34
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 E.P.A 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.