Close
d
Close
d
Open
Open
Combustion Air
Register
Time Delay
Air-Boost Control
(T.D.A.B.)
Medium Combustion
This is the recommended mode of operating
the Montecito Estate fireplace and should be
the one normally used since it will deposit the
least amount of creosote on the glass and in
the chimney. The combustion air control must
be 3/4 closed. The precise setting will depend
on many factors, including chimney length and
the moisture content of the wood.
For instance, a long chimney will necessitate
closing the damper more. To obtain the proper
combustion, close the damper completely, then
open it about 1/2” to 3/4”. Three medium size
pieces of cord wood-burning on a bed of hot
coals will generate an approximate heat output
will of 35,000 BTU per hour and the loading time
will be about every 3-4 hours. Softwoods may
be burned using this method but the combustion
time will be substantially reduced.
Slow Combustion
When the air combustion control is completely
closed, the fireplace is in a slow combustion
phase. If the hearth is hot enough, slow com-
bustion will not extinguish the fire, but there
will be a noticeable change in the flame pattern.
The flames will be slow and may appear dirty
if the wood is too wet (moisture content of
20% and more).
Do not allow the wood to burn without flame,
since this will produce excessive creosote
in the unit. Creosote may accumulate on the
glass door. This method of burning should be
used only after operating the Montecito Estate
fireplace with the air control opened to produce a
hot fire for about an hour or at medium pace for
at least three (3) hours. Slow combustion can be
used at night in order to reduce the heat output
and to prolong the burn. The loading time will
be between 6-8 hours and at this combustion
rate, the level of BTU’s is at its lowest.
Figure 2 -
Accelerated Combustion
Figure 3 -
Medium Combustion
(A)
(B)
First Fires
Before using the fireplace make sure to remove
the plastic wrapping and EPA label on plated
door. Remove any glue residue left by the
label using mild soap.
Make sure the doors are properly adjusted,
thus avoiding color change to finish due to
overheating.
The first five or six fires should be small fires
of short duration (about 30 to 60 minutes).
This will help cure the refractory bricks. During
the first few fires of this appliance there may
be some odor and smoke due to the curing of
the paint, dust accumulation and burning off of
lubricants used in the manufacturing process. It
may set off a smoke alarm located in the same
room. For this reason the room should be well
ventilated for the first few fires.
HEAT OUTPUT
The Montecito Estate™ fireplace is the largest
member of the IHP high efficiency fireplaces. The
heat generated from its fire is more efficiently
captured and distributed. In spite of the large
amount of heat that the Montecito Estate fire-
place can deliver, it should not replace the main
source of heat in your home. This fireplace will
bring extra warmth and ambiance to your home
by distributing its heat as described further in
the manual.
COMBUSTION CONTROLS
Primary Air and Air Boost Controls
There is no flue damper in the Montecito Estate
fireplace. As is common with air tight appliance,
the combustion air control sets the flow of air
entering the firebox. This allows for a more
precise control of the fire. The combustion
air control is located below the door on the
left side. The main source of air (primary
air) entering the firebox can be diminished by
moving the air combustion control from left to
Figure 1
right. The primary air is fully opened when the
air control is completely moved to the left. This
air combustion control should be in the closed
position when the fireplace is not in operation.
This will minimize air leakage up the chimney.
The combustion air control should be opened
before opening the doors to minimize the possi
-
bility of back draft coming into the room
(
Figure
1-A
)
More details are available in
Refueling For
Best Performance
on
Page 5
.
Time Delayed Air Boost System
The time delayed air-boost system register is
located underneath the door handles. Placed in
the fully opened position, a timer with a maxi-
mum duration of 2 hours is engaged.
The register gradually reduces the amount of air
injected, allowing for a better start of the fire,
whatever the conditions (See sections
Building
a Fire
and
Refueling For Best Performance
for
proper sequence of operation). This allows
you to start the fire, set the primary air control
to the desired burn level and the fireplace will
automatically adjust itself to that level once the
fire is fully established
(
Figure 1-B
)
.
Accelerated Combustion
The maximum heat output for the Montecito
Estate fireplace is achieved by burning with the
door closed and the combustion air opened and
pulled out. Through this method, the Montecito
Estate fireplace can produce up to 80,000 BTU
of heat per hour.
However, it will be necessary to reload with
wood every one or two hours. This is the
least efficient method of burning the Montecito
Estate fireplace .
Use caution when firing with the combustion
air control wide open. Only burn cord wood in
this manner. Small dry pieces of softwood and
construction scraps will burn very intensely us-
ing this method and may damage the firebox.
4
NOTE: DIAGRAMS & ILLUSTRATIONS ARE NOT TO SCALE.