Hearth and Home Technologies 5100I-GD-B Air Controls, Second Stage, Final Stage, Start-Up System

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5100-I ACT WOOD INSERT

burn. For this reason, it is always best to burn dry, seasoned firewood. When the wood isn’t dry, you must open the air controls and burn at a high burn setting for a longer time to start it burning. The heat generated from the fire should be warming your home and establishing the flue draft, not evapo- rating the moisture out of wet, unseasoned wood, resulting in wasted heat.

The air control in the right side of the grille is called the Start- Up Air Control; it is used during the kindling stage of burning. It must be closed (pulled out) after the first 5 to 15 minutes.

2. Second Stage

The next stage of burning, the secondary stage, is the period when the wood gives off flammable gases which burn above the fuel with bright flames. During this stage of burning it is very important that the flames be maintained and not allowed to go out. This will ensure the cleanest possible fire. If you are adjusting for a low burn rate, you should close down the air to the point where you can still maintain some flame. If the flames tend to go out, it is set too low for your burning conditions. The air control, located in the center of the grille is the one used to adjust for burn rates. This is called the Primary Air Control. Figure 24.1.

3. Final Stage

The final stage of burning is the charcoal stage. This occurs when the flammable gases have been mostly burned and only charcoal remains. This is a naturally clean portion of the burn. The coals burn with hot blue flames.

It is very important to reload your appliance while enough lively hot coals remain in order to provide the amount of heat needed to dry and rekindle the next load of wood. It is best to open the air controls for a short while before reloading. This livens up the coalbed. Open door slowly so that ash or smoke does not exit appliance through opening. You should also break up any large chunks and distribute the coals so that the new wood is laid on hot coals.

Air quality is important to all of us, and if we choose to use wood to heat our homes we should do so responsibly. To do this we need to learn to burn our stoves in the cleanest way possible. Doing this will allow us to continue using our wood stoves for many years to come.

WARNING

Fire Hazard.

Keep combustible materials, gasoline and other flammable vapors and liquids clear of appliance.

•Do NOT store flammable materials in the appliance’s vicinity.

•Do NOT use gasoline, 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.

•Combustible materials may ignite.

D. Air Controls

1. Start-Up System

The combustion air enters at the rear of the firebox through the rear air tubes. This air supply is controlled by the Start- up Air Control.

2. Primary Air System

The primary air enters at the upper front of the firebox, near the top of the glass door. This preheated air supplies the necessary fresh oxygen to mix with the unburned gases, helping to create second, third and fourth combustions. This air is regulated by the Primary Air Control. For more primary air push control in, for less air pull control out.

Primary Air Control	Start-Up Air Control
OPEN - PUSH IN	CLOSE - PULL OUT

Figure 24.1

WARNING

Fire Hazard.

•Do NOT operate with Start-Up Air Control in open position in excess of 15 minutes.

•Risk of extreme temperatures!

Prolonged operation with Start-Up Air Control in open position may cause combustible materials around appliance to exceed safe temperature limits.

NOTE:

•Operate appliance on High Burn 15 minutes a day to keep air passages clean.

Page 24 438-0380D September 1, 2008