B.- FUELS
Your Bennington wood burning stove is only designed to burn hardwood with a high
calorific power.
PRECAUTION
DO NOT USE CHEMICAL FLUIDS OR INFLAMMABLES SUCH AS PETROL,
NAPHTALENE, KEROSENE, DIESEL OILS, OILS, PELLETS, ARTIFICIAL WOOD OR
ANY OTHER MATERIAL TO LIGHT YOUR STOVE. DO NOT BURN RUBBISH.
As a guideline, some types of wood are listed with an approximate classification of
their energetic power:
•
HIGH: Apple, Black birch, Walnut, Brazilian cherry, Oak, White oak, Black beech
•
MEDIUM HIGH: Ash, Beech, Yellow birch, Maple, Red Oak
•
MEDIUM LOW: Black ash, White birch, Elm, Norwegian Pine, Tea pine, Cherry,
Tamarind
•
LOW: Pine, Cedar, Fir, Poplar, Lime
The quality of its wood affects the heat provided, the length of combustion and the
working order of your stove.
Soft woods that are low in calories generate high and fast combustion, while
hardwoods that are high in calories burn for a long time and produce more calories.
The humidity contained in wood also plays an important role in the working order of
the stove. Green woods contain a high level of humidity.
Therefore, green wood is difficult to light and must be stored for one year before
using in your stove.
To prepare green wood well, it must be split and piled to allow for contact with dry air
during one year.
Store the wood on planks or blocks to keep it off the ground and only cover the top of
the pile. Plastic or canvas that covers the sides of the pile of wood retain humidity and
prevent the wood from drying out.
Do not pile the wood near to the stove at the distances specified for combustible
materials. (See Page 19)
C.- LIGHTING YOUR STOVE
Once the controls on your stove are on and you have chosen the appropriate wood,
you are ready to light the fire.
The first time the stove is lit must be done slowly.
The cast iron must be warm: Excessive fire on a new stove may cause cracks in the
iron or produce damage to other parts of the stove. Furthermore, the refractory bricks on
the walls of the fireplaces must be slowly seasoned for a suitable length of time.
The bricks at the back and the left hand side of your fireplace preserve and excess
heat. Always keep them in position.
When lighting your first fire, the stove will give off some smoke and gas.
This is normal due to the evaporation of the paint and oil components used to make
the stove.
