Why won't our wood burner get going?

jojo2910 · 4 December 2012 at 7:37PM

Hi,

We had a Charnwood C4 isntalled last week. Over the weekend it worked great, now we can't get the fires to take or if they do take they burn out quickly.

We were wondering if it was down to the logs we are using? We had a delivery of 'seasoned' wood a couple of months ago and have stored it in a covered porch outside. The wood burnt over the weekend had been in the house for about a month as part of a feature but this week's stuff has come in from outside, so has maybe only had a day or two inside.

Is it possible that the logs are not seasoned and not dry enough to light? They feel dry to the touch, but when being split, some of them had water coming out of them and some have mould on them.

Or is there another possible solution? Is there a best way to get a WBS going?

Thanks in advance.

Jo

Macca83_2 · 4 December 2012 at 7:44PM

Have you got the flu and vents open? Wet wood is also a !!!!!! to get lit.

Williwoodburner · 4 December 2012 at 8:10PM

Hi Jo,
sounds like you already know the answer, wet wood.
Wood should be cut split and stacked outside in a windy spot with top cover for at least a year, some like oak need 3 years, or as you are finding out it is difficult to burn, blacks up the window and can cause creasote in the flue. :mad:
If you have to buy wood get a moisture meter, when a delivery arrives, split a big chunk and test the fresh face, if over 20% it is not ready to burn.
I would reject any over 20% or negotiate a discount and store it yourself for next year.
Most firewood suppliers simply have not got the room to store hundreds of tonnes of wood cut split and stacked correctly for a year or more.
What most do is process it into builders bags (not ideal for seasoning) and then store it, or store in the round 8 foot lengths and process just before delivery, wood takes many years to dry if not split so this is not ideal either.
I suggest buy some briquettes or kiln dried (expensive) if you cannot find a supplier of well seasoned wood, and buy now for next year and stack it outside yourself for next year.

jojo2910 · 4 December 2012 at 8:35PM

Thanks Willi. That's interesting as the glass had gone black. Off to see what supply I can get.

If anyone can recommend an online supplier or one near Weston Super Mare?

Greenfires · 5 December 2012 at 7:38AM

Sounds like a definite case of wet wood - you shouldn't be getting visible water out of it when you split it! Also remember that the black stuff building up on your glass is going to be lot less thick than the stuff which will be building up in your chimney where it's cooler!
With kiln dried logs you should have a reasonably low level of moisture - it usually comes in at around 18-20% - BUT - also worth bearing in mind that a) you'll probably pay a fairly hefty premium for it, and b) in many years, properly seasoned air dried logs are exactly the same moisture content or lower - but without the extra charge! All "kiln dried" means in reality is that the wood has been in a kiln and is drier than when it went in. Briquettes, as mentioned, are always much drier than any logs, so no energy wasted in driving off moisture. Most are around 5% - so quite a big difference. Also a lot more compact to store - most of our customers will get through the whole winter with a single pallet - and most are still using up what they have left from last year at the moment. You'll need several cubic metres of logs to do the same.

jojo2910 · 7 December 2012 at 7:57AM

I spoke to the the shop that sold us the stove and they concurred in terms of wet logs. I've now purchased a moisture metre and some dry logs and the difference is amazing.

Thanks for the help.

[Deleted User] · 7 December 2012 at 9:38AM

Certainly looking around my area for logs prices I seem to be paying near the top of the going rate which is fine as the logs are top quality. A few times in the past I've bought 'seasoned' logs for what seemed like a good price only for them to unusable. Not good in the thick of winter when you need them...

In fact looking on Gumtree a few days ago its the same old cowboys as previous years flogging what is obviously not seasoned. Not only that bulk bags sold by these operators are tiny...

Greenfires · 7 December 2012 at 12:25PM

Lot of it about with logs unfortunately! There have been so many new stoves going in in recent years that there's always a big demand for logs especially at this time of year. The unscrupulous suppliers can shift whatever they've got and call it what they like - and it doesn't matter to them if the customer doesn't come back next year as there'll be a new crop of new buyers by then. The tale of "we had some good logs from this bloke but the last lot he bought were rubbish" is one I hear from customers week in week out every year. Another advantage of briquettes - if you don't put the right stuff in the machine you don't get briquettes out the other end - simple as that. So they're exactly the same from load to load and year to year and there's no "fingers crossed" element - you know exactly what you'll be getting.

hethmar · 7 December 2012 at 12:33PM

We sometimes get customers ringing up saying there is something wrong with their stoves because of the smoke, black glass etc. OH will go over with a bit of dry kindling and a few logs from one of our own piles and immediately the fire will burn as it should

As already said, get a moisture reader, they are quite cheap now and make sure you store outside with plenty of air circulation. Try to specify ash - and hopefully you may get some from the supplier. Stock up now for next year.

Greenfires · 7 December 2012 at 1:05PM

I'd agree on a moisture meter - but I think ash is a bit over rated tbh. Its major plus is the fact that it tends to be naturally drier than a lot of other species to start with - that's where the thing about being able to burn it green comes from. Yes it probably will burn green, but no-one who knows their stuff would recommend that you do!

Some people have some very fixed ideas about firewood - "must be oak" "must be ash" etc. Oak can be a pig to use if you're inexperienced! "Never burn softwood" - what do they think the Scandinavians - who are way ahead of us in woodburning terms use? They have little else up there apart from a bit of birch and they get through much harder winters than we get!
The biggest thing to remember with wood is moisture. If it's dry then it doesn't really matter what you burn - it's all good fuel. You'll find a lot of people invloved in tree surgery or forestry burning the stuff no-one will buy from them - poplar, willow, leylandii etc - and they all find it burns absolutely fine and keeps them warm all winter!

Williwoodburner · 7 December 2012 at 1:12PM

Greenfires wrote: »

I'd agree on a moisture meter - but I think ash is a bit over rated tbh. Its major plus is the fact that it tends to be naturally drier than a lot of other species to start with - that's where the thing about being able to burn it green comes from. Yes it probably will burn green, but no-one who knows their stuff would recommend that you do!

Some people have some very fixed ideas about firewood - "must be oak" "must be ash" etc. Oak can be a pig to use if you're inexperienced! "Never burn softwood" - what do they think the Scandinavians - who are way ahead of us in woodburning terms use? They have little else up there apart from a bit of birch and they get through much harder winters than we get!
The biggest thing to remember with wood is moisture. If it's dry then it doesn't really matter what you burn - it's all good fuel. You'll find a lot of people invloved in tree surgery or forestry burning the stuff no-one will buy from them - poplar, willow, leylandii etc - and they all find it burns absolutely fine and keeps them warm all winter!

:T

I agree 100%.

Why won't our wood burner get going?

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