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Started by adk dan, November 02, 2010, 08:07:41 AM

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adk dan

We own a forest of about 80% white pine.  What are your opinions on burning seasoned pine in my wood stove?  I would like to burn with a mix of hardwoods and pine.
Thanks,
Dan

Corley5

I'm burning a mix of white, red, and jackpine along with some half rotten aspen and a mix of sugar maple and ironwood to provide some coals to keep the whole mess going.  None of it is dry and it's working fine in my outdoor boiler.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

John Mc

It's a myth that burning pine causes more creosote formation. You can heat just fine with it, IF your wood stove is properly installed and sized for your application, and IF you operate your wood stove properly. Burn seasoned wood, and burn it properly. Dry Pine tends to burn fast and hot. Don't try to choke the air supply way down to counteract this. If things are getting too warm in the house, just build a slightly smaller fire, and/or wait longer between charges of wood in the stove.

You will have to burn more of it: a cord of pine has about 55% of the BTUs that a cord of Beech, Oak or Hard Maple does. Generally, BTU content is proportional to the weight of the dry, seasoned wood. Expect to be making more trips to the wood shed if you are burning pine as compared to hardwood (especially as compared to the high-end hardwoods)

Check out www.woodheat.org for some great wood-burning tips
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

thecfarm

The white pine I have in Maine will work.You can burn ceder too,just need more of it.Mixing it would be your best bet as you want to do.I have only burned white pine burned in my basement stove.Burns hot and when the wood is gone so is the fire.Does not coal down.Does not split good without a wood splitter either.Kinda follows the easy way out.Have some odd looking pieces splitting by hand.Just play around with the amount and you should be fine.No idea how much you spend inside,but that is the time to burn the pine,just put a stick in every half hour or hour.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Ianab

Here in NZ most people burn pine, because that's the most common forestry tree (~90%), so that's what's available cheap, mill slabs or reject logs etc. Our local wood burners are designed to burn it, so that's fine.

Like the guys said, as long as it's dry it burns well, although it will burn fast and hot. You will use more wood, but it's energy output per pound is about the same, it's just less dense. Also don't expect it to burn slowly (overnight), and loading up the fire and expecting it to burn for hours is out. Keep a smaller, hot fire going, and feed it more often.

Mixed in with some hardwood it will work great. Also works good for getting the fire going quickly and getting the temp up, then throwing in the slower burning hardwoods.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

submarinesailor

I don't know if the research is still valid or not, but about 30-35 years ago I read an article in Popular Science about researchers at the U of Georgia burning soft and hardwood in a very control method - checking for the build up of creosote.  Their statement was that if the wood was dried to the same level, I don't remember the percentage, the difference in build up, between the two, was less than 3%.  So, my statement would be; burn what you have, just dry it to the lowest level practical.  I try to dry mine for 2 years before burning it.  i'm currently working on next years firewood - still a little short at this time.

Again that was 30-35 years ago.  And we all know just how much research can change in that amount of time.

Bruce

beenthere

Bruce
Still valid today.  :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

ely

i burn anything and everything in my woodstove. i also burn wood as small as my thumb alot of times. green or dry makes me no nevermind. i have a brush for the chimeny pipe and im not afraid to use it. ;D

WDH

I agree that Bruce is on target from the research that I have read.  Moisture content is the key.  Wet hardwood will produce more damaging creosote than dry pine.  Dry is the key with any wood, hardwood or pine.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

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