Drolet Heat Commander Installation And Operating Instructions Manual page 46

8.1.4 Piece size
Firewood dries more quickly when it is split. Large unsplit rounds can take years to dry
enough to burn. Even when dried, unsplit logs are difficult to ignite because they don't have
the sharp edges where the flames first catch. Logs as small as 3" (76 mm) should be split
to encourage drying.
Wood should be split to a range of sizes, from about 3" to 6" (76 mm to 152 mm) in cross
section. Having a range of sizes makes starting and rekindling fires much easier. Often, the
firewood purchased from commercial suppliers is not split finely enough for convenient
stoking. It is sometimes advisable to re-split the wood before stacking to dry.
8.1.5 How to dry firewood
Firewood that is not dry enough to burn is the cause of most complaints about wood burning
appliances. Continually burning green or unseasoned wood produces more creosote and
involves lack of heat and dirty glass door. See Section 10: Maintaining your wood heating
system for concerns about creosote.