WOOD SELECTION
Few things affect the performance of your heater as much as the fuel you burn. Take note of the following:
What Not To Burn
What To Burn
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Softwood (except kindling)
Wet or unseasoned wood
Treated or painted timber
Saltwater wood
Coal or charcoal
Garbage, plastic etc
Any solvents, kerosene, petrol or any
flammable liquid.
Quite simply, dry seasoned hardwood.
From when wood is first cut down, it takes up to
12 months of dry storage for the wood to season
properly. The seasoning process is underway
when cracks begin to appear at the ends of cut
timber.
Use of moist or unseasoned wood will result in
excessive smoke, longer startup times, a lazy
flame that requires more air to stay alight,
creosote build up in the flue and on the door
glass, and a much less powerful fire. The reason
is simple. Heat that would normally be going into
the room is wasted boiling water that is trapped
inside the wood. This poor performance costs
you money in wasted fuel and increased
maintenance.
It is difficult to determine if wood is dry just by
looking at it. If you can hear the wood sizzle and
hiss, or can see moisture bubbling from the wood
surface, then your wood is too wet. In practice,
the best thing you can do is to be sure of the
source. Buy your wood from reputable wood
merchants. Make sure you store the wood
correctly.
Wood Storage
Wood Splitting
It is important that wood be stored under cover.
Even wood that is years old will absorb large
quantities of moisture if exposed to the elements.
It is advisable that wood is stacked to allow some
air flow in and around the logs. This will help keep
the wood dry.
It is best to have on hand a good range of wood
sizes to help control the fire. The rule of thumb is:
the hotter the fire, the bigger the log you can put
in.
You need very small pieces of kindling to get
the fire started efficiently.
Small pieces up to about 50mm thick are good
when the fire is still being established, or
when you want to revive a fire that has burnt
low.
Larger logs are excellent for long burns once
the fire is well established.
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