Stratford
Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual
__________________________________________________________________________ 23
4.4.6.3
High Output Fires for Cold Weather
When the heat demand is high during cold weather, you’ll need a fire that burns steadily and brightly. This
is the time to use larger pieces of hardwood fuel if you have it. Put the biggest pieces at the back of the
firebox and place the rest of the pieces compactly. A densely built fire like this will produce the longest burn
your fireplace is capable of.
You will need to be cautious when building fires like this because if the air is turned down too much, the
fire could smoulder. Make sure the wood is flaming brightly before leaving the fire to burn.
4.4.6.4
Maximum Burn Cycle Times
The burn cycle time is the period between loading wood on a coal bed and the consumption of that wood
back to a coal bed of the same size. The flaming phase of the fire lasts for roughly the first half of the burn
cycle and the second half is the coal bed phase during which there is little or no flame. The length of burn
you can expect from your fireplace, including both the flaming and coal bed phases, will be affected by a
number of things, such as:
•
Firebox size,
•
The amount of wood loaded,
•
The species of wood you burn,
•
The wood moisture content,
•
The size of the space to be heated,
•
The climate zone you live in, and
•
The time of year.
The table below provides a very general indication of the maximum burn cycle times you are likely to
experience, based on firebox volume.
FIREBOX VOLUME
MAXIMUM
BURN TIME
<1.5 cubic feet
3 to 5 hours
1.5 c.f. to 2.0 c.f.
5 to 6 hours
2.0 c.f. to 2.5 c.f.
6 to 8 hours
2.5 c.f. to 3.0 c.f.
8 to 9 hours
>3.0 c.f.
9 to 10 hours
Long burn times are not necessarily an indication of efficient fireplace operation. When you are home
during the day and able to tend the fire, it is preferable to build a smaller fire that might provide three or
four hours of heating than to fully load the firebox for a much longer burn. Shorter burn cycles make it
easier to match the heat output of the fireplace to the heat demand of the space.
4.4.6.5
How to place the logs
In fireboxes that are roughly square, wood can be loaded so that looking through the glass door you see
the ends of the logs (north-south) or the sides of the logs (east-west). In all cases, wood should always be
placed behind the andirons.
East-west loads that are built compactly break down slowly when heated, but the amount of wood you can
load is limited because if you put in too many pieces, one may fall against the glass. East-west loads are
excellent for long, low output fires for relatively mild weather.
North-south loads break down more quickly, but much more wood can be loaded at a time. This makes
north-south loading good for high output, long lasting fires for cold weather.
