Hearthstone Quality Home Heating Products, Inc.
®
Homestead Models #8570F and #8570H
37
Operating Your Stove Efficiently
Your Homestead stove is designed to burn firewood
efficiently. The following operational tips explain how
to obtain the most heat possible with minimal
creosote build-up and emitted pollutants.
Burn Rate
There are four basic burn rates: high burn, medium
burn, low burn, and overnight burn. Each has its own
purpose.
High Burn Rate:
A high burn rate is recommended
once or twice a day to fully heat the stovepipe and
chimney; this also helps keep the amount of
creosote in your stove and chimney to a minimum.
After the fire is established and both the stove and
chimney are hot, create a high burn for maximum
heat output. Pull the primary air control forward so
that it’s fully open or almost fully open. Fully load the
firebox with wood on a bed of hot coals or on an
actively flaming fire.
After you have attained a high burn rate, monitor the
stove temperatures frequently to ensure that the
stove is not over-fired. The surface temperature on
top of the stove should not exceed 600° Fahrenheit
(316° Celcius). Once you understand how your
stove burns and heats in your particular setting, you
can easily create a high burn rate without risk to the
stove or chimney.
Once your room’s temperature is comfortable,
maintain your fire by loading smaller quantities of
wood. Burning smaller amounts of wood at a high
burn rate creates the most efficient fire, emits the
lowest amount of pollutants, and creates the least
amount of creosote in your chimney.
Medium Burn Rate:
In general, you would usually
create a medium burn rate, especially if your stove is
left unattended. Set the primary air control to a mid-
range setting, appropriate to maintain a comfortable
temperature in the area being heated.
Low Burn Rate:
Close the primary air control for a
low burn rate. Set a low burn rate only periodically;
over extended periods of time, a low burn rate
promotes the accumulation of creosote. If you
consistently maintain low burn rates, inspect your
venting system frequently.
Overnight Burn Rate:
An overnight burn, as you
might expect, allows you to keep an area heated
while you sleep. To create an overnight burn, first
make sure the stove and chimney are hot from an
established fire. Next, pull the primary air control
fully open, and then completely load the firebox with
wood. Allow the fire to burn intensely for 20 to 30
minutes.
Finally, push the primary air control
close to
its
lowest setting; the fire will settle into a lower burn
rate with a small flame. The fire will now burn slowly
and steadily. The length and intensity of the fire
depends on the type of wood being burned, the
strength of the chimney draft, and other variables,
which vary from installation to installation.
In the morning, you should find a bed of hot coals
buried within the ashes. The stove should be warm
to the touch but not hot. To restart the fire without
relighting, simply stir and rake the ashes with a
poker until the hot coals have come to the surface.
Place a handful of kindling on the coals, close the
door, and fully open the primary air control. The fire
should re-ignite within 5 to 10 minutes. Place a few
logs on the burning kindling, close the door, leave
the primary air control fully open, and allow the logs
to ignite.
Running a high burn rate at least once a day burns
off accumulated creosote from within the stove and
venting system. Now, in the morning after an
extended low burn rate, is a good time to create your
daily high burn rate; run it for about 20 minutes or
so. Not only does this hot fire promote a clean stove
and chimney, it also helps keep the glass clean for
easy viewing of the fire within.
Once the fire is burning briskly, regulate the primary
air control to a medium setting for a medium burn
rate.
Over-Firing Caution
Over-firing means the stove is operating above the
recommended temperatures stated previously in the
“Burn Rate” section. You should carefully avoid
over-firing since it damages your stove. Symptoms
of over-firing include short burn times, a roaring
sound in the stove or stovepipe, and discoloration of
the stovepipe.
CAUTION: ANY SYMPTOMS OF OVER-FIRING
WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY!
Over-firing can be caused by an excessive draft,
inappropriate fuel, and human error. Here are the
steps to take for each of these causes.
Excessive Draft:
Contact your dealer to have a
draft reading taken. Any draft in excess of 0.1 wc
requires a damper in the stovepipe. Some
installations may require more than one damper.
