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NORSEMAN™ 1500/2500 FuRNAcE
VGZ-018 / 051809.0
opERAtiNg iNstRUctioNs continued …
1. Set thermostat to “HIGH” before opening the feed
door.
2. Never smother the fire when adding fuel (especially
coal.) Incomplete combustion of fresh coal will
cause gas accumulation and a mild smoky explo-
sion, known as back puffing, will occur:
– Add fresh kindling if the bed of coals has
cooled.
– Add up to 20 lbs. of coal or wood to a convenient
level. Never add fuel above the top of the fire-
brick.
– Stir the coals and watch the fire. Be sure new coal
is burning before you close the doors and turn the
thermostat down.
3. At least once every 12 hours of operation crank
the roller grate system to dump ‘clinkers’ and ash
into the ash pan. A couple of gentle “cranks”, is all
that is required. Stop cranking when you observe
a few red coals falling into the ash pan. Excessive
cranking can expose the grates to very high heat
and warp or damage the grates.
4. Empty ash pan regularly. Do not allow ashes
to pile up to the grate. If ashes build up to
the grate, it can warp and burnout will occur.
If allowed to overfill, ashes may spill when
removing the pan.
5. Properly dispose of hot ashes (see Safety
Instructions, item #17 on page 3).
COAL BURNINg TIPS
The size of coal fuel is critical - too large and it won’t
burn well, too small and it will smother the fire creating
excessive smoke and gases. Purchase Bituminous coal
“nuggets” that are 1-3/4” to 4” diameter and that have
been “cleaned” to remove rocks and other minerals.
Bituminous coal is recommended for ease of use
but produces a greater amount of volatile gases so it is
important to build and refresh coal fires properly. Extra
maintenance will also be required to remove accumu-
lated soot on heating surfaces and pipes.
All fires should be initially started using wood kin-
dling. Hardwood is best as it creates a hotter bed of
coals that is necessary to ignite the coal.
Once a hot bed of wood coals has been established
an initial layer of coal may be placed in the firebox. Due
to the high amount of volatile gas produced by coal, the
initial flames will be long and of an orange or yellow
color accompanied by quite a bit of smoke. As the gas
is burned off the flames will become shorter, the color
will change and less smoke will be produced.
Once the fire is well established, add coal to the
center of the firebox in a conical arrangement. The high-
est part of the fuel should be in the center of the fire box.
This allows the heat to drive off the volatile gases and
the turbulence created causes a more efficient burn.
Remember to allow enough secondary air to enter
the fire box and keep the stove pipe damper open to
properly burn off the volatile gases. You will have to
experiment with your particular setup (fire construc-
tion, fuel load, spin draft control, damper and automatic
settings) as no two arrangements of furnace/chimney
are the same.
When refueling a coal fire, use a poker to break
up any crust that may have formed being careful not to
mix the coal which may increase the chance of forming
“clinkers.”
BANkINg A COAL FIRE
A fire should be banked for extended operation
without tending, such as overnight. This is accom-
plished by heaping the fuel along the sides and back
of the fire box so that the fire gradually burns through
the fuel. This reduces the intensity of the fire without
letting it go out.
use the same procedures as in refueling but with-
out shaking the grates. The layer of ash will help to
reduce the intensity of the fire. After loading the fuel
in this manner, let the fire establish itself for about 30
minutes then close the damper and adjust the auto-
matic control to a point so that the house does not get
too cold. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to
bank the fire before leaving or retiring so you can make
the necessary adjustments after the fire has become
well established.
REvIvINg A FIRE
To revive a fire that has almost gone out, increase
the draft through the grates by opening the ash door
and stove pipe damper and closing the door spin draft
control(s). Place a thin layer of new coal over the entire
fire but DO NOT SHAKE the fire grates. Doing so may
cause the live coals to drop through the grates. Once
the fresh layer of coal has ignited you may shake the
grates (slightly) and refuel as usual.
CAUTION: DO NOT SmOThER A FIRE whEN
ADDINg COAL. gASES DRIvEN OFF FROm
FRESh COAL mUST BE BURNED OR ThEY mAY
ACCUmULATE AND ExPLODE. whENEvER RE-
FUELINg, OPEN ThE PIPE DAmPER AND TURN
ThE ThERmOSTAT DAmPER TO hIgh BEFORE
OPENINg ThE DOOR TO ALLOw ANY ACCUmU-
LATED gASES TO BE BURNED OFF.
