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
kindling 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 control 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 lighting
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
reasonably hot fire. The coal bed should be bright and
vigorous. 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 possibility 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.
5.5 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-
combustible 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 INTENSIFYING 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.
