Esse Ironheart EW User manual

Ironheart
Model EW
Wood Fired Cook Stove
North American Instructions
THIS APPLIANCE MUST BE COMMISSIONED BY A QUALIFIED INSTALLER
THE WARRANTY CARD MUST BE RETURNED TO ENSURE GUARANTEE VALIDITY
Les instructions en français sont disponibles en ligne à www.essestoves.ca
224-S-06-2

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Test Standards Applied: UL 1482-1996 & ULC-S627-00
TableofContents
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ...............................................................................3
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................3
BEFORE USING YOUR COOK STOVE................................................................3
YOUR COOK STOVE ........................................................................................4
LIGHTING AND CONTROLLING THE FIRE.........................................................6
NOTES ON WOODBURNING.........................................................................10
LONG TERM SHUTDOWN.............................................................................11
FIREWOOD AND THE WOODBURNING PROCESS..........................................11
COOKING WITH THE COOK STOVE ...............................................................16
EXTENDED WOODBURNING.........................................................................18
CLEANING AND MAINTAINANCE..................................................................19
CONDITIONS OF GUARANTEE ......................................................................21
EXCLUSIONS.................................................................................................21
CUSTOMER CARE .........................................................................................22
SAFETY NOTES..............................................................................................22
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS .........................................................................24
GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION.................................................................24
DIMENSIONS AND CLEARANCES ..................................................................25
CHIMNEY AND FLUE INFORMATION ............................................................27
INSTALLING THE APPLIANCE ........................................................................35
COMMISSIONING THE APPLIANCE ...............................................................37
REPLACEMENT PARTS ..................................................................................38
COMMISSIONING CHECKLIST .......................................................................40
TECHNICAL INFORMATION...........................................................................41

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Ironheart
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
READ FULLY BEFORE OPERATING THIS APPLIANCE
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing an ESSE cook stove. Please read these instructions
carefully to ensure your safety and enjoyment whilst using this product.
Correctly installed and operated, your ESSE cook stove will provide faithful
service indefinitely. We feel certain that like countless ESSE owners since 1854,
you will be truly satisfied by the warmth and comfort it will provide and the taste
of your food cooked within its oven.
BEFORE USING YOUR COOK STOVE
Ensure that all protective packaging has been removed. The hotplate has been
oiled at the factory to prevent rusting and therefore will require wiping with a
damp cloth and drying with a tea towel or kitchen roll.
During the first few operations of the cook stove there may be some ticking and
fumes emitted. This is normal and part of the initial expansion & material curing
process.
This appliance is suitable for burning wood only.

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YOUR COOK STOVE
Figure 1 Ironheart Cook stove
Figure 1 shows the cook stove and it’s controls. The fire is loaded, refuelled, and
emptied through the large glass fire door.
A flue damper is fitted in the bottom of the flue box and is in the open position
when the lever is pointing to rear of cook stove. This is used on initial light up
and also gives a cooler oven temperature when open. It can also help to control
excessive flue draught. This is done by pointing the lever to the front of the cook
stove.
The controls are operated in the following ways:
Primary Air Control
Slide LEFT to open
Secondary Air Control
Slide LEFT to open
Oven Damper
Turn COUNTER-CLOCKWISE to open
Flue Damper
PUSH back to open

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Included inside your cook stove is a multi-purpose Operating Tool –for adjusting
the air supply and operating the door. A glove is also provided to protect the
user’s hand. (Figure 2)
WARNING
Do not place towels on the handrail, keep pets and children away and ensure
that any drapes near the appliance cannot ignite even when displaced.
Surfaces will be hot when in use.
An extractor fan MUST NOT be fitted in the same room as the appliance.
Figure 2 Operating Tool and Glove

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LIGHTING AND CONTROLLING THE FIRE
Figure 3 Multi-fuel Grate Firebox Parts
Before lighting the fire ensure that all parts are in the correct position, see Figure
3.
Ensure both air controls are in the open position by moving the controls to the
LEFT, the oven damper is opened by rotating the control COUNTER-CLOCKWISE,
and the flue damper opened by pushing the lever to the REAR of the cook stove.
Open the fire door and lay two logs along the base of the fire box forming a
space between them.

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Figure 4 Logs Laid in Fire Box
Place a firelighter in the space and surround with a small amount of kindling.
Figure 5 Fire Lighter and Kindling in Place

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Lay a third log over the top of the space perpendicular to the other logs.
Figure 6 Final Log in Position
When you are ready to light the fire all that needs to be done is light the
firelighter.
Once the fire has been lit leave the door partially open to allow additional
airflow until the fire has become established. When the fire is established the
fire door can be fully closed. The air controls can be moved towards the closed
position once the sooting has burnt off the brickwork. To control the fire the
secondary air control should be used, the primary air control should be kept
closed.

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Figure 7 Oven Damper Controls
Once the fire has been established the oven damper control may be used to
regulate the oven temperatures along with the burning rate of the cook stove.
WARNING
When the cook stove is running ALL HANDLES become hot and the operating
tool or glove provided should be used to open or close the doors (Figure 2)
The burning rate of the stove can now be regulated by the rate at which fuel is
added and use of the air control. The maximum amount of fuel to be loaded
during normal operation is 2kg per hour in order to achieve nominal heat output.
NOTE
This appliance is not an incinerator and only dry well seasoned wood or
other approved solid fuels should be used.
If the cook stove is being used primarily to heat the room it is recommended
that the bolster lid is kept in the raised position to allow heat from the hotplate
to radiate into the room.

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When refuelling the cook stove it is recommended that the logs are placed
running front to back as in Figure 4 as this leads to the cleanest combustion.
Before lighting a full fire in the cook stove for the first time it is recommended
that 3 smaller fires are lit first to ensure that any moisture is driven out.
WARNING
Never use gasoline, gasoline-type lantern fuel, kerosene, charcoal lighter
fluid or similar to start or ‘freshen up’ a fire in this appliance. Keep all such
liquids away from the appliance when it is in use.
NOTES ON WOODBURNING
Wood burns most efficiently when the air for combustion is supplied from above
the fire bed. This air supplies the oxygen necessary for the volatile gasses given
off by the wood as it is heated to combust which increases efficiency and
reduces heat being wasted up the chimney.
Running the cook stove with the air control open will provide oxygen for the
wood to burn on the fire bed and should be used to control the fire when lighting
or refuelling. The cook stove should ideally be run with the air control in the
closed position for the majority of the time in use. If the fire appears to die down
too low then opening the air control slightly for a short period can help revive it.
To get the best results from your cook stove it is recommended that a wood
stove thermometer be fitted to the flue pipe above the cook stove. This allows
you to monitor the temperature of the flue gasses leaving the cook stove.
Below 115oC
This is below the condensation point of wood gasses and may cause the build-
up of tar in the chimney, dirty the fire door glass and result in the inefficient
burning of fuel.
115oC –260oC
The flue gasses should be in this temperature band for the safest, most efficient
operation of your cook stove.

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Above 260oC
Too hot. Heat will be wasted up the chimney. Excess heat may damage the cook
stove or ignite an existing accumulation of tar resulting in a chimney fire. In the
event of a fire, close the air controls on the appliance and call the fire brigade
for assistance.
LONG TERM SHUTDOWN
If the cook stove is to be shut down for long periods i.e. during summer months
or if the appliance is in a second home that is not used all the time, precautions
should be taken to avoid damage from condensation and corrosion.
First ensure that the cook stove is fully cleaned and all ash removed. The ovens
and hotplate can then be treated with a light coating of flax oil to help prevent
moisture damaging the surfaces. The air control is to be left in the open position,
the doors slightly ajar, and the bolster lid left raised to allow for ventilation.
FIREWOOD AND THE WOODBURNING PROCESS
Seasoning and Storing Firewood
Wood, which has recently been cut and is still full of sap and water is known as
"green" wood.
Green wood will generally burn poorly and inefficiently, because it can have over
50% water in its cells. It may be hard to light, smoulder, not put out any heat
and cause more than the usual amount of creosote to build up in your chimney.
So your aim should be to dry the wood out to below 20% moisture content, this
process is called seasoning. As the name implies, you should store your wood
for a season or so, while it dries, but there are things you can do to speed up
seasoning by cutting the wood now rather than just before you use it.

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Wood is composed of bundles of microscopic tubes that were used to transport
water from the roots of the tree to the leaves. These tubes will stay full of water
for years even after a tree is dead. This is why it is so important to have your
firewood cut to length for 6 months or more before you burn it, giving the water
a chance to evaporate since the tube ends are finally open and the water only
has to migrate a small distance to escape. Splitting the wood helps too by
exposing more surface area to the sun and wind, but cutting the wood to shorter
lengths is of primary importance.
Here’s how you can tell whether your wood is ready or not: Well seasoned
firewood generally has darkened ends with cracks or splits visible, it is relatively
lightweight, and makes a clear "clunk" when two pieces are struck together.
Green wood on the other hand is very heavy, the ends look fresher, and it tends
to make a dull "thud" when struck.
Another thing you can do to help is store your wood properly. Store it off the
ground by building the pile on some longer logs (or whatever method you can
devise). A shed or shelter with an open side makes an ideal storage place, as the
air can circulate around the logs and help to dry them out. Unventilated spaces
or plastic tarps, which never get taken off will prevent the drying and
evaporation process and cause moulds and rot. So, if a tarp is your only option,
take it off frequently to air the wood on fine days. And remember to put it back
on again. Seasoned firewood will reabsorb large amounts of water if exposed to
rain, snow and excessive dew, which is liable to make it rot and be unfit for
making a good fire.
When you build up a store of firewood, remember that the wood may start to
deteriorate after 4 to 5 years, although this is of course variable and depending
on storage conditions and species involved.
What Type of Wood is Best?
The difference between 'hard' and 'soft' woods is the density of their cells or
fibres.
As a general rule, the deciduous trees (those that loose their leaves in the fall)
are usually thought of as hardwoods and the evergreen trees (such as pines, firs
and larches) as the softwoods. But generalizations are of course always subject
to many exceptions. Some evergreens may well be harder than some deciduous

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trees. Birch, for example, is not very hard at all. So we should understand that
there is a whole range of densities amongst our tree species, including medium
dense woods, which cannot be satisfactorily classed as hard or soft.
Firewood tends to be sold by volume rather than weight. Assuming that the
wood is reasonably dry, the weight of a square metre of good hardwood may be
double of that of a square metre of softwood. This means that the same volume
of hardwood will provide you with more fuel to burn than an equal amount of
softwood, simply because it contains more substance.
(N.B. The price of hardwood will normally not be double that of softwood,
because it took the same amount of labour to prepare. So, if a trailer full of
hardwood costs more than the same size trailer full of softwood, the more
expensive option may well be the most economical.)
The other advantage of good hard firewoods is that the cook stove does not
need to be fed as often and the charcoal-beds made by the glowing wood may
burn more easily overnight.
However, the ideal situation would be to have a store of both hard and soft
woods, because the softer woods also have distinct advantages. They light more
easily than the slower burning hardwoods and if the softwoods are dry, they
create a hotter, more intense fire. The draught created by the hotter fire moves
the air up the chimney faster.
After reading the notes opposite about the burning process, you will understand
that means less pollution in the form of smoke and less creosote condensation
in your chimney.
The denser hardwoods tend to smoulder more easily when the fire is first lit, so
their flue gas temperature will be much cooler.
Because softwoods like pine and larch contain a lot of resins and pitch, a popular
misconception is that they will fur up the chimney with creosote more easily
than a hardwood like oak. This is not necessarily true at all. It is not the pitch
that is the problem, it's the water IN the pitch. Once the water in the wood has
evaporated, that pitch becomes high octane fuel. When dry, softwoods burn
extremely hot.
There is also the matter of seasoning to be considered. When you buy wood, it
will usually have been cut in the winter of the year you buy it. Hard woods tend
to take longer than softwoods to fully dry out.

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Softwoods cut in the previous winter should, with proper storage, be ready to
burn the next fall, whereas many hardwoods may take a bit longer than that.
Oak, for example, is very slow to dry out andshould ideally be left for two years.
It is also possible to purchase pre seasoned wood or kiln dried wood.
Summarising we can say that it is always sensible to buy this year for next years
fuel supply and that it is very handy to have both soft and hardwoods. You can
use the softwoods to start a good fire and you will have additional control over
the fire (in addition to the cook stoves controls) by adding slower burning wood
to fast ones if you want to leave the cook stove without tending it for a while.
Alternatively you can add some fast burning softwood logs to the slower
hardwood logs to instantly revive a fire, which has been neglected.
The Wood Burning Process
Understanding what happens when wood is burnt will enable you to burn wood
in a more environmentally friendly way, reduce the maintenance required for
your chimney and get more out of your wood. There are 3 stages in the wood-
burning process:
Evaporation
When you light the cook stove a lot of energy will be needed at first to boil away
any moisture, which is left in the wood. Using energy to drive off excess water
in firewood robs the cook stove of energy needed for an efficient and clean burn.
Also, much of the energy wasted in evaporating water is energy that could have
heated the hotplate and oven. This is a waste of wood, money and effort. The
presence of all that moisture tends to keep "putting out" the fire, and therefore
making it burn very poorly, which tends to produce a lot of creosote and
pollution.
Emissions
As the heat of the fire intensifies, waste-gases (smoke) are released from the
wood.
Unburned smoke is emitted into the air either as pollution, or condensed in the
chimney causing creosote build-up. It takes time for the air in your chimney to
heat up. When it is still cold you get an effect similar to the condensation of hot
breath on a colder window or mirror. So when the by-products of combustion
(smoke in the form of gases) exit the cook stove, and flow up into the relatively
cooler chimney, condensation occurs.

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The resulting residue that sticks to the inner walls of the chimney is called
creosote. Creosote is formed by unburned, flammable particulates present in
the smoke. It is black or brown in appearance. It can be crusty and flaky, tar-like,
drippy and sticky or shiny and hardened. Quite often, all forms will occur in one
chimney system.
The chimney and chimney connector should be inspected at least once every
two months during the heating season to determine if creosote build up has
occurred. If creosote has accumulated, it should be removed to reduce the risk
of a chimney fire.
If the wood you are using is water logged, or green, the fire will tend to smoulder
and not warm the chimney sufficiently. Wet wood causes the whole system to
be cool, and inefficient. In contrast: dry wood means a hot fire, which results in
a hot flue, and a hot flue means much less creosote clogging up your chimney.
The cook stove’s firebox is designed to operate at very high temperatures to
burn the gases and particles released from the wood, which means less air-
pollution.
Charcoal
When most of the tar and gasses have burned, the remaining substance is
charcoal (ash in it’s finer form). A hot bed of charcoals and ash can enhance the
combustion process when burning larger pieces of wood. Start with a small fire
to develop a bed of glowing embers. As the charcoal bed develops and the cook
stove heats up, slowly add larger and larger pieces of wood. It takes time to build
a good charcoal bed, but it is well worth the effort. Only empty excess ash
periodically and always leave a bed of ash on which to light the next fire. When
wood burns it gives off volatile gases which contain calorific heat value.
Peat
Peat is a fuel conveniently available in some areas and should be burned in the
same manner as wood.
Ash Removal
Wood burns best on its own ash and a manageable layer of ash on the grate is a
benefit to the efficient running of your cook stove. To empty the ashes from the
ash pan below the grate, open the door at the bottom left of the cook stove
using the Operating Tool by connecting the tool to the door handle and turning
counter-clockwise. Insert the tool into the slot on the ash pan and pull forwards

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and lift to remove. Care should be taken when disposing of ashes that are still
warm. They should not be put into a plastic receptacle or anything that might
melt in contact with heat.
Always use the Operating Tool to open the ash door and remove the ash pan.
Use the Operating Tool to securely lock the door and ensure the door is closed
properly.
NOTE
The above text is a guide only. The ideal operation of your cook stove
depends on a number of factors which vary with each installation. Gaining
experience on your cook stove is the only way to learn its best operation.
COOKING WITH THE COOK STOVE
The oven and hotplate are heated directly by the fire. In order to heat up the
oven and hotplate, the fire should be lit as described on page 8.
The temperature of the hotplate is graduated from left to right. The left side is
hotter and so is used for boiling and the right side for simmering. The oven door
and the fire door are opened by lifting the handle either manually or using the
Operating Tool provided.
The oven and hotplate are heated directly by the fire. In order to heat up the
oven and hob the fire should be lit as described above. Once the fire is
established the oven damper should turned clockwise to close. This will allow
the hot fumes from the fire to circulate around the inner cavity between the
cook stove and the oven thus heating up both the hotplate and the oven.
The bolster lids can be left down when the not in use, in order to keep the
hotplate warm. In the up position they will allow more heat into the room.
To reduce the heat going to the oven when the cook stove is up and running,
the oven damper knob can be turned counter-clockwise. This will allow the hot
fumes to escape directly up the chimney via the boiling side of the hotplate, thus
reducing the heat to the oven but maintaining a hot hotplate.
To maintain a good cooking temperature in the oven the cook stove requires
only a small amount of fuel. To reduce the effective size of the firebox, the fuel

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bar can be moved towards the back and thus used to hold a smaller amount of
fuel at the rear of the firebox. This also has the advantage of reducing the heat
radiated through the window, making life easier for the cook. Also the fire guard
can be slid in front of the fire door in order to reduce the heat through the glass
and protect the operator whilst cooking.
The temperature gauge on the oven door provides an indication of the oven
temperature. It should be noted however that since the gauge is attached to the
door, the indicated temperature will drop if the door is left open for any
prolonged period, in which case, the oven may be hotter than it is indicated on
the dial. Once the door is closed again, the gauge will come back to temperature.
Figure 8 Temperature Guage Approximate Temperature Guide
The oven is equipped with a wire shelf which can be set to the desired height.
The shelf has anti-pull out stops to prevent it from being pulled out
inadvertently; to remove a shelf, pull forward until the stop is reached, then lift
at the front and pull out of the oven. Use reverse procedure to refit. If the
shelves pull straight out then they are in back to front!
WARNING
If any part of the stove begins to glow it is being over fired. Stop use
immediately and allow to cool. If this occurs it is recommended that the cook
stove is cleaned and inspected before further use and any warped baffles
straightened.

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EXTENDED WOODBURNING
This appliance has not been certified as a slow combustion stove. Loading a large
amount of wood into the cook stove all at once will reduce the temperature
inside. If the temperature is too low, the gases given off from the wood will be
too low to combust, resulting in a lot of smoke which will cover the inside of the
cook stove, including the glass, with soot.
In order to avoid adverse combustion conditions it is a good idea to increase the
temperature of the cook stove before loading more wood by further opening
the air control. Load the wood and leave the air control open until the moisture
is driven out of the wood and the cook stove is up to an efficient operating
temperature. The air control and the bolster lid can then be closed to hold the
temperature of the cook stove.
The cook stove can be set up to burn overnight if desired.

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CLEANING AND MAINTAINANCE
The successful operation of your cook stove is entirely dependent on the
adequate performance (pull) of the chimney or flue to which it is connected. The
following maintenance guidelines will be pointless unless the flue is also
maintained and cleaned regularly. How often it needs cleaning will depend on
the quality and moisture content of the wood you burn but an annual clean is
recommended. A partially blocked or dirty flue can have disastrous implications
for an otherwise perfectly installed cook stove.
A healthy flue draught should read between 12 –25 pascals. A flue draught
reading below this value will result in poor smoky performance
Always carry out cleaning procedures when the cook stove is unlit and has been
allowed to cool sufficiently to avoid burns. With time and experience you will be
able to gauge the intervals between cleaning more accurately. It will vary
depending on the quality of your firewood and performance of your flue. Take
time to get to know your cook stove and inspect it at regular intervals for the
first 6 months.
As the cook stove top is used for cooking, normal wear and tear will occur. Spills
should be mopped up immediately with a damp cloth, but oven cleaners should
not be used on the hotplate surface.
The oven and hotplate will rust if surface moisture is left on. Remember to
always light the cook stove to warm and dry these after cleaning. To season the
oven or hotplate, we recommend a light vegetable oil spray is used. Remove any
stubborn stains with the wire brush.
To clean the glass of any built up residue, special cleaning solutions can be used,
or a ball of newspaper dampened and passed through the ash can be used. Do
not use abrasive or chemically aggressive cleaning products on the glass as this
can weaken or stain it.
If any of the chromed components become blue due to excess heat they can be
restored using a chrome cleaner.
The exterior of the cook stove is painted with high temperature resistant cook
stove paint and from time to time it may become necessary to renovate the

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exterior by repainting. The surface must be prepared by rubbing down with a
wire brush. The cook stove paint will not key to the surface if there are fat
deposits or food particles on the area to be resprayed. High temperature
resistant cook stove paints are available in aerosol form from your cook stove
dealer, or from www.esse.com/spareparts/. Do not use this paint until the cook
stove is completely cold and always follow the instructions on the container
before starting to paint. The usual precautions should be taken, such as covering
adjoining surfaces and protecting the bolster lids.
The bolster lids are chrome plated. These can be wiped clean with a damp cloth
and a chrome cleaner may be used.
When de-ashing the cook stove only remove small amounts of ash leaving
ideally 30mm (approx. 1”) depth of ash in the bottom for best performance.
To clean the flue way of the cook stove the hotplate must be removed. With the
hotplate removed the flue brush can be used to brush around the ovens and
beneath the top. Once the exterior of the ovens has been brushed the flue
access plate behind the lower right door can be removed and any loose debris
can be raked out using the flue rake. A vacuum can also be used for this process.
All panels should be replaced after cleaning.
Cleaning the Flue
It is recommended that the flue is cleaned at least every 12 months to maintain
a suitable flue draught and prevent poor performance of the cook stove. It is
essential to maintain the integrity and cleanliness of the flue to ensure that your
cook stove continues to perform at its best. When your cook stove was installed
the main flue should have been equipped with an inspection hatch. These
hatches are designed to allow periodic access to the flue for inspection &
cleaning.
If the chimney was previously used for an open fire, ensure any obstructions or
dampers are removed or locked open. The cook stove operates at higher flue
gas temperatures, deposits of soot and debris that were firmly adhered to the
inside of the chimney, when it was used with an open fire, can loosen and cause
a blockage. We recommend that in such a situation a second sweeping of the
chimney should be carried out within one month of regular use of the cook stove
after installation.