IMPORTANT: FIRST FIRES
Use smaller and shorter ‘gentle’ fires
the first five or six times that you fire up
the stove, making these progressively
bigger, as this will avoid any potential
thermal shock and allow the cast iron
components to ‘acclimatise’ with each
other. Allow the stove to fully cool
down these between fires.
When first using the stove it is normal
to experience paint fumes or see light
smoke rising from some of the stove’s
painted surfaces. During this stage
ensure that the room has additional
ventilation by opening doors and
windows to minimise any adverse
effects. The hotter you burn the stove
the more intense these fumes will be,
which is one of the reasons that we
advise that you use smaller fires to start
with. Every time the stove reaches a
new higher temperature it may still be
possible to smell these fumes or see
some gentle smoke until the paint work
is fully cured.
If smoke and fumes persist do not use
the stove and immediately consult your
installer, as this may indicate that there
could be a possible problem with the
installation.
UNDERSTANDING HOW
DIFFERENT FUELS BURN
Wood and solid fuels (multi fuels) burn
in different ways and you will need to
understand these differences if you are
a newcomer to wood burners and you
want to get the best out of operating
your stove.
Basically solid fuels need a flow of
combustion air through the bottom
grate whereas wood does not require
this as its combustion air can be taken
from above the grate. Wood always
burns best on a bed of its own embers
and shouldn’t need to be riddled.
Your new stove can burn very well, or
very poorly, depending on how you
light the fire, how you refuel the fire,
and, of course, the type and quality of
the fuel that you are burning. A flue
temperature gauge and log moisture
meter are both cost-effective
investments if you want to maximise
the efficiency of your stove and fuel.
Wear protective gloves when loading a
burning stove and place logs precisely
where you want them in the
firechamber by using heat-resistant
tongs. Always open the stove door
gently to avoid unnecessary air turbu-
lence which could cause fly ash or small
lighted embers to be drawn from the
fire chamber and beyond the protective
hearth. Never operate the stove without
the fire fence (or log guard) in position.
The stove is not designed to be
operated with the door open
continuously – this will reduce its
operating efficiency and it will consume
more fuel and produce less heat.
BURNING WOOD LOGS
As previously stated wood burns best
on a bed of its own embers which also
forms a barrier that reflects heat and
protects the fire grate from being
damaged. You can therefore leave a
bed of ash in place to create a layer of
approximately 25mm (1”), only
occasionally removing the surplus ash.
The end grain of the wood produces
more of the remaining moisture and
gases so whenever possible point the
log ends away from the glass to help
keep the glass clean.
Fuel Load Ideally the logs should be
approximately 225 – 250mm (9” – 10”)
long and a typical fuel load should
weigh 1.0 – 1.5kg (2.2lb – 3.3lb).
To get the best out of your stove,
ideally you will need three different
thicknesses of wood log as you build
the fire through each lighting phase:
1 Kindling This is generally finely
chopped wood, approximately 5 to
10mm thick (1/4” to 1/2”) from your
supply of logs. Alternatively use dried
twigs or small branches which have also
been fully seasoned
2 Lighting Logs These are slightly
bigger diameter logs, approximately 25
to 50mm (1” to 2”)
3 Refuelling Logs These should be
approximately 75 to 100mm thick (3”
to 4”). Bigger logs should be split down
to this size
Lighting a Wood Fire
The main difference between smoke
and flame is temperature, so when
lighting a fire you need to get the
temperature in the fire chamber as high
as possible as quickly as possible. This
is also critical in creating a good ‘draw’
within the flue system, especially when
it is particularly cold outside.
When flue gas temperatures are below
120°C, creosote tars form within the
gases and the fire will be smoky and
burn with a dull orange flame. Burning
the stove like this for a sustained period
will create unnecessary smoke and not
be good for the chimney or flue system.
1 The Lighting Phase
For best results:
Primary Air – fully open
Secondary Air – fully open
Shaker Grate – open
Door – slightly ajar (optional)
Avoid trying to light the fire with
excessive amounts of paper as this
has a very high ash content which can
‘smother’ the ash bed. If you have good
dry kindling or sticks then paper should
not be needed at all.
The size of the logs used at each stage
is also important. If the kindling wood is
too large this will not light well and will
be slow to get started. Two handfuls of
smaller pieces of kindling (equivalent
to the weight of typical log) layered in
a criss-cross or ‘wig-wam’ and a small
firelighter will get the fire well estab-
lished and up to operating quickly.
If you feel you have a weak chimney
draught, then keeping the stove door
slightly ajar for the first 10 – 15
minutes will assist, after which it should
be closed. This will also help prevent the
build-up of condensation on the door
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