Osburn Matrix insert User manual

READANDKEEPTHISMANUALFORREFERENCE
45593A
PrintedinCanada05‐03‐2013
INSTALLATIONANDOPERATIONMANUAL
MATRIX
Insert
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USENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION
AGENCYPHASEIICERTIFIED
WOODINSERT
SafetytestedaccordingtoULCS628,
UL737andUL1482Standards
byIntertekTestingServices
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www.osburn‐mfg.com
StoveBuilderInternationalInc.
250,ruedeCopenhague,St‐Augustin‐de‐Desmaures(Quebec)CanadaG3A2H3
Tel:(418)878‐3040Fax:(418)878‐3001
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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.

MatrixInsertInstallationandOperationManual
2_______________________________________________________________________________
THANKYOUFORCHOOSINGTHISOSBURNWOODINSERT
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insert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.
Ifthisinsertisnotproperlyinstalled,combustiblematerialsnearitmayoverheat.Toreducethe
riskoffire,followtheinstallationinstructionsinthismanualexactly.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insert.Youmayneedtogeta
buildingpermitfortheinstallationofthisinsertandthechimneythatitisconnectedto.Consult
yourmunicipalbuildingdepartmentorfiredepartmentbeforeinstallation.Werecommendthat
youalsoinformyourhomeinsurancecompanytofindoutiftheinstallationwillaffectyour
policy.
Thisheatingunitisdesignedtoserveasasupplementaryheatsource.Werecommendthata
primaryheatsourcealsobeavailableinthehome.Themanufacturercannotberesponsiblefor
costsassociatedwiththeuseofanotherheatingsystem.
REGISTERYOURWARRANTYONLINE
Toreceivefullwarrantycoverage,youwillneedtoshowevidenceofthe
dateyoupurchasedyourinsert.Keepyoursalesinvoice.Wealso
recommendthatyouregisteryourwarrantyonlineat:
http://www.osburn‐mfg.com/warranty‐registration.aspx
Registeringyourwarrantyonlinewillhelpustoquicklytrackthe
informationweneedaboutyourinsert.
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MatrixInsertInstallationandOperationManual
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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.........................................................................8
2.1MatrixInsertSpecifications...................................................................................................8
2.2ZoneHeatingandHowtoMakeitWorkforYou................................................................10
2.3TheBenefitsofLowEmissionsandHighEfficiency.............................................................11
2.4TheSBICommitmenttoYouandtheEnvironment............................................................11
2.4.1WhatisYourNewInsertMadeOf?.................................................................................11
3Fuel................................................................................................13
3.1MaterialsThatShouldNotbeBurned.................................................................................13
3.2HowtoPrepareorBuyGoodFirewood..............................................................................13
3.2.1WhatisGoodFirewood?.................................................................................................13
3.2.2TreeSpecies.....................................................................................................................13
3.2.3LogLength........................................................................................................................14
3.2.4PieceSize..........................................................................................................................14
3.2.5HowtoDryFirewood.......................................................................................................15
3.2.6JudgingFirewoodMoistureContent...............................................................................16
3.3ManufacturedLogs..............................................................................................................16
4OperatingYourInsert.....................................................................17
4.1Theuseofafirescreen........................................................................................................17
4.2YourFirstFires.....................................................................................................................17
4.3LightingFires........................................................................................................................17
4.3.1ConventionalFireStarting...............................................................................................18
4.3.2TheTopDownFire...........................................................................................................18
4.3.3TwoParallelLogs..............................................................................................................19
4.3.4UsingFireStarters............................................................................................................19
4.4MaintainingWoodFires......................................................................................................19
4.4.1GeneralAdvice.................................................................................................................19
4.4.2AshRemoval.....................................................................................................................20
4.4.3RakingCharcoal................................................................................................................20

MatrixInsertInstallationandOperationManual
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4.4.4FiringEachNewLoadHot................................................................................................21
4.4.5TurningDowntheAirSupply...........................................................................................21
4.5FanOperation......................................................................................................................22
4.5.1BuildingDifferentFiresforDifferentNeeds....................................................................22
5MaintainingYourWoodHeatingSystem.........................................25
5.1InsertMaintenance.............................................................................................................25
5.1.1CleaningDoorGlass.........................................................................................................25
5.1.2Dooradjustment..............................................................................................................26
5.1.3ReplacingtheDoorGasket...............................................................................................26
5.1.4ReplacingtheGlassGasketand/ortheGlass..................................................................27
5.1.5CleaningandPaintingtheInsert......................................................................................28
5.2ChimneyandChimneyLinerMaintenance.........................................................................28
5.2.1WhyChimneyCleaningisNecessary...............................................................................28
5.2.2HowOftenShouldYouCleantheChimney?...................................................................29
5.2.3CleaningtheChimney......................................................................................................29
PARTB‐INSTALLATION........................................................................30
6Pre‐InstallationMasonryfireplacerequirements............................30
7SafetyInformation..........................................................................32
7.1SummaryofInstallationCautionsandWarnings................................................................32
7.2RegulationsCoveringInsertInstallation..............................................................................32
8ClearancestoCombustibleMaterial...............................................33
8.1LocationoftheCertificationLabel......................................................................................33
8.2TheMasonryFireplaceThroatDamper...............................................................................33
8.3ComplianceofaCombustibleMantelShelf........................................................................34
8.4PositioningtheUnit.............................................................................................................35
8.5MinimumMasonryOpening,ClearancestoCombustibles,andFloorProtector...............40
9TheVentingSystem........................................................................42
9.1General................................................................................................................................42
9.2Block‐OffPlate.....................................................................................................................42
9.3SuitableChimneys...............................................................................................................43
9.4Linerinstallation..................................................................................................................43
9.5Chimneylinerinstallation....................................................................................................44

MatrixInsertInstallationandOperationManual
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9.5.1Ifthechimneylinerdoesalignwiththeinsert’sflueoutlet,youhavetwooptions.......44
9.5.2Ifthechimneylinerdoesnotalignwiththeinsert’sflueoutlet.....................................45
9.6MinimumChimneyHeight...................................................................................................46
9.7TheRelationshipBetweentheChimneyandtheHouse.....................................................46
9.7.1Whythechimneyshouldpenetratethehighestheatedspace.......................................46
9.8SupplyofCombustionAir....................................................................................................47
9.8.1AirSupplyinConventionalHouses..................................................................................47
Appendix1:ReversingtheDoorOpeningandAdjustingtheHandle.....48
Appendix2:InstallingtheAdapterforFreshAirKit(AC01298).............50
Appendix3:FaceplateInstallation.......................................................51
Appendix4:BlowerInstallation...........................................................53
Appendix5:InstallingtheFireScreen(AC01315).................................55
Appendix6:InstallationofSecondaryAirTubesandBaffle..................56
Appendix7:Removalinstructions........................................................58
Appendix8:ExplodedDiagramandPartsList.......................................59
OSBURNLIMITEDLIFETIMEWARRANTY...............................................62
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MatrixInsertInstallationandOperationManual
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PARTA‐OPERATIONANDMAINTENANCE
PleaseseePartBforinstallationinstructions.
1SAFETY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INSERTOPERATION.
•USINGANINSERTWITHCRACKEDORBROKENCOMPONENTS,SUCHASGLASSOR
FIREBRICKSORBAFFLESMAYPRODUCEANUNSAFECONDITIONANDMAYDAMAGETHE
INSERT.
•OPENTHEAIRCONTROLFULLYBEFOREOPENINGTHELOADINGDOOR.
•OPERATEONLYWITHDOORFULLYCLOSEDORFULLYOPENWITHFIRESCREENINPLACE.IF
DOORISLEFTPARTLYOPEN,GASANDFLAMEMAYBEDRAWNOUTOFTHEOPENING,
CREATINGRISKSFROMBOTHFIREANDSMOKE.
•THISINSERTHASBEENTESTEDFORUSEWITHANOPENDOORINCONJUNCTIONWITHAFIRE
SCREEN(AC01315,SOLDSEPARATELY).THEDOORMAYBEOPENORFIRESCREENREMOVED
ONLYDURINGLIGHTINGPROCEDURESORRELOADING.ALWAYSCLOSETHEDOORORPUT
BACKTHEFIRESCREENAFTERIGNITION.DONOTLEAVETHEINSERTUNATTENDEDWHEN
THEDOORISOPENEDWITHORWITHOUTFIRESCREEN.
•NEVERUSEGASOLINE,LANTERNFUEL(NAPHTHA),FUELOIL,MOTOROIL,KEROSENE,
CHARCOALLIGHTERFLUID,ORSIMILARLIQUIDSORAEROSOLSTOSTARTAFIREINTHIS
INSERT.KEEPALLSUCHLIQUIDSORAEROSOLSWELLAWAYFROMTHEINSERTWHILEITISIN
USE.
•DONOTSTOREFUELWITHINHEATERMINIMUMINSTALLATIONCLEARANCES.
•BURNONLYSEASONEDNATURALFIREWOOD.

MatrixInsertInstallationandOperationManual
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•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,
oMANUFACTUREDLOGSCONTAININGWAXORCHEMICALADDITIVES,
oRAILROADTIESOR
oLIQUIDSSUCHASKEROSCENEORDIESELFUELTOSTARTAFIRE.

•THISAPPLIANCESHOULDBEMAINTAINEDANDOPERATEDATALLTIMESINACCORDANCE
WITHTHESEINSTRUCTIONS.
•DONOTELEVATETHEFIREBYMEANSOFGRATES,ANDIRONSOROTHERMEANS.
•SOMEJURISDICTIONSINTHEUSAREQUIREASUPPLYOFOUTDOORCOMBUSTIONAIRFOR
THEINSERT.INCANADA,ANOUTDOORAIRSUPPLYISNOTREQUIRED,IFACARBON
MONOXIDE(CO)DETECTOR/ALARMISLOCATEDINTHEROOMINWHICHTHEINSERTIS
INSTALLED.THECODETECTORWILLPROVIDEWARNINGIFFORANYREASONTHEWOOD
INSERTFAILSTOFUNCTIONCORRECTLY.IFYOUAREREQUIREDTOINSTALLANOUTDOOR
AIRSUPPLY,WERECOMMENDTHATYOUALSOINSTALLACODETECTOR/ALARMTO
PROVIDEWARNINGIFSMOKESPILLAGEFROMTHEINSERTOCCURS.

MatrixInsertInstallationandOperationManual
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2GENERALINFORMATION
2.1 MATRIXINSERTSPECIFICATIONS
FuelTypeCordwood
TestStandards(safety)ULCS628,UL737andUL1482
TestStandard(emissions)EPAMethod28(40CFRPart60)
Heatingcapacityrange*500to2100sq.ft.(47to195m2)
Maximumheatoutput**
(EPAtestfuel)32200BTU/h(9,4kW/h)
Maximumheatoutput**
(naturalhardwoodfuel)75000BTU/h(22kW/h)
Optimumefficiency77,2%
TestStandard(efficiency)CSAB415.1‐10
ApproximateBurnTime6to8hours
ShippingWeight480lb(218kg)
FireboxVolume2,4cu.ft.(0,068m3)
MaximumLogLength20"east‐west***
FlueOutletDiameter6"(150mm)diameter(vertical)
BaffleMaterialC‐Cast

*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insert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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 
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2.2 ZONEHEATINGANDHOWTOMAKEITWORKFORYOU
YournewMatrixwoodinsert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insert.Wholehousezoneheatingworksbestwhentheinsert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insert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insert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backupheating.
Yoursuccesswithzoneheatingwilldependonseveralfactors,includingthecorrectsizingand
locationoftheinsert,thesize,layoutandageofyourhomeandyourclimatezone.Three‐season
vacationhomescanusuallybeheatedwithsmallerinsertsthanhousesthatareheatedallwinter.
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2.3 THEBENEFITSOFLOWEMISSIONSANDHIGHEFFICIENCY
ThelowsmokeemissionsproducedbythespecialfeaturesinsidetheMatrixinsert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insert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insert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.

2.4 THESBICOMMITMENTTOYOUANDTHEENVIRONMENT
TheSBIteamis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INSERTMADEOF?
Thebodyofyourinsert,whichismostofitsweight,iscarbonsteel.Shoulditeverbecome
necessarymanyyearsinthefuture,almosttheentireinsertcanberecycledintonewproducts,
thuseliminatingtheneedtominenewmaterials.
Thepaintcoatingonyourinsertisverythin.ItsVOCcontent(VolatileOrganicCompounds)isvery
low.VOCscanberesponsibleforsmog,soallthepaintusedduringthemanufacturingprocess
meetsthelatestairqualityrequirementsregardingVOCreductionorelimination.
Theairtubesarestainlesssteel,whichcanalsoberecycled.
TheC‐Castbaffleismadeofanaluminosilicatefibrematerialthatiscompressedwithabinderto
formarigidboard.C‐Castcanwithstandtemperaturesabove2,000°F.Itisnotconsidered
hazardouswaste.Disposalatalandfillisrecommended.
Firebrickismainlycomposedofsilicondioxide,alsoknownassilica,aproductprocessedfroma
minedmineral.Itismostcommonlyfoundinnatureintheformofsandandclay.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.

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Thedoorglassisa5mmthickceramicmaterialthatcontainsnotoxicchemicals.Itismadeof
naturalrawmaterialssuchassandandquartzthatarecombinedinsuchawaytoformahigh
temperatureglass.Ceramicglasscannotberecycledinthesamewayasnormalglass,soitshould
notbedisposedofwithyourregularhouseholdproducts.Disposalatalandfillisrecommended.
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3FUEL
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
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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insert,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

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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.
3.2.3 LOGLENGTH
Logsshouldbecutatleast1”(25mm)shorterthanthefireboxsotheyfitineasily.Piecesthatare
evenslightlytoolongmakeloadingtheinsert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between15and20%byweightandwill
allowyourinserttoproduceitshighestpossibleefficiency

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3.2.6 JUDGINGFIREWOODMOISTURECONTENT
Youcanfindoutifsomefirewoodisdry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colored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thanwetwood,
•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.

Youcouldbuyawoodmoisturemetertotestyour
firewood.



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
insertreacts.Neverusemorethantwomanufacturedlogs.




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4OPERATINGYOURINSERT
4.1 THEUSEOFAFIRESCREEN.
Thisinserthasbeentestedforusewithanopendoorinconjunctionwithafirescreen(AC01315,
soldseparately).Makesurethefirescreenisproperlysecuredontheinserttoavoidanyriskof
sparksdamagingyourflooring.Whenthefirescreenisinuse,donotleavetheinsertunattended
sothatyoucanrespondpromptlyintheeventofsmokespillageintotheroom.Potentialcausesof
smokespillagearedescribedinSection9TheVentingSystemofthismanual.SeeAppendix6:
InstallingtheFireScreen(AC01315)forinstallationinstructions.
OPERATINGWITHTHEFIRESCREENINCREASESPOSSIBILITIESOFGENERATINGCARBON
MONOXIDE.CARBONMONOXIDEISANODOURLESSGASTHATISHIGHLYTOXICANDWHICH
CANCAUSEDEATHATHIGHCONCENTRATIONINAIR.

4.2 YOURFIRSTFIRES
Twothingswillhappenasyouburnyourfirstfewfires;thepaintcuresandtheinternal
componentsoftheinsert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insert,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insert.Oncethepaintsmell
disappears,yourinsertisreadyforseriousheating.

4.3 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.

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4.3.1 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.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INSERTUNATTENDEDWHENTHEDOORISSLIGHTLYOPENED.ALWAYS
CLOSEANDLATCHTHEDOORAFTERTHEFIREIGNITES.
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.
4.3.2 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.

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4.3.3 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.
4.3.4 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.

4.4 MAINTAININGWOODFIRES
4.4.1 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insert.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insert’sloadingdoorwhilethewoodis
flaming.Thisisanadvantagebecausethereismorechancethatsmokewillleakfromtheinsert
whenthedoorisopenedasafullfireisburning.

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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.
4.4.2 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insertisrelativelycool,butthereis
stillsomechimneydrafttodrawtheashdustintotheinsertandpreventitfromcomingintothe
room.
Afterasheshavebeenremovedfromtheinsert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shouldnotbeplacedinthis
container.
NEVERSTOREASHESINDOORSORINANON‐METALICCONTAINERORONAWOODENDECK.
4.4.3 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.