On Tue, 19 May 2009 19:17:46 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

"mm" wrote

Thanks to everyone who has answered.

It's much less important now, because I've decided to make a firewood
rack and keep the wood until fall, but earlier I was wondering:

What do you all think about burning a cut-down tree in a fireplace in
the summer when the heat is of no value*** and after a while I only
get moderate pleasure from watching the flames, or I might even sit
where I can't even see the flames, VERSUS just throwing the logs in
the brush and woods next to my house, where it will rot eventually (10
years or more). I guess letting it rot is better for the
environment, but the hardwood logs are so nice, they seem to call out
to me to be burned. Which is better?

***(but no problem either the fireplace is in the basement which is
always cool and since I run the AC at most one month a year and
wouldn't burn a fire when I was running the AC)

Are pine trees and pine wood as good as other firewood?

It depends on what you are burning it *in* as well as your aims.

It's a steel fireplace, that's used in place of a brick fireplace.
That is, it's shaped the same, is metal on the sides getting slightly
narrower towards the metal back. Open in the front, with a fireplace
screen. Heavy sheet metal. And an iron rack for holding the wood 3
or 4 inches above the fireplace floor.

No matter what I'm burning, if I put enough in at the same time it
gets hot enough to make bumping noises, mild pounding noises, as parts
expand, and convex areas suddenly become concave. At least that's
what it sounds like. Then when it cools off, it makes similar noises
but not as loud. I run the fireplace 2 to 10 times a year. Is this
bending back and forth going to cause the thing to break at the seams
or somewhere? How many years have I got until this happens?

Pine creates a creosote problem which means a black tarry glaze that coats a
chimney or stove pipe. This then can catch fire. It is not recommended to
use pine in any fireplace for this reason. It is more difficult to clean in
a chimney and can be very expensive to contract (yet cheaper than a house
fire).

Now lets say instead it is a wood burner stove with an easily removed pipe
and you are the sort who would actually remove and clean it regular. It
should be fine then and no reason to not take advantage of your 'windfall'.
How often 'regular' is will depend on usage levels. I can hazard a 'guess'
that at a rate of 12 hours a day burn time, you'd want to check it every 2
weeks until you get a feel for it?

I burn only hardwood in my fireplace but some of the load apparently was a
little mixed and I added too much paper probably last winter (soda cartons
etc which I didnt know were bad- no one knows everything!). Now I have a
glaze problem and need what I think they called a CBR or CFR log for a bit
to clear it.

I have one of those, or maybe I used it. I guess I should buy another.

Last fall I cut up a much bigger pine limb that had broken off the
tree, and threw the pieces in the woods when my townhouse neighbors
weren't looking. I think it's better to throw it in the woods than put
it out for garbage where it will go to landfill, but this year I guess
because of the firewood race, I'm inclined to save it and burn it. I
guess I shouldn't.

They also said we might want to have it cleaned twice a year.
The glaze isnt bad, more a 'warning' note level.

I use the fireplace heavier than most. Although located south of many who
deal with real cold, it's enough we have to run heat to deal with 4 months
of the low-40's to mid-30's with occasional dips to the teens and *rare*
single digits. The fireplace augments the heat and due to our insulation
and design, saved us about 900$ last year beyond the cost of wood. The
fireplace generally ran about 12 hours a day. You could tell the heat HVAC
barely kicked on.