Country Hearth 2000E, Owner'S Operation And Instruction Manual

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It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you use DRY WOOD only in your wood stove.  The wood should have dried for 9 

to 15 months, such that the humidity content (in weight) is reduced below 20% of the weight of the log.  It is very 

important to keep in mind that even if the wood has been cut for one, two or even more years, it is not necessarily 

dry, if it has been stored in poor conditions.  Under extreme conditions it may rot instead of drying.  This point 

cannot be over stressed; the vast majority of the problems related to the operation of a wood stove is caused by 

the fact that the wood used was too damp or had dried in poor conditions.  These problems can be:

- ignition problems

- creosote build-up causing chimney fires

- low energy yield

- blackened windows

- incomplete log combustion

Smaller pieces of wood will dry faster. All logs exceeding 6” in diameter should be split.  The wood should not 

be stored directly on the ground. Air should circulate through the cord. A 24” to 48” air space should be left 

between each row of logs, which should be placed in the sunniest location possible. The upper layer of wood 

should be protected from the elements but not the sides. 

OPERATIONAL TIPS

• 

Operational Tips for Good, Efficient, and Clean Combustion

•  Get the appliance hot and establish a good coal bed before adjusting to a low burn rate (this may take 

30 minutes or more depending on your wood)

•  Use smaller pieces of wood during start-up and a high burn rate to increase the stove temperature 

•  Be considerate of the environment and only burn dry wood

• 

Burn small, intense fires instead of large, slow burning fires when possible 

•  Learn your appliance’s operating characteristics to obtain optimum performance 

Burning unseasoned wet wood only hurts your stoves efficiency and leads to accelerated creosote buildup in 

your chimney 

TESTING YOUR WOOD

When the stove is thoroughly warmed, place one piece of split wood (about five inches in diameter) parallel 

to the door on the bed of red embers.

Keep the air control full open by pulling on it and close the door. If ignition of the piece is accomplished within 

90 seconds from the time if was placed in the stove, your wood is correctly dried. If ignition takes longer, your 

wood is damp.

If your wood hisses and water or vapor escapes at the ends of the piece, your wood is soaked or freshly cut. 

Do not use this wood in your stove. Large amounts of creosote could be deposited in your chimney, creating 

potential conditions for a chimney fire.

TAMPER WARNINGS

This wood heater has a manufacturer-set minimum low burn rate that must not be altered. It is against federal 

regulations to alter this setting or otherwise operate this wood heater in a manner inconsistent with operating 

instructions in this manual.

THE FIRST FIRES

The fresh paint on your stove needs to be cured to preserve its quality. Once the fuel charge is properly 

ignited, only burn small fires in your stove for the first four hours of operation. Never open the air control more 

than necessary to achieve a medium burn rate.

Make sure that there’s enough air circulation while curing the stove. The odors could be smelled during the 3 

or 4 first fires. Never start your stove outside. You will not be able to see if you are over heating.

IGNITION

After making sure that the stove air intake controls are fully open (completely pull-out towards you), The top 

down method of fire building is recommended for this appliance. After making sure that the stove air intake 

controls are fully open (completely pull-out towards you), Place the largest pieces of wood on the bottom, laid 

in parallel and close together. Smaller pieces are placed in a second layer, crossways to the first. A third layer 

of still smaller pieces is laid crossways to the second, this time with some spaces between. Then a fourth layer of 

loose, small kindling and twisted newspaper sheets tops off the pile.

CAUTION:

Never alter the damper slide or the adjustment range to increase firing for any reason. Doing so could result 

in heater damage and will void your warranty.