Homefire Prest Logs Didn't Work So Well for Me

[WarmGuy]

I'm running low on firewood this year, and got some Homefire Prest logs to try out. I bought 9 to try out, and was expecting a lot, based on reviews here and elsewhere. My plan was to burn three logs for the entire day, and see how it went. If that worked out, I could heat the main part of the house for $3.60 per day, or $108 per month.

But after several hours, the temp in the room had hardly budged. I added more logs, up to seven, and it never really did the job.

It was an unusually cold day, so maybe I'll do another test, but so far it doesn't look good.

I have a Regency Warmhearth 2400, with a meter right above the door:


6:48 AM light three logs
9:20 Meter at 250 degrees, room still at 60, add two more logs.
11:00 Meter at about 350, room temp 64.5
1:37 Meter at 200, room at 64, add two more logs, open air control.
4:15 Meter 200, Room 66

Here's a video of my warmhearth with regular softwood, and a temp of about 500 degrees.

 

[PNWBurner]

A temp peak of 350 sounds pretty marginal but then I'm used to 700+ in my PE.

Was that with the air cut back?

I've been wondering about prested logs too but that doesn't look very encouraging. I wonder if splitting or crumbling them a bit might not give more surface area to burn.

 

[WarmGuy]

No, I had the air open all the way.

 

[Beave]

Three HF logs will make my stove very hot (600-700) if thrown on a bed of hot coals. I can run up to six from a cold stove. Maybe you got a batch that had been in the rain or otherwise exposed to dampness. I think they are rated at less than 10% moisture content.

Try getting a good bed of coals, or mix some seasoned wood in. I know they are hard to light from a cold stove. For my stove, it's all about a N-S orientation and a well placed chunk of Super Cedar or other firestarter.

Besides the clinkers that form, I have no complaints and have used hundreds of them for over two years. FWIW, I keep them in the garage, on top of a length of MDF.