Magnafire Series Coal Stoves
9
Operation
5. Operating Instructions
5.1 STARTING A FIRE
Place seven or eight sheets of crumpled newspaper
onto the top of the grates. Next, lay in some small kin-
dling wood (approximately 3/4” or less) on top of the
newspaper. layer the kindling in a criss-cross fashion
to allow for maximum air flow. open the draft control
to it’s full open position. light the paper nearest the
center of the door opening and close and latch the
load door. after two to three minutes, open the load
door an inch or two for a few seconds, then open it
completely. This method is good practice to allow
smoke to clear away from the load door. add a few
small pieces of firewood when the kindling is burning
well. Close the door again and be sure the draft con-
trol remains open. The ash door itself may be opened
for a short period to accelerate the process.
do NoT leaVe THe SToVe UNaTTeNded WITH
THe door oPeN.
When a substantial bed of hot wood coals are built
up, start adding small amounts of coal on top of the
burning wood embers. (Pea or Nut sized coal will give
the best results when starting a fire.) Keep the draft
control open through the whole ignition process. as
the coal begins to free-burn, continue adding small
amounts until there is a solid bed of burning coal. do
not add too much at one time as you could smother
the fire. allow sufficient time between these small
batches so that the coal can ignite thoroughly before
more is added. once a substantial bed is established,
fill the firebox to the top of the bricks. a deep bed of
coal will always burn better than a shallow bed. adjust
the draft control to the desired heat output. you’ll learn
over time that the coal fire does not instantly change
with a turn of the draft control. Make your adjustments
in small increments and wait for the fire to stabilize.
The normal range of control settings will be from
closed, for extended burn times, to one full turn open.
NoTe: If the ash door was opened during the light-
ing process, it must be closed to prevent over-firing.
over-firing can cause dangerously high temperatures.
5.2 LOADING
Coal should never be added unless there is a reason-
ably hot fire. The coal bed should be bright and vigor-
ous. If the fire is burning hot and there is a deep bed
of hot coals, full loads of coal can be added at any
time. However, if there is not a deep bed of coals, it is
best to add in small batches as during lighting.
5.3 INCREASING HEAT FROM A LOW FIRE
every effort should be made to not let a coal fire burn
so long that it begins to die. This causes the reloading
process to be much longer, and there is a good possi-
bility of losing the fire all together. do not shake or stir
a low fire. open the draft control or the ash door to get
the maximum air flow. allow the fire to get reasonably
hot. If there is not enough un-burned coal to renew
the fire, add a small amount. Continue adding coal
in small amounts until a full bed is established. Now,
shake the grates. (see next section “shaking ashes”)
do NoT leaVe THe SToVe UNaTTeNded WITH
THe door oPeN.
5.4 SHAKING ASHES
Shaking should be done only when there is a hot fire.
The frequency of shaking will depend on the rate of
burning. Shaking should be done at least once per
day but best results will come from shaking twice a
day.
When shaking, do just that. do not rock the handle in
long strokes, just shake it briskly until you see red hot
ashes fall into the ash pan. rocking the grates may
allow pieces of coal to jam them in an open position.
5.5 ASHES AND THEIR REMOVAL
ashes should never be allowed to accumulate in the
ash pan. excess ash build up can restrict air flow to
the fire and can also cause damage to the grates.
ashes should be placed in a metal container with
a tight fitting lid, pending final disposal. The closed
container of ashes should be placed on a non-com-
bustible floor or on the ground, well away from any
combustible materials. If the ashes are disposed of
by burial in soil or otherwise locally dispersed, they
should be retained in the sealed container until all
cinders have thoroughly cooled.
CaUTIoN! aSHeS SHoUld NeVer be alloWed
To aCCUMUlaTe aboVe THe ToP oF THe aSH
PaN. aSHeS IN CoNTaCT WITH THe boTToM
oF THe GraTeS aCT aS aN INSUlaTor INTeN-
SIFyING THe HeaT oN THe GraTeS, aNd WIll
CaUSe THe GraTeS To WarP. GraTe daMaGe
FroM aSH bUIld UP IS eaSIly reCoGNIZed.
PleaSe reFer To yoUr WarraNTy To See
HarMaN SToVeS lIMIT oF lIabIlITy IN CaSeS
oF abUSe or NeGleCT.
Coal produces considerably more ash than wood. For
equal heat output, coal will produce 7 to 10 times the
ash of a wood fire.
