Compressed Wood Fuel Q & A
Q: What are Compressed Wood Fuel (CWF) Products?
A: CWFs are used as an alternative to traditional split cordwood firewood, and are a viable substitute for fossil fuels such as heating oil, propane and natural gas. They are made in the shape of bricks, blocks, fireplace logs, and pellets.
Q: What are the benefits of burning CWFs?
A: Compressed wood fuels burn hotter, cleaner, and last longer than regular firewood.
CWFs are renewable and sustainable “carbon neutral” fuels made from 100% wood. “Carbon neutral” means that the same amount of CO2 is absorbed by forests as is emitted by the fuel when it’s burned.
CWFs are made with no bark, which means they are free of bugs, dirt, mold, and fungus, and they produce significantly less creosote and ash than cordwood.
Q: How are CWFs made?
A: 100% Environmentally friendly CWFs in the form of bricks, blocks, fireplace logs, and pellets are made from kiln dried recycled and waste wood that contains no bark, bugs, dirt, mold, or fungus and without any glue or binders.
Wood material (wood chips, shavings, and sawdust) passes through a hammer mill which provides a uniform dough-like mass. This substance is conveyed to a hopper that feeds a hydraulic press where it is squeezed through a dye of the required size and shape, much like making pasta. The extreme pressure use in this process greatly increases the temperature of the wood. This plasticizes the wood’s lignin slightly, which naturally holds the products together as they cool.
Q: Do I need a special stove to use CWFs?
A: Yes & No. Using wood pellets does require a stove, furnace, or boiler made especially for burning pellet fuels.
Wood bricks, blocks, and fireplace logs can be used in any well maintained and ventilated wood stove, fireplace, fireplace stove insert, wood furnace, or boiler.
Maine Biomass has a full line of wood and pellet stoves, furnaces, and boilers from Cumberland, Napoleon, and Timberwolf, as well as other types of heating and cooling equipment.
Q: How long will CWFs last when burned?
A: How long a fire will last depends on how many pieces of wood fuel are used at one time. Just like pieces of regular firewood, more than one piece of any CWF is needed to start a fire. Two or three pieces of wood fuel should be used for an initial burn to test them in your heating appliance. Three to five pieces will easily light with crunched up paper or with a Georgian Fatwood Fire Starter placed in the pile.
Q: Will using CWFs overheat my stove?
A: New users should start conservatively when burning CWFs in order to learn how to use them in their particular heating appliance. CWFs are extremely dry and highly compressed. Your stove doesn’t need to be filled as tightly with CWFs as it does with cordwood, so care should be taken when using them. CWFs expand slightly when burned and should not be placed against glass doors or piled against top load doors, or other parts of your appliance that are not lined with fire brick or metal plates. Because there is an inherent danger with the use of any wood fuel and/or heating appliance, once delivery is completed the supplier maintains no further liability for issues involving the use of products delivered.
For first time use two or three pieces of wood fuel should be used for an initial burn to test them in your heating appliance, and no more than ½ a stove full should be used. No more than ¾ of a stove full should be needed. Usually a 2/3 stove full will provide 8 – 12 hours of continuous warmth.
Q: How are CWFs packaged and purchased?
A: CWFs are sold by the pallet delivered to your location, or picked up at our warehouse. Individual bags or packages are available at our retail location (11 Pleasant St., Brunswick, ME) or from our Retail Partners.
A pallet of wood bricks comes two ways; either 50 / 40 lb. packages of 20 bricks per pkg., or 75 / 24 lb. pkgs. of 12 bricks each.
A pallet of wood blocks has 80 / 24 lb., pkgs. of 4 blocks each.
Pallets of fireplace logs contain 90 / 26.4 lb. pkgs. of 12 logs each.
Wood pellets have 50 / 40 lb. bags per pallet.
Q: How many pallets of CWF will it take to heat my home for the winter season?
A: The amount you will use depends on the size of the space being heated, the efficiency of your heating appliance, and your personal level of comfort. One pallet of CWF will conservatively equal the heating value of a full cord of the best seasoned firewood, take up ½ the space, and produce far less creosote and ash. If you normally use 3 cords of firewood, we suggest you will need 3 pallets of CWF.
Q: Can I mix CWF with regular firewood?
A: Yes. CWF can be used as a supplement to cordwood, or for gaining the most efficiency from semi-seasoned firewood. Many people enjoy only having to tend their stove as little as twice a day, so for the greatest convenience and efficiency they burn CWF 100% of the time.
Q: If burning Compressed Wood Fuel produces less creosote and ash, do I still need to have my chimney cleaned every year.
A: Yes. Even though CWF produces significantly less creosote and ash than cordwood, dirty stoves are the main reason for an inefficient burn, and so we recommend an annual professional inspection and cleaning of your heating appliance and chimney in order to maintain them properly. This is a service provided by Maine Biomass.
Q: Where should CWFs be stored?
A: Bug, bark, dirt, mold, fungus free, and cleanly wrapped compressed wood fuels may be stored in your garage, shed, basement, or other places convenient to your stove. CWFs are not affected by humidity in the air if they are still packaged and kept under cover, however they will deteriorate on contact with liquids.
All Canawick wood fuel products are guaranteed to be delivered dry. We recommend indoor storage of all products and cannot be responsible for damage due to moisture.
Q: What are Compressed Wood Fuel (CWF) Products?
A: CWFs are used as an alternative to traditional split cordwood firewood, and are a viable substitute for fossil fuels such as heating oil, propane and natural gas. They are made in the shape of bricks, blocks, fireplace logs, and pellets.
Q: What are the benefits of burning CWFs?
A: Compressed wood fuels burn hotter, cleaner, and last longer than regular firewood.
CWFs are renewable and sustainable “carbon neutral” fuels made from 100% wood. “Carbon neutral” means that the same amount of CO2 is absorbed by forests as is emitted by the fuel when it’s burned.
CWFs are made with no bark, which means they are free of bugs, dirt, mold, and fungus, and they produce significantly less creosote and ash than cordwood.
Q: How are CWFs made?
A: 100% Environmentally friendly CWFs in the form of bricks, blocks, fireplace logs, and pellets are made from kiln dried recycled and waste wood that contains no bark, bugs, dirt, mold, or fungus and without any glue or binders.
Wood material (wood chips, shavings, and sawdust) passes through a hammer mill which provides a uniform dough-like mass. This substance is conveyed to a hopper that feeds a hydraulic press where it is squeezed through a dye of the required size and shape, much like making pasta. The extreme pressure use in this process greatly increases the temperature of the wood. This plasticizes the wood’s lignin slightly, which naturally holds the products together as they cool.
Q: Do I need a special stove to use CWFs?
A: Yes & No. Using wood pellets does require a stove, furnace, or boiler made especially for burning pellet fuels.
Wood bricks, blocks, and fireplace logs can be used in any well maintained and ventilated wood stove, fireplace, fireplace stove insert, wood furnace, or boiler.
Maine Biomass has a full line of wood and pellet stoves, furnaces, and boilers from Cumberland, Napoleon, and Timberwolf, as well as other types of heating and cooling equipment.
Q: How long will CWFs last when burned?
A: How long a fire will last depends on how many pieces of wood fuel are used at one time. Just like pieces of regular firewood, more than one piece of any CWF is needed to start a fire. Two or three pieces of wood fuel should be used for an initial burn to test them in your heating appliance. Three to five pieces will easily light with crunched up paper or with a Georgian Fatwood Fire Starter placed in the pile.
Q: Will using CWFs overheat my stove?
A: New users should start conservatively when burning CWFs in order to learn how to use them in their particular heating appliance. CWFs are extremely dry and highly compressed. Your stove doesn’t need to be filled as tightly with CWFs as it does with cordwood, so care should be taken when using them. CWFs expand slightly when burned and should not be placed against glass doors or piled against top load doors, or other parts of your appliance that are not lined with fire brick or metal plates. Because there is an inherent danger with the use of any wood fuel and/or heating appliance, once delivery is completed the supplier maintains no further liability for issues involving the use of products delivered.
For first time use two or three pieces of wood fuel should be used for an initial burn to test them in your heating appliance, and no more than ½ a stove full should be used. No more than ¾ of a stove full should be needed. Usually a 2/3 stove full will provide 8 – 12 hours of continuous warmth.
Q: How are CWFs packaged and purchased?
A: CWFs are sold by the pallet delivered to your location, or picked up at our warehouse. Individual bags or packages are available at our retail location (11 Pleasant St., Brunswick, ME) or from our Retail Partners.
A pallet of wood bricks comes two ways; either 50 / 40 lb. packages of 20 bricks per pkg., or 75 / 24 lb. pkgs. of 12 bricks each.
A pallet of wood blocks has 80 / 24 lb., pkgs. of 4 blocks each.
Pallets of fireplace logs contain 90 / 26.4 lb. pkgs. of 12 logs each.
Wood pellets have 50 / 40 lb. bags per pallet.
Q: How many pallets of CWF will it take to heat my home for the winter season?
A: The amount you will use depends on the size of the space being heated, the efficiency of your heating appliance, and your personal level of comfort. One pallet of CWF will conservatively equal the heating value of a full cord of the best seasoned firewood, take up ½ the space, and produce far less creosote and ash. If you normally use 3 cords of firewood, we suggest you will need 3 pallets of CWF.
Q: Can I mix CWF with regular firewood?
A: Yes. CWF can be used as a supplement to cordwood, or for gaining the most efficiency from semi-seasoned firewood. Many people enjoy only having to tend their stove as little as twice a day, so for the greatest convenience and efficiency they burn CWF 100% of the time.
Q: If burning Compressed Wood Fuel produces less creosote and ash, do I still need to have my chimney cleaned every year.
A: Yes. Even though CWF produces significantly less creosote and ash than cordwood, dirty stoves are the main reason for an inefficient burn, and so we recommend an annual professional inspection and cleaning of your heating appliance and chimney in order to maintain them properly. This is a service provided by Maine Biomass.
Q: Where should CWFs be stored?
A: Bug, bark, dirt, mold, fungus free, and cleanly wrapped compressed wood fuels may be stored in your garage, shed, basement, or other places convenient to your stove. CWFs are not affected by humidity in the air if they are still packaged and kept under cover, however they will deteriorate on contact with liquids.
All Canawick wood fuel products are guaranteed to be delivered dry. We recommend indoor storage of all products and cannot be responsible for damage due to moisture.
