12
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
LIGHTING THE FIRE IS THE MOST CRITICAL PHASE FOR
GENERATING FLUE DRAUGHT PRESSURE; AFTER THIS YOU
SHOULD KEEP MONITORING THE FIRE.
It is possible that the wood will not catch fire
and that
your initial fire might go out after a few minutes. This is
because the flue pipe is cold and there is insufficient flue
draught pressure. Start your fire again using easily
combustible material: thin dry sticks, shrubs, pine cones and
newspaper are ideal for this first phase.
When the wood has caught fire
, regulate the primary air
supply by turning the thermostatic control, so that the logs
burn well with tall flames. Avoid too great a flue draught
pressure but also don’t let combustion get too slow as this
can result in the deposit of soot in the stove.
Make sure there is always a good bed of glowing
embers
at the bottom of the stove and add wood as soon as
the previous logs have turned into embers: the bed of
embers maintains the temperature required for igniting
more wood and ensures correct combustion. Always arrange
the logs crosswise so that air can pass between them and
ensure good oxygenation. Try and keep the flames burning;
most heat is generated by the combustion of the gases. If the
flames die down completely, unburned gases are produced
that waste energy and pollute.
COMBUSTION SPEED
You can adjust the air control devices and grill to increase or
decrease combustion speed and therefore the heating or
cooking temperature:
• Fast combustion:
primary air control open (fully
anticlockwise)
• Slow combustion:
primary air control closed (fully clockwise)
• In the summer:
(thermocookers only) if minimal heat is
required, for cooking and hot water only, it is a good idea to
raise the fire grill to its highest position as this limits the
combustion chamber and helps to save on fuel.
AVOID OVERLOADING THE APPLIANCE.
A relatively small and well oxygenated fire will burn better
and produce more heat than a large stack of wood blocking
the hearth.
IMPORTANT: during fast combustion make sure there
is no more than 3 kg of wood in the stove at all times.
A greater amount of fuel requires you to reduce the
combustion speed proportionally by acting on the
air control.
Adding more fuel without changing the combustion speed
will produce thermal power greater than the cooker -environ-
ment exchange capacity. This will not only waste fuel but
could also damage and deform the appliance.
The ideal load for efficient and clean combustion is 3-4 kg of
wood per hour for thermocookers and 4-6 kg for thermosto-
ves. Bigger loads go to the exclusive benefit of operating
times.
Excessive residual ash quantity indicates a poor combustion.
Transparent smoke coming out of the chimney indicates a
clean burning, whilst opaque or dark smoke shows an excess
of unburned material.
WARNING
: Thermal shock caused by a sudden increase in
temperature can form small cracks in the refractory bricks.
These cracks will not compromise the structure and resistance
of the bricks or cooker in any way.
When combustion has ended
, close the primary air lever
and any secondary air slits to prevent the heat in the stove
escapes with the flow of air in the flue.
Lack of flue draught pressure.
A column of cold air could
form in the flue pipe for a variety of reasons. These could be
low atmospheric pressure, humidity, strong winds or
depression in the house (e.g. if the hood above your kitchen
stove is switched on).
In the event of low atmospheric pressure or rain
,the flue
draught pressure will not be nearly as good as on a clear day
or during a cold, dry winter. Humidity can also form in the
flue pipe if the stove is not used for a long period of time. It
is worth keeping the stove’s doors ajar to let air circulate in
the flue pipe.
3.2 USING THE OVEN
The oven always needs to be pre-heated for cooking. Add a
suitable amount of fuel to the combustion chamber, open
the primary air control to obtain the required temperature.
Leave the fire to burn for about an hour with the primary air
valve open and then wait for about ten minutes after the fla-
mes have died down in the combustion chamber.
Keep the temperature constant by adding thin wood to the
stove measuring about 3 cm in diameter at a rate of one or
two pieces every ten minutes.
3.3 USEFUL NOTES
COOKING PLATE
The cast iron cooking plate must never become incandescent.
Always use receptacles with flat heavy bases (for
maintenance see chapter 4.2)
HEARTH GRILL
Poking the embers on the iron grille in the combustion
chamber will make the ash fall through into the ash drawer
below. This clears the way for the supply of primary air to the
combustion chamber – particularly important when starting
up your fire.
The slits in the grill have two specific functions: they let
combustion air pass through and, at the same time, enable
the disposal of the embers and ash.
Summary of Contents for EKB110
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