Is BIGGER Better? [Firewood Size For Outdoor Wood Boiler] - Why Split Wood For A Large Boiler?

[@rodneysweetnam8653]

Hi Neil - it's Big Rodders in Ireland. The main reason for splitting wood small is to give you the option to get the wife to replenish the boiler while you sit by the stove and sip your Guinness - it works great for me!

[@digdrivediy]

Hi Bug Rodders! That's the best reason yet. I do enjoy a nice Guinness. Would love to try one in Ireland some day!

[@vanlifeislife5318]

When your done there head to scotland after 👌 30 min flight

[@walkersonneville5036]

😂

[@dougkline8327]

I have been heating with an outdoor boiler for 18 years. Each year, my pieces get smaller and smaller. I enjoy making firewood and take pride in making my wood area look neat and clean. Plus smaller pieces make for a nicer stack. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your videos.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much Doug.

[@rockymountainfirewood3873]

I've recently starting doing the same. Drives me nuts to see a messy wood stove area, damaged equipment etc. I've watched people hammer wood into the stove to make it fit! CRINGE.

[@BowenOrg]

AT 63 YEARS OLD DOUG, I FIND THAT ALMOST EVERYTHING I PICK UP AND EVERYTHING I DO GETS "SMALLER AND SMALLER!!" HA! HA! : ) Amen Retired, Veteran

[@mikeholstrom1405]

Another great video, Dad always said.... he who cuts his own wood is twice warmed ! Grew up around wood heat, Mother heated a large home with wood, till the age of 89, Keep them Videos coming! Thanks again Neil

[@digdrivediy]

That's very true Mike! Thanks for watching!

[@tc6643]

I have been heating our 3500 square foot house with an outdoor wood boiler for 15 years. It runs year round as it heats my swimming pool in the summer too! I cut all my own wood and have tried everything through the years. In my opinion, you are doing things perfectly with one or two big pieces mixed in with the more manageable pieces. It has been proven too many times that those big pieces never dry out completely and don't burn well. Ignore the You Tube know-it-alls and keep doing what works best!

[@digdrivediy]

Sounds like we have about the same setup! Thanks TC!

[@ted994]

Exactly my thoughts, split it or it won’t dry

[@CantPickTheNameIwant]

@tc6643 I can add 2 things: - the bigger piece of wood is - the more energy you need to burn it. In ideal conditions, 1 kg of dry firewood has approx 5 kW of energy inside but in practice, you gonna get just 3.0 - 3.5 - the firewood boiler is inefficient if you use it without an energy battery like a water tank because these low-level burning modes, when you decrease oxygen entry, lead to the situation when gases, that still have energy and can be burned, just go into the chimney

[@davidsignor7931]

I have a Central Boiler natural draft stove now I could split 1 of the large pieces and heat overnight when it is 20 degrees. I have had other stoves that the larger chunks burned better but the stoves weren't very efficient each and every stove work a little different you just have to learn how to best feed the one that you have

[@mrpush2532]

​@CantPickTheNameIwant HI, so are you talking about a secondary water take apart from the boilers tank then? How large of water tank and where do you put in and insulate it? Thx

[@brucemitchell5637]

I love how you always include your kids in everything you do, you’re making memories that will last a lifetime!

[@DavesRetirementProjects]

Family fun like this create the best memories. Your girls will remember these times for many many years to come. Probably tell their kids and grand kids about it some day.

[@digdrivediy]

I sure hope so David!

[@Erhorn300]

One time years ago when I was a teenager a friend of mines dad had a outdoor boiler and I asked him why he doesn't take advantage of the big door and load bigger pieces, his response was "Are you going to come over twice a day and do it for me because I'm sure as heck not going to heave them big pieces in there". My uncle loads his boiler with giant pieces using his loader tractor. Everyone has their preferences

[@digdrivediy]

For sure!

[@dustbunny6021]

not to mention a fire has to be burning VERY HOT to burn giant logs with any kind of efficiency. if its not hot enough all your gonna get is a log that smolders for 4 days

[@robertrosicki9290]

I did firewood for a living many years ago . All chainsaw and hand loaded . No splitting . 98 % of my customers wanted 16" the others were 20 and 24" . The 20" was a real strain at times and some of the 24" was unmanageable . Believe me I understand what you were saying in this video . I sure slept well at night back then .

[@daveys]

I have a smaller stove than the one you have in your house. I’ve found that smaller logs (with more surface area) work best for me. Good content. Many thanks!!

[@SceneryFarm]

Thank you for making this video. I have a similar boiler, though from a different manufacturer. I have done pretty much the same process as you, though it was unconscious thought driven and I appreciate you laying it out concisely. 60 lbs is enough to hurt oneself and I agree taking care of ones back is really key. One thing I started doing may be of use to you: The paper leaf bags one can buy in the fall can be filled with bark and small bits that fall of the log. I run a wood shop so I also put my small off-cuts in these bags. If left to the side, they are super useful on those mornings when one is down in temp in the boiler and a rapid re-heat is required. I chuck one bag (typically a little over half filled) on the coals and then do exactly what you did with the smaller bits of wood. The paper catches and then the wood goes up soon after. I hope this thought is received in the spirit it was offered. Thank you for your lack of machismo - it is refreshing Be well James

[@digdrivediy]

Hey that is a great tip James! I usually keep a pile of bark and kindly gathered up on the ground and I throw a scoop or two in every day or so but in the winter it's full of snow! I'll be looking for some of those giant paper bags. Thanks for the great comment and I appreciate you watching.

[@Mikidy303]

Cut them to whatever size works for you. Not everything has to be hard or difficult. The smaller pieces stack so much easier. Good video!

[@klundgren]

If you dont consider the weight of the wood, we'll take a look att moisture in the wood. Less moisture in the wood lead to more effective burn and a lot more "energy" in dry wood. By spliting the wood you also alowed the water to dry out. Here in sweden we mostley burn birch due to the high energy level. But it realy need to dry out real good before you burn it. We also burn spruce and pine trees. But it mostly burn hot and quick and leave a ton of ash to clean out. While the birch burn cleaner slower with more burn time we also get more heat out of the same weight of wood compare to spruce and pinetree. Great video!

[@digdrivediy]

Great info! Thanks!

[@biggreenblob]

Here in Alabama I grew up using pine wood as tinder and kindling, especially the very resinous wood from the stump, and also small pieces of dried pine sap. You can walk through a pine forest and quickly get a pocket full of dried pine resin from the sides of living trees. Once you light it it burns like kerosene.

[@ianmoore2850]

I feel like you should cut it up according to how quickly and how much energy you want to generate cuz things only burn on the surface and that means that the less surface area of the total fuel that you have put in the furnace the longer it burns

[@garciafamilyfarms]

Neil, once again another great video! I applaud your creativity and editing skills! To answer your question about firewood. We use a central boiler 6048 very similar to yours. I try and cut all my wood a year in advance everything is 18 in and I split it if it's more than seven inches in diameter. The reason for this is dry wood gives off more BTUs and when I'm not home the smaller pieces allow my wife to load the wood stove. With that said I stack all of my wood in IBC totes and 18 in seems to be perfect to get two rows. I enjoy splitting firewood and it makes everything look neat and clean. When the forecast calls for really low temperatures I will throw in a large chunk with my smaller pieces just to get a longer burn. It's not that I can't toss in large 80# pieces it's that I simply choose not too. Great video! Looking forward to the next!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Travis. I think you're spot on. I'd like to try the IBC totes. I'm still shopping around and hope to use that next year.

[@PartTimeYooper]

@@digdrivediy call your county road maintenance dept. All the road marking paint for the summer comes in and many counties have hundreds of them by end of summer. My county gives you as many as you can haul away for free.

[@turklayher4794]

Let me tell you that you brought a bunch of childhood memories back with the ice skating part of the video. My parents used to drive out to grandma's house and us kids used to carry our skates back to the pond about a quarter mile away. Of course the first thing we did was build a roaring fire and then we would skate until we couldn't feel our feet. Then the worst part was walking back to the house. Luckily grandma had one of those wood furnaces with the 2 foot square registers and each one of us kids would sit there for an hour until we could feel our feet again. Great video enjoy the time with your family.

[@digdrivediy]

That's a great story Turk. We went back to Grandma and Grandpa's and sat in front of the fire on this particular day too! Good times. Thanks for watching.

[@andymehl7994]

Great Video, Neil. Since I only have a wood burning fire place, I cut all my logs to 14-16". I split them down to what most would consider pretty small, so that my logs are 2-5 lbs, with heavy ones being about 10 lbs. Your 60-80 lb. logs would get split down significantly at my house. Your methodology is definitely sound.

[@janettavculek9308]

I think you explained it very well, as to why huge pieces of wood by themselves just can't burn as well without the little helpers. Loved you ice skating rink and family.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much!

[@JimVincitore]

In my younger days I worked at a shipping dock on Lake Erie. We would get train cars with coal to unload. We has a magnetic 80 pound vibrator, about 15" x 15" x 8 inch thick to put on the side of train cars to shake the coal loose. Company policy stated it was a two man job to lift it, and lifting it alone was immediate termination.

[@Bill_Via]

I help my buddy fill his stove when he is on his 24 hour shifts with the fire station, and I’d just fill it up and always wondered how it truly worked. This video explained it perfectly. Thank you!

[@timlecount8690]

Much respect on those huge logs! Here in Alaska I burn mostly spruce, which is not nearly as heavy as your trees. I have a central boiler 1400, and resonated with so many of your tactics (large and small mix, etc...) Your points on #3 are precisely what everyone who doesn't run a wood boiler should understand:)

[@williamlaird2136]

Great video for something I don't use but very informative. Far and away the best part of the video is the family time. NOTHING is more important than family! Good on you for the commitment that you and your wife have for your children!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks William. I appreciate that very much.

[@kitobi10660]

great video again, i love how the whole family is involved, for the smaller indoor fire have a look at the swedish top down fire, they have been using indoor furnaces for 300 odd years and developed a way of heating the flue first, it also means you get a fire that will last many hours before needed to be tended to and draws air through the flue almost instantly

[@RockhillfarmYT]

Excellent video. I’ve never used an outdoor wood boiler but my parents and grandparents did when I was a kid. Great job educating us a little bit on it

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks a lot Brock!

[@newsnowadirondacksredux360]

Agree 100%. I been using wood for 50 years. Be it an old Franklin or a new auto draft boiler. Huge chunks will smolder. We would throw a half green in at night time to extend our fire. 😊

[@MyClutteredGarage]

Love it Neil. Do what works for you. You’re the one loading the furnace after all! We used to skate all the time here as kids. There hasn’t been a cold enough winter to skate for a decades now. I appreciate how much time and effort you put into this video!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks a lot Ed. The skating was something we did as kids as well. It was awesome having 3 generations of field skaters out there at the same time ;)

[@Thejohnmullen]

Great info. I’m new to owning my owb (7400mp). I’ve always split small stuff for inside my house but put an owb this year and started with all split stuff (small for in the house) and ate it up quick. I switched to as big as I could pick up and noticed the long recovering times. I like the balance you’ve described.

[@crazycoyote1738]

Thanks for sharing your down to earth, honest videos!! God bless and protect you and your family

[@TheHobbyShop1]

Some guys talk a good game while sitting in front of a key board! 🤣 What you’re doing makes a lot of sense. Best of all if it works for you, that’s all that matters. Great video!

[@davidshipulski4532]

Do it whatever way you want! Everyone has their choice. If it burns and heats your home, all that matters. Great video!

[@buildlife]

I tend to start the year off with smaller wood until my back gets used to the firewood Olympics. I also think the bark holds in moisture so if I crack them in half they dry and it makes those splits allot lighter when they are not so green.

[@guyparham575]

What you could do stack some wood in side then it might dry out quickly

[@timothyunterthiner2637]

Agreed

[@brandonbutela6269]

No need to prove to anyone how strong you are or are not. You do what you can without hurting yourself and what's most efficient/productive for your needs. I know I don't do what I did at 25 or 35 when it comes to heavy or large objects. Now getting closer to 50, I don't want to hurt myself because recovery time is too long. You've got a young family and they're gonna need you, so you are taking some steps to ensure your physical well being. Good video by the way. Stay safe and God bless.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much! Couldn't agree more!

[@ChaseLandMgmt]

Great video, Neil! I don’t heat my home with wood, but I supplement my shop heat with a large wood stove over by the bar/couch area. I also have good luck with a mixture of not only sizes, but variety’s of wood. Great video as always!

[@mehawinct]

Another great video, thank you Neil. Your daughters are lucky to have a pretty-darned-good dad.

[@randomvideosn0where]

As a construction guy I got a great opportunity on my last project to take the cut ends of the lagging boards (3" thick assorted hard wood) and some of the pieces were over 200 pounds. As a young and larger man I could pick these up and move them but if they were wet and snowy no way I would risk dropping that on my foot! And as you mentioned more cuts makes wood dry faster.

[@garymonsarratt6048]

I loved burning wood ,cant beat the heat from a cast iron wood stove. 20 years of splitting and stacking . I'm turning 67 this year and for the price of propane and one phone call to the driver i have retired the splitter .Smaller wood is better burning than a 80 pounder that would smolder for days with no heat . GREAT VIDEO

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Gary. The propane sure is easy to use in the spring and fall when we don't have the fire going. Thanks for watching!

[@livedlearnedDIY]

Great video and research. I have a wood burning stove that my dad built years ago. I can put 30" long pieces in it, but my splitter will on split 24". I split them down smaller because I don't want to kill my back loading huge pieces into the stove. I totally agree with you.

[@Microphone73]

Nice editing, in a documentary style. Very entertaining! And a very understanding spouse....Skate and stove cams were really cool.

[@digdrivediy]

She's pretty understanding 😉

[@DustinOhioState7431]

Great video Neil! We cut our wood into smaller sizes, about the same size as you put in your indoor wood burner. We only burn wood in our indoor shop wood burner. The house we heat with propane.

[@jalleman61]

Made a really good point in making different sizes of wood for a better recovery

[@snoozieq4584]

Great Video Neil! You are so right about the heavy chunks of wood. It's better to save your back. Pieces that are half your weight are too heavy to chuck safely into the fire box without inadvertently hurting yourself. I guess that's why my dad would bank our furnace/boiler/stove with coal at night with larger pieces to keep the fire going. Since that boiler didn't have a fan to force air through the fire box, the fire never smoldered until it was almost out. I never learned to ice skate. We had a huge roller skating rink down the road called "Sportsman's Hall" They are still in business today, even after being burned to the ground by an arsonist in 2000. Sportsman's Hall was rebuilt with the help of local businesses, schools and families. Finding enough of the right maple boards for the flooring was a challenge, from what I understand. I can remember school skate nights there from elementary and middle school in the late 1970's and early 1980's. It was a wonderful place to escape the bite of winter and the sweltering heat of summer and still have loads of fun. Thanks again for another fantastic video! See, I knew you could finish it 👏👏

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much Susan. That's great that your community came together to rebuild a local landmark. I have fond memories of skating parties as a kid as well. Thanks for holding out for this wood video 🙂

[@EdBrumley]

Great video. Loved the last part. Your girls will never forget that memory!

[@rayvalk5534]

We have heated our house for 12 yrs now with a heatmore outdoor boiler. We tend to do a bit of small and large both. I cut smaller pieces so the wife can handle them easier. I have found the wood that is round not split tends to burn a bit longer so now we target 6-10" logs that only need to be cut not split much. The older we get the less times I want to handle each piece of wood

[@goatsfirewoodandfarms1918]

Sir I really enjoyed the video. There was plenty of good information it in, and I love that you had the kids help and explained it to where even a child could understand. Great job sir

[@drewm2249]

I’ve had a spinal fusion and still cut and burn firewood during the winter. I make my pieces just large enough so I can handle them comfortably. Do whatever keeps you safe and warm.

[@andybayliss2020]

I use a similar method for my stove. I cut my pieces 20" long and the sizes range from 3" in diameter to about 12". I put some big chunks in and fill in the voids with small stuff. I also have a variety of species of wood. Mostly it is ash, maple, oak and a little bit of cherry. I like to keep some pine on hand as well. When the stove gets low overnight, I throw in some pine which burns hot and brings the temperature up pretty fast. Then I switch back to hard woods for the holding power. If I am really in need of fast heat, I pack old cardboard boxes full of wood shavings from my woodshop and they burn really hot, plus it gets rid of the shavings.

[@louismesser2037]

As a retired engineer, I would like to comment on the need to dry out green firewood and to protect the woodpile from rain and snow. Dry hardwood has around 8600 BTU/pound. One BTU is the amount of heat energy that wil raise 1 pound of water, one degree F. However, water has a unique property. When you reach the boiling point at sea level, it takes 1100 BTU to change the state of one pound of water from liquid to vapor (steam). This is called the latent heat of vaporization. Since the steam goes straight out of the stack, you don't cature that heat in the water jacket. Consequently, having a good woodshe, and giving your woodpile a chance to dry out before the fire season is the most important part of cost effective fuel use.

[@digdrivediy]

Very true. Thanks for the detailed info Louis. I agree 100% I'm just never far enough ahead to take full advantage. I seem to use about the same amount of wood every year whether it is aged or not though, so I can't explain that I guess. So I want to understand the science better. If the potential heat is leaving as steam, would that suggest that what is coming out of the chimney is hotter than what it would be if the wood were all dry? If I am burning green wood, then that means I am using some of the potential heat energy to boil the water out of the wood rather than heating the water jacket then? It seems like there would be much less capture of the heat in an open burning environment and it is hard to imagine that so much heat would be lost from inside the boiler. Is there a way that I could measure my loss? Like measuring the amount of moisture coming out of the chimney? Very interesting subject that has brought a lot of thought. I can really never tell a difference between wet and dry wood in the stove other than dry wood burns up quickly and I go through it much faster. That wagon load of dry ash will burn up like flash paper compared to the green stuff I'm burning. Again, I appreciate the discussion. I should learn and study it more to see what exactly it's costing me to not get my wood all cut and dried years in advance! Thanks again.

[@mikea4074]

@@digdrivediy it doesn't burn faster by controlling you draft. That's the key. It takes alot less air to burn it.

[@janpeter6047]

@@digdrivediy I would start by measuring the amount of water in the wood. How much of that 80 pound piece was water? It should be around 15%, but if it's 30%, that's 15% x 80 pounds = 12 pound of water you throw on the fire. 15% would also mean you had to lift "only" 68 pound instead of that 80. You could also measure the temperature of the gasses coming out of the chimney, maybe dry wood burns to quickly and more heat goes out the chimney and not into the boiler. Maybe turn down the blower a bit in that case? Wet wood gives more smoke, in a perfect situation, you don't see smoke coming out of the chimney, just hot colorless gasses.

[@scottyellis3442]

Great video, enjoy your family every chance you get, they will be like mine before you know it, grown living their own lives with you only having memories left. So please take the time to make all the memories you can, they're priceless.

[@digdrivediy]

We certainly try! Thanks Scotty.

[@matthartlage889]

Smaller is better and easier to handle. Trust me no one’s tossing 2 foot by 4 foot pieces around and if they are they won’t be for very long. Great video!!

[@admranger]

Appreciate the explanation on wood size. Heating with wood to me is the homestead rock house in north central KS with the hybrid wood/electric stove. My mid-80's aunt still lives there and still heats with wood. No big boiler pieces for us! 14" long max.

[@susangolden4001]

I usually take it for granted that most people like myself have grown up knowing how to and what it takes to build a fire which burns efficiently. This is not the case in a lot of cases. I've seen outdoor fireplaces that people build that don't burn well at all. Draft still applies for outdoor fireplaces. Just because it looks pretty doesn't mean it will function efficiently. Oh well , it's just something people have to figure out on there own. If they can't maybe they shouldn't be playing with matches. Like your channel. Keep up the good work.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Susan!

[@smallflower7285]

Here in Finland we seem to have different philosophy. You use fairly small pieces of pine, spruce and birch, about the size of one's wrist or bit bigger. You light up the stove and burn 2-3 loads to heat up the water. Then you let the fire die and repeat this daily or every other day. But that of course requires well insulated houses: triple glazing, 2 feet of insulation.

[@heathmiller8462]

Great video! I’m curious how long it takes to produce these videos. How long it takes to set up the shots? Putting your camera in the wood stove was great! Couple of questions: Do you use a water heater during the summer? Have you ever contemplated a pond on your property?

[@digdrivediy]

Hi Heath. It takes an embarrassing amount of time to produce them. I probably have 12 hours or more in this one over the course of two different weeks at it. Filming is the easiest part! We do have a water heater for just normal hot water. Yes, we have thought about a pond quite often! I used to dig ponds 😉

[@heathmiller8462]

@@digdrivediy That (digging a pond) would be awesome content for the channel.

[@Freecan67]

People that do not burn Wood have no Clue. My Wife and I grew up on Farms in Eastern Ontario. Both Farms heater with Wood. We just put a Wood Stove last Winter. We Love the Heat it puts off. It also keeps me active. Thanks for Sharing.

[@watkinstreefarm6880]

Smaller pieces burn better. Bottom line. When your loading the boiler multiple times a week one needs to think about themselves and not killing their back. Great video.

[@excelframpton]

I think your method is just as good as any another. I burn as much dead fall as I can though my firebox will only allow 22" logs but that's big enough for my 500 sq /ft shed/garage. There's nothing quite like wood heat to heat up the bones after a day working outside in the cold. Keep up the good work!

[@TermiteBenny]

A lot of injuries happen when you move a 80lb piece of wood into a steel burner. If your fingers get between the wood and metal I know what one will take the most damage and it definitely isn’t the wood or metal. I don’t blame you at all for keeping small and large pieces of wood. I think you have a perfect set up.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much B&K. I've made a late night run to the ER for stitches in my fingers because I pinched them in the door. I try to stay pretty mindful of that situation but you are exactly right!

[@mauriceplouffe8455]

Awesome video, another thing for the super powerful to think about is that your family has to fill the wood stove when you aren’t able or around. The family time at the end of your videos is always the best as is how you involve your girls so they become well rounded adults.

[@digdrivediy]

I appreciate that Maurice!

[@m7791]

11:04 … so cute, just like my girls 😊😊😊

[@MattFoushee]

Morning, Neil! It's always fun to find vintage skates and a pond. Nice video.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Matt!

[@noworriesmate5903]

The older you get the small the wood gets. I'm using toothpicks now.

[@digdrivediy]

Haha!

[@paul_schuette]

Thanks for the great information! Just moved into a place with a wood boiler for the first time, so I had no clue what was best.

[@georgevue8175]

Imagine if forestry management was a thing in California. Instead of going up in flames every summer all that wood could be use to provide inexpensive heat for millions of Americans.

[@chrisfs150]

But then who would rake in billions of $$$ iin "green" energy and overpriced fuels for the scum -sorry- "public"...

[@OgleBilly]

I do the same thing Neil. Smaller stuff on the average and a few ‘ night sticks’ to bank the fire for the night with. If I have too many ‘Hercules’ sticks my wife won’t make supper! ( she fills the stove when I’m not home) You do you buddy! I’d love to have the setup you have! Enjoy your day friend!

[@bajkerjohnvolta]

I'm from Europe. We still have clasic wood boiler, from when i can remember we were cuting log to 33cm lenght (13 inches), and i was noticing that wood didnt burn well. There was a lot of embers staying when wood colapsed towards end of burning cycle. So past 3 years we tried to cut it to lenght of 45 to 50cm (around 18 inches) and we noticed that logs burn nicer and cleaner, cause there is more airflow during burn cycle and there is around 60% less embers compared to before. Even furnnace walls are cleander, there is A LOT less cleaning of furnance. (we are keeping wood boiler temp around 80 to 85degrees celsius (around 181 farenheit)). Also we spit logs into 4 to 6 peaces, if log is very big then we make up to 12 peaces. Thank you for reading 🙂

[@digdrivediy]

Great feedback 👍🏻 Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@johnmaurer3097]

These are great. I’ve never lived on a farm or ranch but all these machines and work are fascinating to learn about and watch.

[@digdrivediy]

Really appreciate you watching the video!

[@CountySeatFirewood]

I am with you on the sizes. Smaller the diameter the longer to feed my C500 Heatmaster. Also if your down the wife and daughter have to step up. Good video.

[@gregd931]

80 Lbs. huh? Good thing you already have the twins. That 16" cut notion you have firmly ingrained in your conscious, is because Kara whispers "fireplace" to you in your sleep every night. She has for the past 10 years. That woodstove the family is huddled around, just isn't cutting it any longer Dad! Ice skating in a corn field is only gonna pacify the those frozen loved ones for so long. Great post Neil! It was fun to watch. Love home brother.

[@digdrivediy]

I forgot to add the part in this video where I mention you in the end Greg. We were huddled around my IN-LAWS fireplace and I said on camera that this would need to count for the lack of fireplace you keep teasing me about. Man, I forgot about that in there cause I shot it on Kara's phone. Oh well, maybe one of these years... or in our next house she'll get her fireplace. She said she'd settle for some glass doors on our indoor stove and we'd be even!

[@gregd931]

@@digdrivediy I was proud and honored to even be nominated. Another life goal achieved!!!

[@mikelewisoutdoors6434]

Yes I agree. You need to have a variety of wood species and size to control the temperature. My father had a outside boiler that the majority of the time he burned scrap wood pallets and deadfall trees. When the pallets got to hot in goes a chunk of poplar.

[@michaelmcguire3983]

Impeccable video Neil! It’s always fun to see what you and your family are up to take care my friend

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Mike! It was great to see you in person last week. We should have made a video of something!! ;)

[@fricknjeep]

hi there what a nice video ice skating and boiler talk . can't lift those big ones anymore but they do last longer , may be because of higher moisture some , . i put a aqua stat on my boiler that turns a big red light on when the water temp gets below the set point . then when the light goes on i know its time for a feeding . take care john

[@digdrivediy]

That's a cool idea John! In today's world maybe I could have my stove send me a text and tell me it's time for a filling!

[@fricknjeep]

@@digdrivediy hi my neighbors does that . my boiler is around 30 years old home made . john

[@HatedJared]

We bought a house just as winter hit that has a wood boiler that can heat the house and the workshop. I didnt have time to source wood before we started to need heating so we drained it and have been heating with gas. Next year though I'm planning to fire it up so these videos give me some good tips!

[@gordonbrown6616]

Another great video a lot of good info. The key is always work smarter not harder. Most of my life I have tended to horse heavy things. My back and knees have paid the price. I really enjoy seeing the simple family fun you have.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Gordon! I'm glad that folks don't mind that I put the family stuff in there. I'm lucky to be able to share it.

[@jamescotie7535]

I cut and split all my wood for my outdoor boiler, it's easier to load and long pieces don't burn the whole length evenly so you are raking smaller pieces to make a level bed for the refill. Also if I have to be away from home for a day or so, my wife or neighbor can easily load the furnace! It's easier and the burn is more efficient with smaller pieces, i've had an outdoor boiler for 16 years now and have tried it all! Thanks for the great videos from Cape Breton, Canada.

[@digdrivediy]

That's great James! You and I have been burning with the outdoor boiler for the same amount of time. It's been a quite a commitment!

[@ericreinoehl9402]

I agree with your dimensions, we usually cut 18 to 20 long and split over 16, we can do 48" long and 17" diam. I like my back and fingers intact. I smashed fingers on a monster chunk years ago. It hurt. The Big chunks do get lazy when demand is high. We heat 2 houses, 2 garages, and 2 waterheaters with ours. It's nice to share chores between us. I take morning fill brother in law does evening. Like the ice skating clip also. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@digdrivediy]

You're heating a lot too, wow! Yes, I had stitches in my fingers several years ago from smashing on the door opening. I think about it almost every time I throw wood in 😜

[@FromSteelToWood]

Very good consideration there Neil! Beyond size/weight to lift, there is also the efficient operation of the boiler. Thanks!

[@Back40Firewood]

I get asked the same thing. All. The. Time. hahaha "Why do you split your wood and make small pieces, you have a big boiler?!?" Everything you said is spot on. Another factor is what if I'm not the one who needs to load the wood. Having my son or wife try throwing in 50 lbs chunks is not going to happen..lol. Recovery time and coal bed are why split firewood is best...even in an outdoor wood boiler. 👍

[@digdrivediy]

Oh so true. I mentioned my wife and Dad loading the stove then it got edited out so that is a very good point. Thanks for chiming in and checking out the video. I enjoy your channel and the videos you've made on your boiler.

[@michelparent8392]

I have an outdoor wood burning boiler. The firebox is 36 inches deep by 30 inches wide. To eliminate possible stress injuries, I use 16 inch long wood. The girth varies but I try and keep pieces at 25 lbs or less. I also find that the boiler is more efficient with smaller wood and smaller loads. Of course with a half full firebox I need to tend to it more often. Another benefit to using smaller wood is that it dries faster. The downfall is of course more splitting and handling. A trade-off that I am willing to live with. I am no expert but have 35 years of experience in using wood as a primary source of heat for my home and outbuilding.

[@digdrivediy]

Makes perfect sense to me Michel! Thanks for the feedback and thank you so much for watching!

[@mattmoyer6246]

Another great video Neil, totally agree with the smaller is better to a point. I like the 6-8" diameter splits in my boiler those big ones burn longer but need a big ash bed to burn them up. When building a fire in your woodstove try the top down method, I remember learning it in scouts but didn't use it for years. Recently I tried it again and realized it was so much easier and faster to do. Keep the videos coming.

[@digdrivediy]

I need to try that Matt. Never really experimented with it before.

[@FamilyManMoving]

I did top down in my boiler and it didn't work well with because I have a gassification unit. That needs hot coals to superheat the smoke, before secondary ignition in a lower burn chamber. When firing from cold, all my boiler does is wait for a solid bed of coals before "full start". Until then it's just smoke. It's more work than my brother's old-school design, but he is moving to my unit because it a lot more efficient and clean in the long run. With a bed of coals, the lower chamber can hit almost 2000 degrees (yes, I routinely hit 18/1900) and it loves "sappy" woods like pine, because all that dirty smoke becomes superfuel for secondary ignition. The stack is clean, years later. Just a fine gray dust, no black creosote. If I want to quickly toss BTUs into the water pack (500+ gallons overall), I toss sap-oozing pine over oak coals. Darn near a reactor at that point. The unit was supposedly EPA tested for 660,000 BTU an hour, but I have no way to verify that, other than to say it can keep 500 gallons of water near 190 degrees no matter what kind of draw our 5000ft living space can take from it. I credit the secondary burn. It's not a gimmick, in my mind.

[@bergjonah]

I do the same thing you do typically. As long as I can pick it up and throw it in without hurting my back I won’t split it. I’ve had pieces as pig as 3 feet long and 18 inches in diameter. Pieces that big are manageable when they are dried. I noticed you use a wood stove for a backup. I use my propane furnace as a backup. I have a hydrostat that reads the boiler temperature in the house. If the temp drops below 125 degrees my propane furnace turns on. Has worked very well the past 5 years.

[@digdrivediy]

That would be slick Jonah. We have propane as well but I haven't worked out a system so they work in conjunction with each other. I'd like to try it though.

[@SeattlePioneer]

> You probably ARE hurting your back. You just wont feel the pain for a few more years.

[@hithere7382]

That is a marvelous cat, kind sir. My grandfather taught us the same stuff except shorter and more brusquely with less explanation as to why. We don't use paper anymore though, instead we use fuel cubes that we buy in bulk for camp stoves and get a good cross breeze through the room until the fire is firmly established. With those giant tablets in their laps how is that cat supposed to sit in their laps?! Nice one at 12:58 too, cats are great.

[@jjreno7843]

I've been using a outdoor boiler for about 9 years now and love the savings and warm house. over the years I've learned that large wood definitely last longer and is more efficient' however to large is dangerous. After about 6 years I got complacent while loading a log that weighed roughly 60 lbs. just lifting it into the stove opening I bumped the front lip of the opening and almost cut off my middle finger on my right hand. I crushed the bone and it was a compound fracture! I was NOT chunking it in the stove like Neil does in the video. Now on large wood I set it on the door ledge and push it in with a rake.

[@digdrivediy]

I smashed my finger once on the door. Got a bunch of stitches but fortunately didn't break it. I usually hold the wood in such a way that my hand isn't on the end anymore. But you're right; it can be very dangerous. I think about smashing my finger nearly every time I throw wood in - especially cause it happened at midnight and I had to drive myself to the ER to get it stitched up!

[@timothyfolk4769]

Been burning a Outdoor Boiler for 18 years now. I cut my rounds 24”. If they are over 10” in diameter, I split them in half.. All because of the weight of the logs. Stacking is easier loading the boiler is easier…… If Your a young fella it makes no difference.. Some mornings, all the sizes are heavy. Recently retired! Great video! Keep on splitting😊😊!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks! Congrats on your retirement. I'm looking forward to that one day! 😁

[@hp1468]

I have a gassifer boiler and i make small wood pieces mainly for it to dry better. I don`t know if you have gassifier boiler, but i have to stack the wood in the boiler carefully (tight, no big gaps between logs, less air ) so it doesn˙t catch on fire all at once, just the bottom layer. In Europe we mostly add a hot water storage tank to the boiler to get most efficient burn. Wood burns all at once at max speed and it transfers hot water to the tank. But with an outdoor boiler you have to have some solution to keep the boiler from freezing.

[@digdrivediy]

Mine isn't a gassifier boiler. I usually stack mine in there pretty loosely. You guys have some cool stuff in Europe! Thanks so much for watching!

[@larryhearell9580]

I have a Hardy door 16x16 x30 long fire box I cut 2 ft lengths for easy stacking and the older you get the smaller your peices will become. I mix sizes also for the same reasons you mentioned.

[@codycoblentz6522]

Hey Neil great video! I know with my outdoor stove i use more split wood that way my stove can recover faster being natural draft.

[@TallTexasGMan]

On your internal fireplace I find it useful to warm the chimney before lighting the fire. This starts the draft and prevents smoke. Just wad up 3-4 sheets of newspaper and light them in the chimney. Works like a charm. As far as a boiler, I am in Texas so not a large need. However, I do want to consider one for a future home build. I would like to use a round bale burner though. Figure I could buy 2-3 year old bales and burn them for next to nothing.

[@digdrivediy]

I've never tried that. Cool idea 😊

[@meirionevans5137]

Never cut wood to suit the stove, just your back! Our winter is not like yours, skating is rare fun for us. Gales & rain is all in uk just now, but spring is not far away. 'Don't go to gym, buy a woodstove' lol the stovecam, btw

[@markfeasel9431]

Love your channel. I hear with a outdoor boiler as well. I have one suggestion. I stack my wood from the trailer or truck. Instead of picking up the wood from the ground. Helps the back some.

[@ChileExpatFamily]

We heat our house here in Chile with fire wood too. I use a small stove in our kitchen. It has a boiler in it and that collects the heat and it is distributed through out the house with pex in the floor used as radiant heat. I split all my wood by using the custom wood splitter we had built. It is not as nice as yours but it is pretty awesome for a poor guy. We cook and heat all our water for the bathrooms with our little kitchen wood stove. Our system is not legal in some of the former USA. We do not get nearly as cold here where we are. 32F is a very cold day for us and even in the summers we get 45 F nights. So we have no air conditioning as it is not needed. Also we have almost NO mosquitoes and no Poison Ivy here in Chile. Love the channel and video. Also we split our wood to dry it out faster. Jim in Chile

[@jameskniskern2261]

Ha! I have a super insulated home in Kentucky. It doesn't get very cold here. I have a tiny Jotul 602B wood stove, which is plenty to heat our small home. Here's the thing, it takes 16 inch logs, max. And I cut all mine 14 inches long, so they don't foul the glass door. And, I use mainly branch wood no lager than 4 inches across. It keeps my fires in the very small firebox bright and efficient. I'm also burning wood that many folks would consider to be waste material only fit for a burn pile. Happily heating my home with free or found or waste wood is a good thing. And I don't have to ever lift an 80 pound hunk of wood.

[@bullofthewoods9374]

totally agree. i split mixed sizes due to better stacking and longer burns. bigger does burn longer for sure but remember a btu is a btu no matter the size. iv been using the heatmor 100 for 17 years and its great. im in my 50s now and the big wood is heavier than it used to be it seems. but i still use about 35 to 40 lb pieces for the big ones and then throw smaller ones in. just depends on how cold the nights and days. im in NC so not a bad winter most years. but if i do the right loading i can get a 12 to 15 burn which is perfect i think. smaller pieces do tend to burn faster and with my older model boiler, bigger semi green wood will burn at a slower rate which dont put as much of the heat out the smoke stack/ cord of wood is the exact same amount of btu's no matter what size you split it. but the rate of burn is what you should measure. great video

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks for the good bit of info!

[@khtractors]

This was a great video! I think some of these people who question our decision or abilities may just have a bigger ego then they do a work ethic. I like various size blocks for piling my stove full, it’s like a puzzle finding what fits with what the best to get the firebox loaded to it full potential. Take care and stay warm!

[@digdrivediy]

I think you're right Ben! Thanks so much for checking it out my friend.

[@brianmills4891]

Your video reminds me of a familiar and true quote. "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should". When I put my boiler in about 14 years ago I was 35. "As big of a piece as I could lift" was my motto. After 14 years of ~16 cords a year, and much older, I've become more sensible about wood size. I go with 36" long pieces up to a max of 12-14" diameter and then I cut to 18" and split. This enables my stack to consistent widths since 2 18" pieces can fit right in with 36". I don't typically like the shorter pieces because it's harder to get them to the back of the stove neatly stacked. Looking ahead at an aging body but lots of love and desire to cut and burn wood I'll continue to reduce wood size as appropriate. I with there were log splitters with a 36" stroke. I may have to make one.

[@curtwhite876]

This was a fantastic, albeit, unintended follow-up. Very well thought out and thorough.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks a lot Curt!

[@AllanWetlesen]

Here in Denmark, the recomended way to build a fire in the fireplace, is from the top down. Meaning that you start by putting the larger pices in, the smaler ones on top of that and then kindling on top, ligthing the fire from the top and letting the fire work its way down. By doing it this way you heat up the air in the chimney quickly and get a mutch better draft going and therefore a better and claner burning fire.

[@ryang6k]

Its good to know that you're getting a workout everytime you add wood to that furnace. Keeps you strong, Keeps you healthy

[@gregoryhumphries8956]

Hey good video. I have a CB Clasic. I personally split down for a hotter fire. I don't have a fan. Have damper. Works well. I don't stack wood anymore. I need 7 cords but make up 10.

[@williamfreeh1198]

your family time content warms even my crusty somewhat grinchy like heart lol.

[@digdrivediy]

Ha! I appreciate hearing that William. Thanks for sticking around for the family bits.

[@anthonybanda8192]

We burn large pieces but every year we tend to size them down as dad's not getting any younger. Our boiler heats our 80x250 shop plus our 4 bedroom house. We can keep both at 70 degrees relatively easy we really don't burn too much wood . We do use a waste oil furnace in the shop when it's really cold out. We figured out that if we burn a mixture of dead and green wood we can actually regulate the heat and burn wood more consistently. Honestly the size of pieces depends on the size of area your heating plus your boiler and climate plus the strength of your back . There are advantages of both small and large pieces. Great video keep up the good work!

[@digdrivediy]

Whoa! That is a big shop. That's great that you go through so little wood. Thanks for watching!

[@anthonybanda8192]

@@digdrivediy we go through wood but not as much as the first couple of winters . We learned a few tricks along the way ! The shop is large until we pull 2 combines in plus a tractor and semi then it's small .

[@eddiemortontapman7252]

Your Channel is like an informative documentary always well narrated , thanks for sharing your World from the mid west , USA .

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much!

[@kevinbaker6168]

That is a good combination of heat. Two that depends on electric and one that just uses wood. The electric baseboard heaters gives you a dependable method to keep the interior temp regulated overnight or if you are away from home long enough to burn down in the boiler before you can reload the fire. The woodstove gives you the assurance of having a heat and cooking surface if the power goes out.

[@digdrivediy]

We have propane too!