Split length vs. what stove will take

[wahoowad]

Last winter & spring I split my wood for this season to 16" because my stove max is 18". Previously, with 18" splits, I sometimes had problems getting the last split or two in because the other splits reduced my room to manuever. I also scrounged up some logs that were already cut to 14" so I've been mostly burning splits with an inch or two of space on each side of them. I found they tend to ignite on the ends as my primary air comes down from above, across the glass, and feed combustion on the sides. Once this is established it often stays like that and takes a good while for the tops of the splits to ignite. This lets the stove temp drop off some.

This season I have tried to cut my splits closer to 17 and 18" wide to get maximum fuel in the firebox. I'm wondering if others with top-centric air have this problem.

 

[brianosaur]

I usually leave 2 inches short.

Sometimes with my side load fuel door, when I slide a log in,
the coals will build up and be pushed onto the far side of the box.

This will make it very difficult for the entire log to fit in unless I have some room to spare.

 

[Mike Wilson]

I generally ask for shorter splits, about 2" shorter than the stove will take. The main reason, besides for ease of loading, is that I KNOW that the guy who delivers my wood will give me a few longer ones here and there, and the longer ones just barely fit. I tend to use the longer splits for my overnight burns, and yes, they can be a pain to get into the stove.

-- Mike

 

[Mo Heat]

This season I have tried to cut my splits closer to 17 and 18" wide to get maximum fuel in the firebox. I'm wondering if others with top-centric air have this problem.

My stove can take up to a 24" length, but in practice, I burn splits of much shorter lengths. My manual suggested alternating (or staggering) the splits from side to side so that every other split or so touches one side while the others touch the other side. I find that helps me with the issue you describe and distributes flame and heat effectively across the entire box.

 

[Hogwildz]

I cut all mine down to 16" for front to back loading. I do have longer splits, I usually put them in one at a time here and there diagonally.