HEI240 Wood Insert Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual
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4.3
Lighting Fires
Each person who heats with wood develops their own favorite way to light fires. Whatever
method you choose, your goal should be to get a hot fire burning quickly. A fire that starts
fast produces less smoke and deposits less creosote in the chimney. Here are three
popular and effective ways to start wood fires.
4.3.1 Conventional Fire Starting
The conventional way to build a wood
fire is to bunch up 5 to 10 sheets of
plain newspaper and place them in
the firebox. Next, place 10 or so
pieces of fine kindling on the
newspaper. This kindling should be
very thin; less than 1” (25 mm). Next,
place some larger kindling pieces on
the fine kindling. Open the air control
fully and light the newspaper. If you
have a tall, straight venting system
you should be able to close the door
immediately and the fire will ignite.
Once the fire has ignited, close the
door and leave the air control fully
open.
A conventional kindling fire with paper
under finely split wood.
DO NOT LEAVE THE INSERT UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY
OPENED. ALWAYS CLOSE AND LATCH THE DOOR AFTER THE FIRE IGNITES.
After the kindling fire has mostly burned, you can add standard firewood pieces until you
have a fire of the right size for the conditions.
4.3.2 The Top Down Fire
The top down fire method solves two problems with the conventional method: first, it does
not collapse and smother itself as it burns; and second, it is not necessary to build up the
fire gradually because the firebox is loaded before the fire is lit. A top down fire can provide
up to two hours of heating or more. The top down method only works properly if the wood
is well-seasoned.
Start by placing three or four full-sized split pieces of dry firewood in the firebox. Next,
place 4 or 5 more finely split pieces of firewood (2” to 3” [50 mm to 75 mm] in dia.) on the
base logs at right angles (log cabin style). Now place about 10 pieces of finely split kindling
on the second layer at right angles.
The fire is topped with about 5 sheets of newspaper. You can just bunch them up and
stuff them in between the kindling and the underside of the baffle. Or you can make
newspaper knots by rolling up single sheets corner to corner and tying a knot in them. The