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Wood species
Energy yield
(millions of BTU/cord)
High energy yield
Oak 29
Sugar Maple 28
Beech 26
Yellow birch 25
Ash 24
Elm 23
Medium energy yield
Larch (Tamarack) 23
Red Maple 23
Douglas red fir 23
Silver birch 22
Alder 18
Poplar 17
Hemlock 17
Low energy yield
Spruce 17
Pine 17
Bass 16
Fir 13
Data provided by Energy, Mines and Resources – Canada
TABLE 3.2 Energy yield for wood species
3.2.1 The use of manufactured logs
There are numerous types of manufactured logs sold on the market. You must be very careful with this
type of product. Many brands of manufactured logs contain chemical additives. DO NOT BURN ANY
MANUFACTURED LOGS CONTAINING CHEMICAL ADDITIVES. If you do, you may damage your
stove and void the warranty. Logs containing chemical additives burn a lot hotter and were designed for
decorative fireplaces. Decorative fireplaces generally have larger, cooler, and less air-tight fireboxes.
Your Drolet stove, on the other hand, has a smaller, completely sealed firebox which attains much higher
temperatures. It is therefore not designed to support excessive heat caused by the addition of chemicals
in manufactured logs. Manufactured logs made of 100% wood residues do not cause any threat to your
stove. You must however be careful. Manufactured logs typically release a much larger heat output over
a short period of time. Therefore, you cannot place a large quantity of such logs into your stove, like you
would with regular cord wood. Start with one log, and gradually increase the load to 3 or 4 logs and see
how your stove reacts. Use a chimney (flue) thermometer and make sure that temperatures remain within
the normal operating range.
3.2.2 Simple wood moisture test
Add one large piece of wood to the top of an established fire. If it starts to burn on three sides within one
minute, it is dry and seasoned and right for burning. If it turns black and starts to burn in about three minutes
or more, it is damp. If it turns black and does not start burning until five minutes or more, it is green and wet.
If it hisses at any time, the wood is soaked and will not burn until the excess of moisture is boiled away.