I said, whatcha doin? He said. You may notice that as the dry weight per cord increases, so does the BTU rating. I think the kind of traits you refer to are born in us. In order to keep warm or cook on a cottonwood fire, you pretty much have to crawl into it. Also missing from the other fuel sources was Geo, that I guess might fall under electric also since our geo pump and compressor run on electric. We dont have to go get wood very often now that he is working up there, We do have a lot stashed back in the pasture ( I like to have a lot of extra on hand if we have a year that we cant get wood for because of being , Sick or a broken bone or something like that. 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. hieqJ}`h 2g K6x.6 SX~y#-rdnSg%7"RCj6CCP A;zz$;3Qzhp =90boN#r4K#sm>b_QOX%G[.G6m 6o#{hm*GC]4Prz)q[ +eW^x{|7{|_}WoXo/>Cmtg|oo|u^g?oo7}WoW[//?/s?}}q? The house has forced air that is L.P. that we almost never turn on. We also have elm, which we use outdoors, but I prefer not to use in the house when I have pecan available. Big leaf maple: Maple is pretty close to the quality of ash and has similar cutting and splitting characteristics. I about choked on my coffee reading that We have an electric furnace and a small wood backup stove,which we seldom use.The electric is so cheap on the budget bill,(same amt. They are very efficient those rocket stoves. Kym Pokorny | For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Oregon State University Extension Service. 15. I usually have an assortment of oak, hickory, beech, cherry, maple and poplar. Nice thing is it can run the truck also. Keeps the place toasty warm! There is no way to vote for none of the above. Natural Solar Heatingis what I use. We burn poplar & have propane as back-up. Oak all the way and one fella will cut it to the length you need, deliver it and stack it as well. With the oak I just stir the coals, throw on some soft wood like pine or fir and it fires back up. Wet alder puts out a lot of ash and very little heat. Madrone: When seasoned, this hard, dense wood burns very hot and produces long-lasting coals. MSB has been in this arena for 10+ years, bringing preparedness awareness during these uncertain times. I have been reading your blog for years now, and I think its a great place to learn survival strategies. I have a quick question perhaps someone could. 11. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. They each have their own burning area but the Grandson thinks we should use a recirculating pump and have just one burning. for anyone who lives in or near (or goes into) a city, or likely even a town, I love to sit outside at nite in winter, when its crystal clear and the moons bright, and its cold and watch that smoke comin out. Redwood is not on the list and we have a lot of it. How about some lifestyle and preparedness for the outdoor kitchen? We use NG now, have backups to set up propane, including separate heater, line and regulator Have not prepared a flue for wood. I pointed out all of the trees on the property and said we can heat for three more lifetimes than we have left. 13. We cut it to size when trimming to stack and dry. For those that are not sure what a bird is, here in the south that is a bobwhite quail. Maintain a 7 cord reserve in addition. This an excellent wood to BBQ with, great taste. "But if you have access to firewood cutting areas and enjoy the work, then go for it. So I thought it would be fun to put out a poll to discover what firewood that people are using for heating in their wood stoves. The more dense a wood is, the more weight and BTU it will have. Our house is natural gas, but we have an electric blower and currently, until we get it replaced, we have an electric stove (hate it). Weve done okay the last few years, but firewood sellers in this area are flakier than a box of Wheaties. GEEZ, Im working harder now than ever. The list was fairly inclusive but not all inclusive. 2. Often times we will go to the local pallet factory and buy their cut offs. I dont have a fireplace or wood stove. add another for the house for wood stove. They call him the gentle giant. I couldnt survive without my wood splitter. We also have a good friend with a tree trimming business, and his guys drop offodd sized or smaller jobs of wood, for free! Often, but not always, that means a slow growth rate. Let the Grandson decide between this and the electric bike he wants to build. I could not be more proud of that young man. A lot of it cant be learned. I do split some with a maul, but most is small enough not to need it. A solar oven is a great way to harness free energy to get the job done. But it doesnt have to be that way, The answer may sound pretty basic, because it is! me, We dont really have any pallets anywhere close, We did invest in a wood spliter and I love that.

Nailbanger Looking forward to the winter season!

We have propane for the forced air system and a propane fire place. Cedar We have a Rumford-style fireplace in the living room, which will keep the entire house at 70 F when the power is out and we have blizzard conditions with snow and high winds in the area. These moments with my kids/grandkids are filling the pages. I like to watch that woodsmoke comin out. hahahaha Its uncanny. Hi all . Slow goin when you look around and youre the only one there..haha.but I like workin alone. I swing by the brush and leaf dump of a nearby city every so often. We bought a 150 year old house earlier this year and it has natural gas hookup (currently no working furnace, but we did buy one last week and its now sitting in the basement waiting for my husband to hook it up). I talked to mine on the phone last week one nite for a couple hours. I know what you mean A pellet stove sits near my recliner (I also have propane fueled boiler & radiators throughout) and when that stove is lit it sure does bring on the shuteye when I kick back the recliner during winter evenings. There is also a whole suite of other "invasive exotics", for which fuel might be about the only use, and which coppice readily. Just helped my parents get two big loads (mebbe 5-6 cords) of split and seasoned Maple, Ash and BIrch into their basement in upstate Vermont. The best wood you can burn is fully seasoned wood. Awhile ago we conducted a reader poll asking what wood people burned in their stove for winter heating. 14. It burns slightly cleaner, sparks a lot more and doesn't heat quite as well. Because of my job now, I live in a pretty suburban area. 1. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The question of the day, we use this chart for comparison of different woods. Ohh nice burning. Just load it up and split it at home! I also try to do a little cooking on it in the winter. It holds a fire, doesn't spark, and much of it splits moderately well. If you're leaning toward wood pellets, Extension's publicationHome Heating Fuels offers the information you need to make a decision. Havent burned anything less than 5 years of seasoning age in years. And because of the relative simplicity, you could even make one yourself. I hate to have to start a whole new fire at 3-4 in the morning when I get up. Heres another poll: Let us know which types of heating systems (fuel sources) are in your home. It's good exercise and you get a sense of satisfaction at seeing a day's work piled in front of you. Red alder: Seasoned alder burns warm, but fast. Most ash cuts and splits relatively easily as long as it is still green. I read somewhere that branches give out more BTUs than the trunk. But will have that option once another window is placed.. ability to remove it , put Tin insert , etc..all other stuff as needed to install, properly to run wood stove pipes thruTriple wall stuff is highly expensive, but not as expensive as a burnt down houseHave heater available now. def. Hes not a quitter. Thats why I am fascinated with the rocket stove designs. I cancel outdoor observation when the winds blowin.

Often, too, this wood is even already cut up into decent size pieces. We dont get weather like Ken up north but here low 20 is cold to me.That wood insert will put you to sleep quicker than a adult drink.LOL, Haha!

Walnut Works GREAT. What is the best way to grow fuel for an RMH. He figures we should put at least 3 washers in and figure out how to dry clothes using rocket stoves. We save branches down to wrist-size for burning. We heat primarily with the wood stove. I have a small wood burner and forced air propane furnace. When Im in the RV the only thing I really miss is the wood stove! 8. Some time ago I did some research on various firewood to discover their BTU value (BTUs per cord). That is, when we can find a firewood seller who shows up, has the right lengths, doesnt try to short it on volume, and doesnt try to pass off green for seasoned. I rarely comment here but read everyday, love your site Ken. Wife wants to know how much fire wood do we need? good point.. I didnt see on the list Free Wood (just joking with ya Ken!). "That's one of the reasons people buy pellet stoves; many people have been dissatisfied with the quality of wood they purchased. hbbd```b``"ypi He is definitely not the average 18 yr old.

Mulberry is good for heat, as hot as oak, and freely available around here. These Pallets are everything from Oka, Hickory, Ash, to Pine and Poplar. The results will be skewed by the reader base of a prepper blog ;). Ash - the best wood to grow for firewood? The oil heat is a backup that sees a little use on sub-zero nights. Mesquite has some disadvantages, it is so hard you can not drive a nail in it when it is dry and it never rots. Well-seasoned oak is one of the best hardwoods for fires, says Steve Bowers, a forester with Oregon State University Extension Service. In fact, unseasoned wood is not suitable for open fireplaces, according to Steve Bowers, a forester with Oregon State University Extension Service. He is a thinker and avid learner. My regular heat comes from natural gas, and my back up is propane. monthly,year around) that I just save the wood for emergency.We mostly burn maple with pine as kindling,or for a quick warming fire.If all else fails,we have a big buddy propane heater for backup also.Our house is fairly small,so it should keep it bareable. Will probably burn more ash in the next few years with all the dead standing ash in the woods. I almost choked when I saw 250 dollars for a pickup truck load of firewood. Topher Belknap : Buying wood by the pound sounds like a good idea, except- Then It becomes your responsibility to use a tester that will give you an instant, Topher Belknap : Here in Norther New York We buy wood 'by the Cord', without thinking that we are buying by the face cord ! We have a propane furnace and a fireplace insert (wood burning) that I have been trying to replace with the woodstove we bought last year but so far have not been able to. Came up with drawings and everything. I like arbutus, locust, apple, and cherry, but Douglas fir is the predominant species out here on the left coast. If all else fails, he is man enough to ask for help. Pecan is my favorite smoke smell. Everytime I talk to him, I tell him how proud I am of him. Looks like most have wood stove for primary heat. Sometimes I sit outside and drink a cup of cofee when its 10 or 20 degrees, the boss lady thinks I am unbalanced. S Bengi wrote:Weight for weight almost all wood have the same energy density due to the fact that they are made from exactly the same thing. Give me a minute and Ill add an additional poll about what you all use for heating systems. These firewood BTU charts compare the heat energy ratings and weight of common firewood species. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. This is my first time commenting, though, because mostly by the time I read the topic of the day late in the evening, everything that needed said has been said. It is amazin to see. summers about $30 for AC because it can switch from heat to AC, and winter electric bills are about $70-95 a month for heat. Then I add some more oak so the boss isnt cold when she gets up. He wasnt afraid. I also keep smaller amounts of pear, cherry, and mesquite around but I try to keep that for the smoker unless I absolutely must. When I was younger I loved to swing a maul, or a sledge hammer, but those days are over. Maple Here in central Virginia we have heat pump and Insert. Hes tall for his age . Cut and burn only dead wood or wood split and seasoned at least two years. Pellet stove, What if the power goes out, can you keep warm? Have had good luck picking up oak and ash; some even cut to fireplace length by city slickers. Just wondering how pyracantha burns. Living in Northern Cali I have burned quite a bit of it but the story is you never fill the stove with just that.

Ash When we hooked up the 3 water heaters I taught him how to sweat copper pipe. Solar. Too funny chillinhahaha..3 or 4 years ago, I saw him watchin the smoke when when we stepped outside one nite. Guess I am lucky. Wood56gas The one thing I hate about oak is the amount of ash it leaves.

18. I have a 14 Band saw set up with a table behind. What about eucalyptus and acacia in all their diversity? Northern Boy I knew that you and the rest of the readers would like to know more, specifically BTU values, so I did some research on it and came up with this: 30.9 BTUs per cord. Modern Survival Blog is about living a Practical Sensible Preparedness Lifestyle coupled with a spirit of Self Reliance, an extent of Sustainable Living all while pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness.

. Okay Ive added an additional poll (should also be interesting). The pecan smells much better. allen lumley wrote:I have checked my Personal B.S./'But we have always done it this way' Meter and see nothing but future heartburn from a change to buying Wood by the pound ! If the electric goes out for more then 2 weeks we will put the wood stove in the house.

We heat with wood and coal only, we get most of our ceder from the old homestead. Can you still heat your house? 16. He may not know how to do somethin, but he assuredly knows how to figure it out by himself and make a decision about what to do. Dont know how much longer my husband will be able to do it as he will be 80. In S.A. they build them inside with clay. It gives me great pleasure to see that wood broken up! I burn mesquite wood only for several reasons.

Its a bit more work, but I hate to throw away BTUs.

We heated the house this past winter with the pellet stove that the previous owners had inserted into the living room fireplace. Guess it keeps him young. 5. It always reminds me of Christmas. How would you do that? He is mechanical, logical, he was born into a large scale farmin family. This is almost imperishable and can be found even in old stump holes buried in the ground. Home in Spokane. We have to cut our own and all we have are Juniper and Pine. Alot of heat with minimal wood for fuel. Nice to have it back again. Lodgepole or ponderosa pine from the east side of the Cascades: Lodgepole burns hot and fast, and it cuts and splits easily. There are relatively few, Weight for weight almost all wood have the same, Location: Northern New York Zone4-5 the OUTER 'RONDACs percip 36'', Location: Currently in Lake Stevens, WA. Birch Wood has close to the same BTU per dry pound regardless of species. In the 90s when I worked my grandfathers saw mill, he sold the unusable wood for 50 dollars a pickup loadstacked and unloaded. Hate pyracantha, thorns are worse than even mesquite. Again while I trust my fellow man as a general rule, I expect that buying by the Pound is a good way to insist on buying High Moisture content fuel ! Wont burn all night in my stove though like oak. I do love my wood heat.

Electric I told him, talkin to you is like talkin to a mature adult. I asked how and he suggested that he could install propane. You can answer more than one. I dont care. Off the land, we get maple and the occasional birch. Our most common burn species available are Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, Spruce, Cottonwood, Box Elder, Juniper, and Aspen. %PDF-1.6 % We have been selling wood as well but this year will only be what is left from last year. Pine Forest Products from the Pacific Northwest.

Apple Dont use wood now, but in a SHTF scenario I would building a wood heater.

When I lived in Georgia we used to look for what we called "fat lighter", which was the heartwood of old pine trees. This is because of the resins in softwoods, which have more energy than wood fiber. 325 0 obj <> endobj We keep 3 yrs supply in wood shed so that should extend our time but we didnt get any up yet this year so we are down to 2. Her position may have some merit. Growth rate and coppicing ability would be interesting columns to add, as well. En garde tiny ad: current server time (not your local time) is, http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/05/firewood-guide-btu-rating-chart-log.html, https://permies.com/t/170234/Rocket-Mass-Heater-Jamboree-Updates. haha I like you am fascinated at the idea of turnin a pile of wood into rotary motion. Oregon ash: Wet or dry, ash wood will produce a decent fire, but will leave a lot of ashes. Cherry :-). DH will be 82 in 2 mo. Although you could get hypothermia if outside at night soaked wet when temps hit 70F or below.

Didnt know I could vote for more than one (should have read the directions) source of heat. Great to burn. So our heater requirements are similar to your air conditioning requirements in the summer ;), Ive been in FL a number of times during the summer and man oh man I dont know how you folks do it. I must correct you Sir, with all due respect, Wood warms you 4 times, in addition to the three you mentioned, the Forth being when ya Clean out the Ashes for another fire :-) :-), Dont forget the Kettle of Pork and Beans on the Wood Stove for a good longggggg cook, yummmmm. Dead elm and now the dead ash is in abundance here. Hickory DH cut down an old Russian willow this year & it looked like it would be good wood but it is really hard to get to burn so we wont be wasting any more time & effort on those. I am up to 24 cords stacked on pallets, covered with old sheet metal roofing, and tarps. the way he conducts himself in general. I expect that north of, Topher Belknap : One of the ways I judge whether or not I have kept my head above water, is checking to see If I have successfully used Less than 1/2 the wood. But this difference is only slight and the dense hardwoods are so much more dense than softwoods, that they will still produce much more heat energy. Everyone thinks hes 15 or 16 but hes barely 12. or the other, the way he approaches a difficult situation. Natural gas Guess wed better get at it. Again, I do NOT like being cold LOLOL FYI, no the nails do NOT burn as well as the wood , PS; I also work construction; you have any idea how much wood drops come off a building site? allen lumley wrote:Topher Belknap : Buying wood by the pound sounds like a good idea, except- Then It becomes your responsibility to use a tester that will give you an instant readout on the Moisture Content of your fuel wood, Adulteration would just be to easy and tempting to not be considered. Here is a link to two side-by-side charts, one by BTU value, (best to worst) & the other by species (alphabetical). Now that you mentioned it he does have traits of my Dad,his great grandfather. My grandson is really interested in what makes things work. Still swinging maul though till i cant.

The BTU heat content is extremely high, the availability here in Texas is great, it has almost no smell and most importantly there is no creosote build-up. Its backup to the oil, but they keep the wood stove in the kitchen (a Vermont Castings vigilant model) going 7/24 from the first frosts of October through about April. i have a newer 1000sq ft home built 2 years ago, I use a Mitsubishi slim ductless heat pump with hyper heat I absolutely love it havent had an electric bill over $100 a month in 2 years. We split the larger pieces as well and stack for next years use. hahaha. No excellent choices in any significant quantity to be had. Wood is my only source of heat. Does the job. Burn 5 to 7 cords of wood each year roughly. It intrigues my engineering brainLOL! So heres an interesting one, We burn locust in the building, it burns hot and slow. He pulls a trailer up there for them to throw scraps in (that they would just burn) They also make biscuits ( it is like a large pellet) with the saw dust. I love that thing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Living a self-reliant lifestyle while in pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. 2.

I want to use the emoji that sticks out their tongue for you. I did kind of laugh to myself when I noticed cottonwood on your list. Lots of ash though.good for the garden. When you cut it and haul it home, when you split and stack it, and finally, when you throw another log on the fire. On those cool nites or mornins when I need a quick short lived fire, I use poplar. 373 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<15A12C6CA4BF3B4695AA80A2602035FB><6C9F892F9A1DF9429C1E6208B5E409E1>]/Index[325 88]/Info 324 0 R/Length 186/Prev 203473/Root 326 0 R/Size 413/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream

I look like a child beside him. Heres that list for your information: Ive taken additional firewood varieties from the comments of that article to make a longer list. GFs dad had a dead Hickory. Worth researching for a grid down scenario. Im looking at the whole house stoves /heaters they use in South America. We were having our chimney cleaned and the fellow said, You know, we can make this so you never have to clean the chimney again. Ideally, wood should be purchased or gathered at least a year in advance of burning. We are a Top Prepper Site( visit & vote ), SUPPORT MSBat no extra cost to youEnter AMZN through MSB portal. Have probable 2-3 years cut up and another 500 Pallets sitting there. Coldest my home ever got was 64 F that lasted from 5am then increased to 70F by 3pm. I cut down a lot of dead branches from a cold spell last year. Thanks. 4. Maybe you could do the same.