23
Encore Woodburning Stove
30003842
•
Then, open the stove damper and once again
check the smoke leaving the chimney. Significantly
more smoke should be seen when the stove damper is
open and exhaust does not pass through the combus-
tor. Be careful not to confuse smoke with steam from
wet wood, however. Steam dissipates in the air quickly;
smoke does not.
If this test indicates a problem, consider other possible
factors as well, such as the time of year or a change in
the quality of your fuel. In spring and fall, draft is weaker
than it is in colder winter weather, and fires can burn
sluggishly. Small, hot fires are a good solution under
these conditions.
Burning “green” (insufficiently seasoned) wood will re-
sult in poorer performance than when burning properly
seasoned fuel. You may have to run your stove hotter
(more air) to achieve good performance with green or
wet wood.
Also, consider any changes in your operating routine.
Once you have ruled out any other possible causes for
a decline in performance, you may inspect the combus-
tor.
Inspecting the Combustor
1. Release the hood from the fireback by swinging the
hood upward and then sliding it to either side. (Fig.
34)
2. Using a flashlight, and a mirror if necessary, exam-
ine the combustor. If no fly ash or damage is visible,
the inspection is complete and you may replace the
hood. If further examination or cleaning is necessary,
go to Step 3.
The Catalytic Element
Inspection and Cleaning
This wood heater contains a catalytic combustor, which
needs periodic inspection and replacement for proper
operation. In the United States it is against the law to
operate this wood heater in a manner inconsistent with
the operating instructions in this manual, or if the cata-
lytic element is deactivated or removed.
Under normal operating conditions, the catalytic com-
bustor should remain active for two to six years (de-
pending on the amount of wood burned). However, it
is important to monitor the combustor periodically to
ensure that it is functioning properly, as well as to deter-
mine when it needs to be replaced. A non-functioning
combustor will result in a loss of heating efficiency, and
an increase in creosote and emissions.
Inspect the combustor “in place” for fly ash accumula-
tion and physical damage three times per year. Do not
remove the combustor unless a more detailed inspec-
tion is warranted because of diminished performance
as outlined below.
The refractory package that houses the catalytic com-
bustor should be inspected annually for a buildup of fly
ash and cleaned if necessary. This may be done when
you examine the combustor.
When to Suspect a Combustor Problem
The best way to evaluate the performance of your
Encore’s combustor is to observe the amount of smoke
leaving the chimney — both when the combustor has
achieved “light-off” and when it has not. Follow these
steps:
•
With a fire going and the combustor properly ac-
tivated, with the damper closed to route smoke through
it as described in the Operation Section, go outside and
observe the smoke leaving the chimney.
ST531
Door Pawl
11/00
Pawl
Small
Locking Nut
Large Lock-
ing Nut
Set Screw
Handle Stub
Striker Screw
ST531
Fig. 33
Turn the door latch striker screw in or out to tighten or
loosen the door latch.
ST643
Encore
catalyst hood
remove
3/01
Hood
Fireback
ST643
Fig. 34
Release the hood by lifting its bottom edge and slid-
ing to one side.
3. Release the fireback by prying the left and right
wedges upward. (Fig. 35)
4. Swing the fireback forward and up to remove it from
the stove. (Fig. 36)
5. Remove the catalytic combustor’s refractory access
cover, then remove the combustor.
