
11
Montpelier Medium Insert
30004403
Medium Insert is vented to an exterior masonry chim-
ney or when you are just starting a re.
You’ll soon nd that the insert is
Some chimneys need to be “primed,” or
warmed up, before they will draw sufciently to start
a re. To correct this situation, roll up a couple pieces
of newspaper, place them on top of the kindling and
toward the back of the stove, light them, and close the
doors. This should heat the chimney enough to initiate
a draft.
Once the draft is established, open the front door and
light the rest of the fuel from the bottom. Do not light the
main bed of fuel until the chimney begins drawing, and
repeat the procedure as often as necessary if the initial
attempt is unsuccessful.
4. Once a good ember bed of at least 3-4” (76 - 10
mm) has formed, add the desired amount of wood
and close the primary air control to a medium-low
setting. The re volume will diminish immediately,
but the Montpelier Medium Insert will continue to
heat up. Maintain control of the re using the primary
air control, and remember: reduce the setting for
less heat, increase the setting for more heat. Refer
to the air control settings chart on Page 10 for rec-
ommended settings at different burn rates.
Set the air control on “High,” and wait at least fteen
seconds for the draft to increase. Turn the convection
blower off. Open the door slowly.
Check the ash level, and remove excess ash. Three (3)
primary air holes located under the front brick provide
air to the coal bed. (Fig. 11) These holes should be
cleared of ash for proper performance.
Add the fuel, smaller pieces rst. If it is necessary to
use wood smaller than the 18” (460 mm) optimum size,
be sure to ll the rebox as completely as possible by
loading the wood pieces alternately on the left and right.
Split wood will ll the rebox more completely and re-
duce the frequency of reloading. If possible, stack wood
diagonally to maximize air spaces between red pieces.
Cast iron is a superior material for solid fuel stoves but
it must be treated with respect. It is extremely strong,
but can be broken with a sharp blow from a hammer
or from the thermal shock of rapid and extreme tem-
perature changes. It is important to temper the cast iron
plates with an initial series of 3-4 break-in res. The
plates expand and contract with changes in tempera-
ture. Minimize thermal stress by allowing the plates to
adjust gradually during the break-in res by following
Steps 1-3 on the following page.
Follow these guidelines as you start and maintain the
re, and remove the ashes. Prior to starting a re with a
cold stove, it is recommended to clear the lower pri-
mary air holes located under the front brick. To do this,
remove the andiron and lift out the front refractory brick.
Sweep any ash accumulation out of the three (3) air
slots. Keeping these slots clear of ash will ensure better
performance.
1. Open the primary air control fully.
. Lay some crumpled newspapers in the bottom.
Place on the paper six or eight pieces of dry, nely-
split kindling. On the kindling lay two or three larger
sticks of split dry wood approximately 1-” (5-50
mm).
3. Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually
build up the re by adding a few 3-5” (76 -17 mm)
diameter splits.
If this is your initial break-in re, let the re burn brightly,
but not to excess. Control the re’s intensity by adjust-
ing the air control lever. After an hour or so stop adding
wood so that the re dies out gradually.
For ongoing operation after the initial break-in, continue
to add a few sticks at a time of a progressively larger
size. Be sure to keep the fuel load behind the front
grate bar at all times. Continue until you have a live
ember bed at least 3-4” (76 - 10 mm) deep. This may
take an hour or longer, particularly when the Montpelier