Wood is required for your wood stove to operate at peak performance, but how much do you know about your wood fuel? Most consumers know what type of wood they are burning and what size they can fit in the stove but few know what the moisture content is. Moisture content is critical to the performance of a wood stove!

One of the biggest complaints that stove manufacturers get is that a stove will not heat. The consumer thinks he is burning dry wood but has the moisture content been verified? Some stove manufactures are now including moisture meters with their stoves. The EPA’s Larry Brockman has stated, “This is a real opportunity for the wood stove industry, we want wood stoves to work well for fewer emissions and more satisfied customers. These moisture meters are a great tool to do that”.

Wood should have a moisture content between 15 and 20 percent. Using a moisture meter correctly will allow for the consumer to properly measure the moisture content. “Split it and Stick it” should become a common refrain for wood burners, Split the wood and then stick the pins of the meter into the freshly split wood. The meters do not work well using a split in the wood as some “green” wood will have splits. When a consumer uses a moisture meter correctly he will know more about the wood he is burning, and that is always a good thing.