Osburn OB01520 User Manual

INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL

SOHO

(OB01520 model)

US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY PHASE II CERTIFIED WOOD

STOVE

Safety tested according to ULC S627,

UL 737 and UL 1482 Standards

by an accredited laboratory

www.osburn-mfg.com

Stove Builder International Inc.

250, rue de Copenhague, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures (Quebec) Canada G3A 2H3

After-sale service: 418-908-8002 E-mail: [e-mail]

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.

45747A
Printed in Canada 17-06-2015

READ AND KEEP THIS MANUAL FOR REFERENCE

Soho Installation and Operation Manual

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.

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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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 ...................................................................................................... 17

4.3.1 General Advice ................................................................................................................. 17

4.3.2 Ash Removal ..................................................................................................................... 18

4.3.3 Raking Charcoal ................................................................................................................ 18

4.3.4 Firing Each New Load Hot ................................................................................................ 19

4.3.5 Turning Down the Air Supply ........................................................................................... 19

4.3.6 Building Different Fires for Different Needs .................................................................... 20

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5 Maintaining Your Wood Heating System ........................................ 22

5.1

Stove Maintenance .............................................................................................................. 22

5.1.1 Cleaning Door Glass ......................................................................................................... 22

5.1.2 Door adjustment .............................................................................................................. 23

5.1.3 Replacing the Door Gasket ............................................................................................... 27

5.1.4 Replacing the Glass Gasket and/or the Glass .................................................................. 28

5.1.5 Cleaning and Painting the Stove ...................................................................................... 29

5.2

Chimney and Chimney Connector Maintenance................................................................. 29

5.2.1 Why Chimney Cleaning is Necessary? ............................................................................. 29

5.2.2 How Often Should You Clean the Chimney? ................................................................... 30

5.2.3 Cleaning the Chimney ...................................................................................................... 30

PART B - INSTALLATION ...................................................................... 31

6 Safety Information ......................................................................... 31

6.1

Summary of Installation Cautions and Warnings ................................................................ 31

6.2

Regulations Covering Stove Installation .............................................................................. 31

7 Clearances to Combustible Material ............................................... 32

7.1

Location of the certification label ........................................................................................ 32

7.2

Clearances to Walls and Ceiling ........................................................................................... 32

7.3

Floor protector .................................................................................................................... 35

7.4

Reducing Wall and Ceiling Clearances Safely ...................................................................... 35

7.4.1 Shield Construction Rules ................................................................................................ 36

7.4.2 Table of Clearance Reduction Percentages ..................................................................... 38

8 The Venting System ....................................................................... 39

8.1

General ................................................................................................................................ 39

8.2

Suitable Chimneys ............................................................................................................... 39

8.2.1 Factory-built Metal Chimneys .......................................................................................... 39

8.2.2 Factory-built Metal Chimneys in mobile homes .............................................................. 40

8.2.3 Masonry Chimneys ........................................................................................................... 40

8.3

Minimum Chimney Height ................................................................................................... 41

8.4

The Relationship Between the Chimney and the House ..................................................... 41

8.4.1 Why inside chimneys are preferred? ............................................................................... 41

8.4.2 Why the chimney should penetrate the highest heated space? ..................................... 42

8.5

Supply of Combustion Air .................................................................................................... 43

8.5.1 Combustion Air Supply in Mobile Homes ........................................................................ 43

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8.5.2 Air Supply in Conventional Houses .................................................................................. 44

8.6

Installing the Chimney Connector ....................................................................................... 44

8.6.1 Installation of Single Wall Chimney Connector ............................................................... 44

Appendix 1: Installing the Optional Pedestals (AC01368 or AC01369) .. 47

Appendix 2: Installing the Optional Decorative Panels ......................... 53

Appendix 3: Installing the Optional Fresh Air Intake Kit ....................... 56

Appendix 4: Installation and Use of the Optional Blower and Thermodisc

...................................................................................................... 57

Appendix 5: Installation of Secondary Air Tubes and Baffle ................. 59

Appendix 6: Exploded Diagram and Parts List ...................................... 61

OSBURN LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY .............................................. 64

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PART A - OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

Please see Part B for installation instructions.

1 SAFETY 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:

o GARBAGE OF ANY KIND,
o COAL OR CHARCOAL,
o TREATED, PAINTED OR COATED WOOD,
o PLYWOOD OR PARTICLE BOARD,
o FINE PAPER, COLORED PAPER OR CARDBOARD,
o SALT WATER DRIFTWOOD OR
o RAILROAD TIES.

•

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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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)
Maximum heat output**
(natural hardwood fuel)

23 275 BTU/h. (6,8 kW/h)

55 000 BTU/h. (16 kW/h)

Optimum efficiency 75,3 %

Test Standard (efficiency) CSA B415.1

Burn Time* 5 to 6 hours

Shipping Weight 326.5 lb (149 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

Mobile home approved‡ Yes

* 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.

‡

Mobile home (Canada) or manufactured home (USA):

The US department of Housing and Urban Development describes “manufactured homes”
better known as “mobile home” as followed; Buildings built on fixed wheels and those
transported on temporary wheels/axles and set on a permanent foundation.

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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.

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.

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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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3 FUEL

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
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.

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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.

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

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•

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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________________________________

JUDGING FIREWOOD MOI

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

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

split a piece, and if the fresh face feels warm and dry it

burn a piece; wet wood hisses and sizzles in the fire and dry wood does not.

Do not burn manufactured logs made of wa

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

n increase the number of logs burned at a time to

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 doubl

should be placed

overheat and damage your stove.

______________

is dry enough to burn; if it feels damp, it

You could buy a wood moisture meter to test your

x impregnated sawdust or logs with any chemical

above the stove.

3.2.7

•

•

as it dries in the sun, the

•

•

•

is too wet,

•

STURE CONTENT

than wet wood,

firewood.

3.3 MANUFACTURED LOGS

stove reacts. You ca

stove pipe. The thermometer
temperatures can lead to

making sure the

e wall

about 18” (457 mm)

Higher

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4 OPERATING 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.

DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY OPENED DURING
IGNITION. ALWAYS CLOSE THE DOOR AFTER IGNITION.

A conventional kindling fire with paper under

finely split wood.

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.

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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.

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.

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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° 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
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.

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Once the firewoo

d, firebox and chimney are

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
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

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.

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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
the wood is fully flaming. This kind of fire is good for mild weather when you are around to tend
the stove and should provide enough heat for four hours or more. Small fires like this are a good
time to use softer wood species so there will be less chance of overheating the house.

4.3.6.2 Long Lasting Low Output Fires

Sometimes you will want to build a fire to last up to eight hours, but don’t need intense heat. In
this case use soft wood species and place the logs compactly in the firebox so the pieces are
packed tightly together. You will need to fire the load hot for long enough to fully char the log
surfaces before you can turn the air down. Make sure the fire is flaming brightly before leaving the
fire to burn.

4.3.6.3 High Output Fires for Cold Weather

When the heat demand is high during cold weather, you’ll need a fire that burns steadily and
brightly. This is the time to use your biggest pieces of hardwood fuel if you have it. Put the biggest
pieces at the back of the firebox and place the rest of the pieces compactly. A densely built fire like
this will produce the longest burn your stove is capable of.

You will need to be cautious when building fires like this because if the air is turned down too
much, the fire could smoulder. Make sure the wood is flaming brightly before leaving the fire to
burn.

4.3.6.4 Maximum Burn Cycle Times

The burn cycle time is the period between loading wood on a coal bed and the consumption of
that wood back to a coal bed of the same size. The flaming phase of the fire lasts for roughly the
first half of the burn cycle and the second half is the coal bed phase during which there is little or
no flame. The length of burn you can expect from your stove, including both the flaming and coal
bed phases, will be affected by a number of things, such as:

•

firebox size,

•

the amount of wood loaded,

•

the species of wood you burn,

•

the wood moisture content,

•

the size of the space to be heated,

•

the climate zone you live in, and

•

the time of year.

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