13
HD25Bi 22/09/15
Fuels
The appliance is fitted with a versatile multifuel grate and has been tested using dry wood (less than 20%
moisture) and coal (Manufactured smokeless nuggets, Ecobrite or similar).
Notes on Wood burning
With a full load of wood, the stove will need to be refuelled approximately every hour depending on burn
rate. Wood can be stacked in the stove but care must be taken that logs do not touch the baffle. Do not stack
fuel so high that it touches the middle waterway in the stove,
Always make sure that flames are visible above the wood after re-fuelling for cleanest burning. Open the air
wash full for 1 to 2 minutes to achieve full flames above the fuel. Carefully adjusting the secondary air
controls and fuel load will then control the burn rate of the stove. Wood burns most efficiently with the
primary air controls slightly open and the secondary (air wash) controls open about 25-50%. The secondary
air must always be open to keep the glass clean
See also:
section entitled ‘Lighting the Stove’.
Wood burns best on a bed of ash and it is therefore only necessary to remove surplus ash from the stove
occasionally
. If the grate is completely clear, place a few handfuls of ash into the slots in the grate to
help the firebed build up.
Burn only dry, well-seasoned wood, which should have been cut, split and stacked - under protection from
rain - for at least 12-24 months with free air movement around the sides of the stack to enable it to dry out.
Burning wet or unseasoned wood will create tar deposits in the stove and chimney and will not produce a
satisfactory heat output.
Wood that is not properly dry (‘dry’ is considered to be less than 20% internal
moisture content) uses up energy from the burn process to evaporate the water inside the wood thus
creating very poor conditions for combustion
. The main cause of burning problems with wood stoves is
due to excessively damp wood. Wood can appear perfectly dry on the outside but still contain 40-50% water
on the inside. A moisture meter can be purchased from some stove and equipment suppliers if you wish to
check your wood source is correct.
Notes on Burning Solid Fuel
See section 6.6 on lighting the stove. After the fire has become established close the airwash until it is
approximately 25% open and use the primary air control to set the burn rate. De-ash the stove by stoking the
fire before adding new fuel. Open the primary air 100% for a few minutes before refuelling to establish a
good hot bed. Leave the primary air fully open for 4-5 minutes after adding the new fuel and then adjust
until approximately 50% open to achieve nominal output. With experience you will learn to adjust the
controls to establish personal settings. It is better to refuel little and often, this burns the fuel more efficiently
and prolongs the life of the stove.
Re-fuelling
When burning wood, the fire will die down as the fuel is consumed. When the flames disappear and the
remainder is breaking down into glowing embers it is an appropriate time to consider re-fuelling. NOTE: If
Ash Removal Slots
