12
WinterWarm Small Insert
2000888
Follow these guidelines as you start and maintain the
fire, and remove the ashes.
1. Open the stove damper, and open the primary air
control fully.
2. Lay some crumpled newspapers on the bottom
grate. Place on the paper six or eight pieces of dry,
finely-split kindling. On the kindling lay two or three
larger sticks of split dry wood approximately 1-2”
(25-50 mm).
Do not use chemicals or fluids to start the fire. Do
not burn garbage or flammable fluids such as gaso-
line, naptha, or engine oil.
Also, never use gasoline-type lantern fuel, kerosene,
charcoal lighter fluid, or similar liquids to start or “fresh-
en up” a fire in this heater. Keep all such liquids well
away from the heater while it is in use.
3. Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually
build up the fire by adding a few 3-5” (76 -127mm)
diameter splits.
If this is your initial break-in fire, let the fire burn brightly,
but not to excess. Control the fire’s intensity by adjust-
ing the air control lever. After an hour or so stop adding
wood so that the fire dies out gradually.
For ongoing operation after the initial break-in, continue
to add a few sticks at a time of a progressively larger
size. Be sure to keep the fuel load behind the front
grate bar at all times. Continue until you have a live
ember bed at least 3-4” (76 - 102mm) deep. This may
take an hour or longer, particularly when the Winter-
Warm Small Insert is vented to an exterior masonry
chimney or when you are just starting a fire.
You’ll soon find that the WinterWarm is
HOT WHILE IN
OPERATION! KEEP CHILDREN, CLOTHING, AND
FURNITURE AWAY. CONTACT MAY CAUSE SKIN
BURNS.
NOTE:
Some chimneys need to be “primed,” or
warmed up, before they will draw sufficiently to start
a fire. To correct this situation, roll up a couple pieces
of newspaper, place them on top of the kindling and
toward the back of the stove, light them, and close the
doors. This should heat the chimney enough to initiate
a 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. Once a good ember bed of at least 3-4” (76 -
102mm) has formed, close the damper to activate
the combustor. To ensure continued operation of the
combustor, let the fire burn hot for an additional ten
to fifteen minutes after the damper is closed.
5. Close the primary air control to a medium-low set-
ting. The fire volume will diminish immediately, but
the WinterWarm Small Insert will continue to heat
up. Maintain control of the fire using the primary air
control, and remember: reduce the setting for less
heat, increase the setting for more heat. Refer back
to the air control settings chart on Page 6 for recom-
mended settings at different burn rates.
Do not over-fire this heater.
Overfiring may cause a house fire, or can result in
permanent damage to the stove and to the catalytic
combustor. If an exterior part of the WinterWarm Small
Insert glows, you are overfiring.
Reloading and Reviving a Wood Fire
Open the stove damper, set the air control on “High,”
and wait at least fifteen seconds for the draft to in-
crease. Open the door slowly.
Check the ash level, and empty the ash pan if neces-
sary. Replace the pan.
Add the fuel, smaller pieces first. If it is necessary to
use wood smaller than the 18” (460mm) optimum size,
be sure to fill the firebox as completely as possible
by loading the wood pieces alternately on the left and
right. Split wood will fill the firebox more completely and
reduce the frequency of reloading.
If you have an ember bed of at least 3-4” (76 - 102mm),
leave the damper open and the thermostat set on “high”
for 10-15 minutes, then close the damper. If the ember
bed is less than 3-4” (76 - 102mm), you may have to let
it burn longer.
Finally, adjust the air control and fan speed for your
desired heat level.
NOTE:
If the charcoal bed is relatively thick and your
fuel is well-seasoned, it is possible to add fresh fuel
(smaller pieces first), close the door and damper, and
reset the air control immediately.
Special Tactics for Cold-Climate Heating
The WinterWarm Small Insert is capable of produc-
ing up to 30,000 Btu/hour and heating an area of up
to 1,000 sq. ft. However, many factors affect heating
performance and can influence the extent to which the
WinterWarm Small Insert can heat a given area.
A well-insulated home, located in a moderate climate
and with the WinterWarm Small Insert located centrally
in an open floor plan, will be easier to heat than a drafty
home in the far north in which a WinterWarm Small
Insert is installed on an exterior wall at the end of a long
house.
