CHECK THE INSTALLATION !
Once installed, light the fire, demonstrate it to the householder and
check that:
•
It burns controllably and does not emit fumes to the room
•
The route for gases from the stove to the chimney terminal is
completely airtight, unobstructed and able to be swept.
•
The entire construction is of durable fireproof materials.
•
The flue presents a draught in use of at least 12Pa
LIVING WITH YOUR STOVE
Every fuel, chimney and condition of use is different. Only
experience will show which are the best settings for you.
LIGHTING
If lighting after a period of non-use, do check that the
flueways and chimney are completely clear. Empty the ashes.
Place two or three firelighters close together, or screwed-up paper
covered with dry sticks, at the back of the grate and light them.
When they are burning well gently fill the fire with dry fuel, close
the door and set the air control slides to the 'high' (right) position.
As soon as the fire is burning well, move the controls to the lowest
practical setting.
CONTROL
How fast the fire burns
depends on how much air reaches the
fuel. The stove has two air controls,
one below the window ('primary'
1
)
and one above ('airwash control'
2
).
Move the slides to the right for highest
output, to the left for 'low'.
Our tests indicate highest efficiency
on wood with the primary control all
but closed and the airwash 2/3 open.
Anthracite works best with the
airwash closed and the primary 1/3
open. But the best settings will
depend on your fuel, air supply and
flue draught and can only be found from experience.
EMPTYING ASHES
use the tool or handle or a glove to open the
door. Stir the fire with a poker and use the tool to lift out the
ashpan. Remember to let ash cool before disposing in plastic
sacks or dustbins. There is no need to empty every last speck, but
ash from mineral fuels should never be allowed to build up so that
it comes into contact with the underside of the grate.
CLEANING
Wipe the stove body with a slightly damp cloth when
cool, don't use abrasives, metal polish or 'cream' cleansers as they
can scratch the surface. NEVER use aerosol sprays near the hot
fire – they can ignite.
KEEPING THE WINDOW CLEAN
With most fuels the window will
require no cleaning other than an occasional wipe with a dry cloth.
Simply operating the stove for a few minutes at high output will
usually burn-off any deposits left by tarry or wet fuels. Severe
stains can be removed with a proprietary cleaner. After a period of
use tiny hairline cracks may appear on the window, this is not a
fault, but is characteristic of the toughest and most heat-resistant
material currently available. Reduce the risk of staining by using
only
very dry
fuel and having the airwash control always
slightly
open.
OPENING THE DOOR
This stove is designed to be operated only
with the door closed. Open the door very slowly to minimise fume
emission and prevent hot fuel falling out.
FUELS
There is no 'perfect' fuel, so we strongly recommend that you try a
selection of fuels (or mixtures) to find which suits you best. Do
avoid dusty materials like sawdust, they can burn far to violently.
SMOKE CONTROL:
In certain areas special rules apply to reduce
smoke nuisance. Check with your local authority about what fuels
are permitted.
WOOD
only emits as much carbon to the atmosphere as the tree
took in when growing, so wood is considered the 'carbon neutral'
fuel. When wood is cut down its cells are full of water. Burning
such wet or 'green' wood wastes heat in making steam and
produces flammable, acidic tars which will cling to, and rapidly
damage, your stove and chimney. Split logs will typically take two
years to become reasonably dry, round logs much longer. Cracks
in the ends, a hollow sound when tapped and bark falling away are
all signs that a log may be ready for use. The fine, white residue
produced when wood burns is not ash, but the remains of cell
walls which can burn if kept hot enough, so don't de-ash the fire
until absolutely necessary.
For best performance on wood, and always if low smoke emission
is expected:
•
Split logs lengthways for drying
•
Use logs no bigger than about 100mm x 250mm
•
Ensure logs are
absolutely dry
(less than 20% moisture)
•
Fill the stove criss-cross, so air can circulate between logs.
•
Fill 'little and often'
•
Always have the airwash control (2) at least a little open.
•
When first lighting, or reviving a fire from embers, use only
very small, thin, dry, sticks.
JOINERY WASTE
Dry wood offcuts will burn well, but don't expect
softwood waste to burn as cleanly or for as long as hardwood logs.
PEAT:
Sod turf must be thoroughly dry. BNM peat briquettes are
approved for use in Smokeless Zones in the RoI.
LIGNITE
(not smokeless) is a natural mineral, between peat and
coal. It lights easily and burns well, but produces much ash
HOUSECOAL
or
BITUMINOUS COAL
(not smokeless) makes
lots of tarry smoke and large volumes of flammable gas which
make it difficult to control and risk explosions. Despite its low cost,
it rarely represents value for money. Don't use housecoal.
ANTHRACITE
(Smokeless) is a natural hard, shiny form of coal.
Slow to light, it can burn for very long periods with great heat.
Despite its high price-per-bag it generally works out to be one of
the cheapest of all fuels. Use the 'small nuts' size.
COKE
(Smokeless) is coal from which the smoke has been
removed. Sometimes difficult to light, it burns very cleanly.
BRIQUETTES
Are compressed blocks of fuel, generally able to
burn for long periods and remarkable for their consistency.
'Homefire' and 'Phurnacite' are smokeless types while other
brands are made from lignite, peat or housecoal.
PETROLEUM COKE
sold as 'Petcoke', 'Longbeach' and under
various proprietary names, is made from oil. Easy to light and to
control, its exceptional heat and lack of protective ash mean that it
MUST NOT be used unless mixed with another fuel. Grate and
liner life will be drastically reduced when using petroleum coke
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Summary of Contents for inStove BS1251
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