# Burning Wood and amount of ash in the pan



## Graybeard (Nov 12, 2018)

I notice American Elm leaves the most ashes followed by cherry, oak and finally hickory with the least. Anyone know of a chart showing how much ash is left by different woods?

My stove runs at medium, I suspect if it really ran hot I'd have less ash but I'm not sure.

Reactions: Like 1


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## phinds (Nov 12, 2018)

@Mr. Peet, I don't have any stats on that, do you?


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## Mike1950 (Nov 12, 2018)

Siberean elm leaves an incredible amount of ash for heat produced. So bad you could not get me to use it again. No charts, just personal experience.


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## gman2431 (Nov 12, 2018)

Be an interesting chart to see... and also why it works that way. 

Never burned elm but lots of cherry oak etc. If elm burns like cherry (fast and hot) I wonder if it's because it doesnt coal up and good as oak? Cherry I barely get good coals, oak will fill the bottom nicely.


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## Graybeard (Nov 12, 2018)

I love white oak and bitter nut hickory. Both burn nice and hot with good coals. Agree on the cherry and walnut to some degree. I suspect it has something to do with the density of the wood. I can tell without looking what I have in my hand as I put it in the stove.

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## rob3232 (Nov 12, 2018)

We had a wood fired boiler at one of the mills I used to work at and was surprised that after burning green white pine there was hardly any ash in the stove at all. Nice for me as I was responsible for cleaning ash pan


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Nov 12, 2018)

My favorite wood to burn is locust. Burns long and hot. Plenty of it around here too. A friend of mine has a stove in the garage at the farm. A guy that used to work on the farm, filled it up with osage. He said it got so hot, the stove was bright orange and the top started sagging. Ruined the stove and had to get another one.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Mike1950 (Nov 12, 2018)

I agree Locust is best- lasts for ever and burns hot. Elm -cherry no where near the same. I took down a few big elms over and Biz shop. Sawyer said I would not like the elm- No kidding. Not much heat but filled with ash every few days. I could burn anything else for a month. Now I have cured the ash problem forever. Nat gas shop heater costs me $45 a month. I go out there and shop is nice and cozy. and Nat gas is cheaper than wood....

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mr. Peet (Nov 12, 2018)

There are charts for BTU's, and for average weights at a fixed moisture. There are even a few on completeness of burning for different woods. I do not have a copy, sorry. 

David, the draft has a huge in-flue-ance (joke intended) on the amount of ash. We all live in different areas, elevations, and aspects with different common prevailing winds. My neighbor had standing dead blue spruce a few years back, that were supposed to be bucked for lumber but the tree crew bucked it for firewood. I got the wood. Once a week I packed the stove at night and found an empty stove the next morning. Right down to the firebrick in the fire box and the ash pan was often bare too. 

Ring porous woods often separate better into blocks when burning to establish a bed of coals. On a flip, diffuse porous are often better to use when making your own char-coal, as flame can penetrate ring porous wood more. So, there is a balancing act, and we all do what we can to continue...

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 1 | Informative 1


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## Graybeard (Nov 13, 2018)

Mr. Peet said:


> David, the draft has a huge in-flue-ance (joke intended) on the amount of ash.



Now that's funny!!! My Jotul stove has two different air intake plates, one marked Europe, the other United States. I figured it had to do with emissions but maybe it's something else?


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## Nature Man (Nov 13, 2018)

Eucalyptus burns extremely hot, as does Manzanita. Chuck


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## barefoot (Nov 18, 2018)

We don't like ash because it's so hard to get going and burns too hot in our stove. Love oak and maple for firewood. Ashes are a boon to our garden and for spreading on ice in winter, so it's fine with me if we have an accumulation from good hardwood.


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## Graybeard (Nov 26, 2018)

Burning white oak now. Little ash but a few clinkers. I can live with that. Love the ashes for ice on the driveway too. Good until the grandson tracks it in the house then we've got to deal with the wrath of Grandma. Our girls remember me saying, "Don't make your mother mad." a lot. some things never change.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## sprucegum (Nov 26, 2018)

Sugar Maple (hard maple, rock maple) is the favorite around here. Lots of heat and coals , ashes are not excessive. I usually burn such a mix of wood that I would not know which made the most ash. I cut the trees that are dead dying or down most of the time so I end up with quite a mix.


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