Maintenance

Back-pufﬁng

Back-pufﬁng results when the ﬁre produces volatile gases faster than the chimney draft pulls them out of the ﬁrebox. The gases back up in the ﬁrebox till they’re dense enough and hot enough to ignite. If your stove back-puffs, you should open the damper to let the smoke rise to the ﬂue more quickly, let more air into the ﬁrebox, and avoid big loads of ﬁrewood. You should always see lively, dancing ﬂames in the ﬁrebox; a lazy, smoky ﬁre is inefﬁcient, can lead to back-pufﬁng, and can contribute to creosote buildup in the chimney.

Draft Testing

An easy way to test your chimney draft is to close the stove’s damper, wait a few minutes to let the airﬂow stabilize, then see whether you can vary the strength of the ﬁre by swinging the air control open and closed. Results are not always instant; you may need to wait a few minutes for a change in the air control setting to have an effect on the ﬁre. If there’s no change, then the draft isn’t strong enough yet to let you close the damper, and you’ll need to open it for a while longer and manage the ﬁre with the air inlet until the draft strengthens. If you keep track of your burning habits and relate them to their effects on the stove’s operation, you’ll be rewarded with good performance and a safe system.

Encore Woodburning Stove

Negative Pressure

Good draft also depends on a supply of air to the stove; a chimney can’t pull in more air than is available to it. Sluggish draft results when a house is tight enough to prevent the ready ﬂow of air to the stove, or by competi- tion between the stove and other equipment that sends indoor air outside - especially power-driven equipment like range hoods, clothes dryers, etc. If the chimney draws well with all other equipment turned off (or sealed, in the case of ﬁreplaces and/or other stoves), then you simply need to be careful with timing the use of the other gear. If you need to crack a nearby window or door to enable the chimney to pull well, that’s a sign that you should install an outside-air intake to bring combustion air directly to the stove. For most of our stoves we carry adapters to attach to the stove to con- nect an air duct for outdoor combustion air.

Conclusion

Wood-burning is an art rather than a science. Once the stove and chimney system are in place, you can only vary your technique, mostly your timing, to achieve good results. If you keep track of your burning habits and relate them to their effects on the stove’s operation, you’ll be rewarded with good performance and a safe system.

Keep Your Stove Looking New

and Working Its Best

Let the ﬁre in the stove go out and allow the stove to cool completely before beginning any maintenance procedure.

Care of the Cast Iron Surface

An occasional dusting with a dry rag will keep the painted cast iron of your Encore looking new.

The stove’s paint can be touched up as needed. First, mask the areas, such as enamelled parts, glass, or handles, around the spot to be painted. Clean the spot with a wire brush. Remove the griddle and set it aside.

Then, touch up the stove with Vermont Castings’ high temperature stove paint. Apply the paint sparingly; two light coats of paint are better than a single heavy one.

Care of the Porcelain Enamel Surface

Use a dry or slightly damp rag or soft brush to remove spills or stains. For difﬁcult jobs that require a cleaning agent, use only a kitchen appliance cleaner or polish recommended for use on enamel surfaces.

Cleaning the Glass

Most of the carbon deposits on the glass will burn off during hot ﬁres.

However, the ash residue that accumulates on the glass surface should be removed regularly to prevent etching. To clean the glass, follow this procedure:

•Be sure the glass is completely cool.

•Clean the glass with water or a cleaner made espe- cially for this purpose. Do not use abrasive cleaners.

•Rinse the glass thoroughly.

•Dry the glass completely.

Replace Broken Glass Immediately

Do not operate your stove if the glass in the doors is damaged.

If you need to replace the glass, use only the high tem- perature ceramic glass supplied by Vermont Castings. Do not use substitutes. Be sure to specify left or right glass; the panels are not interchangeable.

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