Bio-Bricks - Can I use them?

Bio-Bricks are compressed biomass (sawdust primarily) made into blocks and sold by many hardware stores, big box, and some stove shops.  Before you even consider buying them, check with the manufacturer of your stove appliance.  The majority of brands we know will VOID WARRANTY if Bio-Bricks are used.  Why?

Stoves are tested by safety testing labs to specific test standards to determine safe distances to combustibles among other things.  Cord wood (the stuff that's stacked in the backyard) may have irregular shapes and varying degrees of moisture content but the typical moisture content of really well-seasoned wood is about 20%.  Bio-Bricks are kiln dried  to much lower moisture content. When exposed to the high temperatures inside a firebox, the solid Bio-Bricks can disintegrate and expose more surface area of dry-hot particles leading to lots of combustible gas emissions and  potentially high temperatures that could exceed the limits the appliance was safety tested to. Some manufacturers do allow Bio-Brick use so check first.