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WARNING: THE TEMPERATURE REACHED BY THESE ITEMS DURING
OPERATION MAY CAUSE AN INJURY TO AN END-USER. AS THESE ARE
INTENDED TO BE ADJUSTED DURING OPERATION, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT
PROTECTIVE GLOVES ARE WORN WHEN HANDING THESE PARTS.
TYPES OF FUEL
Fuel should be dry and timber should be well seasoned so as to have moisture content below
20%. The use of damp wood will result in more soot and tar deposits being left in the chimney,
flu and fireplace, and will not release heat if thermal energy is being used to drive out moisture
from the fuel.
Other fuels can be used in conjunction with wood, provided the base of the fire remains as
wood or compressed block fuels. Do not use the fireplace to incinerate other materials including
household waste.
Avoid using ‘green’ unseasoned wood, treated wood such as telegraph poles, or plywood /
chipboard containing glues and resins which pollute the environment and cause the fire to burn
too quickly. Such materials can produce excessive tar or creosote which can be damaging and
in extreme cases cause a fire inside the chimney. Looking at the end of the log can assess the
dryness of wood. Radial cracks, deep enough to be considered as splits should be present in
dry, seasoned logs. This level of dryness may take up to two years to achieve.
The maximum length of fuel suitable for this fireplace is approx. 25cm so as to lay flat over the
embers, and logs of greater than 6 cm diameter should be split.
INITIAL SEASONING
Following installation, and before regular use, the fireplace must be seasoned to prevent
cracking of the metal casting. This procedure should also be followed if the fireplace has not
been used for prolonged periods (during the summer months for example), and is carried out as
follows:
1. Light a small fire in the middle of the fireplace, well away from the sides.
2. Allow the fireplace to warm up slowly and evenly with the air controls almost closed, avoiding
intense flames.
3. Keep the fire burning for three hours or so, gradually increasing the size of the fire using
larger logs, which will burn naturally but slowly, keeping the fireplace on a low setting.
4. After a couple of days burning at this level, increase the brightness & intensity of the fire
gradually over the next 10 days.
Full strength fires should not be used until completion of approx. 20 days of mild use. Only from
this time will the fireplace have been properly seasoned. It should be remembered that this
procedure should be carried out at the beginning of each season of use in order to remove the
moisture retained by the metal during the period of non-use. When used for the first time the
fireplace may smell a little, due to gas being given off. The gas is not toxic but the room should
be thoroughly ventilated.
Let the fire burn with a high draught until no smells can be detected.
