Disposal Of Ashes; Softwood Vs Hardwood; Starting A Fire - Lennox MP-360D Homeowner's Care And Operation Instructions Manual

disposaL oF ashes

Ashes should be placed in a metal container with
a tight fitting lid. The closed container of ashes
should be placed on a noncombustible floor or
on the ground, well away from all combustible
materials, pending final disposal. If the ashes
are to be disposed of by burial in soil or other
wise locally dispersed, they should be retained
in the closed container until all cinders have
thoroughly cooled.

soFtwood Vs hardwood

Softwoods contain about 15 percent highly
flammable resin which generates creosote soot
in the chimney flue. Burning softwood exclu-
sively may not be as desirable nor as safe as
burning denser hardwoods. Many experienced
fire-builders use small amounts of softwood
kindling and newspaper in conjunction with
starting a fire with split hardwood logs. Here
are some guidelines to remember:
1. Softwoods produce fast warming and shorter
fires. Hardwoods burn less vigorously, have
shorter flames and produce steady, glowing
coals.
2. As a general rule, denser woods contain more
potential heat per pound. Most softwoods
offer moderate heat value per pound.
3. Different woods vary widely in flame heights,
flame intensities, smoke characteristics
and in sparking. Most hardwoods do not
spark.
4. Most freshly cut "green" wood will not burn
well and will smoke. Green wood can be from
10 to 40 percent less efficient than air-dried
seasoned wood.
5. Moisture and resin found inside unseasoned
wood cells will build up pressure under heat
and explode as sparks.
6. Most wood needs to be seasoned 9 to 12
months to reduce the moisture content and
produce good steady fires. When moisture
content is reduced from 60 to 20%, the gain
in heat potential is nearly 7%.
7. Proper storage of wood, especially during
seasoning, is essential. We recommend that
you:
a. Never store wood on the ground. This
will cause rotting and insect infiltra-
tion. Raise wood on flat rock or scrap
wood.
b. Stack wood loosely to allow air circula-
tion.
c. Store wood where it will not be exces-
sively exposed to weather, such as
under a tarp or under a roof.
4
d. Do not stack wood directly against the
walls of your home.
8. Be a knowledgeable wood buyer. There is a
difference in cord sizes. A standard cord stack
of logs is 4 ft. high by 8 ft. long by 4 ft.
deep or the equivalent of this cubic footage,
(Figure 1).
8'
Figure 1
A face cord is the same height and length as a
standard cord but the depth is only the length
of the logs (12, 18 or 24 inches). A face cord
can contain as little as 25% of the wood found
in a standard cord.
If you buy by the ton, remember that wood
becomes lighter as it dries. When buying green
or wet wood, ask for some extra poundage to
allow for the extra water you will be getting.
9. When comparing woods of the same moisture
content and same species, we find most woods
have approximately the same heating potential
per pound.
However, most wood is sold by volume, not by
weight. To determine the best heating source,
look at the density of various wood types.
(Density is the weight for a given size.) The
higher the density, the more potential heat
output. A standard cord has a volume of 128
cubic feet. This Figure also includes the air
space between and around the wood. The actual
volume in a standard cord is between 60 and
100 cubic feet; depending on how tightly the
wood is packed.
Assuming that you are comparing two standard
cords of different species but the same volume
and moisture content, the denser species will
provide more BTU's. The table of wood species/
densities reveals more helpful guidelines.
NOTE: DIAGRAMS & ILLUSTRATIONS ARE NOT TO SCALE.
hardwoods
Alser, Red
Ash
Aspen
Basswood, American
Beech, American
Birch
Butternut
Cherry, Black
Chestnut, American
Cottonwood
Standard
Elm
Cord of
Wood Hackberry
Hickory, Pecan
Hickory, True
Honey locust
Locust, Black
Magnolia
4'
Maple
Oak, Red
Oak, White
Poplar
4'
Sassafras
Sweet gum
Sycamore, American
Tanoak
Tupelo
Walnut, Black
Willow, Black
soFtwoods
Bald cypress
Cedar
Douglas Fir
Fir
Hemlock
Larch, Western
Pine
Redwood
Spruce
Tamarack

startinG a Fire

Note: For outdoor installations, caution must
be observed when operating this fireplace
under windy conditions. Do NOT burn large
fires in windy conditions, as flames may be
drawn out of the firebox. If this occurs, close
the glass doors immediately. If not equipped
with doors, extinguish the fire. The screens
must be closed at all times while the fireplace
is in operation, except when feeding the fire.
1. To properly start a fire in a the fireplace, first
check the operation of the flue damper (see
"damper controL" and Figure 2, next page.
2. For indoor installations, to prevent smoke
at startup, close all windows near the fireplace
when first lighting a fire. The closed windows
may be reopened once a chimney draft is
drawn in the fireplace.
3. Center the grate in the firebox on or over
the bottom hearth so the fire can breathe prop-
erly. Crumble and twist plenty of newspapers
UNDER the grate, and criss-cross some small,
dry kindling sticks on top of the paper or on
the bottom of the grate.
(Continued on next page)
densitY
.41
.49-.60
.38-.39
.37
.64
.55-.65
.38
.50
.43
.34-.40
.60.63
.53
.60.66
.69-.75
.66 (est.)
.69
.48-.50
.48-.63
.59-.67
.64-.88
.42
.42
.52
.49
.64 (est.)
.50
.55
.39
densitY
.46
.31-.47
.46-.50
.32-.43
.40-.45
.52
.39-.59
.35-.40
.35-.41
.53