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[phonetech430]

I hope bigger is better. Last year I started my furnace on thanksgiving night. My wood had been seasoned for 2 years and split 6"- 7" in diameter. We had a very warm winter. I was a little disappointed in the burn times & wood usage. If my temp was down 20 degrees or so it was like putting toothpicks in a buck stove. I originally thought it won't take much fire to keep water @ 180 degrees put after the first year I'm starting to wonder.  However this year if i can handle it I don't split it, how much will this help burn times & wood usage.

[benj1975]

I always try to put one large log in like of to the side. It's worked great over the years.

[AirForcePOL]

When it gets cold, If it will fit through the door I will throw it in.  Then I will take a few smaller pieces and put them around the sides.  A 12" piece will usually last me 24 hours and I just have to throw the smaller pieces in ever 12 or so.

[HandyMark]

I heated with a small indoor wood furnace for 6 seasons and now in our new house I have a OWB. I am a firm believer that I have always gotten better burn times with bigger pieces. Sometimes I will halve big rounds or split a little sliver off the side of small rounds to help it dry.

[phonetech430]

I was raised with a wood stove & had a nice clayton wood furnace in my basement. I burnt quite a bit more wood last year with my owb than i ever had n the previous (colder) winters with my indoor furnace. I guess i will find out shortly old man winter is not far off.

[woodfuel]

I think the colder the weather, the bigger the pieces. If you can "babysit your furnace" all day, use small pieces, rotate your ashes to the front and don't fill all the way up depending on your heat demand. This is what i do, but it is only my 2nd season.

[boilerman]

I burned indoor for 5 years and outdoor for 10. I burned more wood with my Classic than the indoor, but the Eclassic may burn slightly less than the indoor.
I have some theories on why: the OWF is heating my house evenly from corner to corner at a nice warm constant temperature and heating all my hot water too.
Had to burn small split pieces indoor. Always very dry and seasoned. When I installed the Classic, I often cut in Sept, burned that winter, if I could lift and fit it in the front door I burned it. Would often see water running out end of log and hear it sizzling, but it worked. Bottom line though, 40-50% of the potential btu of those logs were wasted just drying the log out so it could even burn in the first place! The first season with the Eclassic, I burned that same wood, just splitting a weeks worth at a time and it worked ok and I saw some wood savings. since that time I get my wood blocked and larger pieces split well over a year in advance and it made a huge difference on wood consumption. I am now positive it would have done the same when burning the Classic model. I think large pieces will burn slower, but you have to get them a lot of time to dry down. I blocked up some 8 foot ash that had been laying for 4 years, still wet and heavy away from the ends! In the Classic model, loading smaller loads near the loading door and daily pulling coals up and to the front got me the most efficiency. Keep wood in front of the rear baffel, anything loaded behind allows heat to go straight out the chimney.

[phonetech430]

I cut my wood this spring  red & white oak chucks & i still have wood that was split for my indoor stove that has seasoned for two years. The heat is alot more even especially on the upstairs bed rooms, that is were i was having trouble heating with my indoor furnace. I don't think they are efficient as the manufacturer say they are.