Osburn SOHO User manual

READANDKEEPTHISMANUALFORREFERENCE
45747A
PrintedinCanada04‐06‐2014
INSTALLATIONANDOPERATIONMANUAL
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SOHO
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USENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION
AGENCYPHASEIICERTIFIEDWOOD
STOVE
SafetytestedaccordingtoULCS627,
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
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.

SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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THANKYOUFORCHOOSINGTHISOSBURN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.
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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.osburn‐mfg.com/warranty‐registration.aspx
Registeringyourwarrantyonlinewillhelpustoquicklytrackthe
informationweneedaboutyourstove.
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Soho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.........................................................................7
2.1SohoSpecifications................................................................................................................7
2.2ZoneHeatingandHowtoMakeitWorkforYou................................................................10
2.3TheBenefitsofLowEmissionsandHighEfficiency.............................................................10
2.4TheSBICommitmenttoYouandtheEnvironment............................................................11
2.4.1WhatisYourNewStoveMadeOf?..................................................................................11
3Fuel.................................................................................................12
3.1MaterialsThatShouldNotbeBurned.................................................................................12
3.2HowtoPrepareorBuyGoodFirewood..............................................................................12
3.2.1WhatisGoodFirewood?.................................................................................................12
3.2.2TreeSpecies.....................................................................................................................12
3.2.3LogLength........................................................................................................................13
3.2.4PieceSize..........................................................................................................................13
3.2.5HowtoDryFirewood.......................................................................................................13
3.2.6Wheretostorewood.......................................................................................................14
3.2.7JudgingFirewoodMoistureContent...............................................................................15
3.3ManufacturedLogs..............................................................................................................15
4OperatingYourStove......................................................................16
4.1YourFirstFires.....................................................................................................................16
4.2LightingFires........................................................................................................................16
4.2.1ConventionalFireStarting...............................................................................................16
4.2.2TheTopDownFire...........................................................................................................17
4.2.3TwoParallelLogs..............................................................................................................17
4.2.4UsingFireStarters............................................................................................................17
4.3MaintainingWoodFires......................................................................................................18
4.3.1GeneralAdvice.................................................................................................................18
4.3.2AshRemoval.....................................................................................................................18
4.3.3RakingCharcoal................................................................................................................19

SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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4.3.4FiringEachNewLoadHot................................................................................................19
4.3.5TurningDowntheAirSupply...........................................................................................20
4.3.6BuildingDifferentFiresforDifferentNeeds....................................................................20
5MaintainingYourWoodHeatingSystem.........................................23
5.1StoveMaintenance..............................................................................................................23
5.1.1CleaningDoorGlass.........................................................................................................23
5.1.2Dooradjustment..............................................................................................................24
5.1.3ReplacingtheDoorGasket...............................................................................................28
5.1.4ReplacingtheGlassGasketand/ortheGlass..................................................................29
5.1.5CleaningandPaintingtheStove......................................................................................30
5.2ChimneyandChimneyConnectorMaintenance.................................................................30
5.2.1WhyChimneyCleaningisNecessary...............................................................................30
5.2.2HowOftenShouldYouCleantheChimney?...................................................................31
5.2.3CleaningtheChimney......................................................................................................31
PARTB‐INSTALLATION........................................................................32
6SafetyInformation..........................................................................32
6.1SummaryofInstallationCautionsandWarnings................................................................32
6.2RegulationsCoveringStoveInstallation..............................................................................33
7ClearancestoCombustibleMaterial................................................34
7.1Locationofthecertificationlabel........................................................................................34
7.2ClearancestoWallsandCeiling...........................................................................................34
7.3Floorprotector.....................................................................................................................37
7.4ReducingWallandCeilingClearancesSafely......................................................................38
7.4.1ShieldConstructionRules................................................................................................38
7.4.2TableofClearanceReductionPercentages.....................................................................40
8TheVentingSystem........................................................................41
8.1General................................................................................................................................41
8.2SuitableChimneys...............................................................................................................41
8.2.1Factory‐builtMetalChimneys..........................................................................................41
8.2.2Factory‐builtMetalChimneysinmobilehomes..............................................................42
8.2.3MasonryChimneys...........................................................................................................42
8.3MinimumChimneyHeight...................................................................................................43

SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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8.4TheRelationshipBetweentheChimneyandtheHouse.....................................................43
8.4.1Whyinsidechimneysarepreferred.................................................................................43
8.4.2Whythechimneyshouldpenetratethehighestheatedspace.......................................44
8.5SupplyofCombustionAir....................................................................................................45
8.5.1CombustionAirSupplyinMobileHomes........................................................................45
8.5.2AirSupplyinConventionalHouses..................................................................................45
8.6InstallingtheChimneyConnector.......................................................................................46
8.6.1InstallationofSingleWallChimneyConnector...............................................................46
Appendix1:InstallingthePedestals(AC01368orAC01369).................49
Appendix2:InstallingtheDecorativePanels........................................55
Appendix3:InstallingtheFreshAirKit.................................................58
Appendix4:InstallationandUseoftheAirCirculationFanand
Thermodisc......................................................................59
Appendix5:InstallationofSecondaryAirTubesandBaffle..................62
Appendix6:ExplodedDiagramandPartsList.......................................64
OSBURNLIMITEDLIFETIMEWARRANTY...............................................67
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Soho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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.
•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.
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•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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SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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2GENERALINFORMATION
2.1 SOHOSPECIFICATIONS
FuelTypeCordwood
TestStandards(safety)ULCS627,UL737andUL1482
TestStandard(emissions)EPAMethod28(40CFRPart60)
Heatingcapacityrange*500to1,500sq.ft.(47to139m2)
Maximumheatoutput**
(EPAtestfuel)23275BTU/h.(6,8kW/h)
Maximumheatoutput**
(naturalhardwoodfuel)55000BTU/h.(16kW/h)
Optimumefficiency75,3%
TestStandard(efficiency)CSAB415.1
ApproximateBurnTime5to7hours
ShippingWeight320lb(145kg)
FireboxVolume1.7cu.ft.(0,048m3)
MaximumLogLength17"east‐west***
FlueOutletDiameter: 6"(152mm)diameter(vertical)
BaffleMaterialC‐cast
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*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.

SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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2.2 ZONEHEATINGANDHOWTOMAKEITWORKFORYOU
YournewOsburnSoho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.
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backup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OsburnSoho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.

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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3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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.
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,anearthderivedproduct.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.
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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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

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

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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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.
3.2.5 HOWTODRYFIREWOOD
Firewoodthatisnotdryenoughtoburnis
thecauseofmostcomplaintsaboutwood
stoves.Thecomplaintsusuallyinvolvealack
ofheatanddirtydoorglass.

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SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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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
3.2.6 WHERETOSTOREWOOD
Thisstovehasbeencertifiedtostorelogsinthepedestalprovidedthatthefollowingrequirements
aremet:
Thelogsmustnotexceedtheinsideedge(A)ofthepedestal.
Theheatshieldbaffle(B)underthefireboxmustneverberemoved.
Nocombustiblematerialcanbeplacedabovetheheatshieldbaffle.

WithAC01368

WithAC01369

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3.2.7 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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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
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probethermometerforinstallationondoublewall
stovepipe.Thethermometershouldbeplacedabout18”(457mm)abovethestove.Higher
temperaturescanleadtooverheatanddamageyourstove.


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4OPERATING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.

SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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DONOTLEAVETHESTOVEUNATTENDEDWHENTHEDOORISSLIGHTLYOPENEDDURING
IGNITION.ALWAYSCLOSETHEDOORAFTERIGNITION.
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.


SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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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degree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

SohoInstallationandOperationManual
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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.
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.
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

SohoInstallationandOperationManual
20______________________________________________________________________________
beforeloading.Lettingthespacecoolbeforeloadingisoneofthesecretstocleanburningand
effectivezoneheating.
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