Saturday, January 15, 2011

Firewood Moisture Meter

Two years ago I blogged about our two sources of firewood.

Tomorrow I need to find a new supplier.  Gilbert is out of seasoned wood less than 15 inches in length.  James has not responded to phone messages, and his answering machine message does not mention his name or firewood; perhaps he closed down his business?

Modern technology includes digital moisture meters, which are an important tool when shopping for firewood.  Low-quality meters are about $30 and accurate to about 5%.  Last week I purchased a model made by General Tools.  High-quality meters are more accurate but also cost ten times as much.

Seasoned wood should have a moisture rating between 15% and 20%.  Since my meter is low-quality, I will be willing to purchase the wood even if the meter reads 25%, which allows the risk of burning slightly damp wood.

Since we normally have our stove and chimney cleaned annually, even if I am unlucky and get slightly damp wood it will not have any long-term effect.  I'll just get a bit less heat from the wood than otherwise.

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