Valcourt Antoinette, User'S Installation And Operation Manual

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FP7CE Antoinette - Installation and Operation Manual
3.3.6.2 Negative pressure in the house
As the fire burns, air goes up the chimney. This air must be replaced through leakage into the house or
through the fresh air kit. When operating the FP7CE ANTOINETTE WOOD FIREPLACE, open a nearby window
temporarily to check if there is adequate air supply replacement. If opening a window solves the problem,
the house is under negative pressure.
3.3.6.3 Wet wood
Wet or tarred wood will smoulder and smoke instead of burning properly.
3.3.6.4 Dirty or blocked chimney
Check to make sure the chimney is clear and clean.
3.3.6.5 Poor chimney draft
With no fire, there should be sufficient draft to exhaust cigarette smoke introduced at the bottom of the
throat. Chimneys installed against an outside wall without protection may generate back draft problems
which will cause start-up problems. To prevent this, when you light a fire make sure you use small pieces of
really dry wood and keep your glass door closed for the first 15 minutes. Reload your unit a few times with
kindling before putting large pieces of cordwood.
CAUTION: THE EXHAUST DAMPER AND THE AIR INTAKE CONTROL MUST BE KEPT FULLY OPEN UNTIL THE
FIREPLACE HAS COOLED DOWN FOR A FEW HOURS.
4 MAINTAINING YOUR WOOD HEATING SYSTEM
4.1 Fireplace Maintenance
Your new fireplace will give many years of reliable service if you use and maintain it correctly. Some of the
internal components of the firebox, such as firebricks and baffles, will wear over time under intense heat.
You should always replace defective parts with original parts (see
Appendix 3: Exploded Diagram and Parts
List ). Firing each load hot to begin a cycle as described above will not cause premature deterioration of the
fireplace. However, letting the fireplace run with the air control fully open for the entire burn cycles can
cause damage over time. The hotter you run the fireplace throughout burn cycles, the more quickly its
components will deteriorate. For that reason,
never leave the fireplace unattended while a new load is
being fired hot .
4.1.1 Glass Door Cleaning
Under normal conditions, your door glass should stay relatively clear. If your firewood is dry enough and
you follow the operating instructions in this manual, a whitish, dusty deposit will form on the inside of the
glass after a week or so of use. This is normal and can be easily removed when the fireplace is cool by
wiping with a damp cloth or paper towel and then drying.
Never try to clean the glass when the fireplace is
hot.
In spring and fall when the fireplace is run at lower temperatures, you may see some light brown stains
forming, especially at the lower corners of the glass. This indicates that the fire has been smoky and some
of the smoke has condensed on the glass. When the weather is mild, you may find that letting the fire go
out is better than trying to maintain a continuous fire. Use the technique described above for building a fire
to take the chill off the house.