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Firewood
Your Woodstock Soapstone Absolute Steel Hybrid Wood Stove is designed to burn dry, natural cordwood. Higher
efficiency and lower emissions generally result when burning air dried hardwoods, as compared to green, freshly cut
hard woods. It is perfectly fine to burn soft woods in your stove as long as they are properly dried. Hardwoods are
preferable because they are typically denser than soft woods which gives them a higher fuel value per volume.
The moisture content of some trees may range as high as 50% – i.e., there is as much moisture in the tree as there is
wood. After wood has been cut to length, split and stacked for a year, the moisture content will usually range from 15-
25%. Splitting wood before it is stored will reduce drying time. Properly dried wood will produce more heat, reduce the
likelihood of water vapor condensing in the chimney, forming creosote, and result in less pollution entering the air. It is
safer and more efficient to burn dry hardwood than green or wet wood that smolders.
The advantages of burning dry wood are many. Dry wood is lighter, easier to split, and easier to carry. It is easier to
light, produces more heat, and generates less pollution. If you burn wet wood much of the energy generated by the fire
is used to drive moisture out of the wood, rather than producing heat for you. Dry
wood will maintain the highest combustor temperatures and burn the most
efficiently. Creosote is much less likely to form if you burn dry wood.
There are several ways to determine if wood is properly dried. Visual “checking”
on the end of the wood splits, dry wood will feel lighter, if you bang two pieces of
dry wood together it will sound hollow (wet wood will sound solid & dull) no
bubbling or sizzling from the wood as it burns. Moisture meters are a great way to
determine the percentage of moisture content in wood. Moisture meters utilize two
pin probes that insert into the wood and read the percentage of moisture. Moisture
meters can be purchased online.
Common symptoms of burning wet wood include: Difficulty getting the fire
started, smokey fire, dirty glass, creosote buildup within the stove pipe and/or chimney, low heat output, short burn
times, and excessive wood use.
DO NOT BURN pressure treated or painted wood, unseasoned wood, coal, garbage, solvents, lawn clippings or
yard waste, materials containing rubber; including tires, plastics, petroleum products, paints, paint thinners, asphalt
products, materials containing asbestos, construction debris, railroad ties, manure or animal remains, salt water
driftwood or other salt treated saturated materials, or paper products, cardboard, plywood, or particle board in your
Woodstock Soapstone Absolute Steel Hybrid Wood Stove. The prohibition against burning these materials does not
prohibit the use of fire starters made from paper, cardboard, saw dust, wax and similar substances for the purpose of
starting a fire in the Absolute Steel Hybrid.
Coal and artificial logs burn much hotter than wood and could cause damage through overheating the the steel or the
soapstone panels. Burning treated wood, garbage, solvents, colored paper or trash may result in the release of toxic
fumes and may poison or otherwise render the catalytic combustor ineffective and cause smoke.
Burning cardboard, loose paper, and trash will add significantly to ash and soot buildup, and it will not produce
much heat. Fly ash from improper fuel can also coat or plug the combustor, causing smoke spillage into the room.
Under normal operating conditions, the Woodstock Soapstone Stove is designed to last for generations. It is not,
however, designed for continuous over-firing, or firing with coal, artificial logs or trash.
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Dry Firewood will show “checking”
or cracks at the end of the split
• UNSEASONED WOOD
• TREATED/PAINTED WOOD
• COAL
• GARBAGE
• CARDBOARD
• SOLVENTS
• COLORED PAPER
• TRASH
• LAWN CLIPPING
• RUBBER PRODUCTS
• PLASTICS
• PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
• PAINT/PAINT THINNER
• MATERIALS CONTAINING ASBESTOS
• DRIFTWOOD
• ASPHALT PRODUCTS
• RAILROAD TIES
• MANURE/ANIMAL REMAINS
• PLYWOOD/PARTICLE BOARD
DO NOT BURN!