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MODEL 400 WOODSTOVE

The following guideline will ensure properly sea-

soned wood:

1. Stack the wood to allow air to circulate freely

around and through the woodpile.

2. Elevate the woodpile off the ground to allow

air circulation underneath.

3. The smaller the pieces, the faster the drying

process. Any piece over six inches in diame-

ter should be split.

4. Cover the top of the woodpile for protection

from rain and snow. Avoid covering the sides

and ends completely. Doing so may trap

moisture from the ground and impede air cir-

culation.

The problems with burning wet, unseasoned wood

are twofold. First, you will receive less heat output

from wet wood because it requires energy in the form

of heat to evaporate the water trapped inside. This is

wasted energy that should be used for heating your

home. Secondly, this moisture evaporates in the

form of steam which has a cooling effect in your fire-

box and chimney system. When combined with tar

and other organic vapors from burning wood it will

form creosote which condenses in the relatively cool

firebox and chimney. See the maintenance section

of this manual for more information regarding cre-

osote formation and need for removal.

5-98 20 72308B

WOOD FUEL.

Hardwood vs. Softwood

Your woodstove’s performance depends a great deal

on the quality of the firewood you use. Contrary to

popular belief, one species of wood varies very little

to the other in terms of energy content. All seasoned

wood, regardless of species, contains about 8,000

BTU’s per pound. The important factor is that hard-

woods have a greater density than softwoods.

Therefore, a piece of hardwood will contain about

60% more BTU’s than an equal size piece of soft-

wood. Since firewood is commonly sold by the cord

(128 cu. ft.), a volume measurement, a cord of sea-

soned oak (hardwood) would contain about 60%

more potential energy than a cord of seasoned pine

(softwood).

There are many definitions of hardwood and soft-

wood. Although not true in every case, one of the

most reliable is to classify them as coniferous or

deciduous.

Softwoods are considered coniferous. These are

trees with needle-like leaves that stay green all year

and carry their seeds exposed in a cone. Examples

of softwood trees are Douglas fir, pine, spruce and

cedar.

Softwoods, being more porous, require less time to

dry, burn faster and are easier to ignite than hard-

woods.

Deciduous trees are broadleaf trees that lose their

leaves in the fall. Their seeds are usually found with-

in a protective pod or enclosure. Hardwoods fall into

this category. Some examples of deciduous trees

are oak, maple, apple, and birch. However it should

be noted that there are some deciduous trees that

are definitely not considered hardwoods such as

poplar, aspen and alder. Hardwoods require more

time to season, burn slower and are usually harder to

ignite than softwoods.

Obviously, you will use the type of wood that is most

readily available in your area. However, if at all pos-

sible the best arrangement is to have a mix of soft-

wood and hardwood. This way you can use the soft-

wood for starting the fire giving off quick heat to bring

the appliance up to operating temperature. Then add

the hardwood for slow, even heat and longer burn

time.

SEASONING.

Seasoned firewood is nothing more than wood that is

cut to size, split and air dried to a moisture content of

around 20%. The time it takes to season wood

varies from around nine months for softwoods to as

long as eighteen months for hardwoods. The key to

seasoning wood is to be sure it has been split,

exposing the wet interior and increasing the surface

area of each piece. Atree that was cut down a year

ago and not split, is likely to have almost as high a

moisture content now as it did when it was cut.

MOISTURE CONTENT.

Regardless of which species of wood you burn, the

single most important factor that effects the way your

stove operates is the amount of moisture in the wood.

The majority of the problems woodstove and fireplace

insert owners experience are caused by trying to

burn wet, unseasoned wood.

Freshly cut wood can be as much water as it is wood,

having a moisture content of around 50%. Imagine a

wooden bucket that weighs about 8 pounds. Fill it

with a gallon of water, put it in the firebox and try to

burn it. This sounds ridiculous but that is exactly

what you are doing if you burn unseasoned wood.

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