November 5, 2015
26
Maintenance
Ash Removal
The wood burning make some residual called ash and it must
be removed from the combustion chamber to help oxygen
circulation.
The ash have to be removed periodically every 2 or 3 days
during heavy warming period. Never leave excessive
accumulation into the combustion chamber because it can
reduce performances of your stove by limiting the air circulation
between logs.
The best time to remove ash is after a long warming period, as
in a morning, when the stove is relatively cold enough to
manipulate ash and the chimney is still hot. The hot chimney
draft will vacuum the dust inside the stove.
To remove ash from the combustion chamber, you must have
the following tools:
Ash shovel,
Ash brush,
A metal bucket with airtight lid or similar product for
this purpose.
Some embers are mixed with ash and remain lit a few hours or
even a few days. It is therefore very important that the metal
bucket has an airtight lid. The bucket must be put on a non-
combustible tile or brick.
The stove is equipped with an ash drawer and it is closed by a
cast plug with a glass fiber cord. The plug is in the combustion
chamber between two bricks at the front of the stove.
1) Remove as much ash as you can with the shovel and
put it into the metal bucket.
2) Remove embers and ash covering the plug with the
ash brush.
3) Turn clockwise the plug and pull it.
Warning: The plug stays very hot right after the
extinction of fire. Use fireproof mitt or pliers to turn
and pull the plug.
4) Push embers and ash into the ash drawer.
Do not
overcharged the ash drawer.
5) Empty the ash drawer into the Metal bucket.
Never
leave ash and embers into the ash drawer
. Some
embers can be lit and make smoke.
6) Clean around the plug to be sure the plug will be
airtight.
7) Reinstall the plug by pushing it into the hole and turn
counter clockwise to lock it in place and be sure it is
airtight.
A plug leakage can let in oxygen and reduce the combustion
time. Please inspect the plug seal and change it if it is
damaged.
Ash Disposal
Some embers are mixed with ash and can remain lit. If embers
have enough oxygen, it can stay lit some hours and even some
few days.
It’s therefore mandatory to store ash:
In a hermetic metal container with an airtight lid,
Outside the house on a non-combustible material,
Far enough any combustible material, inflammable
liquid and vapor.
If the ash is disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise locally
dispersed, they should be retained in the closed container until
all cinders have thoroughly cooled.
NEVER PUT WASTE INTO THE ASH CONTAINER.
Creosote Formation
When wood is burning slowly, it produces tar and other organic
vapors which are combined with expelled moisture to form
creosote. The creosote vapor is condensed in the cold chimney
and, as a result, creosote residue accumulates on the flue
lining. When it burns, the creosote releases intense heat and it
might result in a chimney fire.
The chimney connector and chimney should be inspected at
least once every two months during the heating season to
determine if a creosote buildup has occurred.
Chimney Inspection
Wood moisture, wood species and the combustion quality are
the factors that can influence the speed of creosote buildup
into chimney and chimney connector.
The chimney and the chimney connector must be inspected at
least one every two month during the warming season. You
can call a Chimney sweeper to evaluate the creosote formation
or you can do it yourself. Extinguish the wood stove and wait
until it gets cool. Then unscrew the chimney connector to verify
it. Inspect the factory build chimney with a spot light to see if a
creosote buildup has occurred. For a masonry chimney, insert
a mirror in the cleanout opening at the bottom. For an outdoor
factory build chimney, open the cap at the bottom of chimney
to inspect inside. It is preferable to do the inspection on a
sunny day so that you would have enough light.
With creosote buildup of 1/8 inch (3 mm) or more, the diameter
gets so small that you cannot see the chimney cap. It’s a sign
that it is time to sweep your chimney and remove creosote in
order to avoid a chimney fire.
