Earth Klear Sky 400, Owner'S Manual, Page: 10 / 57

10
S
TARTING UP THE
F
URNACE
Make sure all the valves on the back of the furnace are closed and that the power is off.
Begin filling the furnace with water. Turn the manual fill valve on the front of the furnace to allow
water to flow into the furnace tank. You can work on other things while it is filling. Once the water
starts to flow out of the over flow, shut off the water with the manual fill valve.
Double check that all the fittings and connections throughout the system have been tightened or
secured. Then open the valve going to the pump and from the furnace. If you have a way to bleed
the air out of the system then open the bleed valve and turn the power on.
(With a normal set up,
the pump coming out of an upper port and returning to a lower port, all you have to do is open the
ball valve on the top side of the pump and then open the drain valve on the lower port. The pump
has enough pressure to push air out of the lines, however, if you get water in the return lines prior to
pumping water from the furnace your line will become air locked and that will require special help
from another water source to fix.)
Once the pump has started pushing water through the lines, check the various connections
throughout the system to verify they are all good and you have no leaks. After the system has been
purged of air, close the bleeder valve and open the ball valve to the furnace on the return port.
Now it is time to start a fire. It is recommended that you check all the lines prior to starting a fire in
case you have a problem that needs to be repaired. It is easier to repair the lines while they are cold
than when you have hot water flowing through them. When first starting up the furnace, build a
manageable fire to get the water up to temperature. We recommend using a 40 lb. bag of natural
charcoal and propane torch to initially start the fire. Wait 15 to 20 minutes for a bed of coals to form,
and slowly add your seasoned cordwood as it burns, loading/stacking the wood towards the front of
the unit, and never stacking it over ¾ high as this would restrict air flow. Cordwood should be
approximately 22 inches in length. Anything longer will hinder air flow. Once the water has gotten to
your desired temperature setting then you can add wood to start normal operations. Water will come
out of the overflow as it expands.