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embers towards the front of the fire and place several small pieces on it. The bottom
layer should be placed to ensure that combustion air can flow over the embers and along
the length of the pieces of wood. The next layer should be stacked loosely in a crisscross
arrangement. Open the air inlet to produce a hot, bright fire. After approximately 15–20
minutes the air supply can be reduced slightly as the fire progresses, but never enough to
extinguish the flames. When only charcoal remains, the air supply can be reduced further
to prevent cooling the ember bed.
The long-burning fire:
To achieve a long burning fire, rake the embers towards the air
inlets, as with the small hot fire, and use larger and more pieces of wood. Place the
pieces in a similar pattern to the small hot fire, using more pieces and larger pieces
(especially the top layer).
Always make certain that there is a gap between the pieces
to ensure that the combustion air can reach all pieces
. Open the air inlets fully for
between 15 to 30 minutes depending on load size and fuel moisture content. When the
fire is burning fiercely (at least 15 minutes), reduce the air control in stages to the desired
level. This allows you to turn down the air control and still maintain a clean-burning fire.
REMEMBER: NEVER LET THE FIRE SMOULDER.
Preventing creosote build-up:
Creosote is a tar-like substance that builds up when the
organic compounds in smoke condense onto cooler flue surfaces. Left to build up over
time, creosote will restrict the airflow of the flue and impair the performance of your
heater. The production of smoke is at its highest when a fresh fuel load is added or when
the air control is at its lowest position. The most effective way to control the creosote
formation is to burn the heater so as to ensure as complete combustion as possible and at
the same time promoting higher flue temperatures. Smoldering fires should always be
avoided.
The amount of charcoal in the ash is often a good indicator of how well you are operating
the heater. If there is no charcoal and only very fine ash, then you are doing an excellent
job. If there is a lot of charcoal you may be turning the combustion air down too soon
after refuelling, or not raking the charcoal to the combustion air inlet, or turning the
combustion air down too low to support efficient combustion, or all of the above.
REMEMBER: THE HOTTER THE FIRE, THE LESS CREOSOTE FORMATION.
When you have mastered the techniques for efficient wood burning, here is what
you should see:
1.
When wood burns it should be flaming until only charcoal remains. If there are no
flames, something is wrong.
2.
Firebricks in the firebox should be tan in colour, never black.
3.
Steel parts in the firebox should be light to dark brown, never black and shiny.
4.
With seasoned wood, correct air settings and proper loading arrangement you
should expect instant ignition of a new load of wood—the bottom pieces should
be flaming by the time the door is closed.
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