United States Stove Country Hearth 2200IE, Owner'S Operation And Instruction Manual

 13

CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE

CAUTION:

SLOW BURNING FIRES FOR EXTENDED USE OR 

BURNING GREEN WOOD MAY CAUSE EXCESSIVE 

CREOSOTE BUILD-UP. IGNITION OF CREOSOTE 

OR OVERFIRING COULD CAUSE A CHIMNEY 

FIRE. CHIMNEY FIRES BURN EXTREMELY HOT 

AND MAY IGNITE SURROUNDING COMBUSTIBLE 

MATERIALS. IN CASE OF A CHIMNEY FIRE, CALL 

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY! 

CREOSOTE -

 Formation and 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 and can 

accumulate on the flue lining. If ignited, this creates an 

extremely hot fire in the chimney which may ignite sur

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rounding materials resulting in a building fire.

The chimney connector and chimney should be inspected 

(at least)

 twice a month

 during the heating season to 

determine if a creosote buildup has occurred. If it has, it 

should be removed. Failure to remove creosote may re-

sult in ignition and may cause a house/building fire. Cre

-

osote may be removed using a chimney brush or other 

commonly available materials from your local hardware 

retailer.

Chimney fires burn very hot. If the unit or chimney con

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nector should glow red, reduce the fire by closing the inlet 

air control and immediately call the fire department.

A  fire  in  the  firebox  may  be  smothered  by  pouring 

a large quantity of coarse salt, baking soda, or cool 

ashes on top of the fire.

CAUTION:

A CHIMNEY FIRE MAY CAUSE IGNITION OF WALL 

STUDS OR RAFTERS WHICH WERE ASSUMED TO 

BE A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE CHIMNEY. 

IF A CHIMNEY FIRE OCCURS, HAVE YOUR CHIMNEY 

INSPECTED BY A QUALIFIED EXPERT BEFORE 

USING AGAIN.

PREVENTING CREOSOTE BUILD-UP

1. Burn with air control open for several minutes at nu-

merous intervals throughout the day during the heating 

season, being careful not to overfire the unit.

2. Burn appliance with air inlet control wide open for 

15–20 minutes every time you apply fresh wood. This 

allows wood to achieve the charcoal stage faster and 

burns wood vapors which might otherwise be depos-

ited within the heating system.

3.  BURN ONLY SEASONED WOOD. Avoid burning wet 

or green wood. Seasoned wood has been dried for at 

least one year.

4.  A small hot fire is preferable to a large smoldering one 

that can deposit creosote within the heating system.

5. Establish a routine for the handling of fuel, wood 

burner and firing technique. Check daily for creosote 

buildup until experience shows how often you need to 

clean for safe operation. Be aware that the hotter the 

fire, the less creosote is deposited, and weekly clean

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ings may be necessary in mild weather even though 

monthly cleanings may be enough in colder months.

CHIMNEY DRAFT

NOTE: A DRAFT READING OF 0.05[12.45] to 

0.06[14.94] 

(Water Column[Pascals])

 IS REQUIRED 

FOR PROPER BURNING OF THIS APPLIANCE.

Draft is a function of the chimney, NOT THE APPLIANCE 

— Do not expect the appliance to draw. Smoke spillage 

into the house or excess buildup of condensation or creo-

sote in the chimney are warnings that the chimney is NOT 

functioning properly. Correct the problem before using 

the appliance. Following are some possible causes for 

improper draft.
1.  The connector pipe may be pushed into the chimney 

too far, stopping the draft.

2. If the chimney is operating too cool, water will con-

dense in the chimney and run back into the appliance. 

Creosote formation will be rapid and may block the 

chimney.  Operate  the  appliance  at  a  fire  level  high 

enough to keep the chimney warm preventing this con-

densation.

3.  If the fire burns well but sometimes creates excessive 

smoke or burns slowly, it may be caused by the chim-

ney top being lower than another part of the house or 

a nearby tree. The wind blowing over a house or tree 

falls on top of the chimney like water over a dam, beat-

ing down the smoke. The top of the chimney should 

be at least three (3) feet above the roof and be at least 

two (2) feet higher than any point of the roof within ten 

(10) feet.