MAINTENANCE
PAGE 17
BURN RECOMMENDED FUEL
This appliance is approved for use with natural dry wood
only. Burning materials other than natural wood will shorten
the life of the catalytic combustor. Do not burn particleboard
or pressed logs using bonding agents as they can produce
conditions which will deteriorate metal or damage the cata-
lyst. Green or uncured wood does not work well as fuel, and
can cause increased creosote buildups and plugging of the
catalytic combustor. The value of green wood as a source of
heat is limited. Do not overload or use kindling wood or mill
ends for primary fuel as this may cause overfiring. Overfiring
is a condition where excessive temperatures are reached,
beyond the design capabilities of the fireplace insert. The
damage that occurs from overfiring is not covered under the
fireplace insert warranty.
WHY SEASON WOOD?
The key to the success of a good fire that produces heat
from a wood burning insert is the wood. It needs to be well-
seasoned natural wood.
What does “Well-Seasoned” mean?
When a tree is cut down, the wood is green, full of sap and
moisture. This moisture content can exceed 80%, which
must be reduced to less than 20%. Wood properly seasoned
is then capable of generating the heat the fireplace insert
was designed to provide.
Green wood does not burn easily. Attempting to burn green
wood often results in a lot of smoke and very little fire. Time
is the most important factor in seasoning wood. Ideally the
moisture content should be reduced to 11-20%, although
very few of us will be able to check that figure. There are
several steps that should be taken to ensure that that you
come close to these figures.
SEASONING GUIDE
Softwoods – 6 months to 18 months
Hardwoods – 12 months to 24 months
Logs that are 5” diameter across or larger should be split in
half, three pieces if over 8 inches, and four pieces when over
a foot across. If the tree was fell 2 to 4 years ago, it still
needs to be cut, split, and seasoned for 6 to 24 months de-
pending on the wood.
WOOD STORAGE
Wood to be seasoned should be stacked in an area open
enough to ensure good air circulation on both sides – leaving
adequate space between woodpiles to walk comfortable. Do
not stack wood against a wall or building. It helps to elevate
the woodpiles off the ground (two 2 x 4’s running lengthwise
beneath the woodpile works well). This allows air to flow un-
der the bottom logs.
Wood that is kept outdoors, either covered with a tarp, or not
covered at all, will not burn well until it has been in an en-
close space for one to two months.
SMALL AREA PAINT TOUCH-UP
The stove body is painted with a quality high-temperature
stove paint. Use only model TSPK-B Stove Paint, Catalog
# 70K99. Do not touch-up your stove with any other paint.
Using one small piece of 320 grit sand paper and lightly
sand the blemish so that the edges are “feathered” or
smooth to the touch between the painted and bare sur-
faces. Do not let the sand paper gum up with paint, as
this will cause scratches on the metal surface. If there are
any scratches, use 600 grit sandpaper instead. Mask off
surfaces you do not want painted. Paint lightly over the
bare surface first as this will act as an undercoat. Then
paint over a larger area in smooth even strokes to blend.
See Break-In Period on page 14 for information on
curing the paint.
FIREBRICK
The firebrick should be inspected periodically and re-
placed if damaged (crumbling or excessively cracked).
ASH REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL
CAUTION: Make sure that the fire is out and the
stove is cold before removing ashes! Never burn
your stove with the ash dump cover off!
Ashes can hold live embers for several days, and must
be disposed of with care.
Scrape ashes from the firebox through the ash dump
opening into the ash drawer. After emptying, clean and
replace the ash drawer.
NEVER place ashes in a cardboard box or any other
combustible receptacle.
Proper Disposal of Ashes:
Ashes should be placed in a metal container with a tight
fitting lid. The closed container of ashes should be placed
on a noncombustible floor or on the ground, well away
from all combustible materials, pending final disposal. If
the ashes are disposed of by burial in soil or other wise
locally dispersed, they should be retained in the closed
container until all cinders have thoroughly cooled.