OT(ish): Larch as firewood

[Tim+]

A branch has come off a larch at the end of our garden. I have a wood burning stove so I?m always on the look out for good wood to burn. The question is, is it good, at least from a soot and creosote/tar point of view?

I?ve read that it burns ?hot? which I guess is good from the point of view of not clagging your chimney with residues but it seems very resinous and I?m not sure whether lots of resin equates to more creosote & tar deposition. My gut feeling is that it will but maybe this is offset by the ?hot? burning?

Any thoughts?

Tim

[The Natural Philosopher]

if you burn it hot the resins will fully burn. Ive found pine type wood to be good starter wood, but it is all over in a flash.

[Dave Liquorice]

Cut, split, stack, cover wait till next winter or the winter after. Burnt well the wood and resins will gasify and burn. I'd probably not put it in until the stove is well hot and there is a good charcoal bed burning well.

[harry]

Tar and soot is caused by badly designed stoves causing quenching, ie removal of heat from the combustion gases before combustion is complete. Combustion then stops prematurely leaving unburned fuel vapours. (which condenses out in the chimney)

Wet/damp wood doesn't help either, also causing quenching and using up energy to evaporate it off.

All wood is suitable for burning. Dense heavy wood is the best from storage and stoking point of view. (More energy dense.)

[Bev]

I have a few 'pine' trees in the garden and over the years have thinned a burnt a number of them in the stove. I'd cut it into suitable lengths and then leave it to weather/season/dry for (ideally) a couple of years and then use it. It *will* burn hot and fast so is ideal if you want a quick burst of heat.

[Martin Brown]

Depends a bit how big the branch is. Dead bits that drop off my pine tree after being left to dry dry out make good firelighters.

It burns rather quickly. So long as it is good and dry and burnt with plenty of air putting some in with other hardwoods won't be a problem. I wouldn't burn resinous softwoods exclusively though - that is asking for trouble. Likewise with burning it whilst it is still too wet.

[Tim+]

It?ll probably be the winter after next before I?ll need it. Got plenty of wood in store.

Tim