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Century S245E Installation and Operation Manual 

 

17 

4.2.2  The Top Down Fire 
The top down fire starting method solves two problems with the conventional method: first, 
it does not collapse and smother itself as it burns; and second, it is not necessary to build 
up the fire gradually because the firebox is loaded before the fire is lit. A top down fire can 
provide up to two hours of heating or more. The top down method only works properly if the 
wood is well-seasoned. 

Start by placing three or four full-sized split pieces of dry firewood in the firebox. Next, place 
4 or 5 more finely split pieces of firewood (2” to 3” [50 mm to 75 mm] in dia.) on the base 
logs at right angles (log cabin style). Now place about 10 pieces of finely split kindling on the 
second layer at right angles.  

The fire is topped with about 5 sheets of newspaper. You can just bunch them up and stuff 
them in between the kindling and the underside of the baffle. Or you can make newspaper 
knots by rolling up single sheets corner to corner and tying a knot in them. The advantage 
of knots is that they don’t roll off the fire as they burn. Light the newspaper and watch as the 
fire burns from top to bottom. 

4.2.3  Two Parallel Logs 
Place two spit logs in the firebox. Place a few sheets of twisted newspaper between the logs. 
Now place some fine kindling across the two logs and some larger kindling across those, 
log cabin style. Light the newspaper.  

4.2.4  Using Fire Starters 
Many  people  like  to  use  commercial  fire  starters  instead  of  newspaper.  Some  of  these 
starters are made of sawdust and wax and others are specialized flammable solid chemicals. 
Follow the package directions for use.  

Gel  starter  may  be  used  but  only  if  there  are  no  hot  embers  present.  Use  only  in  a  cold 
firebox to start a fire. 

DO  NOT  USE  FLAMMABLE  LIQUIDS  SUCH  AS  GASOLINE,  NAPHTHA,  FUEL  OIL, 
MOTOR OIL, OR AEROSOLS TO START OR REKINDLE THE FIRE.  

4.3

 

Maintaining Wood Fires 

4.3.1  General Advice 
Wood heating with a space heater is very different than other forms of heating. There will be 
variations in the temperature in different parts of the house and there will be variations in 
temperature throughout the day and night. This is normal, and for experienced wood burners 
these are advantages of zone heating with wood. 

Do not expect steady heat output from your stove. It is normal for its surface temperature to 
rise after a new load of wood is ignited and for its temperature to gradually decline as the 
fire  progresses. This rising and falling of temperature  can  be matched to  your household 
routines. For example, the area temperature can be cooler when you are active, such as 
when doing housework or cooking, and it can be warmer when you are inactive, such as 
when reading or watching television. 

Summary of Contents for CB00007

Page 1: ...Stove Builder International Inc 250 rue de Copenhague St Augustin de Desmaures Quebec Canada G3A 2H3 After sale service 418 908 8002 E mail tech sbi international com This manual is available for free download on the manufacturer s web site It is a copyrighted document Re sale is strictly prohibited The manufacturer may update this manual from time to time and cannot be responsible for problems in...

Page 2: ...led a house fire may result To reduce the risk of fire follow the installation instructions Contact local building or fire officials about restrictions and installation inspection requirements in your area Please read this entire manual before you install and use your new stove Failure to follow instructions may result in property damage bodily injury or even death It is important that you follow ...

Page 3: ... to Prepare or Buy Good Firewood 12 3 2 1 What is Good Firewood 12 3 2 2 Tree Species 12 3 2 3 Log Length 13 3 2 4 Piece Size 13 3 2 5 How to Dry Firewood 14 3 2 6 Judging Firewood Moisture Content 15 3 3 Manufactured Logs 15 4 Operating Your Stove 16 4 1 Your First Fires 16 4 2 Lighting Fires 16 4 2 1 Conventional Fire Starting 16 4 2 2 The Top Down Fire 17 4 2 3 Two Parallel Logs 17 4 2 4 Using ...

Page 4: ...ial 28 7 1 Location of the certification label 28 7 2 Clearances to Walls and Ceiling 28 7 3 Floor protector 31 7 4 Reducing Wall and Ceiling Clearances Safely 32 7 4 1 Shield Construction Rules 32 7 4 2 Table of Clearance Reduction Percentages 34 8 The Venting System 35 8 1 General 35 8 2 Suitable Chimneys 35 8 2 1 Factory built Metal Chimneys 35 8 2 2 Masonry Chimneys 36 8 3 Minimum Chimney Heig...

Page 5: ...Century S245E Installation and Operation Manual 5 Appendix 2 Installation and Use of Optional Blower and Thermodisc 43 Appendix 3 Exploded Diagram and Parts List 45 CENTURY HEATING LIMITED WARRANTY 48 ...

Page 6: ...EVER USE GASOLINE GASOLINE TYPE LANTERN FUEL NAPHTHA FUEL OIL MOTOR OIL KEROSENE CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLUID OR SIMILAR LIQUIDS OR AEROSOLS TO START OR FRESHEN UP A FIRE IN THIS STOVE KEEP ALL SUCH LIQUIDS OR AEROSOLS WELL AWAY FROM THE STOVE WHILE IT IS IN USE DO NOT STORE FUEL WITHIN HEATER MINIMUM INSTALLATION CLEARANCES BURN ONLY SEASONED NATURAL FIREWOOD DO NOT BURN o GARBAGE OF ANY KIND o COAL OR...

Page 7: ... heat loss factors climate fuel type and other variables The recommended heated area for a given appliance is defined by the manufacturer as its capacity to maintain a minimum acceptable temperature in the designated area in case of a power failure 1 Values are as measured per test method except for the recommended heating area firebox volume maximum burn time and maximum heat output 2 The maximum...

Page 8: ...ard EPA CSA B415 1 10 USA standard safety UL 1482 UL 737 Canadian standard safety ULC S627 East west through the door you see the longitudinal sides of the logs north south through the door you see the tips of the logs Mobile home Canada or manufactured home USA The US department of Housing and Urban Development describes manufactured homes better known as mobile homes as followed buildings built ...

Page 9: ...Century S245E Installation and Operation Manual 9 ...

Page 10: ...r heating system by heating a particular space within a home such as a basement family room or an addition that lacks another heat source Although the stove may be able to heat the main living areas of your house to an adequate temperature we strongly recommend that you also have a conventional oil gas or electric heating system to provide backup heating Your success with zone heating will depend ...

Page 11: ... environment so we do everything we can to use only materials in our products that will have no lasting negative impact on the environment 2 5 1 What is Your New Stove Made Of The body of your stove which is most of its weight is carbon steel Should it ever become necessary many years in the future almost the entire stove can be recycled into new products thus eliminating the need to mine new mate...

Page 12: ...pruce birch and poplar other low density species to burn and yet they can heat their homes successfully Homeowners with access to both hardwood and softwood fuel sometimes use both types for different purposes For example softer woods make good fuel for relatively mild weather in spring and fall because they light quickly and produce less heat Softwoods are not as dense as hardwoods so a given vol...

Page 13: ...s more quickly when it is split Large unsplit rounds can take years to dry enough to burn Even when dried unsplit logs are difficult to ignite because they don t have the sharp edges where the flames first catch Logs as small as 3 75 mm should be split to encourage drying Wood should be split to a range of sizes from about 3 to 6 75 mm to 150 mm in cross section Having a range of sizes makes start...

Page 14: ...s faster in warm summer weather than in winter weather small pieces dry more quickly than large pieces split pieces dry more quickly than unsplit rounds softwoods take less time to dry than hardwoods softwoods like pine spruce and poplar aspen can be dry enough to burn after being stacked in the open for only the summer months hardwoods like oak maple and ash can take one or even two years to dry ...

Page 15: ...the fire and dry wood does not You could buy a wood moisture meter to test your firewood 3 3 Manufactured Logs Do not burn manufactured logs made of wax impregnated sawdust or logs with any chemical additives Manufactured logs made of 100 compressed sawdust can be burned but use caution in the number of these logs burned at one time Start with one manufactured log and see how the stove reacts You ...

Page 16: ...e to get a hot fire burning quickly A fire that starts fast produces less smoke and deposits less creosote in the chimney Here are three popular and effective ways to start wood fires 4 2 1 Conventional Fire Starting The conventional way to build a wood fire is to bunch up 5 to 10 sheets of plain newspaper and place them in the firebox Next place 10 or so pieces of fine kindling on the newspaper T...

Page 17: ...aper between the logs Now place some fine kindling across the two logs and some larger kindling across those log cabin style Light the newspaper 4 2 4 Using Fire Starters Many people like to use commercial fire starters instead of newspaper Some of these starters are made of sawdust and wax and others are specialized flammable solid chemicals Follow the package directions for use Gel starter may b...

Page 18: ...om the firebox every two or three days of full time heating Do not let the ash build up in the firebox because it will interfere with proper fire management The best time to remove ash is after an overnight fire when the stove is relatively cool but there is still some chimney draft to draw the ash dust into the stove and prevent it from coming into the room After ashes have been removed from the ...

Page 19: ...nutes DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHILE A NEW LOAD IS BEING FIRED HOT When you burn a new load of wood hot to heat up the wood the stove and the chimney the result will be a surge of heat from the stove This heat surge is welcome when the room temperature is a little lower than desirable but not welcome if the space is already warm Therefore allow each load of wood to burn down so that the s...

Page 20: ...pace or turn the stove down so much that the fire will be smoky and inefficient Here are some suggestions for building fires to match different heat demand 4 3 6 1 Small Fires to Take the Chill Off the House To build a small fire that will produce a low heat output use small pieces of firewood and load them crisscross in the firebox The pieces should be only 3 to 4 in diameter After raking the coa...

Page 21: ... burn cycle time is the period between loading wood on a coal bed and the consumption of that wood back to a coal bed of the same size The flaming phase of the fire lasts for roughly the first half of the burn cycle and the second half is the coal bed phase during which there is little or no flame The length of burn you can expect from your stove including both the flaming and coal bed phases will...

Page 22: ...logs east west East west loads that are built compactly break down slowly when heated but the amount of wood you can load is limited because if you put in too many pieces one may fall against the glass East west loads are excellent for long low output fires for relatively mild weather North south loads break down more quickly but much more wood can be loaded at a time This makes north south loadin...

Page 23: ...eratures you may see some light brown stains forming especially at the lower corners of the glass This indicates that the fire has been smoky and some of the smoke has condensed on the glass When the weather is mild you may find that letting the fire go out is better than trying to maintain a continuous fire Use the technique described above for building a fire to take the chill off the house If y...

Page 24: ...ime to replace the gasket Use the correct replacement gasket that you can purchase from your retailer The diameter and density of the gasket is important to getting a good seal Place the door face down on something soft like a cushion of rags or piece of carpet Remove the old gasket from the door by pulling and prying it out with an old screw driver Then use the screwdriver to scrape the old gaske...

Page 25: ...o not over tighten the screws Note that the two main causes of broken door glass are uneven placement in the door and over tightening of retaining screws Do not abuse the glass door by striking or slamming shut Do not use the stove if the glass is broken To change the glass perform the same operation described above 5 1 5 Cleaning and Painting the Stove Do not attempt to clean or paint the stove w...

Page 26: ...r provincial fire authority for information on how to handle a chimney fire Have a clearly understood plan to handle a chimney fire 5 2 3 Cleaning the Chimney Chimney cleaning can be a difficult and dangerous job If you don t have experience cleaning chimneys you might want to hire a professional chimney sweep to clean and inspect the system for the first time After having seen the cleaning proces...

Page 27: ...N WITH ANY AIR DISTRIBUTION DUCTWORK UNLESS SPECIFICALLY APPROVED FOR SUCH INSTALLATION DO NOT CONNECT THIS UNIT TO A CHIMNEY FLUE SERVING ANOTHER APPLIANCE DO NOT INSTALL IN A MOBILE HOME 6 2 Regulations Covering Stove Installation When installed and operated as described in these instructions the Century S245E wood stove is suitable for use as a freestanding heater in residential installations T...

Page 28: ... in order to have a safe and compliant installation In addition you will find information about your stove model serial number etc You can find the certification label on the back of the stove 7 2 Clearances to Walls and Ceiling The clearances to combustible walls may be slightly different in Canada and the U S A and may also differ depending on whether you use single or double wall flue pipe Plea...

Page 29: ...ed However you can install the stove at reduced clearances follow the instructions in Section 7 4 Reducing Wall and Ceiling Clearances Safely Where they are followed the new distance of the pipe to combustible materials must be respected in the appropriate certification of the pipe Clearances with ceiling L lowered to 68 173 cm APPLIANCE CLEARANCES INSTALLATION WITH SINGLE WALL PIPE CONNECTOR CANA...

Page 30: ...MATERIALS CANADA USA D 14 368 mm 14 368 mm E 26 673 mm 26 673 mm F 18 457 mm 18 457 mm The pipe distances listed in this table refer to the distances obtained when the stove is installed in accordance with the appliance clearances above mentioned However you can install the stove at reduced clearances follow the instructions in Section 7 4 Reducing Wall and Ceiling Clearances Safely Where they are...

Page 31: ... mm From door opening 16 406 mm From door opening J N A USA only 8 203 mm M 8 203 mm N A Canada only N N A USA only Note 2 Steel with a minimum thickness of 0 015 0 38 mm or ceramic tiles sealed together with grout No protection is required if the unit is installed on a non combustible floor ex concrete Note 1 The floor protection at the back of the stove is limited to the stove s required clearan...

Page 32: ...tter to a clearance Adhesives used in shield construction must not ignite or lose adhesive qualities at temperatures likely to be encountered Mounting hardware which extends from the shield surface into combustibles may be used only at the edges of the shield Mounting hardware must allow full vertical ventilation A Minimum clearance between the appliance top and an unshielded combustible ceiling 1...

Page 33: ...Century S245E Installation and Operation Manual 33 Clearances for shield construction ...

Page 34: ...ombustible material on non combustible board spaced out at least 25 mm 1 in by non combustible spacers 50 18 in 33 24 in Ceramic tiles or equivalent non combustible material on non combustible board with a minimum of 24 gauge 0 61 mm sheet metal backing spaced out at least 25 mm 1 in by non combustible spacers 67 12 in 50 24 in Brick spaced out at least 25 mm 1 in by non combustible spacers 50 18 ...

Page 35: ...least 5 inches Canada only or no more than 7 inches is permitted if it allows the proper venting of combustion gases and that such application is verified and authorized by a qualified installer Otherwise the diameter of the flue should be 6 inches To be suitable a factory built metal chimney must comply with UL 103 U S A or ULC S629 Canada 8 2 1 Factory built Metal Chimneys These are sometimes re...

Page 36: ...6 flue it should be relined with a suitably listed 6 stainless steel liner Do not downsize the flue to less than 6 unless the venting system is straight and exceeds 25 feet in height When passing through a combustible wall the use of an insulated listed thimble is required 8 3 Minimum Chimney Height The top of the chimney should be tall enough to be above the air turbulence caused when wind blows ...

Page 37: ...hest heated space 8 4 1 Why inside chimneys are preferred Venting systems that rise straight up from the stove flue collar provide the best performance Chimneys that rise inside the warm space of the house tend to provide a small amount of draft even when there is no fire burning This means that when you light a fire the initial smoke goes up the chimney and strong draft builds quickly as the chim...

Page 38: ...re burning in the stove First the chimney runs up the outside of the house so the air in it is colder and denser than the warm air in the house And second the chimney is shorter than the heated space of the house meaning the negative pressure low in the house will pull outside air down the chimney through the stove and into the room Even the finest stove will not work well when connected to this c...

Page 39: ...during windy weather If you notice changes in wood stove performance in windy weather and in particular if smoke puffs from the stove you should disconnect the outdoor air duct from the stove and remove the duct In some windy conditions negative pressure at the duct weatherhood outside the house wall may draw hot exhaust gases from the stove backwards through the duct to outdoors Check the outdoor...

Page 40: ...e past can result in house fires The best flue pipe assembly is one that rises straight up from the stove to the base of the chimney with no elbows Straight assemblies are less likely to cause problems like smoke roll out when the door is opened for loading They are also more stable and easier to maintain than assemblies with elbows Horizontal runs of flue pipe should be avoided where possible bec...

Page 41: ...lude an inspection wrap with one end unfastened or a telescopic section Minimum upward slope towards the chimney 20 mm m 1 4 in ft One end of the assembly must be securely fastened to the flue collar with 3 sheet metal screws and the other end securely fastened to the chimney There must be provision for cleaning of the pipes either through a clean out or by removal of the pipe assembly Removal of ...

Page 42: ...ry S245E Installation and Operation Manual 42 Appendix 1 Installing the Optional Fresh Air Intake Kit AC01331 The installation instructions are provided with the Fresh Air Intake Kit AC01331 sold separately ...

Page 43: ...past heat exchange surfaces and to help circulate warm air in the room When used regularly the blower can provide a small increase in efficiency up to 2 percent However the use of a blower should not be used as a way to gain more output from a stove that is undersized for the space it is intended to heat You can purchase this option through your Century dealer Make sure to specify this part number...

Page 44: ...early You can also install a thermodisc to enable the blower to start or stop automatically when the stove is hot or too cold The thermodisc part number is AC05530 for a basic model and ACO2055 for a quick connect model Detailed instructions for installing the blower and thermodisc detail A are provided with each of these accessories CAUTION ENSURE THAT THE BLOWER S POWER CORD IS NOT IN CONTACT WI...

Page 45: ...Century S245E Installation and Operation Manual 45 Appendix 3 Exploded Diagram and Parts List ...

Page 46: ...ICKEL LONG ASHES DRAWER HANDLE 1 17 30124 SCREW 8 32 X 5 16 TRUSS QUADREX ZINC 2 18 AC01331 5 FRESH AIR INTAKE KIT 1 19 PL63321 FRONT RIGHT LEG 1 20 PL63309 REAR RIGHT LEG 1 21 30060 THREAD CUTTING SCREW 1 4 20 X 1 2 F HEX STEEL SLOT WASHER C102 ZINC 12 22 99999 BUILD TO ORDER 1 23 PL63312 LEFT FRONT LEG 1 24 PL63311 REAR LEFT SIDE LEG 1 25 SE45575 S245E INSTRUCTION MANUAL KIT 1 26 30119 MECHANICA...

Page 47: ...REFRACTORY BRICK 2 1 4 X 4 1 2 X 1 1 4 2 43 PL36084 4 X 4 1 2 X 1 1 4 REFRACTORY BRICK 2 44 29015 4 X 9 X 1 1 4 REFRACTORY BRICK 12 45 29010 4 1 2 X 9 X 1 1 4 REFRACTORY BRICK 4 46 21386 BACK INSULATION BAFFLE 1 47 PL63339 BAFFLE INSULATION WEIGHT 1 48 AC01318 RIGID FIRESCREEN 1 49 AC05959 METALLIC BLACK STOVE PAINT 342 g 12oz AEROSOL 1 ...

Page 48: ...n of the defect The manufacturer may at its discretion fully discharge all obligations with respect to this warranty by refunding the wholesale price of any warranted but defective parts The manufacturer shall in no event be responsible for any uncommon indirect consequential damages of any nature which are in excess of the original purchase price of the product A one time replacement limit applie...

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