HearthStone
Quality Home Heating Products Inc
®
Clydesdale Model 8490
18
TROUBLESHOOTING
Your Heating Needs
Virtually all woodstove operators experience basic
common problems at one time or another. Most are
correctable and generally require only a minor adjustment
of the stove, installation, or operating technique. In cases
where weather conditions dramatically affect stove
performance, the problems are typically temporary and
solve themselves once t he weather changes.
Keep in mind that your house itself will regulate
room/house temperatures. How well the walls, floors and
ceilings are insulated, the number and size of glass
windows, the tightness of outside doors, and the
construction or style of your house (vaulted ceilings or
other open spaces which collect large percentages of heat,
ceiling fans, etc.) all are determining factors of room
temperature.
Your Fireplace Insert's performance is also dependant on
its installation. One common cause of poor performance
is an oversized chimney flue. Oversized chimney flues
result in decreased pressure, which prevents the smoke
from rising out the chimney. Oversized flues are also
more difficult to heat effectively, especially when burning
a high efficiency Fireplace Insert. Cool flue temperatures
inhibit the establishment of a strong draft (and encourage
the accumulation of creosote). The lack of a strong draft
will cause the fire to die down and may even force the
smoke to pour into the room. If your chimney is the
proper size and a strong draft is not easily established,
there is the possibility of the chimney being too cold.
Again, hot chimneys promote a stronger draft.
Other draft guidelines are as follows:
AN
"AIRTIGHT" HOUSE:
If your home is super-
insulated or especially well sealed, the (infiltration) air
supply to the interior of the house may be inadequate.
This phenomenon of air starvation within the building can
be exacerbated if exhaust fans, such as clothes dryers,
bathroom fans or cookstove exhaust fans, are in operation
within the home.
TALL TREES OR BUILDINGS:
These obstructions,
when located in proximity to the top of the chimney can
cause chronic or occasional downdrafts. When selecting
a site for a new chimney, take care to consider the
placement of other objects near the proposed chimney
location.
WIND VELOCITY:
Generally, the stronger and
steadier a wind, the stronger (better) the draft. However,
"gusty" wind conditions may cause erratic downdrafts.
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE:
Chimney drafts are
typically sluggish on balmy, wet or muggy days. This is a
weather-related phenomenon, which generally is self-
correcting as the weather changes.
BRISKNESS OF FIRE:
The hotter the fire in your
Fireplace Insert, the hotter your chimney and, therefore,
the stronger the draft.
SEASONAL FACTORS:
Early fall and late spring are
generally difficult seasons in which to establish proper
drafts. The colder the outside air is (relative to room
temperatures) the stronger the draft.
Operating the Fireplace Insert
There are days when a draft is not easily established. As
outlined above, seasonal factors or a cold chimney may be
the cause. Try starting the fire by using small kindling
and fuel to obtain a quick, hot fire. Tend the fire
frequently with small fuel until the chimney is hot and the
draft is well established.
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 non-combustible floor or on the
ground, well away from all combustible materials,
pending final disposal. If ashes are disposed of by
burial in soil or otherwise locally dispersed, they
should be retained in the closed container until all
cinders have thoroughly cooled.
