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.

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3 Fuel
3.1 Materials That Should Not be Burned
• GARBAGE OF ANY KIND,
• COAL OR CHARCOAL,
• TREATED, PAINTED OR COATED WOOD,
• PLYWOOD OR PARTICLE BOARD,
• FINE PAPER, COLORED PAPER OR CARDBOARD,
• SALT WATER DRIFTWOOD,
• MANUFACTURED LOGS CONTAINING WAX OR CHEMICAL ADDITIVES,
• RAILROAD TIES,
• LIQUIDS SUCH AS KEROSCENE OR DIESEL FUEL TO START A FIRE.
3.2 How to Prepare or Buy Good Firewood
3.2.1 What is Good Firewood?
Good firewood has been cut to the correct length for the stove, split to a range of sizes and
stacked in the open until its moisture content is reduced to 15 to 20 per cent.
3.2.2 Tree Species
The tree species the firewood is produced from is less important than its moisture content.
The main difference in firewood from various tree species is the density of the wood.
Hardwoods are denser than softwoods. People who live in the coldest regions of North
America usually have only spruce, birch and poplar, other low-density species to burn and
yet they can heat their homes successfully.
Homeowners with access to both hardwood and softwood fuel sometimes use both types
for different purposes. For example, softer woods make good fuel for relatively mild
weather in spring and fall because they light quickly and produce less heat Softwoods are
not as dense as hardwoods so a given volume of wood contains less energy. Using
softwoods avoids overheating the house, which can be a common problem with wood
heating in moderate weather. Harder woods are best for colder winter weather when more
heat and longer burn cycles are desirable.
Note that hardwood trees like oak, maple, ash and beech are slower growing and longer
lived than softer woods like poplar and birch. That makes hardwood trees more valuable.
The advice that only hardwoods are good to burn is outdated. Old, leaky cast iron stoves
wouldn’t hold a fire overnight unless they were fed large pieces of hardwood. That is no
longer true. You can successfully heat your home by using the less desirable tree species
and give the forest a break at the same time.

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3.2.3 Log Length
Logs should be cut about 1” (25 mm) shorter than the firebox so they fit in easily. Pieces
that are even slightly too long make loading the stove very difficult. The most common
standard length of firewood is 16” (400 mm).
The pieces should be a consistent length, with a maximum of 1” (25 mm) variation from
piece to piece.
3.2.4 Piece Size
Firewood dries more quickly when it is split. Large unsplit rounds can take years to dry
enough to burn. Even when dried, unsplit logs are difficult to ignite because they don’t
have the sharp edges where the flames first catch. Logs as small as 3” (75 mm) should be
split to encourage drying.
Wood should be split to a range of sizes, from about 3” to 6” (75 mm to 150 mm) in cross
section. Having a range of sizes makes starting and rekindling fires much easier. Often,
the firewood purchased from commercial suppliers is not split finely enough for convenient
stoking. It is sometimes advisable to resplit the wood before stacking to dry.

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3.2.5 How to Dry Firewood
Firewood that is not dry enough to burn is the cause of most complaints about wood
inserts. Continually burning green or unseasoned wood produces more creosote and
involves lack of heat and dirty glass door. See Section 5: Maintaining your wood
heating system for concerns about creosote.
Here are some things to consider in estimating drying time:
• firewood takes a long time to dry
• firewood bought from a dealer is rarely dry enough to burn, so it is advisable to buy the
wood in spring and dry it yourself
• drying happens faster in dry weather than in damp, maritime climates
• drying happens faster in warm summer weather than in winter weather
• small pieces dry more quickly than large pieces
• split pieces dry more quickly than unsplit rounds
• softwoods take less time to dry than hardwoods
• softwoods like pine, spruce, and poplar/aspen can be dry enough to burn after being
stacked in the open for only the summer months
• hardwoods like oak, maple and ash can take one, or even two years to dry fully,
especially if the pieces are big
• firewood dries more quickly when stacked in the open where it is exposed to sun and
wind; it takes much longer to dry when stacked in a wood shed
• firewood that is ready to burn has a moisture content between 15 and 20% by weight
and will allow your stove to produce its highest possible efficiency

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Installation and Operation Manual
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3.2.6
Judging Firewood Moisture Content
You can find out if some firewood is dr
•
cracks form at the ends of logs as they dry
•
as it dries in the sun, the wood turns from white or cream coloured to grey or yellow,
•
bang two pieces of wood together; seasoned wood sounds hollow and wet wood
sounds dull,
•
dry wood is much lighter in weight
•
split a piece, and if the fresh face feels warm and dry it is dry enough to burn; if it feels
damp, it is too wet,
•
burn a piece; wet wood hisses and sizzles in the fire and dry wood does not.
3.3
Manufactured Logs
Do not burn manufactured logs made of wax impregnated sawdust or logs with any
chemical additives. Manufactured logs made of 100% compressed sawdust can be
burned, but use caution in the number of these logs burned at one time. Start with one
manufactured
log and see how the stove reacts. You can increase the number of logs
burned at a time to
making sure the temperature never rises higher than 475 °F (246 °C)
on a magnetic thermometer for installation on single wall stove pipes or 900 °F (482 °C) on
a prob
e thermometer for installation on double wall stove pipe
be placed about 18”
(457 mm)
and damage your stove.
Installation and Operation Manual
Judging Firewood Moisture Content
You can find out if some firewood is dr
y enough to burn by using these guidelines:
cracks form at the ends of logs as they dry
as it dries in the sun, the wood turns from white or cream coloured to grey or yellow,
bang two pieces of wood together; seasoned wood sounds hollow and wet wood
dry wood is much lighter in weight
than wet wood,
split a piece, and if the fresh face feels warm and dry it is dry enough to burn; if it feels
burn a piece; wet wood hisses and sizzles in the fire and dry wood does not.
You c
ould buy a wood moisture meter to test your
firewood.
Manufactured Logs
Do not burn manufactured logs made of wax impregnated sawdust or logs with any
chemical additives. Manufactured logs made of 100% compressed sawdust can be
burned, but use caution in the number of these logs burned at one time. Start with one
log and see how the stove reacts. You can increase the number of logs
making sure the temperature never rises higher than 475 °F (246 °C)
on a magnetic thermometer for installation on single wall stove pipes or 900 °F (482 °C) on
e thermometer for installation on double wall stove pipe
.
The thermometer
(457 mm)
above the stove.
Higher temperatures
y enough to burn by using these guidelines:
as it dries in the sun, the wood turns from white or cream coloured to grey or yellow,
bang two pieces of wood together; seasoned wood sounds hollow and wet wood
split a piece, and if the fresh face feels warm and dry it is dry enough to burn; if it feels
burn a piece; wet wood hisses and sizzles in the fire and dry wood does not.
ould buy a wood moisture meter to test your
Do not burn manufactured logs made of wax impregnated sawdust or logs with any
chemical additives. Manufactured logs made of 100% compressed sawdust can be
burned, but use caution in the number of these logs burned at one time. Start with one
log and see how the stove reacts. You can increase the number of logs
making sure the temperature never rises higher than 475 °F (246 °C)
on a magnetic thermometer for installation on single wall stove pipes or 900 °F (482 °C) on
The thermometer
should
Higher temperatures
can lead to overheat

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4 Operating Your Stove
4.1 Your First Fires
Two things will happen as you burn your first few fires; the paint cures and the internal
components of the stove are conditioned.
As the paint cures, some of the chemicals vaporize. The vapors are not poisonous, but
they do smell bad. Fresh paint fumes can also cause false alarms in smoke detectors. So,
when you first light your stove, be prepared by opening doors and/or windows to ventilate
the house. As you burn hotter and hotter fires, more of the painted surfaces reach the
curing temperature of the paint. The smell of curing paint does not disappear until you
have burned one or two very hot fires.
Burn one or two small fires to begin the curing and conditioning process. Then build bigger
and hotter fires until there is no longer any paint smell from the stove. Once the paint smell
disappears, your stove is ready for serious heating.
4.2 Lighting Fires
Each person who heats with wood develops their own favorite way to light fires. Whatever
method you choose, your goal should be to get a hot fire burning quickly. A fire that starts
fast produces less smoke and deposits less creosote in the chimney. Here are three
popular and effective ways to start wood fires.
4.2.1 Conventional Fire Starting
The conventional way to build a wood fire is to
bunch up 5 to 10 sheets of plain newspaper
and place them in the firebox. Next, place 10
or so pieces of fine kindling on the newspaper.
This kindling should be very thin; less than 1”
(25 mm). Next, place some larger kindling
pieces on the fine kindling. Open the air
control fully and light the newspaper. If you
have a tall, straight venting system you should
be able to close the door immediately and the
fire will ignite. If your venting system has
elbows or an outside chimney, you may need
to leave the door closed but unlatched for a
few minutes as the newspaper ignites and heat
in the chimney produces some draft. Once the
fire has ignited, close the door and leave the
air control fully open.
A conventional kindling fire with paper
under finely split wood.
DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY
OPENED DURING IGNITION. ALWAYS CLOSE THE DOOR AFTER IGNITION.

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After the kindling fire has mostly burned, you can add standard firewood pieces until you
have a fire of the right size for the conditions.
4.2.2 The Top Down Fire
The top down fire starting method solves two problems with the conventional method: first,
it does not collapse and smother itself as it burns; and second, it is not necessary to build
up the fire gradually because the firebox is loaded before the fire is lit. A top down fire can
provide up to two hours of heating or more. The top down method only works properly if
the wood is well-seasoned.
Start by placing three or four full-sized split pieces of dry firewood in the firebox. Next,
place 4 or 5 more finely split pieces of firewood (2” to 3” [50 mm to 75 mm] in dia.) on the
base logs at right angles (log cabin style). Now place about 10 pieces of finely split kindling
on the second layer at right angles.
The fire is topped with about 5 sheets of newspaper. You can just bunch them up and stuff
them in between the kindling and the underside of the baffle. Or you can make newspaper
knots by rolling up single sheets corner to corner and tying a knot in them. The advantage
of knots is that they don’t roll off the fire as they burn. Light the newspaper and watch as
the fire burns from top to bottom.
4.2.3 Two Parallel Logs
Place two spit logs in the firebox. Place a few sheets of twisted newspaper between the
logs. Now place some fine kindling across the two logs and some larger kindling across
those, log cabin style. Light the newspaper.
4.2.4 Using Fire Starters
Many people like to use commercial fire starters instead of newspaper. Some of these
starters are made of sawdust and wax and others are specialized flammable solid
chemicals. Follow the package directions for use.
Gel starter may be used but only if there are no hot embers present. Use only in a cold
firebox to start a fire.
DO NOT USE FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS SUCH AS GASOLINE, NAPHTHA, FUEL OIL,
MOTOR OIL, OR AEROSOLS TO START OR REKINDLE THE FIRE.

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4.3 Maintaining Wood Fires
4.3.1 General Advice
Wood heating with a space heater is very different than other forms of heating. There will
be variations in the temperature in different parts of the house and there will be variations
in temperature throughout the day and night. This is normal, and for experienced wood
burners these are advantages of zone heating with wood.
Do not expect steady heat output from your stove. It is normal for its surface temperature
to rise after a new load of wood is ignited and for its temperature to gradually decline as
the fire progresses. This rising and falling of temperature can be matched to your
household routines. For example, the area temperature can be cooler when you are active,
such as when doing housework or cooking, and it can be warmer when you are inactive,
such as when reading or watching television.
Wood burns best in cycles. A cycle starts when a new load of wood is ignited by hot coals
and ends when that load has been consumed down to a bed of charcoal about the same
size as it was when the wood was loaded. Do not attempt to produce a steady heat output
by placing a single log on the fire at regular intervals. Always place at least three, and
preferably more, pieces on the fire at a time so that the heat radiated from one piece helps
to ignite the pieces next to it. Each load of wood should provide several hours of heating.
The size of each load can be matched to the amount of heat needed.
When you burn in cycles, you rarely need to open the stove’s loading door while the wood
is flaming. This is an advantage because there is more chance that smoke will leak from
the stove when the door is opened as a full fire is burning. This is especially true if the
chimney connector has 90° elbows and if the chimney runs up the outside wall of the
house.
IF YOU MUST OPEN THE DOOR WHILE THE FUEL IS FLAMING, OPEN THE AIR
CONTROL FULLY FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN UNLATCH AND OPEN THE DOOR
SLOWLY.
4.3.2 Ash Removal
Ash should be removed from the firebox every two or three days of full time heating. Do
not let the ash build up in the firebox because it will interfere with proper fire management.
The best time to remove ash is after an overnight fire when the stove is relatively cool, but
there is still some chimney draft to draw the ash dust into the stove and prevent it from
coming into the room.
After ashes have been removed from the stove and placed in a tightly covered metal
container, they should be taken outside immediately. The closed container of ashes should
be placed on a non-combustible floor or on the ground well away from all combustible
materials pending final disposal. Ashes normally contain some live charcoal that can stay
hot for several days. If the ashes are disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise locally
dispersed, they should be retained in the closed container until all cinders have thoroughly
cooled. Other waste shall not be placed in this container.
NEVER STORE ASHES INDOORS OR IN A NON-METALIC CONTAINER OR ON A
WOODEN DECK.

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4.3.3 Raking Charcoal
Rekindle the fire when you notice that the room temperature has fallen. You will find most
of the remaining charcoal at the back of the firebox, furthest from the door. Rake these
coals towards the door before loading. There are two reasons for this raking of the coals.
First, it concentrates them near where most of the combustion air enters the firebox and
where they can ignite the new load quickly, and second, the charcoal will not be smothered
by the new load of wood. If you were to simply spread the charcoal out, the new load will
smoulder for a long time before igniting.
Remove ash first, and then rake charcoal towards the front of the firebox before loading so
that it will ignite the new load.
4.3.4 Firing Each New Load Hot
Place the new load of wood on and behind the charcoal, and not too close to the glass.
Close the door and open the air control fully. Leave the air control fully open until the
firebox is full of flames, the wood has charred to black and its edges are glowing red. Firing
each load of wood hot accomplishes a few things:
• drives the surface moisture from the wood,
• creates a layer of char on the wood, which slows down its release of smoke,
• heats the firebox components so they reflect heat back to the fire, and
• heats the chimney so it can produce strong, steady draft for the rest of the cycle.
Although it is important to fire each new load hot to prepare for a clean burn, do not allow
the fire to burn at full intensity for more than a few minutes.
DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHILE A NEW LOAD IS BEING FIRED
HOT.
DO NOT OVERFIRE.
When you burn a new load of wood hot to heat up the wood, the stove and the chimney,
the result will be a surge of heat from the stove. This heat surge is welcome when the
room temperature is a little lower than desirable, but not welcome if the space is already
warm. Therefore, allow each load of wood to burn down so that the space begins to cool
off a little before loading. Letting the space cool before loading is one of the secrets to
clean burning and effective zone heating.

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4.3.5 Turning Down the Air Supply
Once the firewood, firebox and chimney are hot, you can begin to reduce the air supply for
a steady burn.
As you reduce the air supply to the fire, two important things happen. First, the firing rate
slows down to spread the heat energy in the fuel over a longer period of time. Second, the
flow rate of exhaust through the stove and flue pipe slows down, which gives more time for
the transfer of heat from the exhaust. You will notice that as you reduce the air setting, the
flames slow down. This is your indication that the stove is burning at its peak efficiency.
If the flames get small and almost disappear when you turn down the air, you have turned
down the air too early, or your firewood is wetter than it should be. With good fuel and
correct air control use, the flames should slow down, but should stay large and steady,
even as the air supply is reduced.
4.3.6 Building Different Fires for Different Needs
Using the air control is not the only way to match the stove’s heat output to the heat
demand. Your house will need far less heat in October than in January to be kept at a
comfortable temperature. If you fill the firebox full in fall weather, you will either overheat
the space or turn the stove down so much that the fire will be smoky and inefficient. Here
are some suggestions for building fires to match different heat demand.
4.3.6.1 Small Fires to Take the Chill Off the House
To build a small fire that will produce a low heat output, use small pieces of firewood and
load them crisscross in the firebox. The pieces should be only 3” to 4” in diameter. After
raking the coals, you can lay two pieces parallel to each other corner to corner in the
firebox and lay two more across them in the other direction. Open the air control fully and
only reduce the air after the wood is fully flaming. This kind of fire is good for mild weather
when you are around to tend the stove and should provide enough heat for four hours or
more. Small fires like this are a good time to use softer wood species so there will be less
chance of overheating the house.

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4.3.6.2 Long Lasting Low Output Fires
Sometimes you will want to build a fire to last up to eight hours, but don’t need intense
heat. In this case use soft wood species and place the logs compactly in the firebox so the
pieces are packed tightly together. You will need to fire the load hot for long enough to fully
char the log surfaces before you can turn the air down. Make sure the fire is flaming
brightly before leaving the fire to burn.
4.3.6.3 High Output Fires for Cold Weather
When the heat demand is high during cold weather, you’ll need a fire that burns steadily
and brightly. This is the time to use your biggest pieces of hardwood fuel if you have it. Put
the biggest pieces at the back of the firebox and place the rest of the pieces compactly. A
densely built fire like this will produce the longest burn your stove is capable of.
You will need to be cautious when building fires like this because if the air is turned down
too much, the fire could smoulder. Make sure the wood is flaming brightly before leaving
the fire to burn.
4.3.6.4 Maximum Burn Cycle Times
The burn cycle time is the period between loading wood on a coal bed and the
consumption of that wood back to a coal bed of the same size. The flaming phase of the
fire lasts for roughly the first half of the burn cycle and the second half is the coal bed
phase during which there is little or no flame. The length of burn you can expect from your
stove, including both the flaming and coal bed phases, will be affected by a number of
things, such as:
• firebox size,
• the amount of wood loaded,
• the species of wood you burn,
• the wood moisture content,
• the size of the space to be heated,
• the climate zone you live in and
• the time of year.