Drolet HEATPRO DF03000, Installation And Operating Instructions Manual

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HeatPro Furnace Installation and Operation Manual
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7.5.4 Piece size
Firewood dries more quickly when it is split. Large unsplit rounds can take years to dry
enough to burn. Even when dried, unsplit logs are difficult to ignite because they don’t
have the sharp edges where the flames first catch. Logs as small as 3" (76 mm) should be
split to encourage drying.
Wood should be split to a range of sizes, from about 3" to 6" (76 mm to 152 mm) in cross
section. Having a range of sizes makes starting and rekindling fires much easier. Often,
the firewood purchased from commercial suppliers is not split finely enough for convenient
stoking. It is sometimes advisable to resplit the wood before stacking to dry.
7.5.5 How to dry firewood
Firewood that is not dry enough to burn is the cause of most complaints about wood
inserts. Continually burning green or unseasoned wood produces more creosote and
involves lack of heat and a dirty glass door. See Section 9: Maintaining your wood
heating system for concerns about creosote.
Here are some things to consider in estimating drying time:
• firewood takes a long time to dry
•
firewood bought from a dealer is rarely dry enough to burn, so it is advisable to buy the
wood in spring and dry it yourself
• drying happens faster in dry weather than in damp, maritime climates
•
drying happens faster in warm summer weather than in winter weather
•
small pieces dry more quickly than large pieces
• split pieces dry more quickly than unsplit rounds