6
LIGHTING:
Important: it is inevitable, that an acrid smell is produced when lighting the unit for the first time
(due to the drying of adhesives used in joints and some protective coatings). This smell will
disappear after a short period of use. For this reason, good ventilation of the room is required.
When lighting the unit for the first time, it is recommended that a small amount of wood is used
and that this is slowly increased to increase the calorific output of the unit.
When lighting a unit, for the first time, that is made of materials coated with a high temperature
“varnish”, one must know that:
Several different materials are used in the manufacturing of the unit
– cast iron, steel,
ceramic products.
The temperatures that the body of the unit is subjected to are not uniform. The temperature
range across the different parts of the stove can vary from 300 - 500
°
C.
Through its life, the unit is subjected to alternating cycles of lighting, steady burning, periods
of intensive use and non-use through the different seasons.
The new unit, before being considered “broken in”, will have been through several different
burning cycles, so that all the materials and paints will have completed their varying
expansion and contraction stages.
Right at the beginning the smell will be typical of metal subjected to a high temperature and
fresh “varnish”. This coating, even though it is baked at 250
°
C, for several hours when it is
manufactured, has to exceed a temperature of 350
°
C several times before it is perfectly
absorbed into the metallic surfaces.
It is therefore important to take these precautions when lighting:
1. Assure yourself that there is a renewal of fresh air in the room where the unit is installed.
2. When lighting the unit for the first time, do not excessively load the firebox
(approximately half of what is indicated in the instruction manual) and keep the unit lit for
approximately 6-10 hours continuously, with only moderate adjustments to the air
intake.
3. If you are able to, it is recommended to follow this process four or five times.
4. Following this, you may increase the load more and more but taking care not to exceed
the maximum load. At the beginning it is better to have longer burns than many cycles of
burning and non-burning.
5. During the first burnings of the unit, nothing should touch the unit
– especially any
surface that may be lacquered. The lacquered surfaces should not be touched during
heating.
6.
After your unit has been “broken in” you can use it by avoiding sudden heating and
excessive loads.
To light the fire we suggest using kindling and newspaper or other commercial products, except
using any liquid fuels (e.g. petrol, alcohol). The primary and secondary air intakes must be open at
the same time, the regulator for the oven use must be adjusted so that the lever is pushed in
towards the rear of the stove.
When the wood starts to burn, you may load more wood, and adjust the air according to the
paragraph on “NORMAL OPERATION” (see below). During this stage do not leave the stove
unattended.
Never over load the stove. Too much wood and too much air for combustion can cause over
heating and damage the unit. The guarantee does not cover over heating.