Chapter
4
Operation
America’s
Favorite
Stoves
Since
1980
Page
23
Maximizing Your Stoves Efficiency
Heat
transfer
can
be
enhanced
by
slowing
the
rate
of
incoming
combustion
air,
allowing
more
time
for
heat
to
be
transferred
in
to
your
home.
Slowing
the
rate
of
incoming
air
also
slows
the
rate
of
exhaust
going
up
the
chimney
and
carrying
heat
away
with
it.
To
achieve
this,
always
thoroughly
preheat
your
stove
before
closing
the
damper.
The
following
are
some
tips
for
getting
the
most
out
of
your
stove:
1.
Always
thoroughly
preheat
your
stove
before
slowing
the
burn
rate
(closing
the
damper).
2.
Always
operate
your
stove
as
much
as
possible
in
the
low
to
medium
burn
rates.
3.
Temperature
measurements
taken
from
the
hottest
point
on
the
stove,
on
the
top
or
face,
can
be
used
to
repeat
burn
rates.
4.
Do
not
continually
operate
your
stove
with
the
damper
wide
open.
This
can
damage
your
stove
and
chimney.
It
is
a
waste
of
wood,
and
is
very
inefficient
causing
excessive
heat
loss
through
the
chimney.
5.
Periodically
go
outside
and
check
your
chimney.
More
than
a
very
small
amount
of
smoke
indicates
wasted
heat,
creosote
build
up
and
pollution.
6.
Do
not
set
the
damper
so
low
as
to
completely
extinguish
the
flames
in
the
firebox.
Check
for
at
least
some
flames
20
minutes
after
setting
the
damper.
Adjust
if
needed.
Achieving Long, Clean Burns
It
is
important
to
realize
that
stove
technology
and
design
have
changed
over
the
years,
as
well
as
proper
operation.
In
older
stoves
the
mind
set
was
to
get
the
stove
as
hot
as
possible
before
setting
the
damper
on
low
for
long
burns.
This
no
longer
applies
to
your
new
Breckwell
stove.
It
is
still
important
to
have
the
stove
hot
enough
to
burn
efficiently,
but
this
will
now
take
less
pre
‐
heating
than
older
stoves.
After
some
initial
experimentation,
you
will
be
able
to
determine
the
optimum
operating
temperatures
for
various
burn
rates.
Breckwell
wood
stoves
are
emission
tested
to
EPA
standards
with
the
damper
fully
closed
for
low
burn
rates
Whether
or
not
you
should
burn
your
stove
with
the
damper
completely
closed
will
depend
on
the
following
factors:
∙
Moisture
content
and
type
of
wood.
∙
How
you
load
your
wood.
∙
Your
chimney
system.
∙
The
temperature
of
the
stove.
After
thoroughly
pre
‐
heating
the
stove,
using
a
stove/chimney
thermometer,
monitor
the
temperature
on
the
top
of
the
stove.
Use
325
degrees
as
a
starting
point.
When
the
top
reaches
the
target
temperature,
close
the
damper
all
the
way
in.
If
the
flames
go
completely
out,
open
the
damper
all
the
way
and
then
slowly
close
until
there
is
a
small
amount
of
flame.
Remember
to
check
the
stove
in
twenty
minutes
after
adjusting
the
damper
as
it
takes
this
long
for
the
stove
to
stabilize.
There
should
still
be
some
small
flames
on
or
above
the
wood.
Try
varying
the
target
temperature
in
increments
of
25
degrees.
If
the
stove
is
burning
the
wood
too
quickly,
use
a
lower
temperature.
If
there
are
no
flames
in
the
firebox
after
a
few
minutes,
use
a
higher
temperature.
You
may
need
to
burn
the
stove
with
the
damper
fully
open
for
a
few
minutes
before
setting
for
a
low
burn.
Never
smolder
a
fire
during
a
long
burn.
Check
your
chimney
for
large
amounts
of
smoke
as
this
indicates
poor
combustion.
Experiment
with
different
loading
methods.
Fresh
wood
should
be
loaded
towards
the
rear
of
the
firebox,
while
bringing
half
‐
burned
wood
towards
the
front.
If
the
new
wood
does
not
ignite
within
a
few
minutes,
try
crisscrossing
the
wood
to
allow
for
more
airflow
around
the
wood.
CAUTION:
NEVER
MODIFY
THE
DAMPER
ASSEMBLY
TO
INCREASE
OR
DECREASE
AIRFLOW.
