2100-I & 3100-I FIREPLACE INSERT
Page 26
March 1999
AIR QUALITY AND YOUR QUADRA-FIRE INSERT
In recent years there has been an increasing concern about the quality of our air. Much of the blame for
poor air quality has been placed on the burning of wood for home heating. In order to improve this situation we at
Quadra-Fire have developed cleaner burning inserts that surpass the stringent requirements for emissions estab-
lished by our governing agencies.
P
ROPER
OPERATION
AND
MAINTENANCE
GIVES
YOU
MORE
HEAT
FROM
YOUR
FUEL
. . .
Properly operated and maintained, your 2100-I or 3100-I wood burning insert will obtain the peak effi-
ciency and lowest emissions possible, resulting in better air quality for your community and more heat output per
pound of wood.
Improper operation and maintenance
may cause any wood burning unit to release more particu-
late, adversely affecting the environment.
T
HE
STORY
OF
THE
T
HREE
B
URNING
S
TAGES
. . .
It helps to know a little about the actual burn process, what our Lab at AHP refers to as pyro physics, in
order to understand what is happening inside the firebox. This process entails three discernible burning stages.
The
first stage
is called the kindling stage. During this stage the fuel reaches the boiling temperature of water,
212°F, evaporating the moisture found to some degree in all wood.
Because the process takes heat from the insert during this initial drying stage, each new load of wood
reduces the chances for a good, clean burn. For this reason it is always best to burn dry, seasoned firewood, and
operate the controls properly. The control on the right side of your insert is called the
primary control
, and is used
primarily during this first kindling stage of burning, or later to activate a secondary stage to achieve a maximum
burn rate. Opening this control will enable the insert to operate at a higher burn setting which is necessary to
quickly ignite the fuel.
During the
secondary stage,
the wood gives off flammable gases which burn above the fuel with bright
flames. These flames above the fuel must be maintained until the third stage to insure proper burning. During this
stage you may adjust your insert for a low burn rate. To achieve a low burn rate it is necessary to close down the
air while still maintaining some flames. If the flames tend to go out, the setting is too low. The
secondary control,
located in the center of the insert beneath the ash catcher, will assist you in adjusting the insert for a low burn rate.
The
third stage
of burning is the charcoal stage. This happens when the flammable gases have been
burned and the charcoal remains. The coals burning with hot blue flames is a naturally clean portion of the burn.
It is very important to reload your insert while enough lively hot coals remain in order to provide the amount of heat
needed to dry and rekindle the next load of wood. Open up both controls for a short while before reloading to liven
up the coal bed. You should also break up any large chunks and distribute the coals so the new wood is laid on hot
coals. Leave both controls open until the new wood load is burning well enough to maintain the secondary stage of
burning and then set controls to your desired heat output setting. (See Summary of Operating Instructions box on
page 21.)
M
ORE
ABOUT
THOSE
CONTROLS
. . .
Primary control = Primary Air System :
The primary combustion air enters at the rear of the firebox through the
primary air tubes. This air supply is controlled by the push rod located at the front right side of the insert. For
maximum burn rates (more heat) push rod in, for minimum burn rates (less heat) pull rod out.
Secondary control = Secondary Air System :
The secondary air enters at the upper front of the firebox near the top
of the glass door. This preheated air supplies the necessary fresh oxygen to mix with the unburned gases, helping
to create secondary, tertiary and quaternary combustion. This air is regulated by the push rod beneath the ash
catcher. For more secondary air (more heat), push rod in. For less secondary air (less heat), pull rod out.
I
N
OTHER
WORDS
. . .
Pulling
either control towards you closes off the air available to the insert in that area.
Pushing
either
control opens it, allowing air circulation to the area. A good analogy to remember for this procedure is the gas
pedal on your car. Pushing in the gas pedal makes the engine run faster. Letting off (pulling the control back)
makes the car run slower.
AIR QUALITY