Totem INSERT 600 User manual

10/2013
OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS
www.totemfire.com
MADE TO MEASURE
ENCLOSED FIREPLACE
a t o t a l v i e w o f f i r e

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Contents
1Foreword...............................................................................................................................................3
2Operating instructions............................................................................................................................4
2.1 Basic safety rules...........................................................................................................................4
2.1.1 General points.........................................................................................................................4
2.1.2 Fire hazard zone .....................................................................................................................4
2.1.3 In the event of fire propagation in the flue................................................................................5
2.2 How does your Totem fireplace work?............................................................................................6
2.2.1 Door........................................................................................................................................6
2.3 Combustion adjustment elements...................................................................................................7
2.4 Using your appliance for the first time.............................................................................................8
2.5 How to operate the fire...................................................................................................................9
2.5.1 Lighting ...................................................................................................................................9
2.5.2 Adding wood .........................................................................................................................10
2.5.3 Extinction...............................................................................................................................10
2.6 Maintenance guide.......................................................................................................................11
2.6.1 Cleaning the glass.................................................................................................................11
2.6.2 Cleaning the fireplace............................................................................................................12
2.6.3 Maintenance and Chimney Sweeping ...................................................................................13
2.7 Maintenance record......................................................................................................................15
3Basic information about firewood.........................................................................................................16
3.1 General points..............................................................................................................................16
3.2 Drying of wood and its moisture content.......................................................................................19
3.3 Types of fuel which are forbidden.................................................................................................20
3.4 Initial checks in case of poor functioning.......................................................................................21
4EC certifications ..................................................................................................................................22
5Warranty..............................................................................................................................................23
5.1 Statutory warranty........................................................................................................................23
5.2 Contract guarantee.......................................................................................................................23
5.3 The following are not covered by the warranty..............................................................................23

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1Foreword
You have purchased a Totem enclosed fireplace, thank you for your custom.
The enclosed fireplace is intended for burning logs, it cannot be used as an incinerator or for burning liquid
fuel, coal or similar by-products.
Follow the instructions in this manual to the letter and install the fireplace in line with good practice, any
local regulations and notably DTU (French code of practice) 24.1, 24.2 and European standards NF EN
13229. Keep this manual in a safe place.
We strongly recommend that this appliance is installed by a qualified professional.
A qualified professional shall have ensured, in particular, that the characteristics of the chimney flue and its
environment are suitable for the fireplace to be installed.
The manufacturer shall not be held responsible if these instructions are not followed and this would render
the contractual guarantee null and void.
The manufacturer reserves the right to carry out any assembly or functional modifications that he deems
necessary, without notice.
Installations in public places are subject to Règlement Sanitaire Départementale (county health regulations)
and fire regulations. Inquire at your local prefecture.
If you have any questions about how the appliance works, please contact your fitter.
The explanations in this manual apply to all Totem enclosed fireplaces.
To make these operating instructions easier to read and understand, we have used general illustrations
and terms corresponding to a particular type of appliance. The images used may differ from your
appliance.
For further information, consult our Internet site: www.totemfire.com

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2Operating instructions
2.1 Basic safety rules
2.1.1 General points
Your Totem enclosed fireplace is fitted with foldaway swinging doors which allow it to operate with
the door lowered (shut) in complete safety and an easy wood loading door open.
It is essential to wear protective gloves or use the safe handling tool to handle the door.
When the door is lowered (shut) the accessible surfaces of the frame of the door and the vitro-
ceramics rise considerably in temperature when the appliance is in operation and can cause burns
when touched.
Explain the risks of burns to children and ensure that they are not close to the fireplace when it is in
use.
2.1.2 Fire hazard zone
Do not store flammable items within an 80 cm radius
around the fireplace door.
(logs, tables, chairs, firelighters…)
No flammable material must be placed in the
appliance’s fire hazard zone.
Fire hazard zone

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2.1.3 In the event of fire propagation in the flue
If maintenance and operating conditions are adhered to, there is no risk of fire in your flue. Nevertheless,
please read these rules concerning chimney flue fires.
Never use water to put out the fire.Water causes thermal shock which could cause the bricks and vitro-
ceramics of the fireplace to explode.
Close all the combustion air inlets, the smoke damper trap as well as the door, using the safe handling tool
to extinguish the fire.
Move any flammable objects away from the fireplace.
Call the fire brigade.
Before using again, it is compulsory to have the entire installation
(especially the duct) checked and cleaned by a qualified
professional.
A fit for use certificate provided by a professional is
compulsory.
In the European Union
dial 112

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2.2 How does your Totem fireplace work?
2.2.1 Door
Your Totem enclosed fireplace is fitted with a swinging door. This is used to make the appliance function
on a daily basis.
To optimise heating performance and use the fire in complete safety, fully lower the door.
To prepare the fire and add wood or to take full advantage of a traditional fire, raise the door.
When the appliance is hot, use a glove or the safe handling tool to operate it.
Open the door by a few centimetres before fully opening to prevent down draughts.
To open the door, insert your safe handling tool in the notch provided for this purpose then move apart
outwars.
To close the door, place your safe handling tool on the spot and push the door.
The Totem safe handling tool
The safe handling tool, supplied with every enclosed fireplace, allows the various elements to be
handled without risk of burns.

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2.3 Combustion adjustment elements
Effective wood burning depends on the amount of air supplying the fire and the rate of smoke evacuation,
i.e. the draught of the chimney.
Pour un feu qui dure en toute sécurité, il faut réguler la quantité d’air d’alimentation et la vitesse
d’évacuation des fumées.
2.3.1 Combustion air
L’air de combustion est un élément essentiel dans la combustion d’un feu, les éléments de réglage
suivants permettent d’en gérer l’allure.
Primary air control
The primary air control connected to the air intake flap allows you to control the rate of your fire and adjust
its power.

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2.4 Using your appliance for the first time
Before lighting your fire for the first time, remove any documents and accessories it may contain.
Also check the ash pit.
Allow covering materials to dry (rough plaster, finishing plaster…) before using the appliance for the first
time to prevent them from deteriorating by drying too quickly.
During the first few hours of use, maintain a moderate fire to allow the materials time to cure.
Each time you use the fireplace, gradually increase the load of wood.
They are due to final evaporation of paint, the sheet metal preservative oil and drying bricks. If this occurs,
ensure that the room in which the appliance is located is well ventilated.
N.B.: Never allow products containing silicone to come into contact with the appliance’s paint.

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2.5 How to operate the fire
If you have not used your appliance for a long time, check that none of your fireplace’s air passages are
obstructed (chimney flue, outside air delivery pipe, convection and ventilation grille) before lighting.
Also check that mechanical parts such as the door, counterweights, and adjusters operate freely.
2.5.1 Lighting
- Open the door
- Open the air intake control to the maximum (large flame side, as per the diagram above)
- Place two or three chopped logs in the centre of the enclosed
fireplace.
- Place dry and resawn kindling on top. Position your wood so as to
allow air to circulate freely.
- Place paper or firelighter on the kindling.
- Light the paper or firelighter
- Allow the flue to increase gradually in temperature without causing the fire
to become over active.
- Allow about fifteen minutes for your fire to catch before fully lowering the
door using a glove or the safe handling tool.
Once the fire has started, after approximately thirty minutes reduce the combustion air supply by moving
the air intake control to the left (small flame).
Load wood before the fire has become a bed of embers.
Recommendation: Never overload your fireplace with wood, especially when starting it up.

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2.5.2 Adding wood
To open the door during operation, slightly raise the door, pausing before fully opening it to prevent any risk
of down draught.
Use protective gloves or the Totem safe handling tool to operate the fireplace’s door handle in order to
protect you from burns.
Maximum loads of dry wood per hour of operation
Maximum
Weight
50 cm logs
Equivalence in kW
600
3
1 - 2
12
800
4
2 - 3
18
1000
6
5
30
2.5.3 Extinction
Fully lower the door.
Close the air intake control. Control in the stop position on the small flame side (see diagram below)
Allow the fire to go out.
2 logs weighing approximately 3 kg
3 logs weighing approximately 4kg
4 logs weighing approximately 5 kg

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2.6 Maintenance guide
Before carrying out any maintenance on your appliance, wait for it to completely cool down to prevent any
risk of burns or fire.
2.6.1 Cleaning the glass
Carefully cover the floor below the door so as not to mark it.
Take a damp cloth dipped in cold ashes.
Ne jamais utiliser de produits décapant pour four, cela endommage les joints de la porte.
Open the swinging door.
Wipe the damp cloth dipped in ashes on the inside of the glass and leave to work.
During this time, empty the ash tray and clean the enclosed fireplace.
Use a wet cloth to rinse.
Dry with newspaper.
Repeat these cleaning procedures until the glass is clean.
Note: using good quality, sufficiently dry wood (see page 24) reduces carbon deposits on the glass.

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2.6.2 Cleaning the fireplace
Removing ash
In order to prevent obstruction of the combustion air inlet grille, it is necessary to regularly empty the ash pit
located under the cast iron grate. (Selon la taille de l’insert, il sera équipé ou non de grille et/ou bac cendre.
Si l’insert n’est pas équipé de bac à cendres et/ou de grille, nettoyer les cendres à l’aide d’une pelle ou d’un
aspirateur spécifique à cet effet)
Keep a regular eye on the level of the ash box (every day in the heating season). Empty the box as soon
as the level gets close to the top. Collect the ashes in a container designed specifically for this purpose
(non-flammable and fitted with a lid), the presence of residual embers could cause a fire. Whenever you
empty the ashes, examine the inside of the base of the fireplace and clean it if necessary with a vacuum
cleaner. Observing these instructions will ensure maximum convenience when using the fireplace by
preventing clogging at the level of the draught control.
For safety reasons, it is preferable to store the ashes outside.
Use a soft, dry cloth to clean the metal parts of the fireplace.
Remarque : Si votre insert n’est pas équipé de grille en acier, nettoyez impérativement le fond de votre
foyer.
Tip: Your ashes can be used as compost for your garden.
Cleaning the bricks
Nettoyer à la brosse puis passer de l’huile de lin.
Cleaning the steel grate
Use an abrasive pad to remove rust. Rub with household
oil to make it shine..

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2.6.3 Maintenance and Chimney Sweeping
Maintenance
The appliances must be checked at least once a year and repaired if necessary
by a qualified professional.
The chimney connectors must always be maintained in good working order,
their maintenance must be carried out at least once a year.
The fresh air ducts must always be maintained in good working order.
Clean the outside grille allowing fresh air intake
(leaves, dust…) at the start of the heating season and
check it periodically throughout the period of use.
Clean the dust filters and grilles of the hood twice a year.
Clean the inside of the installation using a vacuum cleaner or brush in order to eliminate any dust deposits
causing carbonization of dust (dirt around the hot air outlets and on the ceiling) at the start of the heating
season and once during the heating season.

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Check the condition of the door gaskets. Replace them if
necessary.
Spare parts
The appliance has some wearing parts which must be checked by your fitter during annual servicing.
If you wish to replace parts, broken glass or worn gaskets, contact your fitter, providing the references for
your fireplace.
Chimney sweeping
By chimney sweeping, we mean cleaning by direct mechanical action to the inside wall of the chimney flue
in order to remove soot and deposits to prevent these from catching fire, ensuring that the flue is clear over
its entire length.
Remove the reflectors or the flame breaker of the appliance (according to the model) before sweeping the
flue.
Legislation recommends that you have the installation swept at least twice a year, including once during the
heating season, by a professional, qualified company.
After sweeping the chimney, replace the smoke reflector or the flame breaker. Before using the appliance
again, check that all of the parts have been correctly replaced.
A certificate must be issued by the contractor after the work has been completed.
Flue after chimney sweeping
Flue before chimney
sweeping

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Maintenance record table
Date
Chimney sweeping
Cleaning runners
Lubricating chains and pinions
Cleaning filters and grilles
Checking gasket condition
Work carried out by
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2.7 Maintenance record
Model
Date installed
Contact details of installater
Name
Address
Telephone no.
…………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………..
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…………………………………………………….

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3Basic information about firewood
Totem fireplaces are high-performance appliances. Using good fuel is essential for optimal functioning of
your fireplace.
Wood is a renewable form of energy when it comes from sustainably managed forests.
In France, forests represent 30% of the country’s area.French forests have been expanding for several
centuries. (Fibra)
Here is some basic information about firewood.
3.1 General points
What is a stere of wood?
A stere of wood corresponds to 1m3of wooden logs measuring 1 m stacked parallel.
However, since 1978, the legal sales unit is no longer the stere but the
m3.
A stere is not always equivalent to one 1 m3, the volume of the stere varies with the length of the logs.
With smaller logs, the volume in m3will decrease but you still have the same amount of wood. The spaces
are filled better.
Below, 3 steres of wood in logs measuring 33, 50 and 100cm.
33 cm
50 cm
1 m

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Which type of wood should I choose?
Birch: Birch burns quickly without its flames becoming too hot and leaves very little ash. It produces
attractive, slightly bluish flames. It is a wood liked by bakers. It produces good embers and is used for
lighting the fire.
Beech: Beech is excellent firewood: it dries quickly and offers good heating power. For drying, it must be
placed under a shelter as soon as it has been resawn so that it does not rot. It is a wood which burns
quickly, so it is easy to light. It emits pleasant odours when burning. It is considered the idea firewood. It
produces attractive flames and good embers.
Oak: It burns very slowly. It has to be left for 1 year in the rain in order to remove all traces of tannin
before being stored under shelter to dry. Oak produces the best embers. It burns slowly and produces a
lot of heat.
Hornbeam: Hornbeam burns slowly which results in a good amount of heat production. Not much smoke
is produced when burning. Hornbeam produces excellent embers which distribute heat over time. The
flames that it produces are attractive and uniform.
Ash: Described as producing the most attractive flames, it is a wood which burns for a long time without
projecting sparks and produces a large amount of heat. It is difficult to cut.
Chestnut: Chestnut is a strong wood. It used to be used for manufacturing barrels. It is mediocre
firewood because it explodes and produces a lot of sparks when burning. When the fireplace door is
lowered, it can be used without risk: when the door is raised we recommend that you use a fire screen.
Coniferous trees: Coniferous trees should not be used. This type of wood releases large amounts of heat
but burns very quickly. When it burns it causes the projection of embers and the resins contained in the
wood clog up the fireplaces and flues very quickly. These very large deposits of soot encourage fires to
start in the flues.
Important :
- Oak and chestnut contain tannins which affect burning. They must be stored for 6 –9 months in a
non-sheltered area to remove the tannins before being stored in a sheltered area for a period of 2 years.
- Avoid burning too much bark as it creates 10% more ash.
- Also avoid using wood with knots in it as this reduces the appliance’s performance
- Wood which is too dry is not good for burning. Indeed, the wood heats too quickly, does not burn
for long enough and significantly increases the temperature of the smoke.
- Do not use wood gathered on beaches as it releases hydrogen chloride when burned.

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There are 3 families of wood:
- hard hardwood (oak, beech, ash, chestnut, hornbeam, walnut…)
- soft hardwood (poplar, willow, alder, birch…)
- coniferous trees (pine, spruce, fir, larch, Douglas fir…)
We recommend that you use firewood from the hard hardwood family. It has better heating power for an
equal volume. I.e., it has greater heating power for the same volume of wood burned.
Here is a table presenting the heating power, with equal humidity and volume, of the different species of
wood.
The heating power is presented on the basis of beech wood (set arbitrarily at 100).
Species Heating power Species Heating power
Hornbeam 110 Birch 93
Beech 100 Chestnut 89
Ash 97 Maple 84
False acacia 97 Lime 76
Oak 96 Alder 71
Elm 96 Poplar 60
Hard Species eating power
Soft
Coniferous Spruce 68
Fir 64
Larch 84
Pine 78
Recommended wood
Wood to avoid
Wood which must not be used

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3.2 Drying of wood and its moisture content
For wood, we generally speak of the moisture content, represented by H%, known as moisture content on
dry basis (in relation to oven dry wood).
Moisture content of wood:
Moisture content varies from 50 to 120% (or more) for saturated wood (green wood) and from 10 to 20% for
air-dried wood
It is this value which is measured using our hygrometers.
It is important to note that wood which contains too much moisture does not produce heat and that the
more moisture the wood contains the less warmth it will provide.
Indeed, the heat output produced by wood during burning is not used to warm you, it is used to evaporate
the water that it contains.
Furthermore, humid wood increases carbon monoxide emissions by a factor of 2 to 4 compared with dry
wood and encourages clogging of your appliance, in this way decreasing its efficiency.
Furthermore, humid wood increases carbon monoxide
emissions by a factor of 2 to 4 compared with dry wood and
encourages clogging of your appliance, in this way decreasing
its efficiency.
This is why wood must be dried for at least 15 –18 months and
stored in a sheltered, ventilated place, away from water and out
of direct sunlight.
Wood must be resawn into logs, which encourages drying.
The duration may vary but in the end, you must obtain wood
with moisture content always lower than 25%.
This content can be checked using our hygrometers which can
be purchased from our distributers.
Moisture (%)
Net calorific
value (NCV)
These figures correspond to the mean for hardwoods.
Covered
Well
ventilated
Well aired
100%
85%
70%
50%

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3.3 Types of fuel which are forbidden
Plastic
Liquids, solvents
Household waste
Hazardous or noxious waste
Electronic components
Lignite
Coal, petrol, alcohol…
Totem fireplaces are designed for domestic use. They should under no circumstances be used to
incinerate waste of any kind.
It is forbidden to use treated wood which may produce toxic fumes and clog up the installation.
For your safety, you should also avoid intense fires. Recycled wood (pallets, joinery wood, planks…)
must not therefore be used as it results in overheating which could damage the appliance, the chimney
connector and the chimney flue.