Alycidon

In practice, no-one seems to enforce the rules if you run a 3500 kg towing vehicle and trailer, although the law is very clear. You wanna bet !!, I got pulled off the M6 near Birmingham a few months ago with a Disco and tandem axle IFW box trailer. As I understand it as already posted over 3.5t its teh whole nine yards. Under that if for hire and reward ie part of a business then you may or may not need a tacho. The interpretation I got for a guy who takes on legal cases in the area is that: If you are pulling a trailer and you maximum allowed gross train weight is over 3.5 tonnes ( tow vech + trailer + max allowed cargo) then the following applies: If you are operating within 50 kilometers of base and are taking tools to do a job then it is arguable in court. Bringing timber back if for processing and resale is hire and reward so tacho needed. Over 50K or 30 miles then its Tacho anyway but if trailer max gross weight is under 3.5t you only need keep your discs for a short time, keeping mine 6 months. No O lic, no inspections etc. Most IFW trailers are 3.5 ton, look at the plate on the drawbar. I am toying with getting one built at 3.3 tonnes. My present open trailer is a bit short for bags of wood and is 2.7 ton as is the box trailer. When I was pulled it was part of a Police training exercise, must have been 20 + coppers being trained on the regs. Fine for a first offence is £200, I was nice to the guys, no lip and got let off but I had a tacho installed in a few days as you might know that details of the stop are on records. Consider it another tax !! A

+ VAT or including or no VAT?. A

80 tons, so say 200 cube, at 4 cube an hour ( more likely 3 on average) thats 50-70 hours work, a year !. Well you certainly have the capacity for some growth unless you go contract processing with it. A

No, sawdust gets taken away from operator on my processor, unless its windy !!. Do wear chainsaw helmet with face guard and muffs. A

i assume you are using a power deck to load it, how many cube a year do you put through it. Looks like its the next stage up from my Japa 700. A

I do like the all hydraulic drive on teh Dalen, far better than a belt drive but I am not to keen on a chain bar as the cutter, how often do you need to sharpen it ?, I assume you probably have spare chains/ arms and do them all as a batch having done a fast change on site. How does it handle 240mm long logs, ie do they drop nicley into the splitting chamber or to they tend to twist and require correction. A

So the volume of the logs will equate to about 2 cu m as is shown on your web site not 2.4 cu m as suggested at start of thread. Think that would fill maybe 3 cu m bags if you want to be bothered moving it. Moisture content says 25% in one part of your site and lower in another, minor but important point for a buyer. Firewood logs - PremiumWood It does though still seem a reasonable deal if you can store the product alongside exisiting stocks. Certainly its a large reduction on the prices I was quoted last year from the Ukraine. A

Is that 2.4 cu m inside or outside diameter crate. How many crates in a container ?. A

Yes, it is only a small processor but 70-80 tons a year is about all I am putting through it, my firewood side is only 2 years old. While I do have a manual loading rack the bits were to short to fit it so dropping through it, so each stick was carried about 4m to the processor. On nice timber, 8-10 inch dia and 3m or so long I can do 2 cu m an hour, output speed is limited by the splitter, you are always waiting for it, if you drop another log on top of the ram on its return it does not trigger the trip. You can adjust the trip to the point where it runs continuously, I ran it for a while like that last year but it does make so odd noises when the ram comes back to its start point. Max log dia is 300mm for a single cut, it will cut about 350mm but you have to manually turn each log after the first cut and back cut it. Dalen 2054 is from memory a far far bigger machine, something to look forward to when I get a bit bigger !!. A

I processed a pile like that on Sunday, either oversize and needing two trips through the splitter or 4 inch or less. I was doing 1 cu m an hour on my own using a JAPA 700. A

I read a lot of random information in the process. One pdf from the Forestry Commission had a strong warning about burning tanalised wood as it has arsnic in it apparently. And the arsenic or some of it at least finishes up in the ash, spread that on your spud crop and you will have a poisoning issue when you eat them. A

I tested customers logs that had been in the garage when I delivered mine. As you say, these logs that had been 'indoors' for ages tested at the same 18% MC as mine on the outside. Had they been split ?, bark does not allow moisture out. I accept that they may retain their summer MC on the inside. Next winter I will take some of these logs and cut them in half and see. Also do some tests this summer to see what the best achievable MC is. I have done none of what you suggest but it does make sense. Once November gets here if your wood is kept in a barn then MC will have drifted up but at 18% or so I would be happy to send that out. It raises the question as to how long a summer MC can be maintained through the wood, through the winter. A few weeks, just depends on the weather conditions, damp fog and mist is the worst. MCs constantly move and reflect the weather. Edit: I have cut logs in half before to get the internal MC, but only my outside stored ones and it was 18%. I have not done the above test before which is different. My moisture meter is poised and at the ready... there is science to be done. I am happy to send softwood out at up to 20%, as its less dense at 15% it burns very hot and very fast, customers get a bit twichy so addign a bit of damp slows the combustion down a shade. A

I have just bought a 71 135 with loader, lovelly little tractor, drives the processor nicely but loader is pretty limited, dont expect it to be lifting full arb bags of green hardwood. If you dont have a use for it then get it running and advertise it here or in Classic Tractor, should fetch 2k as a runner if its tidy. A

Drying logs by a fire is not a good idea, they might catch fire themselves if to close. Lower moisture levels can only be achieved by keeping product under cover for a longer period. Use of poly tunnel kilns will help but not to many have access to those. If your wood is 18% personally I would not have an issue burning it, it should burn plenty hot enough. The most accurate measurement is taken on the split face of a freshy split log, logs that have been processed a couple of summers may show 18% on the outside but will be significantly below that on the inside. A

Seems I was wrong about it being on the Hetas site, sorry about that, the graph here will give you the idea: Wood fuel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or here, http://www.forestbioenergy.net/training-materials/fact-sheets/module-5-fact-sheets/fact-sheet-5-8-energy-basics Figures do seem to differ somewhat but it does indicate the importance of dry logs and the heat performance differential between 25% and 15%. Kiln dried logs are now sold at 20-22% moisture, they used to be quite a bit lower. All my logs are in bags in a barn with three closed sides. Moisture content of some hard wood processed just over year ago is between 9% and 14% on some I tested early this morning. In fairness come November the air dampness will have lifted that to maybe 17% on the outside, that is in my book perfectly acceptable as the mositure level inside will be considerably lower. Most of my customers keep their logs in the bag in their garage, so it dries back out in there. How do you get wood that dry, keep it in store untill it gets there, the next customer complaint about my logs will be the first. Hope that helps. A

Morso advise that 15% or below is fine, 16%-18% is acceptable, above 18% let it dry some more. Esse recommend a maximum moisture level of 20%. Heat from wood depends on how much moisture is present, the drier the wood the more heat is produced. Wood at 15% will deliver 30% ( from memory !!) more heat than wood at 25%. There is more info on heat ouput/moisture content on the Hetas web site. It is quite eye opening. A

Very sensible comments, side doors on big stoves are an excellent idea and there is NO RHI or reduced rate VAT on boiler stoves, only boilers. It is viewed by the tax authorities (when I last checked a couple of years ago) that a boiler stove has a glass to view the flames and is visually pleasing to the eye, often used as a centerpiece for a room. A boiler is a steel or cast iron box that has no glass, no visual appeal and is solely designed to heat water. It would be tucked away out of sight somewhere. A

How big is the room you want to put it in?, a stove that big will have a massive heat output. In excess of 25kw. Al boiler stoves have two heat outputs, heat output to room and heat output to water. Make sure that the stoves heat output to room does not exceed the volume of said room divided by 12 for poor insulation, 14 for average and 16 for good insulation. So a monster room of say 10m x 6m x 2.5m = 150 cu m, divide say 14 for average insulation = 10.71kw heat to room required to get the inside temp to 22 deg C if its 1 deg C outside. A stove of that size will in that room deliver a comfortable temperature and show good flames in the firebox. very few boiler stoves deliver that kind of heat to room, the Brosely eVolution 26 delivers 10kw to the room and 16kw to the water, that is a massive stove ahttp://www.broseleyfires.com/Wood-Burning-Stoves/eVolution-26-Boiler_Wood-Burning-Stove.htmlnd That is the biggest boiler stove I am aware of. Hope that helps. A

I do feel for you on the install side, before I came into this industry I had a wood pellet boiler installed by a company who I thought were one of the UKs leading pellet boiler providors, yes they were Hetas regisitered. Before I opened this buisness I put myself through the installers training course, then I knew that the boiler had been installed illegally and dangerously. They were reluctant to put it right but responded when I threatened to call in Hetas. We digress: the boiler control valve is fairly new, it is not mentioned in the Esse catalogue, website or even the current cooker price list. Pretty sure it was in the old price list. Give David ( or Linzi if he is tied up) a ring ( 01282 813235), they will give you details of it. Just run the problem past them as well in case I am barking up the wrong tree, dont think so but you never know. Thanks A

I use the Bag Supplies green ones, had 2 x50 batches now. Decent bags, not lost one yet. Carriage is the only problem but thats a general thing, I guess I should have bought them by the 100 and not the 50. A

W23. so wood fired with a boiler, cooker warranty is 3 years so it may still be covered. Have a chat with Suzanne at Esse to confirm. The problem is the temperature of the water returning to the cooker, it is not allowing the boiler/cooker to get up to temperature, hence the creosote. There is now an Esse unit that will allow the cooker to get up to temperature before it allows any water to come back into the cooker. I am not in the showroom this afternoon but from memory it is called a Cooker Control unit, it fits into the water pipes external to the cooker. Call Esse and discuss the issue with David Randleson, he is their chief engineer, tell him that Geoff at Home Farm Stoves has put you in touch. I know that you are not one of my customers. While your wood is not perfect it is acceptable if below 20% which is what Esse advise as the maximum permitted moisture level. 8m is an excellent length for the flue but the higher building may be causing downdrafts when the wind blows from that direction. This can be cured by fitting an anti down draft cowl or a rotating cowl, first one is preferable. Downdrafts cause lack of pull and smokeing back into the room, not tarring up. The cooker itself will also be tarred up, this needs removing, there are a number of products in the market whose fumes will chrysalis the tar when burnt in the firebox. They can then be brushed out in the usual manner. Door elbow should be the same length as the one coming out unless a different brand is used. Esse take the installation of their products very seriously, any shortcomings should be initially taken up with the supplying dealer and if not resolved then Hetas and Esse. No reason why you cannot have two access doors but I suggest you invest £50 and get a sweep in to do the job at least the first time and watch how he does it. Looks like your rods are fine, not seen a brush with a knob though. mine has no knob but I cant really see that as the problem, what diameter is the brush you are putting up?. Should be 7 inch. I feel that of you alter the flue as installed and signed off ( I assume it was signed off) then it would need signing off again as safe to use. On the other post of using stainless steel pipe to replace Vit enamelled pipe. SS single wall pipe is perfectly acceptable if of the correct diameter and is used in some stove installations, usually it is spray painted to match the appliance. You cannot penetrate walls or ceilings with it and it still needs to be signed off as being safe to use. It will though do the job fine. Hope that helps, I would recommend you now talk to David at Esse and agree a way forward, then talk to your suppling Esse dealer. Thanks A

Hi, I am an Esse cooker and stove dealer so may be able to advise. From your description of the flue it sounds perfectly fine from a design point of view, we would normally powder coat the SS twin wall parts to match the stove or room decor. I suspect that this cooker is a boiler model, perhaps you could confirm that before I (or others) get involved in length explanations that may not be relevant. You are burning wood, hence the creosote, this is deposited into the flue when the temperature in the firebox is not high enough to ignite it. All wood when burnt gives of creosote in gas form, this is usually combusted in the firebox. This is where the creosote is coming from, there may be several reasons why. Which model of cooker do you have ?. How old is it, did you buy it new?. Did the Esse dealer do the install if new?. What are you feeding it with and at what moisture content?, this is CRITICAL. Roughly how long is the flue ? Other than the two mentioned are there any other bends in the flue system?. Do you have higher buildings or higher trees than your flue exit within 60 yards?. There are many varied makes of twin wall insulated SS flue system, none are interchangeable so if you want to change it I would strongly advise that you get a Hetas registered engineer in to do it, if you have an issue with the one who put it in take that up with your cooker supplier unless you appointed the installer yourself. If he is Hetas (and he should be) you can register a complaint with Hetas, they will follow up with engineers inspection of the installation which if found to be not satisfactory they will take action against the installer. Your installer should have issued you with a sign off safety certificate, he is allowed to sign off his work as safe to use assuming he is qualified. In short , no sign off, no insurance cover. Mess with what he has put in and you may invalidate your cover. Twin wall pipe is not sealed between sections with heat proof sealant between the sections ( well the higher quality ones I sell are not), the black vit pipe leading from the cooker to the twin wall will usually be sealed especially where they connect to the appliance. To try and id your twin wall look at the Poujoulat web site, that is a very high quality flue system used by a lot of Esse dealer installers. A 45 deg twin wall elbow will be a different length to the vit pipe elbow, so its not as simple as it may seem. Maybe a better idea would be to put a door onto the second elbow, this would involve changing that elbow. Using the correct nylon flexible sweeps rods you should be able to get round these bends easily, you are allowed up to four 45 deg bands in any single flue system. Brush size should be 1 inch bigger that the flue, so a 7 inch brush. You will not be able to get traditional 'drain rods' up a flue like yours. Please confirm answers to my questions and we will try and resolve your problems, but it is NOT a flue issue unless the appliance is not pulling. The installer should have done a smoke test as the last part of the install to test the flue pull. A

I was at the stove trade show last week, I met a guy there making charcoal in the uk, he told me that 95% of charcoal in the UK is imported. If you want this guys details please pm me, he is looking for distributers not someone who wants to buy an odd bag or two. From memory he is not in Somerset. A

Last year I did about 50 cube into bags and another 100 cube or so into a heap surrounded by the bags, ie the bags made a retaining wall. Stored in a shed with one long open side. All seasoned well, but, all my customers wanted product in bags (I have now discontinued bulk), so we were refilling bags with a teleporter when they came back. No real probs with that but once you get well down the pile the volume of crap, (chips, bark etc) is large, about 30%, I finished up filling the last 20 bags by hand. This year I am only processing straight into bags. A