Ashley AWC21, Owner'S Operation And Instruction Manual, Page: 12 / 44

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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
WOODSTOVE UTILIZATION
It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you use DRY WOOD only in your wood oven. The wood should have dried for 9 to 15
months, such that the humidity content (in weight) is reduced below 20% of the weight of the log. It is very important to keep in mind
that even if the wood has been cut for one, two or even more years, it is not necessarily dry, if it has been stored in poor conditions.
Under extreme conditions it may rot, instead of drying. This point cannot be over stressed; the vast majority of the problems related
to the operation of a wood oven is caused by the fact that the wood used was too damp or has dried in poor conditions.
These problems can be:
• Ignition problems
• Creosote build-up causing chimney fires
• Low energy yield
• Blackened windows
• Incomplete log combustion
Smaller pieces of wood will dry faster. All logs exceeding 6” in diameter should be split. The wood should not be stored directly
on the ground. Air should circulate through the cord. A 24” to 48” air space should be left between each row of logs, which should
be placed in the sunniest location possible. The upper layer of wood should be protected from the elements but not the sides.
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
Waste and other flammable materials should not be burned in your oven. Any type of wood may be used in your oven, but specific
varieties have better energy yields than others. Please consult the following table in order to make the best possible choice.
WOODSTOVE UTILIZATION
This heater is designed to burn natural wood only. 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:
ATTENTION:
This wood heater needs periodic inspection and repair for proper operation. It is against federal regulations to operate this
wood heater in a manner inconsistent with operating instructions in this manual.