Burning Wood Efficiently; First Use; Lighting Fires - Drolet Deco Nano Owner's Manual

Here are some facts to consider in estimating drying time:
− Firewood bought from a dealer is rarely dry enough to burn, so it is advisable to buy the wood
in spring and dry it yourself;
− Drying happens faster in dry weather than in a damp climate;
− Drying happens faster in warm summer weather than in winter weather;
− Small pieces dry more quickly than large pieces;
− Split pieces dry more quickly than unsplit rounds;
− Softwoods like pine, spruce, poplar, and aspen take less time to dry than hardwoods. they can
be dry enough to burn after being stacked to air dry only for the summer months;
− Hardwoods like oak, maple and ash can take one, or even two years to dry fully, especially if
the pieces are big;
− Firewood dries more quickly when stacked outside in a location exposed to sun and wind; it
takes much longer to dry when stacked in a wood shed;
Use these guidelines to find out if the firewood is dry enough to burn:

3. Burning Wood Efficiently

3.1

First Use

Two things happen when burning the first few fires; the paint cures and the internal components are
conditioned. As the paint cures, some of the chemicals vaporize. The vapors are not poisonous, but
they smell bad. Fresh paint fumes can also trigger false alarms in smoke detectors. When lighting
the heater for the first few times, it may be wise to open doors and windows to ventilate the house.
Burn two or three small fires to begin the curing and conditioning process. Then build bigger and
hotter fires until there is no longer paint smell from the stove. As hotter and hotter fires are burned,
more of the painted surfaces reach the curing temperature of the paint. The smell of curing paint
does not disappear until one or two very hot fires have been burned.
3.2

Lighting Fires

Each person heating with wood develops its own favorite way to light fires. Regardless of the method
chosen, the goal should be to have a hot fire burning, quickly. A fire that ignites fast produces less
smoke and deposits less creosote in the chimney.
Never use gasoline, gasoline-type lantern fuel (naphtha), fuel oil, motor oil,
kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid, or similar liquids or aerosols to start or
'freshen up' a fire in this wood stove. Keep all such liquids well away from
the stove while it is in use.
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− Cracks form at the ends of logs as they dry;
− The wood turns from white or cream colored to grey or yellow;
− Two pieces of wood struck together sounds hollow;
− Dry wood is much lighter in weight than wet wood,
− The face of a fresh cut feels warm and dry;
− The moisture content read by a moisture meter is between
15% to 20%.
Wood Stove - Owner's Manual