Optima Installation and Operation Manual
3
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 Optima 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 .............................................10
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.........................................................................................................11
3.2.4 Piece Size..........................................................................................................12
3.2.5 How to Dry Firewood.........................................................................................12
3.2.6 Where to store wood .........................................................................................14
3.2.7 Judging Firewood Moisture Content..................................................................14
3.3 Manufactured Logs...............................................................................................15
4 Operating Your Stove .......................................................................16
4.1 The use of a fire screen........................................................................................16
4.2 Your First Fires .....................................................................................................16
4.3 Lighting Fires........................................................................................................16
4.3.1 Conventional Fire Starting.................................................................................17
4.3.2 The Top Down Fire............................................................................................17
4.3.3 Two Parallel Logs..............................................................................................17
4.3.4 Using Fire Starters.............................................................................................18
4.4 Maintaining Wood Fires........................................................................................18
4.4.1 General Advice..................................................................................................18
4.4.2 Ash Removal.....................................................................................................18
4.4.3 Raking Charcoal................................................................................................19
4.4.4 Firing Each New Load Hot.................................................................................20
4.4.5 Turning Down the Air Supply.............................................................................20
Building Different Fires for Different Needs ...................................................................21
