Lighting your fire:
Pull out the air control knob, on the right side of the ash spill tray below the door,
until it is fully open. Place several pieces of crumpled newspaper in the base of
the firebox, and criss-cross with 8-10 pieces of dry split kindling. Stack several
pieces of dry split firewood approximately 40-50mm in size on top of the kindling.
Ignite the paper and partly close the door. Let the fire establish itself for a few
minutes, then open the door and add some more pieces of wood. Close the
door, but leave the air control fully open until the wood is well alight and burning
brightly. Do not leave the fire unattended during this process. Please note that it
may be necessary in some cases to leave the door ajar for longer periods and
use more small kindling in order to establish enough heat to warm up the flue.
Only when the flue is sufficiently warm to create the necessary draft to maintain
the fire may the door be fully closed. It may take trial and error to find a lighting
procedure that suits your situation. In some cases it may be necessary to use a fire
accelerant, we advise you to follow correct procedures from the manufacturer.
Normal operation once the fire is established:
Once the fire is well established and the door can be fully closed, the output can
be regulated by the amount of wood that is used. To reload the fire, open the air
control fully, if this has been pushed in to turn the fire down, and open the door.
Note that the fire burns hottest at the front of the firebox and so there may be
unburnt wood at the back when it comes time to reload. This is normal. Rake
through the contents to move any unburnt wood forward and then place the
desired amount of wood into the firebox. Close the door. Operate the fire for 10-
15 minutes with the air control fully open to allow the fire to fully establish again,
before attempting to adjust the air control. Avoid large pieces of wood burning
against the firebricks. The view of the flame through the glass door will give you
the best indication of how your heater is performing. In order to accomplish
maximum combustion performance, the fire should give a rolling, boiling flame
pattern. At reduced setting the flame will be slower. For all practical purposes, the
air control should be fully open when there is unburnt wood in the heater.
Although fire holding periods may be increased by turning down the air control,
this is at the cost of greater emissions and creosote production. At low settings,
creosote may condense on the glass, reducing the visibility of the fire. The best
indication that the fire is operating correctly is that the glass remains clean,
without build-up of black or brown deposits. Some whitish bloom on the glass is
normal and does not generally indicate a fault in operation. The way you burn
your heater will also determine what is happening up the flue. Continued burning
at high rates with a good clean flame will minimise soot and creosote deposits in
the flue. Burning on low settings can quickly lead to the flue becoming blocked
with deposits of soot and creosote, necessitating frequent and costly cleaning,
and in the worst case, can lead to a fire in the flue as the soot and creosote
ignite in the flue.
Cleaning out the heater:
Your heater should require minimum cleaning. If the heater is operated correctly
according to the instructions most of the ash will be consumed by later fires and a
bed of ash will be maintained that does not build up to any great extent. If you
find that you are having to clean out ashes every day or so, it indicates that the
heater is not being operated correctly. Either excessively wet wood or foreign
materials are being burnt, or the air control is being turned down too much. Don’t
clean out the firebox completely. Leave at least 25mm of ash in the bottom of
the firebox after cleaning. These ashes in the bottom of the heater assist the
burning process, by insulating the firebox and allowing air circulation under the
fire bed. When emptying ashes use a metal container with a tight fitting lid. Do
not use this container for any other purpose. The closed container of ashes should
immediately be taken outdoors to a location well away from any combustible
materials, pending final disposal. If the ashes are to be disposed of by burial in the
garden or otherwise locally dispersed, they should be retained in the container
until they are completely extinguished and cold. This may take several days.
Wood treated with chemicals will leave toxic residues in the ash. These ashes
must be disposed of so they cannot contaminate the environment in any way.
We emphasise that this type of wood should not be used in your heater.
In the event of a flue fire:
In the event of a build-up of creosote or soot igniting in the flue, close the air control
fully. This will minimise the amount of air that can get into the burning flue and so can
put the fire out. Prepare occupants of the house for evacuation. Contact the Fire
Department. While waiting for the Fire Department, watch out for ignition of
adjacent combustibles from the over-heated flue, hot embers, or sparks escaping
from the flue. A flue system that has been properly installed will sustain minimal
damage from such an event and cause minimal structural harm to the building.
Correct flue sizing:
Kent heaters are designed for use with a 150mm diameter full length flue. Flues larger
than this can cause less than optimum performance. The reason that larger flues can
create problems is that they take longer to warm up to operating temperature to
provide proper draft, and have a greater surface area which causes greater heat
loss, leading to more condensation of creosote. When large flues do heat up, or
when extremely cold weather and high atmospheric conditions exist, larger flues
can over-draft an appliance. If your heater is not performing to expectations when
operated according to these instructions, have your dealer or installer check the
draft level of your flue with a draft meter. The correct draft reading, when the
heater is operating on high and has been running until it is up to temperature, is
0.1 Water Column Inches.
Creosote formation and need for removal:
When wood is burned slowly, it produces tar and other organic vapours, which
combine with the moisture released during the burning process, forming creosote.
The creosote vapours may condense in the relatively cool flue of a slow burning fire.
As a result a build-up of creosote occurs that in the worst instance may ignite and
burn inside the flue causing an extremely hot fire. The flue of your heater should be
inspected at least every two months during the heating season, and preferably
before beginning to use the heater at the start of the season. When you are able to
operate the heater without creating creosote deposits, the interval between
inspections may be increased, but the flue must always be inspected and cleaned
at least once a year. The flue should be swept by a professional chimney sweep to
remove any build-up of creosote and soot. A professional sweep should also advise
of any problems that may be detected in the inspection of the flue and offer advice
on any repair and replacements. Your Kent heater requires minimal maintenance,
and will keep its good looks for a long time with just a little attention.
Cleaning:
The exterior surfaces of the heater should be cleaned when needed with a damp
cloth and non-abrasive cleaner. Use of caustic or abrasive cleaners will damage the
finish on the heater. If, due to continued burning at low temperature, the door glass
is dirty, use a paper towel moistened with water and dipped in the cold ashes from
the fire to lightly scrub the inside of the glass. Remember that a properly operated
heater will keep the glass clean by itself.
Lubrication:
The door hinges, door handle spindle and air slide mechanism should be lubricated
every few months of use with a suitable high temperature grease. Do not use too
much as this can melt and drop down onto the hearth staining it.
Other maintenance:
Any other maintenance required should be carried out by qualified service staff.
Please consult your Kent dealer for local service people. Any replacement parts
used must be original Kent parts. The appliance should not be modified in any way
except in accordance with instructions supplied by Kent.
KENT WARRANTY REGISTRATION
IMPORTANT
Please take a few moments to complete both sections. Once
completed cut and mail this section to Aber Holdings Ltd
(freepost).
CUSTOMER NAME:….……………………………………………………..
INSTALL ADDRESS:..……………........……………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………..
TELEPHONE:…………………………………………………………………
EMAIL:………………………………………………………………….…….
RETAILER:…………………………………………………………………….
PURCHASE DATE:…………………………………………………………..
INVOICE NUMBER:…………………………………………………………
MODEL:………………………………………………………………………
SERIAL NUMBER:……………………………………………………………
INSTALLER NAME:…………………………………….…………………….
DATE INSTALLED:…………………………………………………………...
NZ HOME HEATING
ASSOCIATION NUMBER:………………………….……………………….
INSTALLER SIGNATURE:……………………………………………………
For more information please visit our help desk at www.kent.co.nz
PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
Owner named on card agrees
and consents that Kent may
retain and use information on
this card for marketing and
development purposes only.
