SB38 / SB44 Series Woodburning Fireplace
87D0057
33
fireplace operatioN
a few wordS of cautioN
Beware of burning certain material in your fireplace.
Among these are plastics, poison ivy twigs and stems, and
chemically treated woods such as discarded poles and
railroad ties. These not only create air pollution, but can
induce extreme irritation for some individuals.
Use hemlock, spruce, juniper and other resinous woods
with caution. They contain moisture pockets which, upon
heating, “pop” with considerable vigor.
Always use a fire screen. And always “bank” a fire, or at
least push all unburned fuel to the rear of the grate before
leaving a fire unattended. Do not use this fireplace as an
incinerator.
Because the termination of the chimney above the roof is
exposed to wind and cold and the pressure changes these
and other environmental conditions may cause, a sufficient
chimney draft may be hard to establish at times. At other
times the draft may be sufficiently disrupted to cause smoke
to spill from the fireplace opening. If problems with chimney
draft occur, help start chimney draft before you build a fire
by holding a piece of burning paper near the flue opening
at the top of the firebox to preheat the chimney. If smoke
spills from the fireplace opening after the fire is burning,
open a window on the up wind side of the house that is
far enough away form the fireplace that the wind will not
blow across the fireplace opening, push the burning wood
as near the back of the fireplace as possible, and if the
fireplace is equipped with glass doors, close them.
DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN OR PHYSICALLY OR
MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, OR SENILE PERSONS
ALONE WITH A BURNING FIREPLACE.
You’ll need a minimum of three logs, preferably four, to
make a good fire. Add kindling and new logs as needed
to rekindle a dying fire. New logs should be added at
the rear grate after raking the coals toward the front.
do
not overfire the fireplace
. Overfire conditions may be
created by large amounts of kindling, building scraps, or
other improper fuels.
Ashes, important because they form a bed of glowing coals,
should only be left to accumulate within an inch or two of
the bottom of the grate. Excess ashes can be used to
check a flaming fire; or to “bank” your fire, cover the logs
with ashes. A “banked” fire will hold glowing coals for 8-10
hours, thereby saving a fire for later use.
wood vS. foSSil fuelS
Compared to fossil fuels, a full cord of dry hickory weighs
about two tons and is approximately equal in heating value
to a ton of hard coal. On a pound basis, heavy hardwoods
have about half the heating value of coal. The tabulation
shows the relative densities and heat values of a variety
of dry woods. Varieties at the top of the list (Dogwood)
burn longer and those near the bottom (White Pine) ignite
and burn quicker. A combination of both light and heavy
wood is desired.
SpecieS
deNSity
heat value
Dogwood
.70-.79
100-107
Hickory
.70-.74
100
Oak
.60-.73
86-99
Black Locust
.69-.70
95-98
Beech
.64-.66
89-91
Hard Maple
.58-.65
83-88
Birch
.55-.64
79-86
Apple
.58-.6
83-84
SpecieS
deNSity heat value
Ashes
.57-.61
81-8
Southern Pine
.51-.60
73-81
Elm
.50-.59
71-80
Cherry
.50-.5
70
Douglas Fir
.45-.51
64-69
Spruce
.41-.44
59
Redwood
.33-.40
47-54
White Pine
.35-.37
50
