Why are the public anti-softwood?

[ging]

I have always understood that softwood causes tarring up of chimneys unless very well seasoned - maybe this is a myth - although my sweep says I would need the chimney swept more often if I burnt softwood? I have an unlined cob chimney - not sure if that makes any difference?

 

I only use softwood as kindling

 

If it isnt true about the resins fouling up the chimney faster then I may burn more softwood!

 

 

not the work of these guys by any chance?

[Arbgirl]

not the work of these guys by any chance?

 

Erm no, mine was built by millworkers about 300 years ago.......its great, in places you can see the hand prints of the men who built it - where it is smoothed by hand

Edited July 24, 2010 by Arbgirl

[gensetsteve]

Most softwood burns with a third less heat than hardwood and in half the time. People dont want to get up every 20 minutes to load the fire. So if I were buying it would need to be half price. Soon there wont be enough hardwood and they wont have any choice. I have builders bags full of kiln dried softwood off cuts if anyone wants them for £35 a bag would like to shift 6 bags at a time or more if I have it.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Softwoods only burn as fast as you allow them to burn.

 

If they give out twice the heat you only need half the draw.

 

The problem is not in how fast or slow a wood burns, it is in how efficient or controllable your stove is to convert the BTU value of the wood into heat and to get it into the room and not up the chimney

 

Soft or hard is irrellevant

 

Efficiency and heat transfer is

 

When I was looking for a stove the efficeincy rating was the first figure I looked at

[csservices]

Think the problem stems from when more people had open fires as the spitting is more of an issue, now that more people have gone over to log burners the problem is'nt there its just convincing the customer, but personally I'll be sticking to hardwood, specially as I've got some 5 year seasoned beech in the shed, now that does burn hot

[renewablejohn]

Most softwood burns with a third less heat than hardwood and in half the time. People dont want to get up every 20 minutes to load the fire. So if I were buying it would need to be half price. Soon there wont be enough hardwood and they wont have any choice. I have builders bags full of kiln dried softwood off cuts if anyone wants them for £35 a bag would like to shift 6 bags at a time or more if I have it.

 

I think the speed at which softwood burns is related to the density. I have similar offcuts of kiln dried softwood but by converting them into briquettes the density increases to the extent that it burns similar to hardwood without spitting.

[woodrascal]

I have always understood that softwood causes tarring up of chimneys unless very well seasoned - maybe this is a myth - although my sweep says I would need the chimney swept more often if I burnt softwood? I have an unlined cob chimney - not sure if that makes any difference?

 

Arbgirl - unseasoned hardwood would also tar up your chimney. Have you got a stove or an open fire? If you have an open fire in an unlined cob chimney your wood won't produce a lot of heat to the room. As has been mentioned by others, if you burn dry softwood in a decent stove, nice and hot with plenty of air, you shouldn't get many problems. (though a stove would most probably work better with a lined chimney)

[Mesterh]

I had an open fire and softwood tried to set the place on fire.

 

I dunno but I would guess there is more hardwood in the UK and more softwood in Sweden hence the preference.

 

If so I guess you adapt and therefore covet what you know.

[Johny Walker]

just sell it mixed & dry & youl have no probs,

[Dean Lofthouse]

though a stove would most probably work better with a lined chimney

 

Definately !!

 

Roughly description..

 

You cannot fully get the moisture out of the log, so when it burns it turns to steam. This steam gets contaminated with tar or sap and transports the tar up the flue.

 

Steam condenses on cold surfaces leaving behind tar, if you have a big stone wide open unlined flue, it takes a lot to heat up the flue so that the steam doesn't condense and leave behind tar and you will never get the upper portion of the flue to heat up sufficeintly to prevent condensation.

 

If you line your flue with a narrow steel flue, it will heat up very quickly for it's full length and be easy to sweep. If you then use an insulated liner it will take very little heating up and will stay clean for longer.

 

There is also a specail lightweight insulating aggragate you can pour down your chimney down the sides of your liner to fill and insulate the void around it to improve the efficency of your existing liner.

 

Again, it boils down to efficiency of the system

 

My head hurts now