Hearth and Home Technologies 8040 04-28-04 Building a Fire, Breaking in Your Wood Stove

Stack the firewood on skids or blocks to keep it off the ground, cover only the top of the stack. Plastic or tarps that cover the sides of the woodpile trap moisture and prevent the wood from drying. As for stacking, an old Vermonter said, "The spaces between the logs should be large enough for a mouse to get through, but not for the cat that's chasing it."

Firewood should not be stored within the stove's specified clearances to combustible materials.

BUILDING A FIRE

Once you understand the controls of your wood stove and have chosen the appropriate firewood, you are ready to start a fire.

BREAKING IN YOUR WOOD STOVE

It is imperative that your stove be "broken in" slowly. Soapstone mu st be "seasoned"; over-firing a new stove may cause soapstone to crack or may damage other stove parts. Moisture in the soapstone must be driven out slowly to minimize the “shock” to the stone of its first exposure to high firebox temperatures. In addition, the asbestos-free furnace cement must be cured slowly to insure adequate sealing and bonding.

When you light your first fires, the wood stove will emit some smoke and fumes. This is normal “off-gassing” of the paints and oils used when manufacturing the wood stove. If you find it necessary, open a few windows to vent your room. The smoke and fumes will usually subside after 10

to 20 minutes of operation. The odor and smoke will end once the stove is “cured”.

The first fires may produce other odors from impurities that exist in the area immediately surrounding the stove. Some of these impurities can be cleaning solvents, paint solvents, cigarettes, smoke, pet hair, dust, adhesives, a new carpet, and new textiles. These odors will dissipate over time.

You can alleviate these odors by opening a few windows or otherwise creating additional ventilation around your stove. If any odor persists, contact your dealer or an authorized service technician.

If you adhere to the following break-in procedure, as well as all other operating procedures in this manual, the cast iron and soapstone components of your stove will give you many years of trouble -free use. With use, the color of the soapstone may change and small fractures may appear on the surface of the stone. These changes will only add character and distinction to your stove.

Avoid the following conditions that can cause the soapstone or cast iron pieces to break:

∙Do not throw wood into the stove.

∙Do not use the doors as leverage to force wood into the stove.

∙Do not load wood that is encrusted with ice into a burning stove as the thermal shock can cause damage.

∙Do not use a manufactured grate. Burn the fire directly on the soapstone that lines the bottom of the firebox.

The bottom layer of soapstone in the firebox is intended to prevent thermal stress and should remain in place in the fire box at all times.

BUILDING A BREAK IN FIRE

1)Open the front door and place five or six double

sheets of tightly twisted newspaper in the center of the firebox. Arrange kindling in a crisscross pattern over the newspaper. Kindling should be approximately ten pieces, 1/2" (13 mm) in diameter and 10" to 18" (254 mm to 457 mm) long.

2)Fully open the primary air control by pushing the control handle fully to the left, away from the firebox.

3)Light the paper under the kindling. Leave the door slightly ajar momentarily until the kindling has started to burn and draft begins to pull.

4)Close the door and allow the fire to burn. Keep the door closed while the stove is in use.

5)KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON YOUR STOVE

to maintain a steady, low-heat fire. Your first fire should make the stove warm but not hot to the touch. At most, a few small chunks of wood should be added to the fire to reach safe break-in temperatures.

6)Once the stove is warm but not hot to the touch, close the primary air control by pushing it fully to the right to allow the fire to die out completely.

7)Let the stove return to room temperature.

Your first fire and first fire each season thereafter should be built and maintained as outlined above. Your patience will be rewarded by a properly seasoned stove.

NOTE: Because of the cool flue gas temperatures present during the break-in procedure, creosote may build up quickly. Your window may get dirty. A good hot fire will clean it. We recommend a visual inspection (and cleaning if necessary) of your stovepipe and chimney once the break-in procedure is completed.

HearthStone Quality Home Heating Products Inc ® 17 Tribute Model 8040