TR008 | 20110503.1
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DURANGO™
| Page 13
opERAtiNG iNstRUctioNs continued…
designed to ignite the combustion gases (smoke) given
off by the burning wood and increases the efficiency of
the stove and reduces chimney emissions.
Smoke given off by burning fuel consists of very
small organic liquid droplets. If these droplets condense,
they form a sticky tar-like substance called creosote.
When operated properly, this stove is designed to burn
these droplets. Burning these droplets releases heat
that would otherwise be lost up the chimney as smoke.
Following the instructions below will help you operate
your stove properly to maximize the stove’s perfor-
mance. Actual performance is dependent on chimney
height, weather, log size, wood species and moisture
content. Some experimentation will initially be required
to find that “sweet spot” where your stove performs best.
The following will give you a starting point to find your
optimum settings.
When first loading fuel set the door air inlet control
at the wide open position for at least 15–20 minutes.
When the stove is working properly you should be able
to observe secondary combustion flames above the fuel
pieces in front of the secondary air tubes at the top of
the firebox. These secondary flames should continue to
burn after the primary air inlet is reset from wide open
to the desired operating setting. If the flames do not
continue to burn, open the air control to re-establish the
secondary flames then slowly reset the air control to the
desired setting. Initially it may take several attempts to
figure your stove out. But once you find the operating
“sweet spot” and the correct mix of procedures to get
there, only minor adjustments will be necessary.
The best indicator of a properly operating stove
is to look for smoke coming out of the chimney. You may
see steam emissions that will quickly dissipate. Smoke
will thin but continue to drift without totally disappearing.
If you do detect smoke emissions, open the air control
a little bit, let the stove adjust for 10–15 minutes and
re-check your chimney. Remember – visible smoke
represents lost heat.
NOTICE - INITIAL BURNS TO CURE PAINT
Because of the high operating temperatures, this
stove uses a special high-temp paint which requires
a series of burns to cure the paint for durability and a
lifetime of service.
Proper curing of the high-temp paint requires a
series of three initial burns. The stove should be allowed
to cool off between each burn. The first two burns should
be small fires and low temperatures (250 degrees F) for
a duration of 20 minutes each. The third fire should be at a
medium-high temperature (500 F to 700 F) for twenty
minutes. Provide adequate cross ventilation to clear any
smoke or odor caused by initial firings.
STARTINg A FIRE
1. Set air inlet control to fully open position.
2. Open the feed door and place several wads of
crushed paper in the firebox.
3. Cover the paper with a generous amount of kin-
dling in a teepee fashion and a few small pieces of
wood.
4. Ignite the paper and leave the door open slightly.
DO NOT LEAvE STOvE UNATTENDED wITh
DOOR OPEN!
5. Add large pieces of wood as the fire progresses
being careful not to overload. (Do not fill firebox
beyond firebrick area.) An ideal coal bed of 1 –2”
should be established to achieve optimum perfor-
mance.
6. This unit is designed to function most effectively
when air is allowed to circulate to all areas of the
firebox. TIP: If ash or coals remain in the stove,
make sure to clear them away from the Lower Pri-
mary Air Orifice (LPAO) and rake a slight (1-to-2
inch wide) trough down the center of the coal bed
from front to back prior to loading the fuel.
7. Once fuel has been loaded, close the door and
leave the air inlet control fully open until fire is well
established (at least 15–20 minutes) being careful
not to overfire (if any of the exterior parts of the
stove or chimney connections begin to glow you
are overfiring the stove).
8. Re-adjust the door air inlet control to desired burn
rate. (If excessive smoke fills the firebox, open air
inlet control slightly until flames resume and wood
is sufficiently ignited.) The basic rule of thumb is
“closed - low,” “half way open - medium” and “fully
open - high.”
NOTE: The four (4) inlet holes in the primary air inlet
control slide are designed to remain partially open
with slide in the closed position.
ADDINg FUEL
If the coal bed is not hot and glowing, rake the coals
to the front of the stove, close the door and adjust the air
inlet control to the wide open position. Let the coals re-
heat for 10–15 minutes. When hot and glowing, spread
them out and place your next fuel load into the stove
(make sure no coals or ashes block the LPAO). Leave
the door air inlet control in the wide open position for
15–20 minutes.
Fuel load size can vary but should be kept 1–2
inches below the secondary air tubes. Also position the
fuel to leave space so the air from the inlet can work
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