor stove without some type of flue damper on it, and it took a little getting used to, but I was quickly and easily able to get all night burns (8 hours) with a nice bed of coals hiding out in the back of the stove in the morning. Just get it raging before bed, load it up with some nice chunks, and close off the air inlet knobs. Still drawing from the flue, but just radiates heat all night with a hot and slow burn (black locust mostly.)

As far as burning pine, I'm glad I read this thread. Here in the Southeast and Appalachian mtns, oak, locust, and maple are gold for wood burning and pine is frowned upon. I might just have to grab some from the wood stash (that's already been cut and sitting for a year or so) along with the other hardwoods I just cut up.....:msp_unsure:

If ya get a chance, post up a couple pics of that old stove. The old ones are more interesting than the newfangled jobs...lots of variations on how to approach the same challenges. Lots of genius went into some of the old stoves.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[zogger]

Huh. Interesting post!

This past winter we moved to a house with very old wood stoves. The one downstairs in the kitchen is a rectangular stove about 28" deep. No damper, just two air inlet knobs that can be taken off completely or closed up completely, with a baffle in the top of the stove. I'd never used an indoor stove without some type of flue damper on it, and it took a little getting used to, but I was quickly and easily able to get all night burns (8 hours) with a nice bed of coals hiding out in the back of the stove in the morning. Just get it raging before bed, load it up with some nice chunks, and close off the air inlet knobs. Still drawing from the flue, but just radiates heat all night with a hot and slow burn (black locust mostly.)

As far as burning pine, I'm glad I read this thread. Here in the Southeast and Appalachian mtns, oak, locust, and maple are gold for wood burning and pine is frowned upon. I might just have to grab some from the wood stash (that's already been cut and sitting for a year or so) along with the other hardwoods I just cut up.....:msp_unsure:

For real. People around here think three sticks of pine in your stove and kiss your house goodbye. Same as hoop-snakes will bite their tails and form a hoop and roll down the street and chase you.

Get wood, get it good and dry, let 'er rip! Burning green half way seasoned anything, oak, hickory, locust, amazonian diesel wood, who knows, anything, all the hardwoods, then making it worse by trying to "save the heat" with a damper is what causes chimney buildup.

You just accept the fact that your exhaust, your chimney, needs to be warm enough to be drawing, then that's it, burn good really dried wood, give it some air. Less visible smoke, less crap to accumulate in the chimney or pipes, plus, mo heat from the stove. win/win. Use different species and sizes to regulate the heat output you need then.

Anyway, glad to know I ain't the only one who has dumped the damper!

 

[zogger]

I have an old circulating stove, and I've never had a damper. I thought about getting one, but never did, and learned how to do it with the thermostat and species. It is easier now that it is airtight with a new top, but rarely do I wish I had a damper to calm the fire down, and that is usually an error on my part (usually misjudging afternoon tempertures). An airtight stove is important I think. If you can't control the air going in, you need control of the air going out.

Cool beans! Ya, I bet I could get even better results with an airtight, but I think some of the leaks in my old yard sale junker help to get all the gasses burning as well as they exit the stove and go out the pipe. The main air controls work as intended, the little leaks around the top and bottom doors help to insure they always get enough air to not smoulder. It's that smouldering action you want to avoid.

I think this would be a lot harder to pull off, if all you had was one size and species of wood in the stack. thje way I do it, I really need a big variety of species and sizes to make sure I always get what I want, along with a clean burn.

Another reason why I am not a species woodsnob. If I have to touch it, into the stack it goes!

 

[half]

burning pine in a woodburner

I see a comment that someone would never burn pine inside their house in a woodburner, Well if that was the case here there would be a lot of cold houses in New Zealand. There is nothing wrong with dry split pine in a wood burner if you follow a few simple rules. open the damper fully for 1/2 hour when you first light it to get the flue hot, then shut down to a good heat setting. Mine is great with it just flaming and the flames seem to circulate around the firebox. After about on hour my lounge is around 90f, and 32-35f outside.[We dont get snow just good frosts,] then I start opening doors to let the heat go through the house.And it has a slow burn option so it goes all night. My box takes a 9in round 20 in long and it loves them, So i dont split too small

 

[darkbyrd]

Cool beans! Ya, I bet I could get even better results with an airtight, but I think some of the leaks in my old yard sale junker help to get all the gasses burning as well as they exit the stove and go out the pipe. The main air controls work as intended, the little leaks around the top and bottom doors help to insure they always get enough air to not smoulder. It's that smouldering action you want to avoid.

I think this would be a lot harder to pull off, if all you had was one size and species of wood in the stack. thje way I do it, I really need a big variety of species and sizes to make sure I always get what I want, along with a clean burn.

Another reason why I am not a species woodsnob. If I have to touch it, into the stack it goes!

My stove has an air hole at the top of the firebox, as well as an air hole on the thermostat-controlled intake. So there is always a minimum amount of air going to the fire. Makes it harder to shut down when it gets too warm, but I almost always get good burns out of it.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I personally think the problem with burning pine is that it WILL burn very well green with its sap so flammable putting the moisture on to the walls of the flue. Sap from other wood isn't as flammable when burned green.

Thoughts?

 

[russhd1997]

I personally think the problem with burning pine is that it WILL burn very well green with its sap so flammable putting the moisture on to the walls of the flue. Sap from other wood isn't as flammable when burned green.

Thoughts?

When I've tried to burn greenish pine in a fire pit it just sits there and smolders. The best wood to burn green is white ash.

 

[magna19]

this pine i get is all free,cut into 12-20" pieces for me,plus dumped in a pile for me to split and stack at my leisure.

yes hardwood is plentiful here in the great northeast pa,but that i have to go into the woods,cut it,load it,unload it,split it, then stack it. with the pine it is split it stack it.less work!my chimney is flue lined,plus i physically clean it once a month,myself.

 

[Rookie1]

I burn pine and have never had a problem. I dont go out of my way for it either though. Im sure its been said already but up north in Canada all they have is pine. Im thinking they have heated with it for years.:msp_mellow:

 

[Coldfront]

I love burning dry pine, it seems the only people who put it down as bad are from out east. There is nothing wrong with burning dry pine. And btw I have 2 free standing inside wood stoves in my house. I have stove top thermometer on them and I can guarantee I can get a hotter faster temperature with pine than I can with dry oak, and yes I have plenty of dry oak also. You will get more btu's per pound out of oak because it burns much longer and leaves good long lasting coals. But if you want quick hot heat pine is better. I even burn a lot of pine in the coldest part of winter because it puts out more heat fast, I put oak in before I go to bed.

 

[Whiteash]

this pine i get is all free,cut into 12-20" pieces for me,plus dumped in a pile for me to split and stack at my leisure.

yes hardwood is plentiful here in the great northeast pa,but that i have to go into the woods,cut it,load it,unload it,split it, then stack it. with the pine it is split it stack it.less work!my chimney is flue lined,plus i physically clean it once a month,myself.

I think youre right on the money!
I burn the same, whatevers really available. I have a ton of pine on the property and some of it has to come down to get to the other. I would say just like everything else too.. Try not to smolder it a lot and keep an eye on if the chimney is getting dirty. Usually I try to mix a couple pieces of hardwood and pine together on a load. Dont know if that makes a difference or not but its worked so far so im going to stick with it.

 

[wudpirat]

Sure I burn Pine

My answer when I'm asked if I want that FREE wood.
Just remember to give it a lot of air and burn it hot.
I'm like Zogger, if I touch it, it goes onto the pile.
I have burnt the usual hard woods, Oak, Maple ,Hickory, Beech, Birch, Cherry etc.
I have also burned Ash, Mimmosa, Palonia (good firewood) Sassafrass. Poplar. Tulip and most types of Pine.
I think I would burn old christmas trees if they weren't so limby.
A BTU is a BTU, no mater where it comes from.
Your fuel must be dry, even cow chips need to be dry to burn.
Don't choke the fire, it needs air and smoke means creosote.
Older fellow I know is having four Pines taken down in his front yard. Tree Guy says " I'll give you a good price, Drop the trees. chip the limbs but you get rid of the trunks."
Me, Me. pick me, I'll take the trunks. Pine is soo easy to get, they're happy to give it away.
It don't work that way with primo hard woods, you almost have to kissass to get any FREE.

FREDM, Oxford, CT, The OLD WUDPIRAT

Always lookin to score a FREE load of wood or a chainsaw..


Almost forgot, I also burn woodchips. Those small hardwood branches, I chip them, dry them out and use them as kindling to start the fire.
Now if I can figure a way to reburn the ashes.

 

[half]

I personally think the problem with burning pine is that it WILL burn very well green with its sap so flammable putting the moisture on to the walls of the flue. Sap from other wood isn't as flammable when burned green.

Thoughts?

No You have to split and dry it well, under cover if possible. I would never use green pine, It just sucks up the heat to dry it out and the output is rubbish. Mine is split and stacked for next winter now 2013 and its only late autunm. Im burning summer 2010 wood now so its 18 months dry [this probably sounds stupid but our summer is at xmas and winter is mid year]
split green, burn dry

 

[ft. churchill]

We'de be cold in the winter if it was not for pinyon pine. We bought a flue brush soon after we got the wood stove, used it a couple of times but each time we only had 1mm at the thickest of soft fluffy soot. Hardly a problem. The only time we get hardwoods are from pallets, or scrounge a "town" tree, then we can get locust, russian olive, or chinese elm, they are just hard to find one to cut up.