Use and Care Guide

-5-
CHIMNEY
Take into account the chimney’s location to insure it is not too close to neighbors or in a valley which
may cause unhealthy or nuisance conditions.
EFFICIENCY
Efciencies can be based on either the lower heating value (LHV) or the higher heating value (HHV)
of the fuel. The lower heating value is when water leaves the combustion process as a vapor, in the case of
woodstoves the moisture in the wood being burned leaves the stove as a vapor. The higher heating value
is when water leaves the combustion process completely condensed. In the case of woodstoves this would
assume the exhaust gases are room temperature when leaving the system, and therefore calculations using
this heating value consider the heat going up the chimney as lost energy. Therefore, efciency calculated
using the lower heating value of wood will be higher than efciency calculated using the higher heating value.
In the United States all woodstove efciencies should be calculated using the higher heating value.
As an operator of a wood heater the best way to achieve optimum efciencies is to learn the burn
characteristic of you appliance and burn well-seasoned wood. A good rule of thumb is that your heater is
not producing or producing very little visible smoke it is burning efciently. Also remember that higher burn
rates are not always the best heating burn rates; after a good re is established a lower burn rate may be a
better option for efcient heating. A lower burn rate slows the ow of usable heat out of the home through
the chimney, and it also consumes less wood.
SMOKE AND CO MONITORS
Burning wood naturally produces smoke and carbon monoxide(CO) emissions. CO is a poisonous gas
when exposed to elevated concentrations for extended periods of time. While the modern combustion systems
in heaters drastically reduce the amount of CO emitted out the chimney, exposure to the gases in closed or
conned areas can be dangerous. Also make sure you stove gaskets and chimney joints are in good working
order and sealing properly to ensure unintended exposure. It is recommended that you use both smoke and
CO monitors in areas expected to or having the potential to generate CO.
OPERATIONAL TIPS FOR GOOD, EFFICIENT, AND CLEAN COMBUSTION
• Use smaller pieces of wood during start-up and a high burn rate to increase the stove temperature
• Be considerate of the environment and only burn dry wood
• Burn small, intense res instead of large, slow burning res when possible
• Learn your appliance's operating characteristics to obtain optimum performance
• Burning unseasoned wet wood only hurts your stoves efciency and leads to accelerated creosote
buildup in your chimney
WOOD SELECTION TIPS
Dead wood lying on the forest oor should be considered wet, and requires full seasoning time. Standing
dead wood can usually be considered to be about 2/3 seasoned. Splitting and stacking wood before it is
stored accelerates drying time. Storing wood on an elevated surface from the ground and under a cover or
covered area from rain or snow also accelerates drying time. A good indicator if wood is ready to burn is to
check the piece ends. If there are cracks radiating in all directions from the center then the wood should be
dry enough to burn. If your wood sizzles in the re, even though the surface is dry, it may not be fully cured,
and should be seasoned longer.