How many calories of energy in a cord of wood?

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I am stockpiling fire wood as a back-up source of fuel for cooking, heating water, etc. It is free here in Miami since Hurricane Irene went through. I have about two cords. Does anyone know on an average, how many calories of energy are in a cord of wood?

"Making the best of basics" talks about kerosene, propane and even newspaper logs, but does not discuss firewood. -- Jose

PS: I realize it varies if it is hardwood or soft, however, I am looking for a general number.

-- JoseMiami (caris@prodigy.net), November 04, 1999

Answers

I was told once that the heating ability for 1 pound of wood was relatively constant, the differences come into play with the type of wood and how much wood it takes to make a pound.

-- BH (silentvoice@pobox.com), November 04, 1999.

JoseMiami,

What you are actually wanting to know is how many BTU's are in a cord of wood. (BTU = British Thermal Unit) Different types of wood do burn hotter, ie., hedge (Osage Orange) is a hot burning wood.

One of the things we have learned along the 8 years of heating our home with a wood stove is what kind of wood to burn, when.

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), November 04, 1999.


Depends on whether you eat the bark, and of course whether you dip it in Ranch first.

-- Euell Gibbons (long@gone.now), November 04, 1999.

Here are the BTU values For Wood

BTU Values

http://www.hearth.com is an excellent site for all types of heating questions. I have never bought from them, but I have used the site quite a few times for information.

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), November 04, 1999.


The answer varies according to wood species, moisture content, and what your definition of a cord is. A 'standard' cord (4ft x 4ft x 8ft) will weigh about 3000 lb (@ 10% moisture) and will contain a total heat content of about 17 million btu, which is equivalent to about 110 gallons of heating oil, or 17000 cubic feet of natural gas.

If you order a cord of wood from some backwoods supplier, you will probably not get a standard cord, but a 'running cord', or some other measure. A running cord is 4ft x 8ft, but the depth is equal to whatever length the wood was cut.

dave

-- dave (wootendave@hotmail.com), November 04, 1999.



Aprox. 7000 BTU per lb. of wood.

-- saw dust (choppinwood@thewoodpile.com), November 04, 1999.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

-- (woody@wood.pecker), November 04, 1999.

Burning or chopping (e.g., splitting)? You'll burn up lots in the splitting process.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), November 04, 1999.

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