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Optima Installation and Operation Manual 

 

 

22 

4.4.5.4

 

Maximum Burn Cycle Times 

The burn cycle time is the period between loading wood on a coal bed and the consumption of that 
wood back to a coal bed of the same size. The flaming phase of the fire lasts for roughly the first half 
of  the burn  cycle  and the  second half  is  the  coal  bed  phase  during  which  there  is  little  or  no flame. 
The length of burn you can expect from your stove, including both the flaming and coal bed phases, 
will be affected by a number of things, such as:  

 

firebox size,  

 

the amount of wood loaded,  

 

the species of wood you burn, 

 

the wood moisture content, 

 

the size of the space to be heated,  

 

the climate zone you live in, and 

 

the time of year.  

The table below provides a very general indication of the maximum burn cycle times you are likely to 
experience, based on firebox volume. 

FIREBOX VOLUME 

MAXIMUM 

BURN TIME 

<1.5 cubic feet 

3 to 5 hours 

1.5 c.f. to 2.0 c.f 

5 to 6 hours 

2.0 c.f. to 2.5 c.f. 

6 to 8 hours 

2.5 c.f. to 3.0 c.f. 

8 to 9 hours 

>3.0 c.f. 

9 to 10 hours 

 

Long  burn  times  are  not  necessarily  an  indication  of  efficient  stove  operation.  When  you  are  home 
during the day and able to tend the fire, it is preferable to build a smaller fire that might provide three 
or  four  hours  of  heating  than  to  fully  load  the  firebox  for  a  much  longer  burn.  Shorter  burn  cycles 
make it easier to match the heat output of the stove to the heat demand of the space. 

4.4.5.5

 

North-South Fires Versus East-West Fires 

In fireboxes that are roughly square, wood can be loaded so that looking through the glass door you 
see the ends of the logs (north-south) or the sides of the logs (east-west).  

East-west loads that are built compactly break down slowly when heated, but the amount of wood you 
can load is limited because if you put in too many pieces, one may fall against the glass. East-west 
loads are excellent for long, low output fires for relatively mild weather. 

North-south  loads  break  down  more  quickly,  but  much  more  wood  can  be  loaded  at  a  time.  This 
makes north-south loading good for high output, long lasting fires for cold weather. 

Summary of Contents for Optima DB03210

Page 1: ...w drolet ca Stove Builder International Inc 250 rue de Copenhague St Augustin de Desmaures Quebec Canada G3A 2H3 Tel 418 878 3040 Fax 418 878 3001 This manual is available for free download on the manufacturer s web site It is a copyrighted document Re sale is strictly prohibited The manufacturer may update this manual from time to time and cannot be responsible for problems injuries or damages ar...

Page 2: ...lled a house fire may result To reduce the risk of fire follow the installation instructions Contact local building or fire officials about restrictions and installation inspection requirements in your area Please read this entire manual before you install and use your new stove Failure to follow instructions may result in property damage bodily injury or even death It is important that you follow...

Page 3: ...w to Prepare or Buy Good Firewood 11 3 2 1 What is Good Firewood 11 3 2 2 Tree Species 11 3 2 3 Log Length 11 3 2 4 Piece Size 12 3 2 5 How to Dry Firewood 12 3 2 6 Where to store wood 14 3 2 7 Judging Firewood Moisture Content 14 3 3 Manufactured Logs 15 4 Operating Your Stove 16 4 1 The use of a fire screen 16 4 2 Your First Fires 16 4 3 Lighting Fires 16 4 3 1 Conventional Fire Starting 17 4 3 ...

Page 4: ...e Installation 27 7 Clearances to Combustible Material 28 7 1 Location of the certification label 28 7 2 Clearances to Walls and Ceiling 28 7 3 Floor protector 30 7 4 Reducing Wall and Ceiling Clearances Safely 30 7 4 1 Shield Construction Rules 31 7 4 2 Table of Clearance Reduction Percentages 32 8 The Venting System 33 8 1 General 33 8 2 Suitable Chimneys 33 8 2 1 Factory built Metal Chimneys 33...

Page 5: ...l 5 Appendix 1 Installing the Fresh Air Intake Kit AC01334 39 Appendix 2 Installing the Fire Screen AC01319 40 Appendix 3 Use of the Blower and Optional Thermodisc 41 Appendix 4 Exploded Diagram and Parts List 42 LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY 44 ...

Page 6: ...Y DURING LIGHTING PROCEDURES OR RELOADING ALWAYS CLOSE THE DOOR OR PUT BACK THE FIRE SCREEN AFTER IGNITION DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED WITH OR WITHOUT FIRE SCREEN NEVER USE GASOLINE GASOLINE TYPE LANTERN FUEL NAPHTHA FUEL OIL MOTOR OIL KEROSENE CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLUID OR SIMILAR LIQUIDS OR AEROSOLS TO START OR FRESHEN UP A FIRE IN THIS STOVE KEEP ALL SUCH LIQUIDS OR AE...

Page 7: ...150 kg Firebox Volume 1 6 cu ft 0 045 m3 Maximum Log Length 22 east west Flue Outlet Diameter 6 150 mm diameter vertical Baffle Material Steel and firebrick Combustion autonomy and heating capacity may vary subject to location in home chimney draft chimney diameter locality heat loss factors climate or fuels The EPA test fuel is dimensional Douglas fir pieces stapled together into cribs with air s...

Page 8: ...Optima Installation and Operation Manual 8 ...

Page 9: ...amily spends most of its time This is normally the main living area where the kitchen dining and living rooms are located By locating the stove in this area you will get the maximum benefit of the heat it produces and will achieve the highest possible heating efficiency and comfort The space where you spend most of your time will be warmest while bedrooms and basement if there is one will stay coo...

Page 10: ...nment so we do everything we can to use only materials in our products that will have no lasting negative impact on the environment 2 4 1 What is Your New Stove Made Of The body of your stove which is most of its weight is carbon steel Should it ever become necessary many years in the future almost the entire stove can be recycled into new products thus eliminating the need to mine new materials T...

Page 11: ...mes use both types for different purposes For example softer woods make good fuel for relatively mild weather in spring and fall because they light quickly and produce less heat Softwoods are not as dense as hardwoods so a given volume of wood contains less energy Using softwoods avoids overheating the house which can be a common problem with wood heating in moderate weather Harder woods are best ...

Page 12: ...ourage drying Wood should be split to a range of sizes from about 3 to 6 75 mm to 150 mm in cross section Having a range of sizes makes starting and rekindling fires much easier Often the firewood purchased from commercial suppliers is not split finely enough for convenient stoking It is sometimes advisable to resplit the wood before stacking to dry 3 2 5 How to Dry Firewood Firewood that is not d...

Page 13: ... pieces split pieces dry more quickly than unsplit rounds softwoods take less time to dry than hardwoods softwoods like pine spruce and poplar aspen can be dry enough to burn after being stacked in the open for only the summer months hardwoods like oak maple and ash can take one or even two years to dry fully especially if the pieces are big firewood dries more quickly when stacked in the open whe...

Page 14: ...re Content You can find out if some firewood is dry enough to burn by using these guidelines cracks form at the ends of logs as they dry as it dries in the sun the wood turns from white or cream coloured to grey or yellow bang two pieces of wood together seasoned wood sounds hollow and wet wood sounds dull dry wood is much lighter in weight than wet wood split a piece and if the fresh face feels w...

Page 15: ...sawdust can be burned but use caution in the number of these logs burned at one time Start with one manufactured log and see how the stove reacts You can increase the number of logs burned at a time to making sure the temperature never rises higher than 475 F 246 C on a magnetic thermometer for installation on single wall stove pipes or 900 F 482 C on a probe thermometer for installation on double...

Page 16: ... vaporize The vapors are not poisonous but they do smell bad Fresh paint fumes can also cause false alarms in smoke detectors So when you first light your stove be prepared by opening doors and or windows to ventilate the house As you burn hotter and hotter fires more of the painted surfaces reach the curing temperature of the paint The smell of curing paint does not disappear until you have burne...

Page 17: ...The Top Down Fire The top down fire starting method solves two problems with the conventional method first it does not collapse and smother itself as it burns and second it is not necessary to build up the fire gradually because the firebox is loaded before the fire is lit A top down fire can provide up to two hours of heating or more The top down method only works properly if the wood is well sea...

Page 18: ...has been consumed down to a bed of charcoal about the same size as it was when the wood was loaded Do not attempt to produce a steady heat output by placing a single log on the fire at regular intervals Always place at least three and preferably more pieces on the fire at a time so that the heat radiated from one piece helps to ignite the pieces next to it Each load of wood should provide several ...

Page 19: ...tice that the room temperature has fallen You will find most of the remaining charcoal at the back of the firebox furthest from the door Rake these coals towards the door before loading There are two reasons for this raking of the coals First it concentrates them near where most of the combustion air enters the firebox and where they can ignite the new load quickly and second the charcoal will not...

Page 20: ... heat surge is welcome when the room temperature is a little lower than desirable but not welcome if the space is already warm Therefore allow each load of wood to burn down so that the space begins to cool off a little before loading Letting the space cool before loading is one of the secrets to clean burning and effective zone heating 4 4 5 Turning Down the Air Supply Once the firewood firebox a...

Page 21: ... around to tend the stove and should provide enough heat for four hours or more Small fires like this are a good time to use softer wood species so there will be less chance of overheating the house 4 4 5 2 Long Lasting Low Output Fires Sometimes you will want to build a fire to last up to eight hours but don t need intense heat In this case use soft wood species and place the logs compactly in th...

Page 22: ...0 c f to 2 5 c f 6 to 8 hours 2 5 c f to 3 0 c f 8 to 9 hours 3 0 c f 9 to 10 hours Long burn times are not necessarily an indication of efficient stove operation When you are home during the day and able to tend the fire it is preferable to build a smaller fire that might provide three or four hours of heating than to fully load the firebox for a much longer burn Shorter burn cycles make it easie...

Page 23: ...a damp cloth or paper towel and then drying Never try to clean the glass when the stove is hot In spring and fall when the stove is run at lower temperatures you may see some light brown stains forming especially at the lower corners of the glass This indicates that the fire has been smoky and some of the smoke has condensed on the glass When the weather is mild you may find that letting the fire ...

Page 24: ...replace the gasket Use the correct replacement gasket that you can purchase from your retailer The diameter and density of the gasket is important to getting a good seal Place the door face down on something soft like a cushion of rags or piece of carpet Remove the old gasket from the door by pulling and prying it out with an old screw driver Then use the screwdriver to scrape the old gasket adhes...

Page 25: ...plated surfaces If the paint becomes scratched or damaged you can give your wood stove a brand new look by repainting it with heat resistant paint Before painting roughen the surface with fine sand paper wipe it down to remove dust and apply two thin coats of paint For best results use the same paint that was originally used on the stove which is available in spray cans See your dealer for details...

Page 26: ...ke on The most common equipment used are fibreglass rods with threaded fittings and stiff plastic brushes The brush is forced up and down inside the chimney flue to scrub off the creosote The chimney connector assembly should always be cleaned at the same time the chimney is cleaned CAUTION Operation of your stove without the baffle may cause unsafe and hazardous temperature conditions and will vo...

Page 27: ...ON WITH ANY AIR DISTRIBUTION DUCTWORK UNLESS SPECIFICALLY APPROVED FOR SUCH INSTALLATION DO NOT CONNECT THIS UNIT TO A CHIMNEY FLUE SERVING ANOTHER APPLIANCE DO NOT INSTALL IN A MOBILE HOME 6 2 Regulations Covering Stove Installation When installed and operated as described in these instructions the Optima wood stove is suitable for use as a freestanding heater in residential installations The Opt...

Page 28: ... in order to have a safe and compliant installation In addition you will find information about your stove model serial number etc You can find the certification label on the back of the stove 7 2 Clearances to Walls and Ceiling The clearances to combustible walls may be slightly different in Canada and the U S A and may also differ depending on whether you use single or double wall flue pipe Plea...

Page 29: ...Optima Installation and Operation Manual 29 Clearances to combustible materials and floor protection ...

Page 30: ...loor protection at the back of the stove is limited to the stove s required clearance if such clearance is smaller than 8 inches 203 mm Note 2 Only required under the horizontal section of the connector Must exceed each side of the connector by at least 2 inches 51 mm 7 4 Reducing Wall and Ceiling Clearances Safely It is often desirable to reduce the minimum installation clearances by placing the ...

Page 31: ...d each side of appliance 450 mm 18 in 6 Shield extension above appliance 500 mm 20 in 7 Edge clearance for ceiling shields 75 mm 3 in 8 Adhesives used in shield construction must not ignite or lose adhesive qualities at temperatures likely to be encountered 9 Mounting hardware must allow full vertical ventilation 10 Mounting hardware must not be located closer than 200 mm 8 in from the vertical ce...

Page 32: ...tible material on non combustible board spaced out at least 25 mm 1 in by non combustible spacers 50 33 Ceramic tiles or equivalent non combustible material on non combustible board with a minimum of 24 gauge 0 61 mm sheet metal backing spaced out at least 25 mm 1 in by non combustible spacers 67 50 Brick spaced out at least 25 mm 1 in by non combustible spacers 50 N A Brick with a minimum of 24 g...

Page 33: ... connected to a suitable chimney The heat in the flue gases that pass from the stove and chimney connector into the chimney is not waste heat This heat is what the chimney uses to make the draft that draws in combustion air keeps vents exhaust to outside You can think of heat in the flue gas as the fuel the chimney uses to make draft Your wood stove will provide optimum efficiency and performance ...

Page 34: ... house and its roof The chimney must extend at least 1 m 3 ft above the highest point of contact with the roof and at least 60 cm 2 ft higher than any roof line or obstacle within a horizontal distance of 3 m 10 ft onnected to a masonry chimney provided the chimney complies with the construction rules found in the building code enforced locally The chimney must have either a clay liner or a suitab...

Page 35: ...side the warm space of the house tend to provide a small amount of draft when there is no fire burning This means that when you light a fire the initial smoke goes up the chimney and strong draft builds quickly as the chimney flue warms up Although they are common in North America chimneys that exit a house wall and run up outside can cause problems Inside chimneys are preferred because even when ...

Page 36: ...entional Houses The safest and most reliable supply of combustion air for your wood stove is from the room in which it is installed Room air is already preheated so it will not chill the fire and its availability is not affected by wind pressures on the house Contrary to commonly expressed concerns almost all tightly sealed new houses have enough natural leakage to provide the small amount of air ...

Page 37: ...nnectors are tested and certified The rules for double wall pipe are found in the manufacturer s installation instructions These rules will be very different than those for single Installation of Single Wall Chimney Connector The chimney connector assembly has been called the weak link in the safety of wood heating systems because failure to install the connector properly which has been common in ...

Page 38: ...uld include an inspection wrap with one end unfastened or a telescopic section Minimum upward slope towards the chimney 20 mm m 1 4 in ft One end of the assembly must be securely fastened to the flue collar with 3 sheet metal screws and the other end securely fastened to the chimney There must be provision for cleaning of the pipes either through a clean out or by removal of the pipe assembly Remo...

Page 39: ...Optima Installation and Operation Manual 39 Appendix 1 Installing the Fresh Air Intake Kit AC01334 The installation instructions are provided with the Fresh Air Intake Kit AC01334 sold separately ...

Page 40: ...ing Lean the upper part of the fire screen against the top door opening making sure to insert the top fire screen brackets behind the primary air deflector as in Detail A Lift the fire screen upwards and push the bottom part towards the stove then let the fire screen rest on the bottom of the door opening Warning Never leave the stove unattended while in use with the fire screen ...

Page 41: ...wer allow the stove to reach operating temperature approximately one hour before turning it on The increased airflow from the fan cools the firebox and could affect the start up combustion efficiency if the fan is turned on too early You can also install an optional thermodisc to enable the blower to start or stop automatically when the stove is hot or too cold The thermodisc part number is AC0553...

Page 42: ...Optima Installation and Operation Manual 42 Appendix 4 Exploded Diagram and Parts List ...

Page 43: ...T 1 21 SE45570 OPTIMA INSTRUCTION MANUAL KIT 1 22 30129 METAL SCREW 10 X 1 2 PAN QUADREX ZINC A TYPE 2 23 PL06728 AIR CONTROL HANDLE 1 24 PL65256 AIR DAMPER COVER 1 25 30138 METAL SCREW 6 3 8 QUADREX A TYPE BLACK 2 26 30060 THREAD CUTTING SCREW 1 4 20 x 1 2 F HEX STEEL SLOT WASHER C102 ZINC 4 27 PL65277 AIR DAMPER COVER SUPPORT 2 28 30094 HEX SCREW WASHER HEAD 1 4 20 X 3 4 F ZINC TYPE 2 29 30428 B...

Page 44: ...t part All parts and labour costs covered by this warranty are limited according to the table below The manufacturer at its discretion may decide to repair or replace any part or unit after inspection and investigation of the defect The manufacturer may at its discretion fully discharge all obligations with respect to this warranty by refunding the wholesale price of any warranted but defective pa...

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