Optima Installation and Operation Manual
11
3 Fuel
3.1
Materials That Should Not be Burned
•
GARBAGE OF ANY KIND,
•
COAL OR CHARCOAL,
•
TREATED, PAINTED OR COATED WOOD,
•
PLYWOOD OR PARTICLE BOARD,
•
FINE PAPER, COLORED PAPER OR CARDBOARD,
•
SALT WATER DRIFTWOOD
•
MANUFACTURED LOGS CONTAINING WAX OR CHEMICAL ADDITIVES
•
RAILROAD TIES
•
LIQUIDS SUCH AS KEROSENE OR DIESEL FUEL TO START A FIRE
3.2
How to Prepare or Buy Good Firewood
3.2.1 What is Good Firewood?
Good firewood has been cut to the correct length for the stove, split to a range of sizes and stacked in
the open until its moisture content is reduced to 15 to 20 per cent.
3.2.2 Tree Species
The tree species the firewood is produced from is less important than its moisture content. The main
difference in firewood from various tree species is the density of the wood. Hardwoods are denser
than softwoods. People who live in the coldest regions of North America usually have only spruce,
birch and poplar, other low-density species to burn and yet they can heat their homes successfully.
Homeowners with access to both hardwood and softwood fuel sometimes use both types for different
purposes. For example, softer woods make good fuel for relatively mild weather in spring and fall
because they light quickly and produce less heat Softwoods are not as dense as hardwoods so a
given volume of wood contains less energy. Using softwoods avoids overheating the house, which
can be a common problem with wood heating in moderate weather. Harder woods are best for colder
winter weather when more heat and longer burn cycles are desirable.
Note that hardwood trees like oak, maple, ash and beech are slower growing and longer lived than
softer woods like poplar and birch. That makes hardwood trees more valuable. The advice that only
hardwoods are good to burn is outdated. Old, leaky cast iron stoves wouldn’t hold a fire overnight
unless they were fed large pieces of hardwood. That is no longer true. You can successfully heat your
home by using the less desirable tree species and give the forest a break at the same time.
3.2.3 Log Length
Logs should be cut about 1” (25 mm) shorter than the firebox so they fit in easily. Pieces that are
even slightly too long make loading the stove very difficult. The most common standard length of
firewood is 16” (400 mm).
The pieces should be a consistent length, with a maximum of 1” (25 mm) variation from piece to
piece.
