Hearth and Home Technologies 3100-I Overfiring, Building a Fire, Wood Selection and Storage

3100-I ACT WOOD INSERT

OPERATION

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WOOD SELECTION AND STORAGE

Burn only dry seasoned wood. Dry, well-seasoned wood will not only minimize the chance of creosote formation but will give you the most efficient heat output. Even dry wood contains at least 15% moisture by weight and should be burned hot enough to keep the chimney hot enough to maintain particulate (smoke) burning. Burning unseasoned wood of any variety defeats the stoves’ efficiency.

Dead wood lying on the forest floor should be considered wet, and requires full seasoning time. Standing wood can be considered to be about two-thirds seasoned. Wood is dry enough to burn if the ends of the logs have cracks radiating in all directions from the center. If your wood sizzles in the fire, even though the surface is dry, it may not be fully cured.

Drying time can be reduced by splitting wood prior to storage. Since the majority of drying occurs through the cut ends rather than the sides, stack the wood so both ends of each piece are exposed to air. Store wood under cover, such as in a shed, or covered with a tarp, plastic, tarpaper, sheets of scrap plywood, etc.

OVERFIRING

Do not overfire. Overfiring can result in crazing, an effect causing a white, non-removable film to be deposited on the inside of the glass. Using flammable liquids or too much wood, or burning trash in the insert, may result in overfiring. If the chimney connector or insert glows red, or worse, white, the insert is overfired. This condition may ignite creosote in the chimney, possibly causing a house fire. If any part of the insert starts to glow, you are in an overfire situation. If you overfire, immediately close the insert dampers and door, if open, to reduce the air supply to the fire. Overfiring your insert voids your warranty.

BUILDING A FIRE

NOTE: Remove all labels from glass front prior to lighting the first fire.

Before lighting your first fire in the insert, make certain that the baffle is correctly positioned. It should be resting against the rear support. Also refer to care and cleaning of plated surfaces on page 18 before lighting your first fire.

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

There are many ways to build a fire. The basic principle is to light easily-ignitable tinder or paper, which ignites the fast burning kindling, which in turn ignites the slow-burning firewood. Here is one method that works well:

1.Place several wads of crushed paper on the firebox floor. Heating flue with slightly crumpled newspaper before adding kindling keeps smoke to a minimum.

2.Place several wads of crushed paper on the firebox floor.

3.Open Start-Up Air Control (right side) and Primary Air Control (under ashcatcher) fully. See Figure 17A on page 17.

4.Ensure that no matches or other combustibles are in the immediate area of the insert, that the room is adequately ventilated, and the flue is unobstructed.

5.Light the paper in the insert. NEVER light or rekindle insert with kerosene, gasoline, or charcoal lighter fluid; the results can be fatal.

6.Once the kindling is burning quickly, add several full-length logs 3” (76mm) or 4” (102mm) in diameter. Be careful not to smother the fire. Stack the pieces of wood carefully: near enough to keep each other hot, but far enough away from each other to allow adequate air flow between them.

7.When ready to reload the insert, add more logs. Large logs burn slowly, holding a fire longer. Small logs burn fast and hot, giving quick heat.

8.Adjust the Start-Up Air Control and Primary Air Control, maintaining flames above the fuel. The more you close down the Primary Control, the lower and slower the fire will burn. The more you open the Primary Control the more heat will be produced. The Start-Up Air Control (right side) is only used for the first 5 to 15 minutes.

As long as there are hot coals, repeating steps 7 and 8 will maintain a continuous fire.

NOTE: The special high temperature finish paint applied to the insert will cure as your insert heats. You will notice an odor and perhaps see some vapor rise from the insert surface, this is normal. We recommend that you open a window until the odor dissipates and the paint is cured.

September 1, 2008 250-638D Page 15