Help: Terms and Definitions Wanted

Next on the agenda is a dictionary of FHC terms. Please submit any terms and their definitions here and I will be adding our FHC dictionary to the resources tab.

 

"GOODER" - 3 levels better than good.

 

More betters- bout the same as gooder.
Seasoned- when you think it's dry give it a while longer.

 

Thinking seriously here you go.... I haven't tried to put these in any particular order yet.

• CAT stove- modern stove that achieves secondary combustion using a catalyst (platinum coated honeycomb of ceramic or stainless steel) to initiate reburn of smoke at 500F
  
• NONCAT stove - stove that wishes it had a catalyst stove that achieves secondary combustion without a catalyst using various combinations of insulation and superheated secondary combustion air to raise the smoke temperature above the 1100F ignition point
• Pre-EPA, Airtight, etc stove - Wood stove designed before EPA emissions standards. Typically lacking a secondary combustion system to burn smoke from primary fire
• Freestanding stove - wood stove that stands exposed in the room and is connected to chimney via stove pipe
  
• Insert or Fireplace Insert- Wood stove unit designed to sit inside of an existing masonry fireplace.
• Prefabricated fireplace - wood stove unit that looks like a fireplace but is a completely self contained unit installed in a wall with appropriate chimney system and not requiring to be installed inside a pre-existing masonry fireplace.
• Open fireplace - A wonderful old tradition that no antique American 18th century home should be without for ambiance, not for heating.
  
• Boiler - Combustion device designed to heat water and/or generate steam for central heating.
• Furnace - Combustion device that heats air for central heating.
• Gasifier - Typcially a wood boiler or Furnace that superheats the wood fuel to generate wood gas that is burned at very high temperature and high efficiency.
  
• Bypass - Control found on all catalytic, and a few non-catalytic (VC, Harman) stoves that directs smoke away from secondary burn system and directly up open flue for reloading and starting new fires. Sometimes alternately called a damper in stove manuals (VC)
• Damper - device installed in flue pipe to regulate flow of exhaust gases. Typically a disk inside the pipe turned by a handle to partially block of the smoke flow. Used in very tall chimneys to prevent overdraft. Also describes the damper used to close off the chimney flue in a traditional masonry open fireplace.
  
• Draft - A measure of how strong the chimney system draws smoke up and out. Driven by chimney height, temperature differential (outside temp and fire temp), air tightness of the home, etc.
  
• Primary air control - Sometimes called a draft control, main means of controlling the strength of the fire in a stove by regulating the amount of air intake into the firebox. Sometimes incorporates a thermostat (BK, VC)
  
• Secondary air - additional air inlet that passes extra combustion air directly to the secondary combustion system (catalyst chamber, secondary combustion air tubes, etc). Often unregulated, but rarely incorporates a thermostat (VC)
  
• Burn tube - manifold to let secondary air into the high temperature reburn area of a noncatalytic stove
• Fire Brick - High temperature brick commonly used to line firebox of welded steel stoves to insulate and maintain higher combustion temperatures for more efficient burn
• Refractory - Fibrous ceramic material used in some catalytic wood stove designs to insulate the stove shell form the very high heat of the catalytic chamber (can reach 1700F or higher). Serves a similar purpose to fire brick.
  
• Thermostat - device to automatically regulate air inlet found on some stove designs (Blaze King, Vermont Castings). Typically constructed using a bimetallic coil that opens and closes an air inlet based on temperature once set to an initial position by operator.
  
• O.A.K. - Outside air kit. Device to feed exterior air directly to the stoves air inlet. Typically a hole is cut in a home outside wall and a pipe is connected from the hole to the stove air inlet. not a tree.
• Clearances - Also called clearance to combustibles. The required distances between the stove and any combustible materials (wood, drywall, flooring, etc) in the home when stove is installed.
• Hearth - traiditional name fore the area the stove/fireplace is placed on/in within the home. Traditionally made from brick,stone,tile, etc, but can also be framed and covered in fireproof materials.
  
• Chimney - The vertical structure of the chimney to bring combustion smoke outside the home. Can contain multiple flues exhausting multiple appliances (fireplaces, stoves, boiler, furnaces, etc). Can be masonry construction, or a wood frames chase containing one or more metal flues, etc.
  
• Flue - And individual path for combustion gas within a chimney. Can be metal pipe in a chase, clay liner within brick or stone chimney, etc.
  
• Liner - term typically used when stainless steel stovepipe is used to line an existing masonry chimney for use with a stove/insert.
  
• Class A pipe - Double walled stovepipe generally with insulation between the walls that can be used as a standalone chimney system.
  
• Overfire - Very hot fire that results in the temperature of the stove exceeding manufacturer designed operating temperature range. Can be caused by operator error (leaving air control wire open), excessive draft, large loads of very dry wood, or some combination of the above.
  
• Creosote - Black tar like buildup in chimney flue consisting of unburned wood chemicals deposited when smoke particles condense on cool chimney surfaces. Typically caused by burning green wood or not burning hot enough. Not caused by pine. Rated on a scale of 3 stages of severity
• Chimney Fire - Fire ignited within the chimney flue proper when creosote builds up and is ignited by a strong heat source. Typically accompanied by a freight train like roar and flames shooting out the top of the chimney.
  
• CORD - 4ftx8ftxft, or 128 ft3 of closely stacked firewood.
  
• "face cord" "rick" etc - A stack of wood the length and high of a cord but typically only one row deep. Commonly 4ftx8ftx 16 inches or approx 1/3 of a cord.
• Seasoned wood - firewood split stacked and air dried till the moisture content reduces to 20%. Typically requires 1-3 years
• "Green" "unseasoned" wood - wood freshly cut from the tree. Wood called seasoned by your typical Craigslist wood dealer. Can be 40% water or more and very hard to burn
• Firepit wood - Craigslist term for pine. Often a good source of cheap or even free firewood to burn in your stove, acquired from people who still believe the old wives tail that pine causes chimney fires.
  
• Grapple load - typically a load of log length wood delivered by a tree or forestry service grapple truck. Often 5-8 cords or more.
  
• Felling - the act of cutting down a tree with a chainsaw, crosscut saw, axe, etc.
• Limbing - Cutting large branches from the tree
• Bucking - Cutting logs to firewood length with a chainsaw. Usually followed by splitting.
• Sawbuck - Rack or jig to hold and position logs for easier bucking.
  
• Vertical splitting - The proper way to use a hydraulic splitter, according to Dennis, aka Backwoods Savage
  
• Milk Crate - Proper seat to use while properly splitting firewood on a vertical splitter
• "SS" or "Fiskars SS" - The mythical Fiskars Super Splitter. A wood splitting axe designed by the Fiskars company in Finland, vastly superior to any maul and no longer available. Replaced by the X27 series.
• Maul - Large heavy head axe (often 8lb or more) for splitting wood, or your toes. Bring your ibuprofen.
• Splitting Wedge - Iron/steel wedge used with a sledgehammer to split stubborn wood.
• Cutting or felling wedge - Wedge typically made of plastic used with a chainsaw to hold a difficult cut open and prevent pinching the bar. Also used during felling.
  
• C.S.S. - Cut Split and Stacked firewood
• C.A.D. - Chainsaw Acquisition Disorder. aka saw collecting or hording
• P.P.E. -personal protective equipment for safety while cutting with a chainsaw. Can include steel tip boots, kevlar chaps, helmet, protective gloves, jackets, etc.
  
• G.I.B.I.R. - Get It Before It Rots - thanks Zap, aka thewoodlands

The pellet guys can add all their lingo.....

 

..

 

Well, that deserves an A+++.

 

Find the FHC Dictionary under the Resources tab.

 

Wood snob / wood snobbery
Someone who refuses, or the act of refusing to cut, split, or stack any wood unless it is above 20m BTU's

 

Got a definition for that?

 

Alternative def: Someone who refuses all offers of wood unless it is delivered for free. A few pieces of maple are ok so long as there is plenty of oak. And cherry is always acceptable.

 

Firewood Karma
The universe paying someone back in the form of firewood for helping someone in need or less fortunate with cutting, splitting, or stacking their firewood.

 

CORD- a unit of dry measure for firewood being 4x4x8 or 128cu ft.
CHORD- a combination of musical pitches sounded simultaneously....
Not the same......

 

Chord - 3 knots.

 

"PYROMANIAC" - what a obsessive/compulsive wood hoarder becomes in the "HEAT" of the battle of heating season.......

 

Shoulder season - the time of year when you need to knock the chill off in the house with quick hot fires fall and spring
Shoulder wood - These woods would be marginal Btu ratings but season quickly, poplar, pine, soft maple, cottonwood etc.

 

Hydro's - hydraulically actuated wood splitter - the way to go when you think you want to burn full time. Or Kinetic energy Supersplitters/DR branded etc

 

Splits, rounds, cookies, uglies

 

Hydros- Hydroplanes

 

SS. Can mean split and stacked or shoulder season.
PHO. A chainsaw that comes with the power head only no bar and no chain