Matrix Insert Installation and Operation Manual
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This kind of fire is good for mild weather and should provide enough heat for up to four hours.
Small fires like this are a good time to use softer wood species and avoid overheating the house.
5.4.2
LONG LASTING LOW OUTPUT FIRES
For a fire that will last up to eight hours but will not produce intense heat, use soft wood and place
the logs compactly in the firebox. Before reducing the air intake, the load will have to burn at full
heat for long enough for charring the surface of the logs. The flame must be bright before letting
the fire burn by itself.
5.4.3
HIGH OUTPUT FIRES FOR COLD WEATHER
When heating needs are high during cold weather, the fire should burn steadily and brightly. This
is the time to use larger pieces of hardwood. Place the biggest pieces at the back of the firebox
and place the rest of the pieces compactly. A densely built fire like this will produce the longest
combustion this insert is capable of.
Special attention must be paid when building fires like this since if the air intake is reduced too
quickly, the fire could smoulder. The wood must be flaming brightly before leaving the fire to burn.
5.4.4
MAXIMUM BURN CYCLE TIMES
The burn cycle time is the period between loading wood on a coal bed and the consumption of
that wood back to a coal bed of the same size. The flaming phase of the fire lasts for roughly the
first half of the burn cycle and the second half is the coal bed phase during which there is little or
no flame. The length of burn you can expect from your insert, including both the flaming and coal
bed phases, will be affected by a number of things, such as:
•
Firebox size
•
The size of the space to be heated
•
The amount of wood loaded
•
The climate zone you live in
•
The species of wood you burn
•
The time of year
•
The wood moisture content
The table below gives an approximate maximum burn cycle times, based on firebox volume.
Table 1: Approximate Maximum Burn Cycle Time
FIREBOX VOLUME
MAXIMUM
BURN TIME
<1.5 cubic feet
3 to 5 hours
1.5 c.f. to 2.0 c.f
5 to 6 hours
2.0 c.f. to 2.5 c.f.
6 to 8 hours
2.5 c.f. to 3.0 c.f.
8 to 9 hours
>3.0 c.f.
9 to 10 hours
A longer burning time is not necessarily an indication of efficient insert operation. It is preferable
to build a smaller fire that will provide three or four hours of heating than to fully load the firebox
for a much longer burn. Shorter burn cycles make it easier to match the heat output of the insert
to the heat demand of the space.
