A Word About Wood; The Drier The Better; How To Dry And Store Wood - Lopi Liberty Owner's Manual

A W W
ORD ABOUT
This appliance is designed to burn natural cord wood with high efficiencies and low emissions. With
properly dried wood, you will fully realize the heating and clean-burning potential of our high-
technology appliance. With poor wood, this high-technology appliance will become much less efficient
and produce more emissions. Read on to find out more about the type of fuel you should use.

The Drier the Better

The most common mistake made by
wood-burners is using wet, green, or
un-seasoned fuel. Ask any
experienced wood-burner, and he or
she will tell you the importance of
dry wood. The reason is this: wet,
green, or un-seasoned wood still has
water in it. When the wood burns it
must use its heat energy to evaporate
the water. This robs your home of
heat (it also leads to greater smoke
and creosote due to lesser firebox
temperatures). Dry wood usually has
cracks in the grain. It will also be
lighter and when two pieces are
knocked together a crisp "knock" will
be heard, not a dull "thud". When
burning green, wet, or unseasoned
wood you may notice difficulty in
lighting, and water bubbling out of
the grain when it becomes hot.

How to Dry and Store Wood

Aging is the only economical method for drying wood. Follow the steps below to dry and store wood:
1. Make sure the wood is split into quarters and is no longer than 18" long (Hint: if you cut trees in
summer, leave the leaves on for a week, this will draw moisture from the wood to dry it quicker).
2. Stack the wood in loose piles that are covered and off the ground (this is to allow air to pass over
each piece of wood Ð promoting faster drying) If no shelter is built, place clear polyethylene
plastic over the wood (at an angle to allow moisture to run off). Let dry for at least one year.
3. Store the wood in a dry location, preferably outside to prevent insects and dirt from entering the
home. When needed, move small loads inside where the added heat will promote further drying.
O
PERATING
OOD
Cut the wood to 18"
or less lengths and
chop into quarters
before stacking
Y A
OUR PPLIANCE
Wet Wood
Leads
Less Heat
Leads
More Smoke
& Creosote
Cover with 4 mil
Polyethylene
Prevailing
Winds
Keep the
wood off
the ground
to increase
air flow
Air Flow
(C
ONTINUED
Dry Wood
To
More Heat
To
Air Flow
)
P 21
AGE
Leads
To
Leads
To
Less Smoke
& Creosote
Air Flow
Stack the
wood
loosely to
allow for
air flow
between
the
pieces