MHSC SSTB11 Installation, Operation And Maintenance Manual page 26

SSTB11 Woodburning Fireplace
logs with ashes. A "banked" fire will hold glowing coals for
8-10 hours, thereby saving a fire for later use.
Wood vs. Fossil Fuels
Compared to fossil fuels, a full cord of dry hickory weighs
about two tons and is approximately equal in heating
value to a ton of hard coal. On a pound basis, heavy
hardwoods have about half the heating value of coal. The
tabulation shows the relative densities and heat values
of a variety of dry woods. Varieties at the top of the list
(Dogwood) burn longer and those near the bottom (White
Pine) ignite and burn quicker. A combination of both light
and heavy wood is desired.
Species Density
Dogwood .70-.79
Hickory .70-.74
Oak .60-.73
Black Locust .69-.70
Beech .64-.66
Hard Maple .58-.65
Birch .55-.64
Apple .58-.62
Ash .57-.61
Southern Pine .51-.60
Elm .50-.59
Cherry .50-.52
Douglas Fir .45-.51
Spruce .41-.44
Redwood .33-.40
White Pine .35-.37
26
Heat Value
100-107
100
86-99
95-98
89-91
83-88
79-86
83-84
73-81
73-81
71-80
70
64-69
59
47-54
50
A Few Words of Caution
Beware of burning certain material in your fireplace.
Among these are plastics, poison ivy twigs and stems,
and chemically treated woods such as discarded poles
and railroad ties. These not only create air pollution, but
can induce extreme irritation for some individuals.
Use hemlock, spruce, juniper and other resinous woods
with caution. They contain moisture pockets which, upon
heating, "pop" with considerable vigor.
Always use a fire screen. And always "bank" a fire, or at
least push all unburned fuel to the rear of the grate before
leaving a fire unattended. Do not use this fireplace as an
incinerator.
Because the termination of the chimney above the roof
is exposed to wind and cold and the pressure changes
these and other environmental conditions may cause, a
sufficient chimney draft may be hard to establish at times.
At other times the draft may be sufficiently disrupted to
cause smoke to spill from the fireplace opening. If prob-
lems with chimney draft occur, help start chimney draft
before you build a fire by holding a piece of burning paper
near the flue opening at the top of the firebox to preheat
the chimney. If smoke spills from the fireplace opening af-
ter the fire is burning, open a window on the up wind side
of the house that is far enough away form the fireplace
that the wind will not blow across the fireplace opening,
push the burning wood as near the back of the fireplace
as possible, and if the fireplace is equipped with glass
doors, close them.
DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN OR PHYSICALLY OR MEN-
TALLY HANDICAPPED, OR SENILE PERSONS ALONE
WITH A BURNING FIREPLACE.
FIREPLACE OPERATION
87D0174