13
room temperature when leaving the system, and therefore
calculations using this heating value consider the heat go-
ing up the chimney as lost energy. Therefore, ef
fi
ciency
calculated using the lower heating value of wood will be
higher than ef
fi
ciency calculated using the higher heat-
ing value. In the United States all woodstove ef
fi
ciencies
should be calculated using the higher heating value.
The best way to achieve optimum ef
fi
ciencies is to learn
the burn characteristic of you appliance and burn well-
seasoned wood. Higher burn rates are not always the
best heating burn rates; after a good
fi
re is established a
lower burn rate may be a better option for ef
fi
cient heat-
ing. A lower burn rate slows the
fl
ow of usable heat out of
the home through the chimney, and it also consumes less
wood.
OPERATIONAL TIPS
•
Operational Tips for Good, Ef
fi
cient, and Clean Com-
bustion
• Get the appliance hot and establish a good coal bed
before adjusting to a low burn rate (this may take 30
minutes or more depending on your wood)
•
Use smaller pieces of wood during start-up and a high
burn rate to increase the stove temperature
• Be considerate of the environment and only burn dry
wood
• Burn
small,
intense
fi
res instead of large, slow burning
fi
res when possible
•
Learn your appliance’s operating characteristics to ob-
tain optimum performance
•
Burning unseasoned wet wood only hurts your stoves
ef
fi
ciency and leads to accelerated creosote buildup
in your chimney
OVER FIRING
Attempts to achieve heat output rates that exceed heater
design speci
fi
cations can result in permanent damage to
the heater.
ASH REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL
Whenever ashes get 3 to 4 inches deep in your
fi
rebox or
ash pan, and when the
fi
re has burned down and cooled,
remove excess ashes. Leave an ash bed approximately
1 inch deep on the
fi
rebox bottom to help maintain a hot
charcoal bed.
Ashes should be placed in a metal container with a tight-
fi
tting lid. The closed container of ashes should be placed
on a noncombustible
fl
oor or on the ground, away from all
combustible materials, pending
fi
nal disposal. The ashes
should be retained in the closed container until all cinders
have thoroughly cooled.
SMOKE AND CO MONITORS
Burning wood naturally produces smoke and carbon
monoxide(CO) emissions. CO is a poisonous gas when
exposed to elevated concentrations for extended periods
of time. While the modern combustion systems in heaters
drastically reduce the amount of CO emitted out the chim-
ney, exposure to the gases in closed or con
fi
ned areas can
be dangerous. Make sure you stove gaskets and chimney
joints are in good working order and sealing properly to
ensure unintended exposure. It is recommended that you
use both smoke and CO monitors in areas having the po-
tential to generate CO.
GASKETS
It is recommended that you change the door gasket (which
makes your stove door air tight) once a year, in order to
insure good control over the combustion, maximum ef-
fi
ciency and security. To change the door gasket, simply
remove the damaged one. Carefully clean the available
gasket groove, apply a high temperature silicone sold for
this purpose, and install the new gasket. You may light
up your stove again approximately 24 hours after having
completed this operation. This unit’s doors use a 3/8” di-
ameter rope gasket.
