M. Starting a Fire
Before lighting your first fire in the fireplace, make certain that the baffle and the ceramic blanket are correctly positioned. It should be resting against the rear support. Also refer to care and cleaning of plated surfaces on Section 5 before light- ing your first fire.
NOTICE- The first three or four fires should be of moderate size to allow the oils and binders to be burned from the fireplace and the refractory and paint to cure. You may notice an industrial odor the first few fires. This is considered normal.
NOTICE: Remove all labels from glass before lighting the first fire in your
APPLIANCE.
There are many ways to build a fire. The basic principle is to light
1.Open Outside Air by turning the knob counter clockwise.
2.Fully open the Combustion Air Control Handle by moving it completely to the right.
3.Place serveral wads of crushed paper on the firebox floor. Heating the flue with slightly crumpled newspaper before adding kindling keeps smoke to a minimum.
4.Lay small dry sticks of kindling on top of the paper.
5.Make sure that no matches or other combustibles are in the immediate area of the fireplace. Be sure the room is adequately ventilated and the flue unobstructed.
6.Light the paper in the fireplace. NEVER light or rekindle fireplace with kerosene, gasoline, or charcoal lighter fluid; the results can be fatal.
7.Once the kindling is burning quickly, add several full- length logs 3 in. (76mm) or 4 in. (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.
8.Adjust the Combustion Air Control; the more you close down the control, (sliding left) the lower and slower the fire will burn. The more you open the Air Control, (sliding right) the more heat will be produced and the faster the wood will burn.
As long as there are hot coals, repeating steps 7 and 8 will maintain a continuous fire throughout the season.
NOTICE: The special high temperature paint that your fire- place is finished with will cure as your fireplace heats. You will notice an odor and perhaps see some vapor rise from the fireplace surface; this is normal. We recommend that you open a window until the odor dissipates and paint is cured.
NOTICE: Fireplace should be run full open for a minimum of 30 minutes a day during heating season to keep air pas- sages clean.
Warning! Risk of Fire! Keep combustible materials, gasoline and other flammable vapors and liquids clear of the fireplace.
Do NOT:
•store flammable materials close to the fireplace
•use gasoline, lantern fuel, kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid or similar liquids to start or “freshen up” a fire in this fireplace.
Keep all flammable liquids well away from the fireplace while it is in use. Combustible materials may ignite.
Warning! For use with solid wood fuel only.
Other fuels may overfire and generate poisonous gases (i.e. carbon monoxide).
N. Burning Process
Fire requires 3 things to burn: fuel, air and heat. If heat is robbed from the fireplace during the drying stage, the new load of wood has reduced the chances for a good clean burn. For this reason, it is always best to burn dry, seasoned fire- wood. We do not advise burning unseasoned wood, however if it happens, you must open the Combustion Air Control and burn the fireplace at a high burn setting for a longer time to start it burning.
Kindling or 1st stage:
The first stage of burning is called the kindling stage. In this stage, the wood is heated to a temperature highenough to evaporate the moisture which is present in all wood. The wood will reach the boiling point of water (212°F) and will not get any hotter until the water is evaporated. This process takes heat from coals and tends to cool the fireplace.
2nd 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 your fireplace 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, the fireplace is set too low for your burning conditions.
Page 14 | Heatilator • Constitution EPA Fireplace • | 4/20/11 |
