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Wood fires are usually installed in the main living area, which is
the section of the home that is usually kept the warmest, being
the area in the home most frequently occupied. However,
before deciding on the best location for your Metro wood fire
you may wish to consider:
• Water heating. If you are intending to have a wetback it
is important that the wood fire is as close as practically
possible to the water storage cylinder.
• Split level homes are best heated when the wood fire is
installed on the lower level, as the heated air will rise to the
higher levels.
• Building construction is another consideration. Specified
clearances from walls, curtains etc must be maintained
and you need to ensure no structural beams or internal
gutters etc are directly above your preferred site. If you
have a two storey dwelling you need to consider the
second storey to ensure you don’t have the flue directly
outside a second storey window.
Generally, you can install your Metro in your home anywhere
that suits you; Pioneer offer various fan systems to transfer heat
to other sections of the home that are not heated sufficiently.
It is necessary if using a fan system that the Metro you have
purchased has sufficient output to heat the total area you wish
to heat. Your Metro retailer or installer will be able to advise if
you are uncertain.
Where to install a Metro wood fire in your home
If your home is in a classified “clean air zone”, and dependent
on requirements/restrictions which may be imposed by your
local territorial authority (council) you may or may not be able
to install a water heating device. If in doubt consult your local
Metro retailer.
Water heating is another key feature of your Metro wood fire, and
on offer are a number of options depending on the model you
have purchased. The Ambie One cannot be fitted with a wetback
in a clean air zone, but can be fitted with a wetback if installed
on a 2HA+ rural property. The Ambie Plus can be fitted with the
ECO wetback in a clean air zone, or either the 3kW or 4kW LTD
wetback if installed on a 2HA+ rural property.
Note: Wetbacks are not suitable for use in locations where the water
supply has lime content. Lime build up inside the coil will eventually
block the coil causing the wetback to fail.
Other considerations are:
• Distance from your Metro to the storage cylinder will affect
the amount of hot water produced.
• Your climate & the manner in which you will ‘fire’ your Metro
will determine the amount of hot water produced.
Cost Savings
Wetbacks can enable substantial power savings, dependent
on the climate in the area in which you live. If you live in a
cold climate you are likely to use your Metro for many months
of the year, in which case a Pioneer wetback will reduce or
even eliminate your water heating costs over those months.
If however you live in a warmer climate and use your Metro
for only a few hours a day over the colder months, electricity
savings will be considerably less.
Water Pressure
A common misconception is that you must have a low-pressure
system to have a wetback; this is not true. You must have a
“vented” system and high-pressure cylinders are usually not
vented. However you can install an “indirect” cylinder which
contains a secondary coil inside the storage cylinder, enabling
you to have a wetback while retaining a high-pressure system.
Optional wetbacks
Operating your Metro wood fire is simple and you will quickly
learn how to get the best from it. First take a minute to
familiarise yourself with your new Metro.
• Lift the door handle towards you until the latch releases,
then slowly pull the door open.
• There is a single air control making your Metro easy to adjust.
This control moves from left to right, which is “low to high”.
Simply pull out to increase burn rate or push in to reduce burn
rate. This is a pre-set “low” position. Your Metro must not be
operated at a lower burn rate than this pre-set low allows.
Ambience Series air control
Getting to know your Metro wood fire