Vermont Casting 2080 Reloading and Reviving a Wood Fire, Special Tactics for Cold-ClimateHeating

WinterWarm Small Insert

Follow these guidelines as you start and maintain the fire, and remove the ashes.

1.Open the stove damper, and open the primary air control fully.

2.Lay some crumpled newspapers on the bottom grate. Place on the paper six or eight pieces of dry, finely-split kindling. On the kindling lay two or three larger sticks of split dry wood approximately 1-2” (25-50 mm).

Do not use chemicals or fluids to start the fire. Do not burn garbage or flammable fluids such as gaso- line, naptha, or engine oil.

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

3.Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually build up the fire by adding a few 3-5” (76 -127mm) diameter splits.

If this is your initial break-in fire, let the fire burn brightly, but not to excess. Control the fire’s intensity by adjust- ing the air control lever. After an hour or so stop adding wood so that the fire dies out gradually.

For ongoing operation after the initial break-in, continue to add a few sticks at a time of a progressively larger size. Be sure to keep the fuel load behind the front grate bar at all times. Continue until you have a live ember bed at least 3-4” (76 - 102mm) deep. This may take an hour or longer, particularly when the Winter- Warm Small Insert is vented to an exterior masonry chimney or when you are just starting a fire.

You’ll soon find that the WinterWarm is HOT WHILE IN

OPERATION! KEEP CHILDREN, CLOTHING, AND FURNITURE AWAY. CONTACT MAY CAUSE SKIN BURNS.

NOTE: Some chimneys need to be “primed,” or warmed up, before they will draw sufficiently to start a fire. To correct this situation, roll up a couple pieces of newspaper, place them on top of the kindling and toward the back of the stove, light them, and close the doors. This should heat the chimney enough to initiate a draft.

Once the draft is established, open the front door and light the rest of the fuel from the bottom. Do not light the main bed of fuel until the chimney begins drawing, and repeat the procedure as often as necessary if the initial attempt is unsuccessful.

4.Once a good ember bed of at least 3-4” (76 - 102mm) has formed, close the damper to activate the combustor. To ensure continued operation of the combustor, let the fire burn hot for an additional ten to fifteen minutes after the damper is closed.

5.Close the primary air control to a medium-low set- ting. The fire volume will diminish immediately, but the WinterWarm Small Insert will continue to heat up. Maintain control of the fire using the primary air control, and remember: reduce the setting for less heat, increase the setting for more heat. Refer back to the air control settings chart on Page 6 for recom- mended settings at different burn rates.

Do not over-fire this heater.

Overfiring may cause a house fire, or can result in permanent damage to the stove and to the catalytic combustor. If an exterior part of the WinterWarm Small Insert glows, you are overfiring.

Reloading and Reviving a Wood Fire

Open the stove damper, set the air control on “High,” and wait at least fifteen seconds for the draft to in- crease. Open the door slowly.

Check the ash level, and empty the ash pan if neces- sary. Replace the pan.

Add the fuel, smaller pieces first. If it is necessary to use wood smaller than the 18” (460mm) optimum size, be sure to fill the firebox as completely as possible by loading the wood pieces alternately on the left and right. Split wood will fill the firebox more completely and reduce the frequency of reloading.

If you have an ember bed of at least 3-4” (76 - 102mm), leave the damper open and the thermostat set on “high” for 10-15 minutes, then close the damper. If the ember bed is less than 3-4” (76 - 102mm), you may have to let it burn longer.

Finally, adjust the air control and fan speed for your desired heat level.

NOTE: If the charcoal bed is relatively thick and your fuel is well-seasoned, it is possible to add fresh fuel (smaller pieces first), close the door and damper, and reset the air control immediately.

Special Tactics for Cold-Climate Heating

The WinterWarm Small Insert is capable of produc- ing up to 30,000 Btu/hour and heating an area of up to 1,000 sq. ft. However, many factors affect heating performance and can influence the extent to which the WinterWarm Small Insert can heat a given area.

A well-insulated home, located in a moderate climate and with the WinterWarm Small Insert located centrally in an open floor plan, will be easier to heat than a drafty home in the far north in which a WinterWarm Small Insert is installed on an exterior wall at the end of a long house.

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