Anyone notice a performance difference in loading? I definitely seem to notice a difference with my stove preferring N/S vs E/W. I get sufficient over nights with E/W, but when bucked short enough for N/S, burn times seem to increase drastically for some reason. i would assume, the same amount of fuel is loaded as I attempt to fill every gap possible…. Is it just air movement? Maybe Im not filling as much air gap E/W as I assume as I am with N/S?
PS - I ask, because most of my bucks are cut for E/W… but I just brought in and loaded some 3-4yr white oak that was bucked for N/S length. I know I will wake up to more coaling than E/W Loading with longer lengths.
I noticed I get a lot more efficient burn running N/S. Better airflow to the far end of the splits as they slowly break down, or so I assume. I know I wake up to far fewer leftover chunks the next morning, in N/S orientation. Admittedly though, I think a good 75-80% of my inventory is all cut longer for E/W. It’s easier to stack, more stable when stacked high, and less work processing. Going forward I would like to start making more shorts for optimal N/S burn though.
Our main stove is a ideal steel. I like N/S. I get more wood in stacked N/S and also the air hits the end of the splits and I think it lights off faster and gets up to temp faster. I tried E/W cause it will take a 19-20” log and when I bought the stove my wood was cut at 20”. Now all my wood is cut 16”.
I load the bottom two north-south and the next row e-w if short enough. Sometimes the upper row goes ne-sw if am feeling crazy!!!! My best burns though happen n-s tightly stacked together.
My stove takes the same length either way. NS is a hotter fire but it'll burn quicker. EW is a slower burn(not as hot) but lasts longer.
One of my very few complaints with our Neo 1.6 is that I can’t load 16” splits NS. You can on the bigger 2.5. NS burns faster and hotter in my stove. I guess due to the location of the air vents… I’d start every fire that way, but I don’t want to cut all my splits short. (I do cut some short tho.) Also splits can’t roll toward the door NS, which is nice. I’m perfectly happy with EW once things get going.
16” is key, whatever your preference, as most stoves can accommodate that length split in either direction. Want a quick warm up, stack them alternately on a good thin bed of hot coals. It’s like an outdoor bonfire. Space, air and draft can really heat a fire up-EW is for long burns, when you want heat and are present, do both! Start with bottom layer EW, go next with NS, rinse, repeat-Stack as high as you need to desired heat output and then reload as the coals glow
My stove is setup for E/W, but from an overnight load I’m doing tonight with a base of N/S and a top layer of E/W, I think this is the way to go. Provided I have enough 11” length to keep it going night after night.
My stove will take 22 inches E/W and only 12 N/S. I load 18 inch splits and E/W as far to the right as I can. I have some 2 inch thick pieces of Maple and Oak that I tuck in the left side. This seems to work good.
I have a lot of shorts and uglies so load the stove E/W, N/S and vertical. However it fits but vertical seems to burn great.
We have 2 stoves and prefer to load n/s on both. Both will only take 14" splits n/s and e/w 16-22". We started cutting at 14" two years ago, not ideal for stacking but so far no issues with them falling over. We still have 4 cords at 16-18" yet to use up from when we had our PE Summit which could take 18" either way. To use them up I've been cutting most of them down to 14" (yes a pain in the butt). We also load one layer n/s and then one on top e/w to use up the long splits. Works very well also this way. '
I originally loaded E/W, that is how you “Picture” a fireplace loaded. After having some wood roll against the stove door, I started loading N/S, and have found that I can pack the stove much tighter and fully. I get more complete burning, and with a fuller stove, we get longer burn times Doug
