MHSC SB44SS Installation, Operation And Maintenance Manual Download Page 30

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SB44SS Outdoor Woodburning Fireplace

87D0059

FIrepLaCe OperaTION

a FeW WOrdS OF CauTION

Beware of burning certain material in your fireplace. Among these are plastics, poison ivy twigs and
stems, and chemically treated woods such as discarded poles and railroad ties. These not only
create air pollution, but can induce extreme irritation for some individuals.
Use hemlock, spruce, juniper and other resinous woods with caution. They contain moisture pockets
which, upon heating, “pop” with considerable vigor.
Always use a fire screen.  And always “bank” a fire, or at least push all unburned fuel to the rear of
the grate before leaving a fire unattended. Do not use this fireplace as an incinerator.
Because the termination of the chimney above the roof is exposed to wind and cold and the pressure
changes these and other environmental conditions may cause, a sufficient chimney draft may be
hard to establish at times.  At other times the draft may be sufficiently disrupted to cause smoke to
spill from the fireplace opening.  If problems with chimney draft occur, help start chimney draft before
you build a fire by holding a piece of burning paper near the flue opening at the top of the firebox
to preheat the chimney.  If smoke spills from the fireplace opening after the fire is burning, open a
window on the up wind side of the house that is far enough away form the fireplace that the wind
will not blow across the fireplace opening, push the burning wood as near the back of the fireplace
as possible, and if the fireplace is equipped with glass doors, close them.
DO  NOT  LEAVE  CHILDREN  OR  PHYSICALLY  OR  MENTALLY  HANDICAPPED,  OR  SENILE
PERSONS ALONE WITH A BURNING FIREPLACE.

You’ll need a minimum of three logs, preferably four, to make a good fire.  Add kindling and new
logs as needed to rekindle a dying fire.  New logs should be added at the rear grate after raking
the coals toward the front.

do not overfire the fireplace

. Overfire conditions may be created by

large amounts of kindling, building scraps, or other improper fuels.
Ashes, important because they form a bed of glowing coals, should only be left to accumulate
within an inch or two of the bottom of the grate. Excess ashes can be used to check a flaming
fire; or to “bank” your fire, cover the logs with ashes. A “banked” fire will hold glowing coals for
8-10 hours, thereby saving a fire for later use.

WOOd vS. FOSSIL FueLS

Compared to fossil fuels, a full cord of dry hickory weighs about two tons and is approximately
equal in heating value to a ton of hard coal. On a pound basis, heavy hardwoods have about half
the heating value of coal. The tabulation shows the relative densities and heat values of a variety
of dry woods. Varieties at the top of the list (Dogwood) burn longer and those near the bottom
(White Pine) ignite and burn quicker. A combination of both light and heavy wood is desired.

SpeCIeS

deNSITy

heaT vaLue

Dogwood

.70-.79

100-107

Hickory

.70-.74

100

Oak

.60-.73

86-99