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02/06/11, 05:48 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: West Central Texas
Posts: 5,019
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ECO bricks
ECO bricks are made of compressed sawdust and were discussed on Frugals as a possible back up for wood. I purchased two packages (8 bricks each) at Tractor Supply before the ice and freezing weather hit last week. Buying that way, they are too expensive to use on a regular basis, but I must say they work very well. 3 bricks in my fireplace will put out a lot of heat for about 3 hours. They would work much better in an enclosed wood burning stove, but even in a fireplace they burned well. I ran out of dry cord wood by the third day so supplemented with a few ECO bricks along with wood pallets. I was impressed.
A pallet of ECO bricks is supposed to equal the heating of a cord of wood, but take up less than half the space. http://www.ecobrick.net/
Has anyone else burned them and do you know of a wholesale supplier in Texas where I might get a better price than Tractor Supply? I wouldn't mind having some as backup when I either can't cut more firewood, or as in the past week, can't get to the wet woodpile.
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02/06/11, 07:32 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 295
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http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index...efe2ac5e821e3/
These folks live and breathe wood heat....
I use a pellet stove and think I will try a few just to see if they will burn well enough to serve in the event of an auger or the more common gearmotor failure.
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02/06/11, 08:53 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: north Alabama
Posts: 10,721
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In not an eco-nut, but other than being pricey, I think these look like a decent product. I'm impressed that they didn't make any outrageous claims.
I generate a fair amount of sawdust from cutting wood, and I've wished I had a press to make the sawdust easier to burn.
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02/06/11, 11:01 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Maryland
Posts: 1,258
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I burned a half a pallet last winter, can't say I was impressed. I got them cheap from a friend that sells them, I'll stick with cordwood. Cheaper and IMO better heat output.
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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, water your grass
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02/06/11, 11:17 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: north central Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,680
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Heading to town tomorrow so might stop and pick up an "8 pac" for $3.99. Heat entirely by wood but might toss these into the parlor stove just to see how they heat..
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02/06/11, 11:54 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Iowa
Posts: 69
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Harry Chickpea...the Amish use a "paper roller" and burn paper logs. Since the process is using water to aid in a tight roll, I sprinkle my sawdust on it and it adds to it...
Just a thought.
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02/07/11, 01:26 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: north Alabama
Posts: 10,721
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That is a good thought, wrapping the sawdust in paper. I might try that. Thanks.
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02/07/11, 08:27 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: West Central Texas
Posts: 5,019
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I used to use paper logs also but found they tended to clog up the damper. After soaking and drying well, they did burn for a long time. Perhaps adding some sawdust would help them burn hotter?
At any rate, I was happy with the eco bricks, just sorry they are so expensive and apparently the only source here in Texas is Tractor Supply.
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02/07/11, 09:58 AM
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Master Of My Domain
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 7,220
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my BIL does pretty well with salvaged pallet wood for heating. he brings home the oak runners daily or weekly from his job. i estimate that pallets provide at least half of his heat. being seasoned oak, the runners he burns burn like any other oak firewood.
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this message has probably been edited to correct typos, spelling errors and to improve grammar... 
"All that is gold does not glitter..."
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02/07/11, 03:59 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 295
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Chickpea
In not an eco-nut, but other than being pricey, I think these look like a decent product. I'm impressed that they didn't make any outrageous claims.
I generate a fair amount of sawdust from cutting wood, and I've wished I had a press to make the sawdust easier to burn.
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If you want to burn sawdust they do make a stove that will do it well. It's called a SEDOR STOVE. Older design from the 70's that they have revitalized and make currently. It is what most folks consider FUGLY though it will burn anything as it burns top to bottom. Supposedly works well at heating water too. Seemed a tad pricey for something so fugly to me though.
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02/07/11, 04:34 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Missouri
Posts: 3,329
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I made a 'brick press" for shredded paper bricks. Wet the shredded paper down in a couple of Five gallon buckets, then press with some pipe clamps, then dry and there you go. We use them on camp outs.
They burn nice and uses up the junk mail and whatnot paper we have laying around to be shredded.
I did think about it with some PVC pipe, a press stand and so forth, but can't think of a nice, tight binding agent to use with it.
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Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto- - Jefferson
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02/07/11, 04:43 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: north Alabama
Posts: 10,721
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"I did think about it with some PVC pipe, a press stand and so forth, but can't think of a nice, tight binding agent to use with it. "
The water from boiling potatoes, or a thin wheat paste should work.
I've seen the sawdust stoves. I'm leery of them, as they can give a lot of carbon monoxide. Thanks for mentioning them, though.
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