Drolet Columbia DB03015 User manual

READ AND KEEP THIS MANUAL FOR REFERENCE
45638A
Printed in Canada 16-10-2015
Installation and Operation Manual
Columbia
(DB03015 model)
US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY PHASE II CERTIFIED
WOOD STOVE
Safety tested according to ULC S627
and UL 1482 Standards
by an accredited laboratory
www.drolet.ca
Stove Builder International Inc.
250, rue de Copenhague, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures
(Quebec) Canada G3A 2H3
After-sale service: 418-908-8002 E-mail: [e-mail]
This manual is available for free download on the manufacturer’s web site. It is a
copyrighted document. Re-sale is strictly prohibited. The manufacturer may update this
manual from time to time and cannot be responsible for problems, injuries, or damages
arising out of the use of information contained in any manual obtained from unauthorized
sources.

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2
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING THIS DROLET WOOD STOVE
As one of North America’s largest and most respected wood stove and fireplace
manufacturers, Stove Builder International takes pride in the quality and performance of all
its products. We want to help you get maximum satisfaction as you use this product.
In the pages that follow you will find general advice on wood heating, detailed instructions
for safe and effective installation, and guidance on how to get the best performance from
this stove as you build and maintain fires, and maintain your wood heating system.
We recommend that our wood burning hearth products be installed and serviced by
professionals who are certified in the United States by NFI (National Fireplace Institute
®
) or
in Canada by WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) or in Quebec by APC
(Association des Professionnels du Chauffage).
Congratulations on making a wise purchase.
When this stove is not properly installed, a house fire may result. To reduce the risk
of fire, follow the installation instructions. Contact local building or fire officials
about restrictions and installation inspection requirements in your area.
Please read this entire manual before you install and use your new stove. Failure to
follow instructions may result in property damage, bodily injury, or even death. It is
important that you follow the installations guidelines exactly.
You may need to obtain a building permit for the installation of this stove and the
chimney that it is connected to. Consult your municipal building department or fire
department before installation to determine the need to obtain one. We recommend
that you also inform your home insurance company to find out if the installation will
affect your policy.
REGISTER YOUR WARRANTY ONLINE
To receive full warranty coverage, you will need to show
evidence of the date you purchased your stove. Keep your sales
invoice. We also recommend that you register your warranty
online at:
http://www.drolet.ca/en/service-support/warranty-registration
Registering your warranty online will help us to quickly track the
information we need about your stove.

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Table of content
PART A - OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ...............................6
1 Safety Information .....................................................................6
1.1 Summary of Operation and Maintenance Cautions and Warnings.........................6
2 General Information...................................................................7
2.1 Columbia Specifications.........................................................................................7
2.2 Zone Heating and How to Make it Work for You ....................................................9
2.3 The Benefits of Low Emissions and High Efficiency...............................................9
2.4 The SBI Commitment to You and the Environment.............................................. 10
2.4.1 What is Your New Stove Made Of? ..................................................................10
3 Fuel............................................................................................11
3.1 Materials That Should Not be Burned .................................................................. 11
3.2 How to Prepare or Buy Good Firewood................................................................11
3.2.1 What is Good Firewood?...................................................................................11
3.2.2 Tree Species.....................................................................................................11
3.2.3 Log Length........................................................................................................12
3.2.4 Piece Size.........................................................................................................12
3.2.5 How to Dry Firewood.........................................................................................13
3.2.6 Judging Firewood Moisture Content..................................................................14
3.3 Manufactured Logs...............................................................................................14
4 Operating Your Stove..............................................................15
4.1 Your First Fires.....................................................................................................15
4.2 Lighting Fires........................................................................................................15
4.2.1 Conventional Fire Starting................................................................................. 15
4.2.2 The Top Down Fire ...........................................................................................16
4.2.3 Two Parallel Logs .............................................................................................16
4.2.4 Using Fire Starters............................................................................................16
4.3 Maintaining Wood Fires........................................................................................17
4.3.1 General Advice .................................................................................................17
4.3.2 Ash Removal.....................................................................................................17
4.3.3 Raking Charcoal ...............................................................................................18
4.3.4 Firing Each New Load Hot................................................................................ 18
4.3.5 Turning Down the Air Supply ............................................................................19
4.3.6 Building Different Fires for Different Needs.......................................................19

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5 Maintaining Your Wood Heating System...............................22
5.1 Stove Maintenance............................................................................................... 22
5.1.1 Cleaning Door Glass.........................................................................................22
5.1.2 Door adjustment................................................................................................23
5.1.3 Replacing the Door Gasket...............................................................................24
5.1.4 Replacing the Glass Gasket and/or the Glass ..................................................24
5.1.5 Cleaning and Painting the Stove.......................................................................25
5.2 Chimney and Chimney Connector Maintenance..................................................25
5.2.1 Why Chimney Cleaning is Necessary............................................................... 25
5.2.2 How Often Should You Clean the Chimney?....................................................26
5.2.3 Cleaning the Chimney.......................................................................................26
PART B - INSTALLATION.............................................................27
6 Safety Information ...................................................................27
6.1 Summary of Installation Cautions and Warnings..................................................27
6.2 Regulations Covering Stove Installation...............................................................27
7 Clearances to Combustible Material......................................28
7.1 Location of the certification label.......................................................................... 28
7.2 Clearances to Walls and Ceiling ..........................................................................28
7.3 Floor protector......................................................................................................30
7.4 Reducing Wall and Ceiling Clearances Safely .....................................................31
7.4.1 Shield Construction Rules.................................................................................31
7.4.2 Table of Clearance Reduction Percentages...................................................... 32
8 The Venting System.................................................................33
8.1 General ................................................................................................................33
8.2 Suitable Chimneys ...............................................................................................33
8.2.1 Factory-built Metal Chimneys............................................................................33
8.2.2 Factory-built Metal Chimneys in mobile homes.................................................34
8.2.3 Masonry Chimneys ...........................................................................................35
8.3 Minimum Chimney Height .................................................................................... 35
8.4 The Relationship Between the Chimney and the House...................................... 36
8.4.1 Why inside chimneys are preferred...................................................................36
8.4.2 Why the chimney should penetrate the highest heated space..........................37
8.5 Supply of Combustion Air.....................................................................................37
8.5.1 Combustion Air Supply in Mobile Homes..........................................................38
8.5.2 Air Supply in Conventional Houses...................................................................38
8.6 Installing the Chimney Connector.........................................................................38
8.6.1 Installation of Single Wall Chimney Connector .................................................39

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Appendix 1: Installing the Optional Fresh Air Intake Kit
(AC01338)..................................................................41
Appendix 2: Installation and Use of the Optional Blower and
Thermodisc...............................................................43
Appendix 3: Installation of Secondary Air Tubes and Baffle ...45
Appendix 4: Exploded Diagram and Parts List..........................47
DROLET LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY ..................................50

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PART A - OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Please see Part B for installation instructions.
1 Safety Information
1.1 Summary of Operation and Maintenance Cautions and Warnings
• HOT WHILE IN OPERATION, KEEP CHILDREN, CLOTHING AND FURNITURE
AWAY. CONTACT MAY CAUSE SKIN BURNS. GLOVES MAY BE NEEDED FOR
STOVE OPERATION.
• USING A STOVE WITH CRACKED OR BROKEN COMPONENTS, SUCH AS GLASS
OR FIREBRICKS OR BAFFLES MAY PRODUCE AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND
MAY DAMAGE THE STOVE.
• OPEN THE AIR CONTROL FULLY BEFORE OPENING FIRING DOOR.
• OPERATE ONLY WITH DOOR FULLY CLOSED. IF DOOR IS LEFT PARTLY OPEN,
GAS AND FLAME MAY BE DRAWN OUT OF THE OPENING, CREATING RISKS
FROM BOTH FIRE AND SMOKE.
• THIS STOVE IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH THE DOOR OPEN. THE
DOOR MAY BE OPEN ONLY DURING LIGHTING PROCEDURES OR RELOADING.
DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY
OPENED DURING IGNITION. ALWAYS CLOSE THE DOOR AFTER IGNITION.
• NEVER USE GASOLINE, GASOLINE-TYPE LANTERN FUEL (NAPHTHA), FUEL
OIL, MOTOR OIL, KEROSENE, CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLUID, OR SIMILAR
LIQUIDS OR AEROSOLS TO START OR ‘FRESHEN UP’ A FIRE IN THIS STOVE.
KEEP ALL SUCH LIQUIDS OR AEROSOLS WELL AWAY FROM THE STOVE
WHILE IT IS IN USE.
• DO NOT STORE FUEL WITHIN HEATER MINIMUM INSTALLATION CLEARANCES.
• BURN ONLY SEASONED NATURAL FIREWOOD.
• DO NOT BURN:
oGARBAGE OF ANY KIND,
oCOAL OR CHARCOAL,
oTREATED, PAINTED OR COATED WOOD,
oPLYWOOD OR PARTICLE BOARD,
oFINE PAPER, COLORED PAPER OR CARDBOARD,
oSALT WATER DRIFTWOOD, OR
oRAILROAD TIES.
• DO NOT ELEVATE THE FIRE BY USING A GRATE IN THIS STOVE.
• THIS APPLIANCE SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AND OPERATED AT ALL TIMES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

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2 General Information
2.1 Columbia Specifications
Fuel Type Dry cordwood
Test Standards (safety) ULC S627 and UL 1482
Test Standard (emissions) EPA Method 28 (40 CFR Part 60)
Heating capacity range* 850 to 1600 sq. ft. (79 to 149 m
2
)
Maximum heat output**
(EPA test fuel) 34 000 BTU/h (10.0 kW/h)
Maximum heat output**
(natural hardwood fuel) 60 000 BTU/h (17.6 kW/h)
Optimum efficiency 75.0 %
Particulate Emissions 4.3 g/h
Test Standard (efficiency) CSA B415.1
Approximate Burn Time* 5 to 6 hours
Shipping Weight 301 lb (137 kg)
Firebox Volume 1.9 cu.ft. (0.053 m
3
)
Maximum Log Length 20" east-west***
Flue Outlet Diameter: 6" (150 mm) diameter (vertical)
Baffle Material Vermiculite
* Burn time and heating capacity may vary subject to location in home, chimney draft,
chimney diameter, locality, heat loss factors, climate, fuels and other variables.
** The EPA test fuel is dimensional Douglas fir pieces stapled together into cribs with air
spaces between. We also test using the same procedure except using split hardwood
firewood to reflect real-world heat output. This stove is not intended to operate at its peak
heat output continuously.
*** East-west: through the door you see the sides of the logs; north-south: through the door
you see the ends of the logs.

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2.2 Zone Heating and How to Make it Work for You
Your new Columbia wood stove is a space heater, which means it is intended to heat the
area it is installed in, as well as spaces that connect to that area, although to a lower
temperature. This is called zone heating and it is an increasingly popular way to heat
homes or spaces within homes.
Zone heating can be used to supplement another heating system by heating a particular
space within a home, such as a basement family room or an addition that lacks another
heat source.
Houses of moderate size and relatively new construction can be heated with a properly
sized and located wood stove. Whole house zone heating works best when the stove is
located in the part of the house where the family spends most of its time. This is normally
the main living area where the kitchen, dining and living rooms are located. By locating the
stove in this area, you will get the maximum benefit of the heat it produces and will achieve
the highest possible heating efficiency and comfort. The space where you spend most of
your time will be warmest, while bedrooms and basement (if there is one) will stay cooler.
In this way, you will burn less wood than with other forms of heating.
Although the stove may be able to heat the main living areas of your house to an adequate
temperature, we strongly recommend that you also have a conventional oil, gas or electric
heating system to provide back up heating.
Your success with zone heating will depend on several factors, including the correct sizing
and location of the stove, the size, layout and age of your home and your climate zone.
Three-season vacation homes can usually be heated with smaller stoves than houses that
are heated all winter.
2.3 The Benefits of Low Emissions and High Efficiency
The low smoke emissions produced by the special features inside the Columbia firebox
mean that your household will release up to 90 percent less smoke into the outside
environment than if you used an older conventional stove. But there is more to the
emission control technologies than protecting the environment.
The smoke released from wood when it is heated contains about half of the energy content
of the fuel. By burning the wood completely, your stove releases all the heat energy from
the wood instead of wasting it as smoke up the chimney. Also, the features inside the
firebox allow you to reduce the air supply to control heat output, while maintaining clean
and efficient flaming combustion, which boosts the efficient delivery of heat to your home.
The emission control and advanced combustion features of your stove can only work
properly if your fuel is in the correct moisture content range of 15 to 20 percent. See
Section A3.0 of this manual for suggestions on preparing fuelwood and judging its
moisture.

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2.4 The SBI Commitment to You and the Environment
The SBI team are committed to protecting the environment, so we do everything we can to
use only materials in our products that will have no lasting negative impact on the
environment.
2.4.1 What is Your New Stove Made Of?
The body of your stove, which is most of its weight, is carbon steel. Should it ever become
necessary many years in the future, almost the entire stove can be recycled into new
products, thus eliminating the need to mine new materials.
The paint coat on your stove is very thin. Its VOC content (Volatile Organic Components)
is very low. VOCs can be responsible for smog, so all the paint used during the
manufacturing process meets the latest air quality requirements with regards to VOC
reduction or elimination.
The air tubes are stainless steel, which can also be recycled.
Vermiculite is used for the baffle. Vermiculite is a mineral. Large commercial mines exist in
China, Russia, South Africa, and Brazil. Potassium silicate is used as binder to form a
rigid board. Vermiculite can withstand temperatures above 2,000 °F. It is not considered
hazardous waste. Disposal at a landfill is recommended.
Lightweight firebrick is made of pumice and cement. Pumice is in fact volcanic rock, a
naturally green product found in the Northwest United States. Disposal at a landfill is
recommended.
The door and glass gaskets are fibreglass which is spun from melted sand. Black gaskets
have been dipped into a solvent-free solution. Disposal at a landfill is recommended.
The door glass is a 5 mm thick ceramic material that contains no toxic chemicals. It is
basically made of raw earth materials such as sand and quartz that are combined in such
a way to form a glass at high temperatures. Ceramic glass will not re-melt in the same
way as normal glass, so it should not be recycled with your regular household products.
Disposal at a landfill is recommended.