Building The Less Efficient Fire

Step 1.Lay out kindling of newspaper, kindling wood or fatwood on basket type grate and ignite.

Step 2.As soon as kindling is burning well, add larger pieces of round or split logs as available, stacking as efficiently as possible, depending on the size and shape of wood pieces.

Step 3.When fire is under way and burning well, heat generated is radiated in all directions, only a small amount enters the room, most is radiated upwards contributing to global warming.

Step 4.As the fuel burns down, the wood starts to smolder and less heat is generated, regardless of radiation direction.

Step 5.Add more fuel to keep the fire going, again the heat generated is mostly lost upwards.

Building The Optimum Fire

Step 1.Position a Radiant type grate to accept the log lengths selected (UNSPLIT round logs preferred), load one large log on bottom log rest and roll to the back of grate. Place kindling of newspaper, kindling wood or fatwood in front of large log. Rotate upper log rests inwards to touch the large back log and load smaller sized log, which will roll down and touch the back log.

Step 2. Ignite the kindling, the heat is contained and radiates outward into the room, all other heat generated starts combustion of the other pieces of wood.

Step 3.Once the kindling has burned down, drop the top log down onto the kindling by rotating the two upper log rests, rotate back against the large back log and load another small log onto upper log rests. Adjust the positioning of the small logs by pushing against the large back log.

Step 4.Depending on the size of grate used, a combination of one 9 inch and two 6 inch diameter logs, or one 6 inch and two 4 inch diameter logs will give 4 to 5 hours of radiant heat INTO the room, with very little adjustment of the pieces before burning down to glowing embers.

Step 5.Now is the time to reload and start the cycle again.