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3.2.1 The use of manufactured logs
There are numerous types of manufactured logs sold on the market. You must be very careful with this
type of product. Many brands of manufactured logs contain chemical additives. DO NOT BURN
ANY MANUFACTURED LOGS CONTAINING CHEMICAL ADDITIVES. If you do, you may
damage your stove and void the warranty. Logs containing chemical additives burn a lot hotter and
were designed for decorative fireplaces. Decorative fireplaces generally have larger, cooler, and less
air-tight fireboxes. Your Drolet stove, on the other hand, has a smaller, completely sealed firebox which
attains much higher temperatures. It is therefore not designed to support excessive heat caused by the
addition of chemicals in manufactured logs. Manufactured logs made of 100% wood residues do not
cause any threat to your stove. You must however be careful. Manufactured logs typically release a
much larger heat output over a short period of time. Therefore, you cannot place a large quantity of
such logs into your stove, like you would with regular cord wood. Start with one log, and gradually
increase the load to 3 or 4 logs and see how your stove reacts. Use a chimney (flue) thermometer and
make sure that temperatures remain within the normal operating range.
3.2.2 Simple wood moisture test
Add one large piece of wood to the top of an established fire. If it starts to burn on three sides within one
minute, it is dry and seasoned and right for burning. If it turns black and starts to burn in about three
minutes or more, it is damp. If it turns black and does not start burning until five minutes or more, it is
green and wet. If it hisses at any time, the wood is soaked and will not burn until the excess of moisture is
boiled away.
3.3
NOTES ABOUT FIRST FIRING
The fresh paint on your stove needs to be cured to preserve its quality. Once the fuel load is properly
ignited, only burn small fires in your stove for the first four hours of operation. Never open the air control
more than necessary to achieve a medium burn rate. Make sure that there is enough air circulation while
curing the stove. Open one or more windows. The odours can be smelled during the 3 or 4 first fires.
Never start your stove outside.
3.4
LIGHTING A FIRE
Place enough crumpled balls of newspaper or other paper into the stove to cover thbottom of the
firebox.
Place small and dry kindling on the crumpled paper.
Place larger and dry kindling on top of the small kindling.
Open the air intake control fully.
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