Vermont Casting EWF36A Starting and Maintaining a Wood Fire, Reloading and Reviving a Wood Fire

Vermont Castings EWF36A

Starting and Maintaining a Wood Fire

Burn solid wood fuel only in the EWF36A, and burn it directly on the grate. Do not elevate the fuel. Do not burn coal or other fuels.

Minimize thermal stress by allowing the plates to adjust gradually during an initial break-in fire by following Steps 1-3 below.

WARNING: Operate your EWF36A only with the doors fully closed. If the door is left partially open, gas and flame may be drawn out of the fireplace opening, creating risks of both fire and smoke.

1.Open the primary air control fully.

2.Open the damper.

3.Lay some crumpled newspapers on the bottom grate. Place on the paper six or eight pieces of dry, finely-split kindling. On the kindling lay two or three larger sticks of split dry wood approximately 1-2” (25-50 mm).

Do not use chemicals or fluids to start the fire. Do not burn garbage or flammable fluids such as gaso- line, naptha, or engine oil.

Also, never use gasoline-type lantern fuel, kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid, or similar liquids to start or “fresh- en up” a fire in this heater. Keep all such liquids well away from the heater while it is in use.

4.Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually build up the fire by adding a few 3-5” (80-120mm) diameter splits.

If this is your initial break-in fire, let the fire burn brightly, but not to excess. Control the fire’s intensity by adjust- ing the air control lever. After an hour or so stop adding wood so that the fire dies out gradually.

For ongoing operation after the initial break-in, continue to add a few sticks at a time of a progressively larger size. Continue until you have a live ember bed at least

2-3” (51-76mm) deep. This may take an hour or longer.

CAUTION: THE EWF36A IS HOT WHILE IN OPERA- TION! KEEP CHILDREN, CLOTHING, AND FURNI- TURE AWAY. CONTACT MAY CAUSE SKIN BURNS.

NOTE: Some chimneys need to be “primed,” or warmed up, before they will draw sufficiently to open the damper. To correct this situation, roll up a couple pieces of newspaper, place them on top of the kindling and toward the back of the stove, light them, and close the doors. This should heat the chimney enough to initi- ate a draft.

Once the draft is established, open the front door and light the rest of the fuel from the bottom. Do not light the main bed of fuel until the chimney begins drawing, and repeat the procedure as often as necessary if the initial attempt is unsuccessful.

5.Once a good ember bed of at least 2-3” (51-76 mm) has formed, let the fire burn hot for an additional ten to fifteen minutes.

6.Close the damper and the primary air control to a medium-low setting as described on Page 18. The fire volume will diminish immediately, but the fire- place will continue to heat up. Maintain control of the fire using the primary air control, and remember: reduce the setting for less heat, increase the set- ting for more heat. Refer to the air control settings information on Page 18 for recommended settings at different burn rates.

DO NOT OVERFIRE THIS HEATER. Overfiring may cause a house fire, or can result in permanent damage to the stove. If an exterior part of the EWF36A glows, you are overfiring.

Reloading and Reviving a Wood Fire

•Open the damper and set the air control on “High,” and wait at least fifteen seconds for the draft to increase. Open the door slowly.

•Check the ash level, and empty the ash pan if nec- essary. Replace the pan.

•Add the fuel, smaller pieces first. If it is necessary to use wood smaller than the 24” (610mm) optimum size, be sure to fill the firebox as completely as pos- sible by loading the wood pieces alternately on the left and right. Split wood will fill the firebox more completely and reduce the frequency of reloading.

If you have an ember bed of at least 2-3” (51-76 mm), leave the thermostat set on “high” for 10-15 minutes. If the ember bed is less than 2-3” (51-76mm), you may have to let it burn longer.

Finally, close the damper and adjust the air control and fan speed for your desired heat level.

NOTE: If the charcoal bed is relatively thick and your fuel is well-seasoned, it is possible to add fresh fuel (smaller pieces first), close the door and damper, and reset the air control within five minutes.

Special Tactics for Cold-Climate Heating

The EWF36A is capable of producing in excess of 100,000 Btu’s/hour and heating an area of up to 2,500 sq. ft. (558 sq. m) However, many factors affect heating performance and can influence the extent to which the EWF36A can heat a given area.

A well-insulated home, located in a moderate climate and with the EWF36A Fireplace located centrally in an open floor plan, will be easier to heat than a drafty home in the far north in which the EWF36A is installed on an exterior wall at the end of a long house.

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