Help settling an owb argument

[sundance]

Owb’s beat indoor burners every day; toss tires, coal, oil, etc and watch the owb belch smoke like a coal locomotive running down the tracks!!! Who needs wood with an owb?

And people wonder why communities are regulating against all Owb"s?

 

[rngrchad]

And people wonder why communities are regulating against all Owb"s?

Yes. I understand your view. I agree with you. I guess I was just having a little sarcastic moment I wanted to share hence the popcorn. I’ve never lived in a community so not sure what those are like.

 

[sundance]

Yes. I understand your view. I guess I was just having a little sarcastic moment I wanted to share hence the popcorn. I’ve never lived in a community so not sure what those are like.

I assumed it to be somewhat sarcastic.....not so sure all who will read it will. My burner is inside. I've thought about an OWB though.

 

[svk]

I'd say the people actually burning trash aren't talking about it lol.

I am in a FB group with a number of yuppie type folks who burn wood. Some of the stuff they say is downright hilarious and trying to introduce facts into the argument never goes over well LOL.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

If you read about some of the debates that go on and on here you will realize it does not matter. Green wood does burn slower than dry seasoned wood so what. If you have a large supply of wood who cares what it takes to stay warm. If you have some limits then how you manage your supply does matter. It takes a certain amount of BTU's to dry out wood that is either wet or unseasoned and again it does not matter. Take it from an old ***t do not waste time discussing issues that can not be proved. If you had a university visit most people will not listen. Thanks

 

[Circle B MN]

@MNGuns Are you heating your DHW and any other buildings with your OWB?
I have a friend who goes thru 15 cords per year and he burns wet wood. He looks at the work required to get 3 years ahead and that scares him off. With some people, old habits die hard.

House and water. I'll have it 74 or better indoors all winter.

 

[Erik B]

House and water. I'll have it 74 or better indoors all winter.

Friend I was referring to also heats a garage/workshop/ Maybe one of these years I will convince him to burn dry wood.

 

[Ck0461]

I sure didn’t mean for this to turn into an internet argument. I have very few people that I can ask about OWB’s and the amount of wood they consume.
I assumed that they would burn less if the wood was seasoned purely based on the amount of BTU’s required to heat the water. If the water stays up to temp the damper stays shut, leading to longer burn times for the same amount of wood.
The in-laws I mentioned in the original post were adamant that it didn’t make a difference and that I can’t compare and an outdoor to an indoor stove. Knowing that I have never seen them season any wood I wanted opinions from others that have burned both.

 

[cantoo]

Green wood will burn longer but burning longer doesn't mean more BTU's. Last year I stored half of my wood inside for the winter. It was easy to see the difference in wood from inside vrs outside. at least 1/3 more wood from outside required to keep house to temp. I even notice a difference when I built a shelter around and over wood stored beside my OWB to keep the snow and rain off.

 

[svk]

Sounds like reasoning with them is like talking to a wall.

Burning wet material whether it’s in a fireplace, boiler, or open fire takes more energy than burning an identical chunk of wood that is dry.

 

[Marley5]

You also have to factor in creasote build-up when burning green wood as it acts as an insulator on the walls of the boiler creating even more wood consumption.

I know many who simply pile up the wood right beside the boiler uncovered, rain soaked, snow covered and continually praise they're OWB.

I'll burn seasoned wood......and continually praise my OWB

 

[husqvarna257]

I'd say the people actually burning trash aren't talking about it lol.

I am in a FB group with a number of yuppie type folks who burn wood. Some of the stuff they say is downright hilarious and trying to introduce facts into the argument never goes over well LOL.

We have a liberal town near us that required people to take a class in order to get a permit to run a wood stove or fireplace.

Green wood will burn longer but burning longer doesn't mean more BTU's. Last year I stored half of my wood inside for the winter. It was easy to see the difference in wood from inside vrs outside. at least 1/3 more wood from outside required to keep house to temp. I even notice a difference when I built a shelter around and over wood stored beside my OWB to keep the snow and rain off.

I had some wood that was in a lean to for 2 years and some wood aged 3 months last year and the amount I burned with the fresh was as you say at least 30% more.

You also have to factor in creasote build-up when burning green wood as it acts as an insulator on the walls of the boiler creating even more wood consumption.

I know many who simply pile up the wood right beside the boiler uncovered, rain soaked, snow covered and continually praise they're OWB.

I'll burn seasoned wood......and continually praise my OWB

I hate the creosote from wet wood. Had plenty of time last year cleaning out because of wet wood. If people want to burn green wood it's their OWB and their choice so long as they do not fog out the neighbors with that smell. But they are burning more wood to get the same heat

 

[Guswhit]

I sure didn’t mean for this to turn into an internet argument. I have very few people that I can ask about OWB’s and the amount of wood they consume.
I assumed that they would burn less if the wood was seasoned purely based on the amount of BTU’s required to heat the water. If the water stays up to temp the damper stays shut, leading to longer burn times for the same amount of wood.
The in-laws I mentioned in the original post were adamant that it didn’t make a difference and that I can’t compare and an outdoor to an indoor stove. Knowing that I have never seen them season any wood I wanted opinions from others that have burned both.

There are more factors than just burning seasoned wood to get optimal results. OWB's need to be plumbed correctly through the house/buildings or what ever they are being used to heat also. This can create a huge issue with wood consumption. I had a friend that was returning water to the boiler with way too wide of a delta T and burning ALOT more wood than I was. If you compound 1 issue with another like he was, you can spend every waking moment cutting wood and never get ahead. You really need to research and put forth some effort into designing a system that works with what you are trying to heat. There are places to down load free heat loss charts that will get you started. I see guys on here all the time talking about wanting to get an appliance of some sort, when they save up enough money, but I always wonder "if they are out cutting and splitting now while they wait for the new appliance to be in the budget"?

 

[H-Ranch]

I see guys on here all the time talking about wanting to get an appliance of some sort, when they save up enough money, but I always wonder "if they are out cutting and splitting now while they wait for the new appliance to be in the budget"?

I'm always amazed at the people who don't have time to cut enough to get a year ahead and burn seasoned wood, but somehow have enough time to cut twice as much wood EVERY year to burn green wood.

 

[svk]

I'm always amazed at the people who don't have time to cut enough to get a year ahead and burn seasoned wood, but somehow have enough time to cut twice as much wood EVERY year to burn green wood.

There’s a small town south of me. A large old house by the highway was converted to apartments. The dude who runs it would lay in his wood around August every summer. After about 15 years of this he finally got smart to this and got two years ahead. I can only imagine how much wood and time he wasted over those previous years. I thought about stopping to tell him several times.

 

[H-Ranch]

I thought about stopping to tell him several times.

What? To have him yell at you to get off his lawn? LOL. Good choice not stopping - likely he would not have taken your advice anyway.

 

[svk]

You are correct. Glad he figured it out lol.

 

[Huskybill]

Think about it green wood probably burns longer but it never gets up to temp where it’s efficient to burn heat wise. I use temp gages on my woodstove and stovepipe. This tells the real story on what’s going on.

 

[Cody]

I remember my first year of heating the house with the woodstove, and I burned some pretty moist stuff. Not green by any means but probably upwards of 30% moisture. We cut down a standing dead oak tree that year and I remember it read somewhere around 11-14% moisture, made me a believer that night as it was HOT! I had the stove shut down all the way, windows open, and was still sweating my arse off.

We had sold wood for numerous years and after going through over $1400 in propane one winter I said screw it, I'm reaping the rewards too. Unfortunately through selling wood I wasn't able to get ahead myself. Now I could have been an ******* and sold the wetter/less dry wood but I'm not that type of guy. That and other events led us to get out of selling wood, although I could see myself getting back into it next year as after this winter I should be a solid 5-6 years ahead.

Edit: We sold mainly ash, and with the bore making it's way up here you are required to get a license or certificate of what county the wood came from, and I believe we're not allowed to cross county lines with it so that's what caused us to kind of stop. I doubt there would be much issue, but not sure it's worth it. I'd like to sell a mix of hardwood in the future, but want to see what happens with EAB first.

 

[Huskybill]

The ash bore is here with its green beetle looking bug. I’m probably looking at cutting my very old large ash trees down soon.

My firewood was over a year seasoned when I would sell it. Some wood burners up north burn wood after it’s been cut four months.

The dead punk oak wood is the best burning its pinkish on the inside. When they cut for a new highway here I went after the punk oak. Others went after the green wood.