15
Wood Heat Utilization
The top down method of fire building is recommended for this appliance. After making sure that the stove air
intake controls are fully open (open all three air controls to there maximum setting). Place the largest pieces of
wood on the bottom, laid in parallel and close together. Smaller pieces are placed in a second layer, crossways
to the first. A third layer of still smaller pieces is laid crossways to the second, this time with some spaces between.
Then a fourth layer of loose, small kindling and twisted newspaper sheets tops off the pile.
Higher efficiencies and lower emissions generally result when burning air dried seasoned hardwoods, as
compared to softwoods or to green or freshly cut hardwoods.
DO NOT BURN:
1. Garbage;
2. Lawn clippings or yard waste;
3. Materials containing rubber, including tires;
4. Materials containing plastic;
5. Waste petroleum products, paints or paint
thinners, or asphalt products;
6. Materials containing asbestos;
7. Construction or demolition debris;
8. Railroad ties or pressure-treated wood;
9.
Manure or animal remains;
10. Salt water driftwood or other previously salt water
saturated materials;
11. Unseasoned wood; or
12. Paper products, cardboard, plywood, or
particleboard. The prohibition against burning
these materials does not prohibit the use of fire
starters made from paper, cardboard, saw dust,
wax and similar substances for the purpose of
starting a fire in an affected wood heater.
Burning these materials may result in release of toxic fumes or render the heater ineffective and cause smoke.
Dead wood lying on the forest floor should be considered wet, and requires full seasoning time. Standing dead
wood can usually be considered to be about 2/3 seasoned. Splitting and stacking wood before it is stored
accelerates drying time. Storing wood on an elevated surface from the ground and under a cover or covered
area from rain or snow also accelerates drying time. A good indicator if wood is ready to burn is to check the
piece ends. If there are cracks radiating in all directions from the center then the wood should be dry enough
to burn. If your wood sizzles in the fire, even though the surface is dry, it may not be fully cured, and should be
seasoned longer.
Do not burn manufactured logs made of wax impregnated sawdust or logs with any chemical
additives. Manufactured logs made of 100% compressed sawdust can be burned, but be
careful burning too much of these logs at the same time. Start with one manufactured log and
see how the stove reacts. You can increase the number of logs burned at a time to making
sure the temperature never rises higher than 475 °F (246 °C) on a magnetic thermometer for
installation on single wall stove pipes or 900 °F (482 °C) on a probe thermometer for installation
on double wall stove pipe.
The thermometer should be
placed about 18” (457 mm)
above the stove. Higher
temperatures can lead to
overheat and damage your
stove.
Your furnace was designed
to burn wood only; no other
materials should be burned.
Waste and other flammable
materials should not be
burned in your furnace. DO
NOT USE CHEMICALS OR
FLUIDS TO START THE FIRE.
DO NOT BURN GARBAGE,
GASOLINE,
NAPTHA,
ENGINE OIL, OR OTHER
INAPPROPRIATE MATERIALS.
Any type of wood may be
used in your furnace, but
specific varieties have better
energy yields than others.
Please consult the following
table in order to make the
best possible choice.
TYPE
WEIGHT
(LBS. CU. FT., DRY)
PER CORD
EFFICIENCY
RANKING
SPLITS
MILLIONS BTU’s/
CORD
Hickory
63
4500
1.0
Well
31.5
White Oak
48
4100
.9
Fair
28.6
Red Oak
46
3900
.8
Fair
27.4
Beech
45
3800
.7
Hard
26.8
Sugar Maple
44
3700
.6
Fair
26.2
Black Oak
43
3700
.6
Fair
25.6
Ash
42
3600
.5
Well
25.0
Yellow Birch
40
3400
.4
Hard
23.8
Red Maple
38
3200
.3
Fair
22.6
Paper Birch
37
3100
.3
Easy
22.1
Elm/
Sycamore
34
2900
.2
Very
Difficult
20.1
Red Spruce
29
1800
.1
Easy
16.1
