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3.2.5
How to dry firewood
Firewood that is not dry enough to burn is the cause of most complaints about wood fires.
The complaints usually involve a lack of heat and dirty door glass.
Here are some facts to consider in estimating drying time:
− Firewood takes a long time to dry;
− 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 damp, maritime climates;
− 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 take less time to dry than hardwoods;
− Hardwoods like gums, Manuka and ironbark can take one, or even two years to dry fully, especially
if the pieces are big;
− Firewood dries more quickly when stacked in the open where it is exposed to sun and wind; it takes
much longer to dry when stacked in a wood shed;
− Firewood that is ready to burn has a moisture content between 15 and 20% by weight and will allow
your wood fire to produce its highest possible efficiency.
3.2.6
Judging firewood moisture content
Yo u c a n f i n d o u t i f s o m e f i r e w o o d i s d r y e n o u g h t o b u r n b y u s i n g t h e s e g u i d e l i n e s :
Yo u c o u l d b u y a w o o d m o i s t u r e m e t e r t o t e s t y o u r f i r e w o o d .
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− Cracks form at the ends of logs as they dry;
− As it dries in the sun, the wood turns from white or cream
coloured to grey or yellow;
− Bang two pieces of wood together; seasoned wood sounds
hollow and wet wood sounds dull;
− Dry wood is much lighter in weight than wet wood;
− Split a piece, and if the fresh face feels warm and dry it is dry
enough to burn; if it feels damp, it is too wet;
− Burn a piece; wet wood hisses and sizzles in the fire and dry
wood does not.
Installation and Operation Manual - Bistro
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