of the air controls so that the fire burns
with very strong bright yellow flames
and with very little difference when
the air controls are operated. In such
circumstances an adjustable draught
stabiliser in the flue pipe may need to
be fitted to ensure that the stove will
always operate under a stable draught
to allow the stove’s controls to
function correctly. In the interests of
safety, because draught stabilisers limit
the exit of flue gases from the stove,
they should only ever be specified,
fitted and subsequently tested by an
approved installer.
• Causes: Fuel
The fuel itself may be
of poor quality. For example pine and
other softwoods will burn much quicker
than a good hard wood log, such as
Oak. Please read the section on hard
and soft woods on page 13.
• Causes: Faulty Door Seals
The rope
seals around the firechamber door
could have become worn and may not
create the air-tight seal needed for the
Primary and Secondary air controls to
function correctly. When the stove is
cold, you can easily check this seal by
placing strips of paper at various points
between the door and chamber and
checking that when the door is closed
it grips this paper. Any paper which can
be removed easily would indicate
a weakness of the door seal in that
particular spot, in which case a
complete new rope seal should be
fitted. See the section on fitting a rope
seal, page 35.
31
STOVE NOT PROVIDING
ENOUGH HEAT
This problem is also usually indicated
by dull orange lifeless flames and wood
that remains black when burning
instead of light grey. A flue temperature
gauge will provide you with the best
indication of whether or not your stove
is operating effectively.
• Causes: Poor fuel
Poor heat output
is more than likely caused by poor fuel,
such as ‘green’ or unseasoned wood.
We cannot over-estimate how critical
it is to use fully seasoned dry wood.
The easiest way to check whether your
wood is fully seasoned is to invest in a
moisture meter specifically designed for
testing wood fuel. These are relatively
inexpensive and can be purchased from
your stove dealer. When you bear in
mind that seasoned wood with a
moisture content of less than 20% will
give you approximately 50% more heat
than unseasoned wood, a moisture
meter is modest investment which will
more than pay for itself.
See page 13
Unseasoned wood introduces
unwanted moisture into the fire-
chamber, reducing the stove’s operating
temperature and thus the effectiveness
of the air wash system. In addition it
will cause problems of increased soot
and harmful creosote deposits within
the flue system.
Softwoods such as Pine produce
significantly less heat output than
hardwoods.
• Causes: Air controls
Ensure that
you fully understand the difference that
using the Primary and Secondary air
