Wood Saver Grates

[220 maple]

Has anyone ever cut a Wood Saver Grate? I have a place in my firebox that one about 23 inches long would fit, currently has five fire bricks behind the two Wood Savers that I installed for this season, or should I drill holes thru the fire bricks. I believe I read a post where 3/4 inch holes can be drilled in the bricks to allow more air to pass thru.

Mark 220 Maple

[Brent]

my experience / experiment this year was to put tubes with holes above the fire pointing down like a modern high efficiency wood stove. From what I saw do not add more air below, if anything reduce it. Studies at the University of Vermont show that you should put 75-80% of the air above the fire and only 20 - 25% up through the grates.

I used 1 1/4" tubes with about 18 holes in each and a couple of very small blowers. I got the same stack temp as last year but I did not but wood in nearly as often. I think I saved 25 - 35% of the wood. Check out the article at the U of V web site

http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/

next year for me bigger tubes, likely 3 of them and a much bigger blower.