User Guide

3
NOTE: DIAGRAMS & ILLUSTRATIONS NOT TO SCALE
4'
4'
8'
Standard
Cord of
Wood
Figure 1
7. Proper storage of wood, especially during
seasoning, is essential. We recommend that
you:
a. Never store wood on the ground. This will
cause rotting and insect infiltration. Raise wood
on flat rock or scrap wood.
b. Stack wood loosely to allow air circulation.
c. Store wood where it will not be excessively
exposed to weather, such as under a tarp or
under a roof.
d. Do not stack wood directly against the walls
of your home.
8. Be a knowledgeable wood buyer. There is a
difference in cord sizes. A standard cord stack
of logs is 4 ft. high by 8 ft. long by 4 ft. deep or
the equivalent of this cubic footage. A face
cord is the same height and length as a stan-
dard cord but the depth is only the length of the
logs (12, 18 or 24 inches). A face cord can
contain as little as 25% of the wood found in a
standard cord.
If you buy by the ton, remember that wood
becomes lighter as it dries. When buying green
or wet wood, ask for some extra poundage to
allow for the extra water you will be getting.
9. When comparing woods of the same mois-
ture content and same species, we find most
woods have approximately the same heating
potential per pound. However, most wood is
sold by volume, not by weight. To determine
the best heating source, look at the density of
various wood types. (Density is the weight for
a given size.)
The higher the density, the more potential heat
output. A standard cord has a volume of 128
cubic feet. This figure also includes the air
space between and around the wood. The ac-
tual volume in a standard cord is between 60
and 100 cubic feet; depending on how tightly
the wood is packed.
While you would get the same amount of heat
out of either fire, the smaller the pieces of
wood and the more air space around them, the
faster the fire will burn.
If process solid fuel firelogs are used, DO NOT
poke or stir the logs while they are burning.
Use only firelogs that have been evaluated for
the application in fireplace and refer to the
firelog warnings and caution markings on the
packaging prior to use.
Disposal of Ashes
Ashes should be placed in a metal container
with a tight fitting lid. The closed container of
ashes should be placed on a non-combustible
floor or on the ground, well away from all
combustible materials, pending final disposal.
If the ashes are to be disposed of by burial in
soil or other wise locally dispersed, they should
be retained in the closed container until all
cinders have thoroughly cooled.
Softwood vs Hardwood
Softwoods contain about 15 percent highly
flammable resin which generates creosote soot
in the chimney flue. Burning softwood exclu-
sively may not be as desirable nor as safe as
burning denser hardwoods. Many experienced
fire-builders use small amounts of softwood
kindling and newspaper in conjunction with
starting a fire with split hardwood logs. Here are
some guidelines to remember:
1. Softwoods produce fast warming and
shorter fires. Hardwoods burn less vigorously,
have shorter flames and produce steady, glow-
ing coals.
2. As a general rule, denser woods contain
more potential heat per pound. Most soft-
woods offer moderate heat value per pound.
3. Different woods vary widely in flame heights,
flame intensities, smoke characteristics and in
sparking. Most hardwoods do not spark.
4. Most freshly cut “green” wood will not burn
well and will smoke. Green wood can be from
10 to 40 percent less efficient than air-dried
seasoned wood.
5. Moisture and resin found inside unseasoned
wood cells will build up pressure under heat
and explode as sparks.
6. Most wood needs to be seasoned 9 to 12
months to reduce the moisture content and
produce good steady fires. When moisture
content is reduced from 60 to 20%, the gain in
heat potential is nearly 7%.
Decorative Gas Log Sets
If your fireplace system was installed with a
gas line and you wish to install a decorative
gas appliance (gas log set), it must contain an
automatic shut-off device complying with the
Standard for Decorative Gas Appliances for
installation in vented fireplaces, ANSI Z21.60
(1991) or American Gas Association draft re-
quirements for Gas-Fired Log Lighters for
Wood Burning Fireplaces, Draft No. 4 dated
August, 1993. Install in accordance with the
National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1. This
complies with the revised U.L. 127 standard.
Vent Free Appliances
These units have been tested and approved to
ANSI/IAS/AGA Z21.11.2 for use with unvented
gas appliances and complies with the stan-
dard for Factory-Built fireplaces, UL 127.
The unit has been tested for use with any
unvented gas log sets having a maximum rating
of 40,000 BTU.
These fireplaces have been marked with a
maximum rating of 40,000 BTU to assure that
homeowners do not exceed the allowable lim-
its for all allowed installations of mantles.
NEVER INSTALL AN UNVENTED GAS LOG
SET WITH A BTU GREATER THAN 40,000.
CAUTION: WHEN USING A VENTED DECORA-
TIVE GAS APPLIANCE, THE FIREPLACE DAMPER
MUST BE SET IN THE FULLY OPEN POSITION.
Wood Fuel Pointers
Wood is a wonderful renewable fuel source.
Normally it burns clean, leaving only a minimum
of waste ash, provides comforting heat and can
provide a variety of aromas and visual images.
You will want to know which woods are best for
use. Sometimes you may want a quick, short
fire to offset a morning chill. Soft woods are
preferable in this case. Other times you would
want more slow burning and a uniform heat
output. Hardwoods are preferable for this use.
The amount of heat available from the logs will
be about equal on a weight basis. However,
logs are generally not weighed so the amount
of heat will depend on: the type of wood used,
how dry the wood is, how may logs you put in
and the size of the logs.
The last statement means that one big log
weighing 10 pounds has as much heating
potential as 10 pounds of twigs. However, air
cannot get at the solid log to feed the fire so the
solid log will burn slowly.