Nature's Comfort NCB-80 Installation And Operating Manual - page 22
Page 22 of 34
IV. Operation
A. Fuel Requirements
Wood that is 20% moisture content or lower is required for the boiler to obtain the most
efficient burn. Using unseasoned (“wet” or “green”) wood causes cooler burning
temperatures and severely reduces efficiency.
Only burn wood that has been cut, split and seasoned for 12-24 months, sheltered from rain and
snow in Fall through Spring. The wood should be split 6-8” in diameter and cut 12-16” for the fastest
seasoning and should be 19-25% moisture content by weight before burning. Moisture content of
30% and higher is considered “wet” and the more moisture, the more smoke and creosote is
created while the wood heats up and dries out to burn clean. Large or un-split pieces will have more
moisture and make more smoke and creosote than pieces that are properly cut and split.
To test moisture content, use several pieces to get an average of a pile and first split the wood, then
use a moisture tester with pins suitable for wood (available from Nature’s Comfort), placing the pins
in line with the wood grain. Testing the ends or outside of pieces give a false, low reading.
Never burn driftwood, painted, stained or pressure treated wood. Do not burn trash, plastics,
gasoline, rubber, naphtha, household garbage, material treated with petroleum products (particle
board, railroad ties and pressure treated wood), leaves, paper products or cardboard.
The following are guidelines for wood:
Stack covered on rails off the ground to prevent soaking up moisture from the earth, stored
outside of clearance area and away from front and back of stove for space required for
fueling, ash removal & other routine maintenance operations.
Keep wood pile covered but open to the wind in Fall through Spring as rain and snow will greatly
hamper seasoning.
Wood will not dry out (season) properly until split.
Hardwoods burn longer than softwoods as they are denser and have more available BTU’s.
Larger pieces burn longer than smaller pieces but take longer to season properly.
Wood with higher moisture content wastes energy to dry out wood and produces increased
amounts of creosote which is corrosive when mixed with ash and heat and will shorten the life of
the boiler and is not covered under warranty.
If you see moisture oozing from the ends of burning pieces, this points to improper seasoning.
Rotten, old wood burns rapidly and does not have enough fuel mass for decent burn times.
Too small of pieces also burn rapidly and make more smoke due to the extra surface area.
B. Starting A Fire
Do not use combustible fluids or chemicals. Turn on the rear switch to run the blower. Start with a
small pile of criss-crossed sticks or pieces of split kindling about the size of a dinner plate on top of
several crumbled newspaper pages and light with a torch or match and slowly add larger kindling
pieces. Once this is sufficiently ignited, add 2-4 logs and close the fuel door. Wait for these pieces
to sufficiently ignite before loading the firebox full.
Caution! Follow procedures as outlined in
“Loading Wood” (next section) for opening fuel door.
NOTE: There will also be a large amount of condensation created until the water jacket comes up to
temperature. This may drip from the fuel door and will dry out within 24 hours.