dispose of ashes properly. Replace ash pan and louvers.
Replace plug in hole, making sure it is properly placed
before starting a fire. Do not remove the ashes from the
firebox while they are still hot. The ash pan is not built to
resist hot ashes or embers.
Under no circumstances should the fireplace be oper-
ated without the ash pan plug and pan in place.
FIRESCREEN (option)
If you want to use the fireplace with the doors completely
open, you have to run it with the firescreen (FDFS) in front
of the opening. The firescreen will prevent sparks from
falling on the floor. Do not leave the fireplace unattended
when using the firescreen.
THERMOSTAT (option)
If you want a constant temperature, day and night, you will
be surprised to see what the wall thermostat option can do
for you. Once you have your fire burning, just set the man-
ual control on low (push the draft control lever all the way
to the left) and let the automatic thermostat take over. Your
room temperature will stay as even as though you were
heating with oil, gas, or electricity — except you will find
wood heat more comfortable (see options: Wall Thermostat
FDHC4).
NOTE: This thermostat controls the combustion air rate,
not the internal circulating blower. Also, when you are using
the automatic thermostat during cold weather, you will find
that the fire burns cleaner if the manual setting is on medi-
um or higher. This will keep the thermostat from shutting
the fireplace right down during the automatic on / off cycle.
INTERNAL CIRCULATING BLOWER (option)
If you have the optional internal blower installed, adjust the
speed of the blower to the output you require. The blower
speed control should be installed at a convenient place on
the wall. When a fire is burning, the thermal switch installed
inside the fireplace will turn on at 110° F, allowing the blow-
er to operate. When the Opel AP cools to 90° F, the switch
deactivates the blower. The maximum heat output of the
fireplace is greater with the blower running (see options:
Circulating Blower FDHB5-N).
GRAVITY VENT SYSTEM (option)
If there are areas in your home that you would like to heat
either in an upper level or an adjacent room, the gravity
vent system can provide this heat without the use of a
blower. It is controlled by a gravity vent damper. The han-
dle is located between the top louvers of the fireplace.
Simply turn the lever to adjust the air flow through the grav-
ity vent ducting. As the hot air rises, it will be distributed
through the insulated ducting to the outlet (see options:
Gravity Vent System FDV).
CENTRAL HEAT SYSTEM (option)
You have the option to heat remote rooms in your home
with the heat generated by your fireplace. If this option is
installed, there will be a wall thermostat installed in the
main room you want to heat, away from the room which
contains the fireplace. This thermostat controls the blower,
which brings air to the other rooms in your home, keeping
them at the temperature you desire. When the blower is
running, it takes air from the room the Opel AP is in, draws
it around the fireplace and distributes it (see options:
Central Heating System FDHC6 / FDHB6).
NOTE: The blower (FDHB6) can push warm air either up
or down, and can also be zone controlled ( See Options:
Zone Heating).
HINT: If some evening you would like to enjoy the ambi-
ence of the wood flame, but you are a little too warm, turn
up the central heating thermostat and open a window by
the thermostat. This will keep your room in front of the fire
from getting too warm.
CATALYTIC COMBUSTOR (option)
If the Opel AP is equipped with a catalyst, it ignites cre-
osote-forming gases in wood smoke at significantly lower
temperatures. As a result, you get less creosote and more
heat from your fire at low to medium burn rates. Less fuel
goes up your chimney in the form of smoke. In addition to
the list on page 3,
DO NOT
burn chemical chimney clean-
ers, as they can contain contaminants that will render the
catalyst inoperative.
The catalytic option comes with a bypass damper which
serves two functions:
a)to eliminate smoking into the room when the
doors are opened;
b)to allow the fire to start quickly when the fireplace
is cold.
Make sure the bypass damper above the right door is
pulled all the way out before opening the doors. When
starting a fire, the bypass damper should be left open long
enough to establish sufficient draft (approximately 30 min-
utes).
The temperature in the firebox and the gases entering the
catalyst must be raised to at least 500° F for catalytic activ-
ity to be initiated. When you start the fire, keep a medium
to high fire for about 30 minutes to stabilize the catalyst at
a sufficient operating temperature. If the fire is allowed to
die down too soon after starting, the catalyst may stop
working. After the 30 minutes of a medium to high burn,
however, the catalyst will operate with the heat generated
by the burning smoke, even with a low fire.
Page 4
OPEL AP
