When buying fuel for your wood-burning stove, choosing logs that have already been seasoned comes at a premium. Fuel retailers justifiably charge more for logs that have been cut, chopped and stacked for 12 months or so.
But how do you know just how well seasoned the logs you’re buying are, other than taking the word of whoever you’re buying them from that they are fully seasoned?
The easiest way to ensure you are not getting ripped off is to take a moisture meter with you when buying logs (or to have one handy when they are delivered to your home).
A moisture meter will tell you the water content of a log. A well seasoned log should have less than 25% moisture and might even be as low as 20%. If you find that the moisture content of logs you’re being supplied is much higher than that and they are being sold to you as seasoned logs, it is time to ask questions or find another supplier sharpish.
What’s the issue?
Aside from the possibility that you are being misled by the person selling the logs, green or freshly cut logs contain up to 45% moisture. When you burn logs that contain that level of moisture, a large amount of the energy created when you burn them is expended on evaporating the water rather than heating your room.
This also results in an inefficient burn, which creates more smoke. The lower temperature due to the poor burn can cause this excess smoke to condense while still in the flue and create a build-up of creosote. This further reduces your stove’s performance and increases the risk of chimney fires because it is flammable.
All of which means it is well worth investing a little over £20 to get your own moisture meter and check exactly what you’re burning on your stove.
