BOX 422 • TOWER, MN 55790 • USA • Tel (218) 753-2330 • www.lamppakuuma.com
15
BeSt WooD For BurnInG
Generally wood should be cut at least a year in ad-
vance and properly split at that time.
This wood should also be stored out of the weather, if
possible. If the wood is to remain outside, be sure to
cover the top of the wood piles with sheets of metal,
etc. This wood should be brought inside and stored
there for at least two (2) weeks before it is fired to
obtain top performance.
Soft woods burn at a faster rate per cord than do
hard woods, and have less BTUs per cord.
Know what types of wood to burn. Wood is safe,
clean and economical fuel. Freshly felled wood is not
suitable fuel due to the moisture content of the wood.
Well-seasoned wood is best for the proper produc-
tion of heat. The following table will give you some
relative values of the heating content of some of (the
more readily available wood).
Equivalent
Type
Weight
BTU’s Per
Value #2
Cord
Cord Air
Fuel Oil
Dried Wood
Gallons
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White Pine
1800#
17,000,000
120
Aspen
1900
17,500,000
125
Spruce
2100
18,000,000
130
Ash
2900
22,500,000
160
Tamarack
2500
24,000,000
170
Soft Maple
2500
24,000,000
170
Elm
2750
24,500,000
175
Yellow Birch
3000
26,000,000
185
Red Oak
3250
27,000,000
195
White Oak
3750
27,700,000
200
Hard Maple
3000
29,000,000
200
Hickory
3500
30,500,000
215
uSeFuL FaCtS
No. 2 Fuel Oil – 140,000 BTU/gallon
Natural Gas – 100,000 BTU/therm
Propane Gas – 93,300 BTU/gallon
Butane Gas – 100,671 BTU/gallon
Electricity – 3,413 BTU/kilowatt – hour
WooD BurnInG FaCtS
BE AWARE OF CREOSOTE “BUILD-UP” WHEN
burning wOOD!
Wood burning equipment will give you trouble with
creosote deposits under certain conditions, unless
you are aware of these conditions and avoid them.
Creosote is a tarry liquid or solid resulting from the
distilling of wood during the combustion process. It
consists of a number of elements which condense
and bake layer upon layer in the chimney flue.
Highly combustible in its solid and semi-liquid state,
creosote is present in the gases given off by burning
wood. Creosote may build up a considerable thick-
ness on the interior surface of the chimney and flue
pipes, considerably reducing their cross-sectional
area.
Creosote condenses from the flue gases when the
stack temperature drops below 250 degrees F. The
amount of creosote deposited in the pipe and chim-
ney is dependent on the amount of moisture in the
flue gases, the temperature of the stack, and how
completely the combustible elements in the flue
gases have been burned in the combustion process.
Most problems with creosote are due to poor chim-
neys with low draft and cold walls and to a low rate
of burning when heat is needed during the spring
and fall months.
Moisture in the flue gases may be controlled by us-
ing the driest wood possible, mixing small pieces
with a very full load, and never using only large
wood during mild weather when combustion is rela-
tively slow.
WarnInG
SerIouS FIre May reSuLt IF a SuFFICIent
CreoSote “BuILD-uP” IS PerMItteD oVer
an extenDeD PerIoD oF tIMe.
