Enjoy your Altech soapstone stove even more by firing the stove in a responsible way. The first step here is to use dry wood. But how dry should the wood be? And what is the best way to dry wood?
Extend the life of your Altech soapstone stove, stoke with good wood
The use of good firewood is of great importance in order to be able to enjoy your Altech soapstone stove to the fullest, now but also in the future. The lifespan of our appliances is extended when they are handled in a responsible manner.
When is a stove or fireplace EcoDesign Ready?
The firewood must be clean and dry. This may not contain more than 15% residual moisture. Is this the case and is the percentage higher? Then the wood is too wet to burn and the risk of any nuisance and damage to the stove is greater. In this case, it is advisable to let the wood dry a little longer.
When wood is cut, it often contains between 60% and 80% moisture. This moisture consists of the tree’s growth juices and this moisture does not burn. It is good to know that the wood can only release combustible gases when the residual moisture has evaporated. The evaporation of the juices takes place at 100°C, while the combustible gases are only released at 150°C.
Why not burn wet wood in the wood stove?
Wood that is too moist burns badly because it takes a lot of energy to evaporate the growth juices. In addition, the combustion system of the stove hardly gets up to temperature, which causes a lot of smoke development, which can lead to possible nuisance. With wet wood, it is therefore very difficult to properly fire an Altech soapstone wood stove and have it burn beautifully. But the most important thing to know is that the wood that is too wet can also damage your Altech soapstone stove.
How do you dry wood?
Burning dry and clean wood in your Altech stove is therefore of great importance. Good fuel comes from the woodshed and needs at least 2 years to dry there. Make sure the wood is clear of the ground. And it helps enormously if the wind can reach it. A little rain won’t hurt. After all, the wind blows more often than it rains and a rain shower does not keep firewood wet any more than the laundry on the line.
