480-1091 24 4-03
Constitution
EPA Certified Fireplace
10. Starting A Fire
Before lighting your first fire in the fireplace, make
certain that the baffle are correctly positioned. It should
be resting against the rear channel.
There are many ways to build a fire. The basic principle
is to light easily-ignitable tinder or paper, which ignites
the fast burning kindling, which in turn ignites the
slow-burning firewood. Here is one method that works
well:
1. Place several wads of crushed paper on the firebox
floor. Heating the flue with slightly crumpled
newspaper before adding kindling keeps smoke
to a minimum.
2. Lay small dry sticks of kindling on top of the paper.
3. Fully open the Slide Air Control by moving it
completely to the right.
4. Make sure that no matches or other combustibles
are in the immediate area of the fireplace. Be
sure the room is adequately ventilated and the
flue unobstructed.
5. Light the paper in the fireplace.
NEVER light or
rekindle fireplace with kerosene, gasoline, or
charcoal lighter fluid; the results can be fatal.
6. Once the kindling is burning quickly, add several
full-length logs 3” or 4” in diameter. Be careful not to
smother the fire. Stack the pieces of wood carefully:
near enough to keep each other hot, but far enough
away from each other to allow adequate air flow
between them.
7. When ready to reload the fireplace, add more logs.
Large logs burn slowly, holding a fire longer. Small
logs burn fast and hot, giving quick heat.
8. Adjust the Slide Air Control; the more you close
down the Control, (sliding left) the lower and slower
the fire will burn. The more you open the Air Control,
(sliding right) the more heat will be produced adn
the faster the wood will burn
As long as there are hot coals, repeating steps 7 and 8
will maintain a continuous fire throughout the season.
NOTE:
The special high temperature paint that your
fireplace is finished with will cure as your fireplace heats.
You will notice an odor and perhaps see some vapor rise
from the fireplace surface; this is normal. We recommend
that you open a window until the odor dissipates and
paint is cured.
NOTE:
Fireplace should be run full open for a minimum of
15 minutes a day
t
o keep air passages clean.
11. Burn Rates
HIGH:
Open (slide right) Slide Air Control fully. It
is important to do this when reloading the fireplace.
Failure to do this could result in excessive emissions
(smoke).
MEDIUM HIGH BURN RATE:
After a wood load has
been burning on high for 5 to 15 minutes, close the
Slide Air Control to 1/2” -1-1/2” distance open. (Move
the handle to left to stop and then to right for the
proper setting).
MEDIUM
: After a wood load has been burning on high
for 5 to 15 minutes (longer for very large pieces or wet
wood), slide Slide Air Control left to 1/8”-1/2” distance
open. (Move the handle to left to stop and then to right
for the proper setting).
LOW:
After a wood load has been burning on high
for 5 to 15 minutes (longer for very large pieces or
wet wood), gradually slide the Air Control left to close
down the air, making sure to maintain flames in the
fireplace. It is very important to maintain flames in your
fireplace during the first few hours of a low burn, to
avoid excessive air pollution.
12. Opacity
This is the measure of how cleanly your fireplace is
burning. Opacity is measured in percent; 100% opacity is
when an object is totally obscured by the smoke column
from a chimney, and 0% opacity means that no smoke
column can be seen. As you become familiar with your
fireplace, you should periodically check the opacity. This
will allow you to know how to burn your fireplace as nearly
WARNING!
Burning wet, unseasoned wood can cause excessive
creosote accumulation. When ignited it can cause a
chimney fire that may result in a serious house fire.
WARNING!
Do not store fuel within the clearances to combustibles, or
in the space required for refueling and ash removal. See
maintenance instructions, “Clear Space Near the Fireplace”.
CAUTION:
Never use gasoline, gasoline-type lantern fuel, kerosene,
charcoal lighter fluid, or similar liquids to start or “freshen
up” a fire in this fireplace. Keep all such liquids well away
from the fireplace.
