17
Defiant Woodburning Stove
30003841
To determine whether the combustor is operating, ob-
serve the amount of smoke leaving the chimney when
the damper is activated and when it is not. This proce-
dure is described on Page 29.
Avoid using a full load of very dry wood in the firebox.
This may result in continuous very high temperatures
in the secondary combustion area and damage the
combustor. Wood which has been split, and stored un-
der cover for more than 18 months may be considered
very dry. If you must burn extra-dry wood, mix it with
greener wood for a longer fire and less stress on the
combustor. Also, do not use a full load of dry slab wood
or scrap wood. For long burns, use a mix of dry and
moderately dry wood.
Conditioning Your Stove
Cast iron is extremely strong, but it can be broken with
a sharp blow from a hammer or from the thermal shock
of rapid and extreme temperature change.
The cast plates expand and contract with changes in
temperature. When you first begin using your Defiant,
minimize thermal stress by letting the plates adjust
gradually during three or four initial break-in fires follow-
ing Steps 1-3 below.
Starting and Maintaining a Wood Fire
Burn only solid wood in the Defiant, and burn it directly
on the grate. Do not elevate the fuel. Do not burn coal
or other fuels.
The damper must be open when starting a fire or when
refueling.
Do not use chemicals or fluids to start the fire. Do
not burn garbage or flammable fluids such as gaso-
line, naphtha, or engine oil.
1. Open the stove damper, and open the primary air
control fully.
2. Place several sheets of crumpled newspaper in the
stove. Do NOT use glossy advertisements or colored
paper, as they can poison the catalyst. Place on the
paper six or eight pieces of dry kindling split to a finger-
width size, and on the kindling lay two or three larger
sticks of split dry wood approximately 25-50 mm (1-2”)
in diameter. (Fig. 26)
Also, never use gasoline-type lantern fuel, kerosene,
charcoal lighter fluid, or similar liquids to start or “fresh-
en up” a fire. Keep all such liquids well away from the
Defiant while it is in use.
3.
Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually
build up the fire by adding a few 76-127 mm (3-5”) di-
ameter splits.
If this is one of the first few “break-in”
fires, let the fire burn brightly, and then let it die out.
During the break-in fires, do not let the stove get hot-
ter than 260° C (500° F) as measured on an optional
ST263
starting a fire
12/99
ST263
Fig. 26
Start the fire with newspaper and dry kindling.
stove-top thermometer. Adjust the air control lever as
necessary to control the fire.
Some odor from the stove’s hot metal, the paint, and
the cement is normal for the first few fires.
NOTE:
Some chimneys must be “primed,” or warmed
up, before they will draw sufficiently to start a fire. To
correct this situation, roll up a couple pieces of news-
paper, place them on top of the kindling and toward
the back of the stove, light them, and close the doors.
This will encourage the smoke to rise rapidly, making it
easier to establish a good draft.
Once the draft is established, open the front door and
light the rest of the fuel from the bottom. Do not light
the main bed of fuel until the chimney begins drawing,
and repeat the procedure as often as necessary if the
initial attempt is unsuccessful.
4.
If your Defiant has been broken-in previously
us-
ing Steps 1-3, continue to build the fire gradually. Add
larger wood with a diameter of 76-102 mm (3-4”100).
Continue adding split logs of this size to the briskly-
burning fire until there is a glowing ember bed at least
76 mm (3”) deep. (Fig. 27) A good ember bed is neces-
sary for proper functioning of the catalytic system and
may take an hour or more to establish.
5.
Close the damper when the griddle temperature
reaches 230° C (450° F).
6.
Adjust the air control for your desired heat output.
NOTE:
Stove installations vary widely, and the operat-
ing guidance given here is only a starting point . The
draft management information on Page 20 will explain
in detail how the features of your installation may help
or hinder good draft, and how you may need to vary
your firing technique if your installation doesn’t encour-
age a good draft.
Refuel While the Embers Are Still Hot
When reloading, best results will be achieved if you first
de-ash the stove by stirring the fuel bed to allow ash to
fall through the grate into the ash pan.
