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Operating Your Appliance
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Understanding Your Heater’s Combustion System
This heater uses a dual combustion system detailed below:
Primary Combustion
: This is the combustion (fire) that takes place directly on the wood. Primary combustion
determines how fast the fire burns. Air for primary combustion is supplied through the air control. When you adjust
the air control you control the amount of air that reaches the fire and creates primary combustion. The air control
supplies air to the air wash (the air holes above the door opening – used to help clean the glass) and through the
pilot orifice (center bottom of the door opening). By using the air control, and supplying air through these two
openings, you control primary combustion.
Secondary & Catalytic Combustion
: This is the combustion (fire) that does not contact the wood. Secondary
combustion burns the visible emissions or smoke that is not consumed during primary combustion. It takes place at
the top of the firebox and can appear as a glowing flame near the secondary air tubes. Catalytic combustion takes
place inside the catalytic combustor and is not viewable (you may, however, see the combustor glow). It also burns
the visible emissions or smoke that is not consumed during primary combustion. Catalytic combustion can be
monitored by using the included temperature meter. Your catalytic combustor is working when the output
temperature is above 500° F. (260°C).
Items to Consider:
During medium and high burn rates the stove will manage secondary and primary combustion on its own. When
the heater is set to a low burn rate more care is needed to ensure the secondary combustion system works
properly. Make sure the stove is hot and a good coal bed is established before adjusting your heater to low burn.
Understanding the combustion system in this heater will help minimize the visible emissions this heater releases
into the environment. The primary pilot orifice at the center bottom of the door opening is designed to help the
secondary combustion at low burn settings. The pilot provides a small amount of air that burns up through the fuel
load providing the heat and flame needed for the secondary system to ignite. The air tubes under the baffle need
to remain ignited for low burns to be effective.
As you load your heater for a low burn, take care in placing the wood. This will affect how well your secondary
system works as the wood is consumed. Do not block the pilot orifice. Stack wood so the pilot air can burn its
way up between the pieces, helping your heater burn effectively throughout the low fire. This will reduce the
visible emissions your heater produces and increase the amount of heat you get from the wood. If you are unsure
how well your heater is burning look at the chimney cap to monitor visible emissions.
Burning Your Heater
Starting a Fire:
When starting a fire it is imperative to get the heater hot and drafting as quickly as possible. This
promotes combustion and reduces emissions. There are many ways to start a fire and you will become adept as
you become familiar with the way your heater burns. Before you start, make sure your burn rate setting (air control)
is all the way open and the by-pass (if equipped) is open. We suggest that you use a layer of crumpled newspaper
covered with a three layers of small kindling, stacked tic tac toe style with approximately ½”-1”gaps between them.
Continue to layer wood on top of the kindling with the same air gaps using slightly bigger pieces increasing in size
as you stack upward with the final layer being 3-5” diameter pieces loaded on the top. This should fill the firebox.
Light the newspaper in several places near the door opening. Shut the door but do not latch it, creating a small
opening to allow air to feed the kindling fire. Never leave your heater unattended if your door is not latched shut.
While the kindling burns the fire will heat and ignite the larger pieces above. Once the whole load is burning shut
and latch the door leaving the burn rate on high. Depending on your heater, the chimney, and the outside
environment, you may need to leave your bypass open for up to 20 minutes after lighting the fire. If the fire dies
when you shut the bypass you will need to leave it open longer. The presence of a hot coalbed is critical to good
combustion. We cannot overstate the importance of a hot coal bed before slowing your burn rate or re-loading your
heater. We recommend that you allow the first ignition load of wood to burn through at the high burn rate. This will
get your heater up to temperature and establish a coal bed.
Reloading:
When reloading a hot heater set the burn rate on high for at least 15 min before slowing it down.
Low Burn:
If preparing for an overnight or low burn a longer heat up period may be necessary. Reload the heater
full of wood making sure there are air gaps between the wood pieces so the pilot air can burn up through the middle
load keeping the secondary combustion system hot and active throughout the burn. After loading, burn the heater
on high for at least 15 minutes before setting the air control to low. Excessive creosote buildup (or sooting) in the
heater at the end of a low burn signifies that the heater was not hot enough and the wood load was not burned long
enough on high after loading before shutting down the air control.