Harman SF 250, Installation And Operating Manual

8

OPErATINg INSTruCTIONS

The SF250 is approved for use with coal only. 

burning wood or other such fuels in this stove, 

except for the purpose of igniting a coal fire, is 

prohibited.

Starting A Fire

Begin by opening the draft control knobs on both the 

load door and the ash door. Open both doors. Be sure 

all items have been removed from the ash pan (i.e. 

touch-up paint, warranty registration, etc...)

Place aproximately eight sheets of newspaper, crum

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bled, on top of the grates. Lay some kindling on top of 

the crumbled paper. This kindling should be dry and 

no larger than 3/4 in. diameter. It should be layered in 

a criss-cross fashion to allow good air flow. Now place 

some slightly larger pieces of wood (about 2” diam

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eter) on top of the kindling. Using a match or grill light

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er, ignite the paper at the bottom just inside the door. 

Close both doors and allow the kindling and larger 

wood to catch fire. After around five minutes, open the 

load door slightly, for a few seconds and then open 

completely. This is a good practice to get into as it 

will allow any smoke and gases to clear away from 

the door opening. Add small compact pieces of wood 

when the kindling is burning hot. When a substantial 

bed of hot wood coals is established, start adding 

coal in small amounts at a time. Allow a few minutes 

between coal loadings to be sure that what you’ve 

added is ignited. You can keep the ash door open 

through this process, but NEVER LEAVE THE STOVE 

UNATTENDED WITH A DOOR OPEN. Once you have 

a bed of burning coal, you can load coal into the stove 

to the top of the firebricks. Always make sure there is 

some flame showing through the coal. This will ensure 

the gases are being burned and not accumulating in 

the firebox. After a good coal ignition, set the draft 

controls on the load door to about /4 turn open. The 

draft control on the ash door is used to control the rate 

of burn. After starting a fire, keep it about 2 full turns 

open for about 30 minutes. Then, adjust further closed 

to the proper output level. Normal operation will be 

between cracked and one turn open. Since coal re

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sponds slowly to draft adjustments, make only small 

adjustments and allow time in between. 

loading

Coal should only be added when 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 

coals, full loads can be added. If it is not as described, 

add coal in small batches only.

Increasing heat From A low Fire

Every effort should be made not to let a coal fire burn 

so long that it has started to die. This will cause the 

reloading process to be much longer, and there is a 

good posibility of losing the fire. 

Do not shake or stir a low fire.

Open the draft control all the way until the fire gets 

as hot as possible. Start adding small batches of coal 

and follow the instructions for starting a fire. 

Once there is a good bed of burning coals, the grates 

may be shaken to remove ashes.

Shaking Ashes

Shaking should be done only when there is a hot fire 

burning. The frequency of shaking will depend on the 

degree of burning. Shaking should be done at least 

once per day, preferably twice.

The best results from shaking will occur when short 

choppy strokes are used, rather than long, even 

strokes. Grasp the shaker handle with one hand and 

shake it, only moving the actual handle 1/2 inch or 

less. Do this until you start to see hot coals falling into 

the ash pan, then stop. Do not rock the grates, as this 

will allow burning coal to fall through, and you’ll lose 

the fire.

Ashes

The ashes should never be allowed to accumulate in 

the ash pan. Excess ash will block the required airflow 

through the grates and cause them to warp and sag. 

Neglect is not covered by your stove’s warranty.

Ashes should be placed in a metal container with 

a tight fitting lid. This closed container of ashes 

should be placed on a noncombustible floor or 

on the ground, well away from any combustible 

materials, pending final disposal. If the ashes are 

disposed of by burial in soil, or otherwise locally 

dispersed, they should be retained in the closed 

container until all cinders have thoroughly cooled.

Fuel

The SF50 is approved for burning anthracite coal. 

Pea, Nut, and Stove sized coal are all suitable. 

grates

The functions of a grate system are to support the fuel 

load, while allowing air flow to the fire in a balanced 

amount. Another function is to allow for ash removal 

without losing the fire. The SF250 grate system pro

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vides for all of this and can be removed with no tools 

required.