CHAMELEON2 Owner's Manual
7
RSF Woodburning Fireplaces
OPERATION
AIR CONTROLS
All the CHAMELEON2 air controls are located below the door
(see Figure 2 and Figure 3).
Combustion Air Control
Unlike most open fireplaces, RSF fireplaces don’t have flue
dampers. Instead, the system is sealed by closing the door,
and the amount of air entering the firebox is controlled by the
combustion air control lever (see Figure 2) which can be
moved left or right. Setting the air control lever all the way
open (towards the left) will allow the maximum amount of air
into the firebox. Closing the air control (towards the right) will
reduce the amount of air entering the firebox.
Outside Air Control
The CHAMELEON2 is designed to use outside air for
combustion (see Figure 3).
Setting the outside air control lever towards the right will
completely open the outside air damper and allow fresh air
into the base of the fireplace. Because outside air is generally
colder and denser it will help to start the fire. In some cases
this fresh air will also help compensate for negative pressure
problems within the house; however it will not prevent the
fireplace from smoking in a severely depressurized house.
We recommend always using outside air for combustion but
you may choose to use room air for combustion instead. To
do so, move the outside air control lever towards the left to
close the outside air damper. This control should be closed
when the fireplace isn’t burning to prevent cold air infiltration.
BURN TIME VS. HEAT OUTPUT
The faster your fireplace burns the more heat it will create; however, faster fires result in much more hot air flow
up the chimney which means you are sacrificing efficiency. Fast burning fires (lots of air) go through much more
wood than slow burning fires. To get the most out of your CHAMELEON2 fireplace, adequately adjust the
combustion air control lever at the appropriate time. If the fire seems to be burning too quickly, turn the air down.
If the fire is smoldering and there are no visible flames, turn the air up. This way you’ll always be getting the most
out of your fuel.
FUEL
All modern high efficiency fireplaces and woodstoves are designed to burn best with seasoned cordwood.
Seasoned wood can be defined as wood that has been cut, split and let dry under cover for a minimum of 6
months, preferably a year or more. Dry seasoned wood generally contains less than 20% moisture content.
Attempting to burn fuel with a high moisture content will be difficult and result in lower efficiency, increased
creosote buildup and dark deposits on the glass. It’s possible to burn a very large amount of wood, and get very
little heat if the wood is wet.
The type of wood you select is also important. All types of wood give off more or less the same number of BTU’s
per pound. Since softer woods are less dense than hardwoods it is possible to put more weight of hardwood in
the firebox; in other words all woodburning appliances will burn longer and more evenly with hardwoods. Never
burn scrap, garbage, treated wood or driftwood as they produce much more pollution and can corrode the firebox
and chimney as well. Burning large amounts of paper, cardboard, mill ends or construction waste can easily over
fire and damage the fireplace or even ignite a chimney fire if the flue is dirty.
Figure 2 Combustion Air Control
Figure 3 Outside Air Control
Towards the left to
OPEN
Towards the right to
CLOSE
Towards the left to
CLOSE
Towards the right to
OPEN
