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Page 24
October 13, 2015
Yosemite Wood Stove
7004-187L
Moisture
Seasoned Wood
• Cut logs to size
• Split to 6 inches (152 mm) or less in diameter
• Air dry to a moisture content of not more than 20%
- Soft wood - about nine months to dry
- Hard wood - about eighteen months to dry
The majority of the problems appliance owners experience
are caused by trying to burn wet, unseasoned wood.
•
Wet, unseasoned wood
requires energy to evaporate the
water instead of heating your home, and
• Causes evaporating moisture which cools your chimney,
accelerating formation of creosote.
Storing Wood
Steps to ensure properly seasoned wood:
• Stack wood to allow air to circulate freely around and
through woodpile.
• Elevate wood pile off ground to allow air circulation
underneath.
• Smaller pieces of wood dry faster. Any piece over 6 in.
(152 mm) in diameter should be split.
• Wood (whole or split) should be stacked so both ends of
each piece are exposed to air. More drying occurs through
the cut ends than the sides.
• Store wood under cover to prevent water absorption
from rain or snow. Avoid covering the sides and ends
completely.
• Do NOT burn wet or green wood.
• Store wood in dry location.
• Stack wood so both ends are exposed to air.
Wet, unseasoned wood can cause accumulation of
creosote.
Fire Risk.
WARNING
WARNING
Fire Risk
Do NOT store wood:
• In front of the appliance.
• In space required for loading or ash
removal.
NOTICE:
Seasoning time may vary depending on drying
conditions.
C. Burning Process
In recent years there has been an increasing concern about
air quality. Much of the blame for poor air quality has been
placed on the burning of wood for home heating.
In order to improve the situation, we at Quadra-Fire have
developed cleaner-burning wood appliances that surpass
the requirements for emissions established by our governing
agencies.
These wood appliances must be properly operated in order
to ensure that they perform the way they are designed to
perform.
1. Kindling or First Stage
It helps to know a little about the actual process of burning in
order to understand what goes on inside the appliance. The
fi rst stage of burning is called the kindling stage.
In this stage:
•
Wood is heated to a temperature high enough to evapo-
rate the moisture present in all wood.
• W
ood will reach the boiling point of water (212°F) and will
not get any hotter until the water is evaporated.
This process takes heat from the coals and tends to cool the
appliance.
Fire requires three things to burn:
• Fuel
• Air
• Heat
If heat is robbed from the appliance during the drying stage,
the new load of wood has reduced the chances for a good
clean burn.
It is always best to burn dry, seasoned fi rewood. When the
wood isn’t dry, you must open the air controls and burn at a
high burn setting for a longer time to start it burning.
The heat generated from the fi re should be warming your
home and establishing the fl ue draft, not evaporating the mois-
ture out of wet, unseasoned wood, resulting in wasted heat.
2. Second Stage
In the secondary stage wood gives off fl ammable gases which
burn above the fuel with bright fl ames.
During this stage of burning:
•
The fl ames must be maintained and not allowed to go out
to
ensure the cleanest possible fi re.
•
If the fl ames tend to go out, it is set too low for your burn-
ing conditions.
NOTICE:
Improper operation can turn any wood appli-
ance into a smoldering environmental hazard.
