OPERATING YOUR APPLIANCE (Continued)
Wood
This appliance is designed to burn natural wood only. Higher efficiencies and lower emissions generally result when you burn air dried, seasoned hardwoods as compared to softwoods or to green or freshly cut hardwoods. DO NOT BURN treated wood, garbage, solvents, trash, coal, cardboard, colored paper, or wax impregnated logs (i.e. Duraflame, etc.). Burning treated wood, garbage, solvents, colored paper or driftwood from salt water may result in release of toxic fumes and may render the appliance ineffective and void the limited warranty. Burning coal, cardboard or loose paper can produce soot, large flakes, char or fly ash that can coat the inside of your appliance, causing smoke spillage into the room.
Choosing the kind of firewood to burn in your appliance depends on what is available to you. If all you can obtain is softwoods, obviously, that will be your choice.
Softwoods such as pine and fir are easily ignited and burn rapidly with hot flames. Since they burn so easily and quickly you will have to spend more time loading your firebox, especially in the high burn mode. With softwoods it will be much more difficult to achieve an overnight burn. Furthermore, softwoods make it necessary to reload the appliance more often. The chart below outlines the advantages of using hardwood.
SPECIES* | LBS./CORD** |
| BTU's/CORD** |
| Hours per Cord at 40,000 BTU's |
|
|
|
|
| per Hour** |
ALDER | 2540 | 19,050,000 | 476 | ||
APPLE | 4400 | 33,000,000 | 825 | ||
ASH | 3440 | 25,800,000 | 645 | ||
BIRCH | 3040 | 22,800,000 | 705 | ||
CEDAR | 2060 | 15,450,000 | 386 | ||
COTTONWOOD | 2160 | 16,200,000 | 405 | ||
DOGWOOD | 4320 | 31,725,000 | 793 | ||
ELM | 2260 | 16,950,000 | 423 | ||
FIR, DOUGLAS | 2970 | 22,275,000 | 556 | ||
HEMLOCK | 2700 | 20,250,000 | 506 | ||
MAPLE | 3200 | 24,000,000 | 600 | ||
OAK, RED | 3680 | 27,600,000 | 690 | ||
OAK, WHITE | 4200 | 31,500,000 | 787 | ||
PINE | 2250 | 16,875,000 | 421 | ||
REDWOOD | 2400 | 18,000,000 | 450 | ||
SPRUCE | 2240 |
| 16,800,000 |
| 420 |
* At 20% moisture content
** All values are approximate
If you have a choice it is best to use the more dense hardwoods for a longer lasting fire. The best arrangement is to have a mix of softwoods and hardwoods for ease of
Wood is typically sold by the "cord". A cord is a nicely stacked pile of logs measuring 4 feet wide by 4 feet high by 8 feet long. Always look for the driest wood especially if you purchase your wood by weight. Unseasoned, wet wood is much heavier.
Moisture content of the wood greatly affects the way any appliance operates. Well seasoned wood (split, stacked and kept dry for at least 12 months) is your best fuel choice.
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