Hey guys, I’m struggling with the new proliferation of AI generated and overly assisted YouTube channels that have sprung up. Some easy to peg with verbal stumbling with spoken numbers. Some easy to spot with the constant 3-5 second churning of visuals many of which are being Net grabbed and stolen that are just flat wrong for the topic.
Ha! Then some new channels that imho are so, so very, very spot on. Softwoods good. Specifically: Douglas Fir softwoods for heating.
Click, “Watch on Youtube”.
Ha! If Life’s decisions were easy . . . .
Said in this video; the best wood is the close wood, that you do have. Ahead of time, Dried. And kept reasonably squirrel’ed away, dry.
S.U.
Steve, I’m impressed. For once a video where I agree with everything said. Common knowlidge for an experienced woodburner, but unfortunately lots of people won’t realise this particular video tells the truth. Side note - we don’t use the terms soft/hardwood. We use conifer vs leaf-wood, but other than that only the actual species.
On another note, even further to the side - I learned something new today - again. I bought new tires for my old bicycle trailer yeasterday - 20" tires. Today I discovered they don’t fit. I almost destroyed one of them trying to make it fit with brute force. Apparently there are several different 20" rim diameters. I didn 't know that. The type of 20" rim I have has a 22 mm larger diameter. Found out those tires quit existing a long time ago I ended up reinforcing my old tires with internal patches of old inner tubing. Similar to the technique they used during WW2 even with car tires - cut out reinforcment from rubber bootlegs
Hi Jo, i’ve found out the same about bicycle tires… it’s pretty much impossible to get the right if it’s an older rim, Biltema is a no-no..
I’ve searched the whole town Motala after a tire for my old 98cc light-weight motorcycle, got two different with right numbers on them, but didn’t fit, was told on the other places they wasn’t available anymore.
Met a guy in one of the stores that told me about a bicycle repair shop, of the old style, in a basement, hand painted signs.
Asked there and the response was: i only have four, i get more on monday, how many do you want?
There was no problem, got two for 120kr.
There are five ways to measure old tires, and no trouble to re-calculate them.
Aaah, I miss stores like that. And staff knew what they were talking about. Try ask anyone at Biltema anything - all they know is scanning the barcodes. Sad.
I’m looking for ways to handle slash/small branches without using up too many hours. This would be both for heating and making charcoal using Georgio’s method. Do any of you have an opinion on the Granberg Clip-N-Trim?
I had/have(maybe somewhere still) it didn’t work that well for going through branches. I have to think about it. I know it wasn’t as fast or as easy as what i thought it was going to be. I think it had issues with the branches not being straight, which may also be part of how the chain was sharpened. I may have also been a bit frustrated because the branch has to go inbetween the teeth, and it is smaller then firewood size and I only had one saw working at the time. I had to remove it to cut anything bigger then put it back on. IIRC it worked okay for trimming bushes if you don’t mind waving around a chainsaw.
Ha, creosote is a discussion! Overhere most people think creosote comes from the woodrosin not from incomplete burning. I stopped talking about that. I thought it was typically a Dutch problem where only a few people understand woodburning. We mostly burn softwood from our land (conifer) or pallets (to much to get rid of $$$$). Started in 2019 with woodburning, thanks to you guys I dont stop doing it clean as possible. Chimney was always clean, no need to swipe it. Now after 7 years it was totally rusted. To bad I didnt take pictures, it was a foldable chimney when we changed it. Changed it for stainless now. Regular steel was what I had at the moment.
Early and end of season I burn the small conifers that were chopped with the rebak, small branches included. Mid winter is for the autistic packet palletwood. Works perfect, no need to start with the willows that grow everywhere. And I dont think I live long enough to burn them all. Haha, natural gas is up to €2/m3, doubled in 10 years. I dont mind telling anyone anything.
Thanks Mr Steve, if anyone is telling something about fire wood I will refer to this video.
I know - you’ve seen my flames before, but I’m bored. It’s been raining sideways for a couple days now.
To all combustion nerds - I made two videos. All natural draft. No1 is within a minute or two from ligtup. No2 is about 10min into a 2,5 - 3h burn.
A confined insulated space with as much turbulence you can afford draft-wise makes for a complete combustion before the hot exhaust hit the water cooled tubes. The 23 yo refractory casting is still holding up. I have a new one stored away, so the boiler should last until I pass 80
Thanks JO, really hot! Cant compete with you either. Your startup at best and the boiler is full with electronics . I still have a batchrocket from Peter Berg somewhere….when I retire…
Joep, I’m unsure wether you’re refering to mine or your boiler. Anyway, mine has one solionid to keep the gravity closed air inlet hatch open and two old fashion thermostats with gas tubes (similar to a fridge). One to close the air inlet when flue temp is down (end of a burn) and the other one to do the same if water for some reason should climb towards boiling temp - that’s all. Fits my ideology - to have as few things as possible you can’t fix yourself. Why I keep picking at @JohanM with his touchscreen boiler
Haha, I do agree with you JO to have as little stuff that can go wrong and you can’t fix yourself but I am very happy with this boiler for convenience and ease of use for anyone even not familiar at all with fires.
13 years now running this 50kW boiler with practically no maintenance other than ashing out, the cast iron gas throat have been replaced after four or five years due to a manufacturing / design error and the new one is about three times beefier than the first, this gas throat and the refractories are as good as new, hardly any wear whatsoever.
There are not that many electronic parts though, a flue gas fan, two step motors for primary and secondary air, a couple of temp sensors, the lambda sensor and a computer with the touch screen. Oh yes, there is an ignition coil as well if you have filled the boiler and not lit it and the tanks are getting cold it lights the boiler for you.
I guess time will tell when the electronics start falling apart but I do not regret buying it. Hopefully there are spare parts when that time comes.
I can see merit on both sides of the issue. Having simplicity is great, but having some electronic control is convenient too. My main issue with the electronic control is having access to the grid. If the grid goes down, so does anything electronic connected to it. In the middle of a hot burn that could be disastrous unless there are fail-safes (which is most likely), but there will probably be a no heat situation too.
Where I live the power goes out regularly. Often this is just for minutes and really is just a pain when you are on the computer (lost work, etc.). My solution to all this is going to be a UPS. Of course, if you are off-grid, all this is moot.
Personally, I quite like connected devices, but they tend to be more delicate and can be an additional source of breakdowns.
To give an example: my wood-fired boiler won’t work without electricity, without the fan, the fire smothers, and without the circulation pump, the water doesn’t flow.
Since I installed battery backup, I shouldn’t experience power outages anymore (barring any overconsumption on our part), which gives me greater peace of mind.
I’m not sure about other types of boilers, but mine is protected against overheating by a thermal valve; this valve is constantly connected to a water supply and opens automatically when exposed to intense heat (no electricity required). This valve has only triggered once, following a power outage, but fortunately, the temperature differential didn’t cause any damage (the flow rate is low).
I initially thought the valve was ruined, but once it cooled down, I was simply able to take it apart and reset the internal components (it doesn’t reset automatically, unfortunately).
Hi David! Maybe they could be useful if you start playing with water cooled stuff. Tone and some of the charcoal guys may have input.
Those valves a very common on hotwater boiler installations. However, they tend to leak and have caused water damage. That’s one reason I opted out. With an open top expansion vessel, gravity air inlet shutdown and enough water circulation without electricity I feel safe enough. During a long term powerout the only thing I would worry about is fridge and freezers. Mid winter food can be stored on the porch. As a last resort cranking up a generator a couple times a day would do.
As a general rule - to be able to do without is always less trouble.
Im not sure they can sell a boiler without electronics in the US. They can’t sell gas furnaces without a variety of electronics like CO detectors, backdraft detection, flame detection, etc. Then it still needs a fan to push it. and water heaters regardless of source need a pressure relief valve. While the sensors and the controller boards become failure points. You just have to live with it. So even if it is only 1-2a to run the fan and all the electronics, you still need the generator to get heat. The exception is the fireplace but most new houses don’t have those here. most new ones are decorative.
So I’ve noticed - some areas seem more regulated on you side of the pond. Over here, our most annoying regulations are about vehicles - unfortunately. Also, southern Europe seems to have a few more. Due to population density I guess.
You bet! It’s one of the main reasons I relocated to Chile. One of the last straws was when I wanted to build a small woodshed in Massachusetts. I had to get my plans reviewed, put straw bales around the construction site (even though the stream was a couple hundred feet away on level ground). On top of that they didn’t like my 2x6 rafters and wanted 2x10’s despite the fact it was a damn shed. No one bothers me here. It’s been said by others; I kind of miss the beginning days of the pandemic, when everyone had to stay at least 6 feet from you.
I ended up reinforcing my old tires with internal patches of old inner tubing. Similar to the technique they used during WW2 even with car tires - cut out reinforcment from rubber bootlegs 
. I still have a batchrocket from Peter Berg somewhere….when I retire…