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4Troubleshooting Guide
Start Fire Problems | Possible Cause | Solution | |
Can’t get fire started | Not enough kindling/paper or no | Use dry kindling, more paper. Arrange kindling & | |
Excessive smoke or spillage | kindling/paper | wood for air movement. | |
Burns too slowly |
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Not enough air for fire to ignite | Check for restricted cap/shroud. | ||
Smolders, sizzles | |||
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| Check for flue blockage. | |
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| Check for adequate vent height (refer to chimney | |
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| assembly section). | |
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| Wood condition is too wet, too | Use dry, seasoned wood | |
| large |
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| Bed of coals not established | Start with paper & kindling to establish bed of | |
| before adding wood | coals (refer to starting fire section). | |
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| Flue blockage such as birds’ nests | Have chimney inspected for creosote and cleaned | |
| or leaves in termination cap | by a certified chimney sweep. | |
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Fire burns too fast | Extremely dry or soft wood | Mix in hardwood. | |
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| Mix in less seasoned wood after fire is established | |
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| (refer to wood fuel section). | |
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| No glass doors | Add glass doors to slow down air flow. |
Overdrafting | Check for correct vent height; too much vertical |
| height creates overdrafting. |
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| Check location of vent termination (refer to |
| chimney assembly section). |
Heatilator • EL36/EL42 • | 13 |