Desa Wood Burning Fireplace User manual

HOMEOWNERS GUIDE FOR YOUR
WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE
Read this manual carefully before using your wood burning replace. Understand
and observe all guidelines included in this manual for safe operation of your wood
burning replace inside your home.
KEEP THIS MANUAL. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT
HOMEOWNER INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR WOOD
BURNING FIREPLACE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Safety Precautions .............................. 2
Understanding Your Fireplace ............................. 2
Operating Your Fireplace..................................... 3
Cleaning and Maintenance.................................. 4
Wood Selection ................................................... 4
Troubleshooting................................................... 5
Fireplace Accessories.......................................... 6
Customer Service ................................................ 6
20 Year Limited Warranty .................................... 7

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IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The DESAHeating, LLC limited warranty will be
voided by, and DESAHeating, LLC will disclaim
any responsibility for the following:
1. Improper installation of your DESA Heat-
ing, LLC replace and DESA Heating, LLC
component parts. Consult your installation
instructions.
2. Any alteration of DESA Heating, LLC re-
place and/or components.
3. Use of an insert in a DESA Heating, LLC
replace. DESA Heating, LLC does not
recommend or authorize the use of any
insert in our replaces and will assume no
responsibility for any damages caused by
an insert.
The safety precautions and operating instruc-
tions in this homeowner’s guide cannot cover
all possible situations that may arise during
use. Caution and care must always be used
when operating replace.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR FIREPLACE
1. Never start a re with a liquid re starter
such as gasoline, kerosene, or liquid
barbecue starters.
2. Never burn trash or trees (such as Christ-
mas trees) as they can create extremely
hot res and cause sparks that may be
hazardous.
3. Never use wood products with synthetic
binders. They create creosote in flue
system and termination which can be
hazardous.
4. Keep children and pets away from hot sur-
faces to avoid burns. Carefully supervise
children when they are in the room with the
replace. Exposed metal parts and glass
doors become very hot.
This rebox has been tested to U.L. 127 test
standards and is well insulated for clearances
to combustible construction materials used
in building a home. Proper clearances are
outlined on a label on each component for
use by installers and building inspectors to
insure compliance.
Firebox: The rebox is the portion of your re-
place where the re is built. It is made of heavy
gauge steel lined with brick patterned refractory
material (rebrick) on back, sides and bottom
(hearth). This is surrounded by another metal
enclosure on top, back and bottom. Air space
between rebox and outer enclosure provides
a circulating feature that has been engineered
for a safe and efcient design.
Chimney System: The chimney is also
made of metal extending from top of replace
through the roof and capped with a screened
termination. Inner liner (ue) of chimney is
made of stainless steel and provides for
exhaust of gases (carbon monoxide) from
the re. Outer liner is made of galvanized
steel and provides passage for cooling air to
keep chimney safe at labeled clearance to
combustible building materials.
Damper: The damper is the metal disk found
at base of chimney (ue) and has 2 positions,
open and closed. Flue gas damper is located
inside rebox, similar to a conventional ma-
sonry replace. See replace owner’s manual
for operation.
Outside Air Kit Operation: The outside air
damper is located on inside of replace. See
replace owner’s manual for operation.
Note: Automatic barometric style dampers are
installed on some models.
Fan/Blower: The fan system is designed
to enhance the convection principal of your
replace and is not designed to be a blowing
system. The switch located on lower front face
of replace operates fan.
Fireplace Grate: This unit has been equipped
with a grate designed to keep operation of
replace efcient and safe. Do not alter grate.
Size and position of grate were engineered
to give ideal combustion characteristics for
the re. By keeping logs within grate and not
on hearth, you will prevent chance of having
a log "spill" or roll out of replace. DO NOT
OVERLOAD FIREPLACE. Piling excessive
wood on grate will not increase efciency
and could possibly cause smoke to enter your
room. When replacing grate, only replace with
a DESA Heating, LLC replacement grate for
your replace model.

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106625-01D 3
Fireplace Screen: The fireplace screen
prevents sparks and embers from escaping
replace. Screen should always be closed
when a re is burning.
CAUTION: Screen handles
will become hot.
Fireplace Glass Doors (If Installed): Glass
doors must be fully opened or fully closed dur-
ing operation of your replace. Grate and/or
wood should not touch doors.
AIR CIRCULATION
During operation of replace, cool air enters
the rebox through lower grills. Heat rises and
is expelled into the room through top grill. This
is called convection heat.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR FIREPLACE
Continued
OPERATING YOUR FIREPLACE
1. Keep grate in brackets provided.
2. Open flue damper. During operation
damper must be in FULLY OPENED PO-
SITION. In cold weather, to assure proper
draw, preheat ue by burning a crumpled
newspaper in damper area after damper
has been fully opened.
3. Open combustion air damper (automatic
on some models).
4. Build a re using the following method:
• Use seasoned dry wood (should be
seasoned at least 1 year)
• Crisscross small pieces of wood and
place crumpled newspaper under it
• Place 3 logs on grate. DO NOT OVER-
LOAD FIREPLACE. Piling excessive
wood on the grate will not increase ef-
ciency and could cause smoke spillage.
• Light newspaper
5. Fireplace glass doors, if installed, must
be in fully opened or fully closed position
during operation of replace.
CAUTION: Close screen be-
fore closing glass doors.
WARNING: Fireplaces
equipped with glass doors
should be operated only with
doors fully opened or doors fully
closed. Doors, if left partly open,
may draw gas and ame out of
the replace opening creating
risks of both re and smoke.
Doors should warm gradually
to prevent breakage.
6. After re has burned out, do not close
damper until embers and ashes have had
a chance to completely cool and you are
certain there are no warm embers.
7. Dispose of ashes by using a metal con-
tainer with a tight lid. Do not remove ashes
until you are certain they are burned out
and have cooled completely.
This replace is not intended to
be used as a substitute for a fur-
nace to heat an entire home. Use
for supplementary heat only.
During periods of extremely cold weather,
when replace is not being used, the exact
opposite may happen. Warm room air will
enter upper grill due to extreme cold air near
outside of metal rebox. Air cools, drops and
re-enters room through lower grill.
This may be an indication the cold climate
installation procedure was not used.
WARNING: Never block a
vent or grill of the replace. This
is important to the cooling of the
replace and assures a safe and
proper operation as designed.

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CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
CREOSOTE
When wood burns slowly, it produces tar and
other organic vapors which, when combined
with expelled moisture, forms creosote.
Creosote vapors condense in relatively cool
chimney ue of a slow burning re.
As a result, creosote residue accumulates on
ue lining. When ignited, this creosote makes
an extremely hot re. Chimney should be
inspected at least twice a year during heat-
ing season to determine if creosote build-up
has occurred. If creosote has accumulated,
it should be removed to reduce risk of chim-
ney re. It is recommended that you use a
professional chimney sweep.
Removing Creosote
In order to remove creosote from ue, termi-
nation cap must be removed.
1. Close damper before cleaning ue as ne
soot can become airborne in the home.
2. If termination is round top (3 feet of ex-
posed pipe with round cap) remove 3 sheet
metal screws that secure termination to last
section of pipe and lift off cap.
Wood Type Density
Dogwood 0.70 - 0.79
Hickory 0.70 - 0.74
Oak 0.60 - 0.73
Beech 0.64 - 0.66
Hard Maple 0.58 - 0.65
Birch 0.55 - 0.64
Mulberry 0.59 - 0.63
Apple 0.58 - 0.62
Ash 0.57 - 0.61
Southern Pine 0.51 - 0.60
Elm 0.50 - 0.59
Walnut 0.52 - 0.55
Soft Maple 0.47 - 0.54
Cherry 0.50 - 0.52
Sycamore 0.49 - 0.52
Douglas Fur 0.45 - 0.51
Chestnut 0.42 - 0.44
Spruce 0.41 - 0.44
Hemlock 0.40 - 0.42
Redwood 0.33 - 0.40
Aspen 0.37 - 0.39
White Pine 0.35 - 0.37
WOOD SELECTION
Selecting the right wood depends on your
preference for comfort, aroma and visual
image. If you want a constant heat output, a
short ame with a glowing coals type of re,
select a hardwood. If you want a short hot re
for damp and chilly mornings, select a softer
wood. The following chart is a guide to aide in
wood selection. Woods at the top of chart are
harder woods and those at bottom of chart are
softer. Aromatic woods are best from nut and
fruit trees such as hickory, apple, cherry, beech,
etc. Heat value from harder woods is better than
from softer. It is important to burn wood that has
been seasoned. Seasoning reduces moisture
content for a good steady re and less creosote
output. The recommended length of time for
proper seasoning is about 1 year.
3. For square chase termination with pyra-
mid cap, remove screws that secure top
at four corners.
4. Place termination top aside.
5. After cleaning is completed open damper
and collect debris in trash container. A
professional chimney sweep has all tools
and experience necessary to complete
this job.
6. Be certain to clean all loose debris from
termination before replacing.
7. Before installing a vented or vent-free gas
log set in a solid fuel burning replace,
chimney ue and rebox must be cleaned
of soot, creosote, ashes and loose paint
by a qualied chimney cleaner. Creosote
will ignite if highly heated. Inspect chimney
ue for damage. If damaged, operate
vent-free gas log heater with ue damper
closed.
8. Replace termination cap with screws.

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REFRACTORY
The brick refractory on the interior of your
replace (sides, back and bottom) is manu-
factured with a high quality cement mixture
and reinforced with a wire mesh.
In a new replace or one with new refractory,
allow refractory to cure for 24 hours. When
building a re, build a small one for the rst
3 or 4 res. The refractory is subjected to
expansion and contraction from the heating
and cooling of rebox during operation. It is
acceptable to operate the replace with cracks
of 1/64" wide.
If a crack should develop that is larger than
the hairline crack described, take the following
corrective measures:
1. Patch crack with a refractory patching
cement available at replace shops or
hardware stores. The refractory must still
be in one piece to patch.
2. Replace refractory panel (see replace
owner’s manual). DO NOT continue to
use your replace if your refractory has a
crack that exceeds 1/64".
Refractories are available through your ser-
vice dealer.
GRATE
If grate deteriorates or is distorted, replace
with DESA Heating, LLC grate designed
for your fireplace (see fireplace owner’s
manual).
GLASS DOORS
Clean glass with any commercial glass
cleaner or soap and water. Do not use any
abrasive material to clean glass. Do not clean
glass with cool water if glass is still hot from
use. Let doors dry completely before bulding
the next re.
TROUBLESHOOTING
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
Continued
SMOKE
This replace has been designed to operate
without smoke spillage into the room when
installed and operated properly. In the event
a smoking problem does occur, check for one
of the following conditions:
1. Outside environmental conditions ad-
versely affecting draft.
2. Lack of ventilation due to a tightly insu-
lated house could prevent the replace
from drawing properly. If this happens,
open a window a small amount while
operating replace.
3. Other appliances competing for available
air in a tightly sealed home. These could
be heating appliances, kitchen exhaust
fans and bathroom exhaust fans.
4. Relationship of your house to hills, trees
and nearby taller buildings can affect wind
conditions which can have a direct effect
on your replace operation.
5, Chimney termination not installed to
proper height.
6. Blockage of ue or termination cap.
7. Flue and termination caked with creosote
buildup.
8. Grate too close to front of replace, not
positioned behind smoke shelf. Position
grate in designated area on brackets.
9. Damper not in fully opened position.
10. Outside air damper not in opened posi-
tion.
11. Operating replace with partially opened
doors.
12. Additional chimney pipe(s) may be neces-
sary under certain conditions. (Additional
chimney pipe available as accessory
item.)
IMPORTANT: For see-through and peninsula
models, air currents in the room can cause
some smoke spillage.
COLD AIR DRAFTS
In cold areas you must take special precau-
tions and follow COLD CLIMATE installation
instructions in your owner’s manual.
If cold air drafts are present when your re-
place is not in operation check the following:
1. Air coming out of replace opening. Close
damper.
2. Air near sides of rebox interior. Close
outside combustion air damper.
3. Air coming in around sides of replace,
between replace and wall. Make sure
replace frame has been caulked to en-
closure of frame.