In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

A question for yall from a boy I work with

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by GRIZ, Oct 2, 2014.

  1. GRIZ

    GRIZ

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    What is the highest btu's
    busting wood small ?
    busting big stove size ?
    No difference ?

    I told him my guess was the wood busted small would burn faster and put out more heat. Thanks for any opnions on this:axe:
     
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  2. nate

    nate Banned

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    What does "busting wood" mean?
     
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  3. Gark

    Gark

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    No difference.
    For a given load in the stove- comparing small splits vs. that same wood split big, the BTU total will be the same. That's of course if the moisture content is the same for the skinnies as the fats. (Skinnies dry faster). The small split load will just burn hotter for less time where the load of big splits burn slower but longer.
    Take a 100 mile trip in your car. You can drive 80 miles per hour or 50 mph. Either way, you travelled 100 miles.
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2014
  4. Gark

    Gark

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    Er, waitamimit -- are we talking BTU TOTAL or BTU RATE?
     
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  5. schlot

    schlot

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    Agreed. Total potential energy of the wood is the same.
     
  6. My IS heats my home

    My IS heats my home

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    I agree with the total energy of the wood being the same but I'd also add that smaller splits and many splits in the firebox may burn quicker on startup of a reload or cold start only because there are more surfaces and edges to catch.
     
  7. coal reaper

    coal reaper

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    sorry, i dont think that is a good example. fuel consumption will be different for those two scenerios.
    rather, lets move a cord of wood from a stack to your patio outside of where you bring your wood into the house, which is up a flight of stairs. it will be the same ammount of work accomplished whether you move it in armloads or two splits for each trip up the stairs. the latter however will take much longer to finish the job.
     
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  8. sam-tip

    sam-tip

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    Smaller dries fast meaning less moisture and more surface area. So it burns faster and hotter. Bigger has more moisture so the BTUs are wasted drying the wood. But in theory it is the same BTU if moisture is the same. If it is two big it will not dry correctly or quick enough.
     
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  9. jharkin

    jharkin

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    Yes, total BTU content in the wood is a given. If you start with 40lb of for example and we figure 6000 btu usable ehat per lb you have 240,000 btu to work with.

    Burn it slow over 10 hours you are getting 24,000 bbtu/hr.
    Cranck the air and burn it fast for say 4hr and thats60,000 btu/hr.


    BUT! In the real world its not so simple. Most stoves burn at differnet efficiencies depending on how hot/fast you run them. I think for a cat stove its pretty linear - the higher the air setting, hotter you burn the more heat is escaping up the chimney and the less efficient the burn. Might be 80% efficient at low and only 70-75% on high. Noncats would be similiar but there is probably less variation I think?, and with a noncat if you run it too low and dont get secondaries going the efficiency drops waaaaay down.


    To the point about what size to split the wood - split small if you want a hot and fast fire, split big if you want a slow burning long duration fire.
     
  10. coal reaper

    coal reaper

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    now we are definatly talking about heat output and moreso recoverable BTUs!
     
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  11. lukem

    lukem

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    Short answer, it will give the same amount of heat...but small splits will give it faster than big splits. Splits burn from the outside in, so the more surface area (more outside) the more burn is happening at that point in time. More burn = more heat.
     
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  12. Lumber-Jack

    Lumber-Jack

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    Which is heavier, a pound of lead, or a pound of feathers?
     
  13. boxygen

    boxygen

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    Its not that simple. Yes, you have travelled 100 miles, but your gas mileage will be different for each trip. Similar with stoves. The efficiency has to do well the stove transmits the heat into the space, not how much it will burn. I feel that the slower you make the burn the more BTU's TRANSFERED INTO THE LIVING SPACE. The potential energy of 10lbs of small oak at 15% moisture content and 10lbs of large oak at 15% is the same. If you can slow that heat down before it goes up the chimney, the more can be transferred through conduction and radiation into the living space. You can burn it quickly (small wood) or slowly (large wood) and get more energy into the house with a slow burn. Less heat up the chimney. Each stove is different in construction and burn characteristics, therefore there are a lot of variables here. Less surface area leads to longer slower burn times. Slower burn times leave more opportunity for the stove to "harvest" the heat and "bring it to market" inside the house.
     
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  14. Thoreau's cabin

    Thoreau's cabin

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    Answer to question: No difference.

    Answer:One is no heavier than the other.

    Answer: 13 y/o male, means I hope I didn't wear sweatpants to school today. Adult FWC member, making little pieces out of big pieces.

    Now send me my prize damm it.
     
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  15. Blue Vomit

    Blue Vomit

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    What was the question again?
     
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  16. rottiman

    rottiman

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    What came first.... the chicken or the egg?
     
  17. MightyWhitey

    MightyWhitey

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    "Boy" is a derogatory term for some "folks of color" as well as men "over a certain age" in general!!

    How old was the person that inquired about this???
     
  18. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Griz, I hope you can enlighten your friend nicely now.
     
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  19. GRIZ

    GRIZ

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    btu
     
  20. GRIZ

    GRIZ

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    Thanks for the non smart az answers This is a very smart man 60 years old and has faith in the FHC from what I have told him I have learned. I will keep my questions as PMs from now on I can see I neen to stay in the saw room Thanks savage you the man:yes: