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ASH DISPOSAL
Whenever ashes get 3 to 4 inches deep in your firebox or ash pan, and when the fire has burned down and
cooled, remove excess ashes. Leave an ash bed approximately 1 inch deep on the firebox bottom to help
maintain a hot charcoal bed.
Ashes should be placed in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. The closed container of ashes should be
placed on a noncombustible floor or on the ground, away from all combustible materials, pending final disposal.
The ashes should be retained in the closed container until all cinders have thoroughly cooled.
If there is a soot or creosote fire:
•
Establish a routine for the storage of fuel, care for the appliance and firing techniques.
•
Check daily for creosote buildup until experience shows how often cleaning is necessary.
•
Be aware that the hotter the fire, the less creosote is deposited, and that weekly cleaning can be necessary
in mild weather, even though monthly cleaning can be enough in the coldest months.
•
Have a clearly understood plan to handle a chimney fire.
TAMPER WARNING
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.
VISIBLE SMOKE
The amount of visible smoke being produced can be an effective method of determining how efficiently the
combustion process is taking place at the given settings. Visible smoke consist of unburned fuel and moisture
leaving your stove. Learn to adjust the air settings of your specific unit to produce the smallest amount of visible
smoke. Wood that has not been seasoned properly and has a high wood moisture content will produce excess
visible smoke and burn poorly. Use the included moisture meter to insure your wood has a 20% or less moisture
content.
EFFICIENCY
Efficiencies can be based on either the lower heating value (LHV) or the higher heating value (HHV) of the fuel.
The lower heating value is when water leaves the combustion process as a vapor, in the case of wood stoves the
moisture in the wood being burned leaves the stove as a vapor. The higher heating value is when water leaves
the combustion process completely condensed. In the case of wood stoves this would assume the exhaust gases
are room temperature when leaving the system, and therefore calculations using this heating value consider
the heat going up the chimney as lost energy. Therefore, efficiency calculated using the lower heating value of
wood will be higher than efficiency calculated using the higher heating value. In the United States all wood stove
efficiencies should be calculated using the higher heating value. The best way to achieve optimum efficiencies
is to learn the burn characteristic of you appliance and burn well-seasoned wood. Higher burn rates are not
always the best heating burn rates; after a good fire is established a lower burn rate may be a better option for
efficient heating. A lower burn rate slows the flow of usable heat out of the home through the chimney, and it
also consumes less wood.
SMOKE AND CO MONITORS
Burning wood naturally produces smoke and carbon monoxide(CO) emissions. CO is a poisonous gas when
exposed to elevated concentrations for extended periods of time. While the modern combustion systems in
heaters drastically reduce the amount of CO emitted out the chimney, exposure to the gases in closed or confined
areas can be dangerous. Make sure you stove gaskets and chimney joints are in good working order and sealing
properly to ensure unintended exposure. It is recommended that you use both smoke and CO monitors in areas
having the potential to generate CO.
OVER FIRING
Attempts to achieve heat output rates that exceed heater design specifications can result in permanent
damage to the heater
CAUTIONS:
•
Ashes could contain hot embers even after two days without operating the furnace.
•
The ash pan can become very hot. Wear gloves to prevent injury.
•
Never burn the furnace with the ash trap open. This would result in over firing the furnace. Damage to the
furnace and even house fire may result.
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HEATING WITH YOUR WOOD FURNACE
1.
Spread the fire and coals evenly towards the center of the combustion chamber before loading your
furnace fully or adding more wood.
2.
Avoid overfilling the combustion chamber. Air must be allowed to circulate freely through the upper portion
of the combustion chamber for the stove to perform best. Typically this would mean not to load your furnace
more than ¾ of the way up the door opening.
OPERATION
Controlled combustion is the most efficient technique for wood heating because it enables you to select the
type of combustion you want for each given situation. The wood will burn slowly if the wood furnace air intake
control’s are adjusted to reduce the oxygen supply in the combustion chamber to a minimum. On the other hand,
wood will burn quickly if the air control’s are adjusted to admit a larger quantity of oxygen in the combustion
chamber. Real operating conditions may give very different results than those obtained during testing according
to the species of wood used, its moisture content, the size and density of the pieces, the length of the chimney,
altitude and outside temperature.
RELOADING
Once you have obtained a good bed of embers, you should reload the unit. In order to do so, open the air
controls to maximum a few seconds prior to opening the furnace’s door. Then proceed by opening the door very
slowly. Then bring the red embers to the front of the furnace and reload the unit.
For optimal operation of your wood furnace, we recommend you to operate it with a wood load approximately
equivalent to the 3/4 of the height of fire bricks.
It is important to note that wood combustion consumes ambient oxygen in the room. In the case of negative
pressure, it is a good idea to allow fresh air in the room, either by opening a window slightly or by installing a fresh
air intake system on an outside wall.
Creosote - Formation and Need for Removal - When wood is burned slowly, it produces tar and other organic
vapors, which combine with expelled moisture to form creosote. The creosote vapors condense in the relatively
cool chimney flue of a slow-burning fire. As a result, creosote residue accumulates on the flue lining. When
ignited, this creosote makes an extremely hot fire. The chimney connector and chimney should be inspected at
least twice monthly during the heating season to determine if a creosote build-up has occurred. If creosote has
accumulated (3mm or more), it should be removed to reduce the risk of a chimney fire.
We strongly recommend that you install a magnetic thermometer on your smoke exhaust pipe, approximately
18” above the furnace. This thermometer will indicate the temperature of your gas exhaust fumes within the
smoke exhaust system. The ideal temperature for these gases is somewhere between 275°F and 500°F. Below
these temperatures, the build-up of creosote is promoted. Above 500 degrees, heat is wasted since a too large
quantity is lost into the atmosphere.
TO PREVENT CREOSOTE BUILD UP
Always burn dry wood. This allows clean burns and higher chimney temperatures, therefore less creosote deposit.
Leave the air control full open for about 5 min. every time you reload the furnace to bring it back to proper
operating temperatures. The secondary combustion can only take place if the firebox is hot enough.
Always check for creosote deposit once every two months and have your chimney cleaned at least once a
year. If a chimney or creosote fire occurs, close all dampers immediately. Wait for the fire to go out and the
heater to cool, then inspect the chimney for damage. If no damage results, perform a chimney cleaning to
ensure there is no more creosote deposits remaining in the chimney.
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.
WARNINGS:
•
Never over fire your furnace. If any part of the furnace starts to glow red, over firing is happening. Readjust
the air intake control at a lower setting.
•
The installation of a log cradle or grates is not recommended in your wood furnace. Build fire directly on
firebrick.
•
Never put wood above the firebrick lining of the firebox.
