87D0058
5
SB50HB Series Woodburning Fireplace
OperaTION guIdeLINeS
When an AK4 combustion air assembly and a combustion
air duct are attached to the connecting point on the left or
right side of the fireplace, combustion air may enter the
firebox through a dampered opening behind the left or
right side brick. This feature is designed for your benefit
to reduce the room air used for combustion and to prevent
excessive loss of heat from the room. When the fireplace
is in use, this damper should be open. When the fireplace
is not in use, the damper should be closed to prevent cold
air from entering the firebox. The combustion air damper
is open when the lever, located on the left and right side
of the firebox near the top of the firebrick, is up and closed
when the lever is down.
Outside air for combustion is optional unless required by
federal, state or local building codes. See the section of
this manual providing the instructions for installation of
the combustion air assembly. The design of the fireplace
allows the routing of the combustion air duct up, down,
or horizontally to obtain the outside combustion air. This
permits flexibility in planning your installation. Refer to
Page
19
for typical installation methods. Review the precautions
and recommendations in this manual pertaining to outside
combustion air installation.
Glass doors should be installed to receive the maximum
benefit fro m your fireplace. For large fires, the maximum
heating benefit from the fireplace will be obtained with the
doors open due to the high amount of radiant heat being
emitted out of the front opening of the fireplace. With a
small fire, or before retiring in the evenings, it is best to
operate the fireplace with the doors closed to prevent
excessive room air form being drawn up the chimney.
When the doors are open, the mesh screens should be
closed to help keep burning embers from popping out of
the firebox.
The fireplace also is equipped with a flue damper, which
must be open when the fireplace is in use. The flue
damper control lever is located inside the fireplace. The
counterweighted damper is operated by simply pushing
up to open or pulling down to close the damper. When
the fireplace is not in use, the damper should be closed
to prevent cold air form entering the chimney as well as
preventing warm air in the room from escaping up the
chimney.
NOTe:
It is normal for a small amount of smoke to be
released from the upper portion of the fireplace the first
few times you use your new fireplace. This results from an
oil residue on the metal. Open a door or window to allow
the smoke to escape.
The grate included with this fireplace helps to appropriately
locate and contain the burning wood. Failure to use this
grate may cause overheating of parts of the fireplace and
allow large pieces of burning wood to roll forward out of the
firebox. If the grate becomes warped or damaged, it must
be replaced with grate number 07954 only.
WarNINg:
Fireplaces equipped with doors should be
operated only with the doors fully open or doors fully
closed. If doors are left partly open, gas and flame may be
drawn out of the fireplace opening, creating risks of both
fire and smoke.
All fireplace chimneys are in direct contact with cold air
on the exterior of the structure. Consequently, when the
fireplace is not in use, cold air can fall down the chimney of
the fireplace to cool off the fireplace chase. Therefore, the
fireplace chase must be insulated to minimize the risk of
cold air infiltration to the home. Even if the fireplace chase
is adequately insulated, this cannot completely ensure that
cold air infiltration into the structure will be eliminated. Cold
air infiltration is a possibility with any fireplace or device
that freely communicates with the air on the outside of
the structure. Today’s homes are more energy-efficient
and, therefore, better insulated and tightly constructed.
Unfortunately, when air is removed from the house, as by
a bathroom fan, or consumed by a furnace, additional air is
needed to replace the air consumed. Unless the additional
air is supplied, this can cause a negative pressure in the
home. When this happens, the house will draw in outside
air form the cracks in the windows, down the fireplace flue
or other locations of air leakage in the home. Because
cold air infiltration may be unavoidable in some structures,
Vermont Castings Group is not responsible for heat loss or
air infiltration through or around the fireplace.
