Sierra Evolution 8000TEC Installation & Operating Instructions Manual

Evolution 8000TEC Catalytic Wood
Heater Insert Manual
Installation & Operating Instructions

Please read this entire manual before installation. Save these instructions.

This manual describes the installation, operation and
maintenance of the SIERRA Evolution Model Number
8000TEC catalytic wood heater.

Please read this entire manual before you install and use your
new room heater. Failure to follow instructions may result in
property damage, bodily injury, or even death.
Save these instructions for future reference.

SAFETY NOTICE

If this appliance is not properly installed, a house fire may
result. For your safety, follow the installation instructions.
Check with local building or fire officials about restrictions and
installation inspection requirements in your area.

It is best to have a professional install your Sierra Stove. If you
prefer to install it yourself (see Installation Instructions), be
sure to obtain the proper permits. Have the local building
officials inspect the stove and chimney pipe for safety and
code compliance after the installation is
complete.

Your SIERRA generates a lot of heat, so treat it with care.

GENERAL INFORMATION

W e wish to welcome you as a new owner of a SIERRA
Woodstove. You join many thousands of happy owners who
have been heating with SIERRA stoves since 1972. SIERRA
stoves have changed a great deal during that time, and all of
our knowledge and experience have culminated in this stove,
the SIERRA EVOLUTION. Please read all of this manual
before using your stove, especially if you have owned another
woodstove in the past.
Failure to follow instructions may result in property damage,
bodily injury, or even death. We at SIERRA wish you many
happy years of warm th and com fort.

SAFETY NOTICE

<CAUTION: HOT WHILE IN OPERATION. KEEP

CHILDREN, CLOTHING AND FURNITURE AWAY.
CONTACT MAY CAUSE SKIN BURNS.

<IF THIS HEATER IS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED,

A HOUSE FIRE MAY RESULT.

<CONTACT LOCAL BUILDING OFFICIALS ABOUT

RESTRICTIO NS AND INSTALLATION INSPECTION
REQUIREM ENTS IN YOUR AREA.

<FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH OWNERS' MANUAL

INSTRUCTIONS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY!

Read this manual thoroughly before installing and operating
your stove.

THIS STOVE MUST BE CONNECTED TO A LISTED
HIGH TEMPERATURE RESIDENTIAL TYPE AND
BUILDING AND HEATING APPLIANCE CHIMNEY OR
AN APPROVED MASONRY CHIMNEY WITH FLUE
LINER.

DO NOT CONNECT TO ANY AIR DISTRIBUTION DUCT
OR SYSTEM

YOUR SIERRA EVOLUTION HAS BEEN TESTED BY
WARNOCK-HERSEY LABORATORIES TO ANSI/UL
STANDARD 1482, UL 737.

DO NOT CONNECT THIS APPLIANCE TO A CHIMNEY
FLUE SERVING ANOTHER APPLIANCE.

FAILURE TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS M AY

RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, BODILY INJURY,

OR EVEN DEATH.

NOT APPROVED FOR MOBILE HOMES

DO NOT BURN GARBAGE OR FLAMMABLE FLUIDS.

PLEASE LEAVE THIS MANUAL WITH THE OWNER !!

Listed by Warnock Hersey

DO NOT USE CHEMICALS OR FLUIDS TO START

OR “FRESHEN UP” THE FIRE!

2

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

Catalytic Notice

This heater is meets the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, certified to comply with July 1990 Particulate
Em issions Standards. Under specific test conditions, this
heater has been shown to deliver the heat at the following
rates:

DO NOT OVERFIRE THIS HEATER. Attempts to achieve
heat output that exceeds the heater design can result in
permanent dam age to the heater and to the catalytic
combustor. Do not exceed surface temperatures of 800
degrees F. Do not burn with the ash pan open. Overfiring
can also void the manufacturer’s warranty.

The combustor supplied with this heater is a long life
combustor. Consult the catalytic combustor warranty also
supplied with this wood heater. Warranty claims should be
addressed to the combustor manufacturer. See combustor
warranty for address.

This wood heater contains a catalytic combustor, which
needs periodic inspection and replacement for proper
operation. It is against the law to operate this wood heater
in a m anner inconsistent with operating instructions in this
manual, of if the catalytic element is deactivated or
removed.

This heater is designed to burn natural wood only. Higher
efficiencies and lower emissions generally result when
burning air dried seasoned hardwoods, as com pared to
softwoods or to green or freshly cut hardwoods.

DO NOT BURN:

Burning treated wood, garbage, solvents, colored paper, or
trash may result in the release of toxic fumes and may
poison or render ineffective the catalytic combustor.
Burning coal, cardboard, or loose paper can produce soot,
large flakes of char or fly ash that can coat the com bustor,
causing smoke spillage into the room, and rendering the
combustor ineffective.

8000TEC from 9,700 to 35,900 BTU/hr.

Catalytic Tampering

Fuel Selection

C treated wood C cardboard
C coal C solvents
C garbage C colored paper
C trash

Do not use more than one stove to a chimney. Do not

use a flue intended for a gas appliance.

DO NOT CONNECT THIS UNIT TO A CHIMNEY FLUE

SERVING ANOTHER APPLIANCE.

A factory-build, prefabricated chimney may be used for

your SIERRA when installed in com pliance with
manufacturers specification and uniform building code.

Your chim ney m ust be correctly sized. A chim ney that is

too small or too large in diameter, or too short, can cause
your stove to spill smoke when the door is opened.

Never place your stove closer to unprotected

combustible walls or furnishings than the recommended
clearance.(including plasterboard or drywall)

Never use gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, lantern fuel,

charcoal starter, or ANY such product to start or
“freshen up” a fire in the woodstove. Keep all such
materials well away from the stove while it is in use.

Before opening the door, open the airt intake control and

the bypass lever. After a minute, open the door only 3
½” inches for 15-20 seconds prevent a flashback.

In the event of a chimney fire: (1) stop loading fuel, (2)

close the stove doors, (3) shut off all air to the stove, (4)
alert everyone in the house, and (5) call the fire
department. Rehearse what your family should do in
case of a fire. Plan escape routes now.

For further information on using your heater safely,

obtain the latest edition of the National Fire Protection
Association publication, “Using Coal and W ood Safely.”
Order No. HS-8-1974 from N.F.P.A., 470 Atlantic Ave.,
Boston, MA 02210

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. BASIC FIREPLACE AND CHIMNEY

REQUIREMENTS

II. INSTALLATION AS A FREESTANDING

STOVE

Read This First

Your SIERRA generates a lot of heat, so treat it with

care. Read this manual thoroughly before installing and
operating your stove.

Your SIERRA stove has been tested by Warnock-Hersey

Laboratories to ANSI/UL Standards 1482, UL 737.

Install and operate this SIERRA unit according to

instructions provided in this manual. Local building codes
may apply; therefore, contact your local building inspector
or fire marshal for necessary installation requirements and
permits which may go beyond these instructions.

Have any existing chimney inspected before attaching

the Evolution to it. Some chimneys must be relined or
replaced before they are safe to use.

The Evolution series is approved for use in front of

specific models of factory-built zero clearance
fireplaces. Your dealer has the precise list of units that
this stove has been tested on.

III INSTALLATION IN A MASONRY FIREPLACE
Method I
Method II

IV. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Starting a Fire and Operating Your Stove.

V. USING A CATALYTIC COMBUSTOR

Definition and Purpose of a Combustor

Operation

Maintaining Catalytic Conditions
Combustor Life and Replacement

VI. CATALYTIC INSPECTION AND

REPLACEMENT

VII. STOVE AND CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE

Care and Cleaning of Woodstove Glass
Keep a Hotter Fire Blower Maintenance

3

General Information

The following items are shipped inside the Ambassador:

• This manual

• Sierra W arranty

• Ash Pan

• Flue collar and hardware

• Flue cap, retaining bar and hardware

• Flue cap and collar gaskets

1. If not already in place, install the Ash Pan in the cavity
beneath the front door.

2. Determine if the flue gases will exit the top or rear of the
stove.

a. The flue collar must be installed where the flue
gases will exit and the pipe is connected.
b. The flue cap m ust be installed to cover the other
exit hole. Example: flue collar on top, flue cap on back.

2. No part of the chimney should have any leaks, missing
masonry, cracks, loose mortar or soft mortar.

3. There should be no mortar or parts of the chimney
blocking the chimney flue.

4. There should be a minimum 2-inch clearance between
any part of the fireplace or chim ney and any com bustible
materials.

55. T he fireplace and chim ney should be built on a solid
concrete footing supported by the ground and not
attached to the house.
Older chimneys are sometimes supported by the
framework of the building itself. These can be
structurally unsound due to settling and shifting of the
building and possible cracking of the chimney itself.

6. The chimney m ust have a good natural draft and should
be self-sta rting. A chim ney that has poor draft and is
subject to draft reversal should be repaired or replaced
before using.

7. The chimney should be the proper size. Some fireplace
chimneys are quite large and will cause poor stove
performance and excessive creosote. The rule of
thumb is that the chimney flue should be roughly no
more than three times the flue opening on the stove. A
6 inch stove flue will work in an 8 inch by 12 inch
fireplace flue. It may be necessary to install another
liner in an oversized chimney. Use a 24 gauge flue, and
chimney connector. Use at least 3 screws.

— Your heater is now ready for installation.
Read instructions carefully.

I. BASIC FIREPLACE AND CHIMNEY

REQUIREMENTS

A Sierra woodstove may be installed using an all masonry
fireplace build in accordance with the Uniform Building
Code. The first step in this type of installation is to
determine the acceptability of the fireplace and chimney for
use with a woodstove. Both the construction and condition
of the fireplace are important considerations when
installing a wood stove. Do not install this stove in a poorly
constructed fireplace or chimney.

The following are general guidelines for a safe installation
and are based on recom mendations of the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA). Contact your local building
code agency or fire safety inspector for specific details.
Local codes may vary by area.

1. The chimney should have a fire clay liner in good
condition. Loose or cracked liner sections can be
hazardous. If the chimney does not have a liner, one
can be installed by a qualified professional. Some metal
liners area acceptable to use. Check with your stove
dealer or local building code agency for acceptability of
these liners.

8. The chimney should extend at least 3 feet above the
roof and at least 2 feet above any point on the roof
within 10 feet.

9. This stove must be used alone in the chimney. Any
unused opening must be permanently sealed with
masonry by a skilled brick mason. A clip-in type flue
liner is not acceptable for this use because of the
possibility of it coming loose during a chimney fire and
possibly causing the fire to spread.

Remember to have your chimney inspected for leaks and

blockage before you install your stove.

Draft Requirements

Draft id the force which moves air from the appliance up
through the chimney. The amount of draft in your chimney
depends on the size, height and general condition of your
chimney, local geography, nearby obstructions, and other
factors. Inadequate draft will cause the appliance to leak
smoke into the room when starting a fire or adding fuel to
the existing fire. Excessive draft, on the other hand, may
cause excessive temperatures in the appliance, burning
the wood too quickly and dam aging the unit.

Minim um Chim ney Requirem ents

Size Height Draft

6 x 6 15 ft .06 W.C.
Note: 9 out of 10 times, dirty glass, lack of “heating”, or
failure to continue burning after the door are shut is
evidence of inadequate draft.

In all cases, if you experience anything unusual with your
Evolution, your Sierra dealer is the local expert on local
conditions, and you need to contact him or her.

Your Sierra dealer is ALWAYS your best source of

information on local codes and requirements

4

Your Sierra dealer is ALWAYS your best source of

information on local codes and requirements

CHIMNEY CONNECTOR SYSTEMS AND CLEARANCES
FROM COMBUSTIBLE WALLS FOR RESIDENTIAL
HEATING APPLIANCES

A. Minimum 3.5 inch thick brick masonry all fram ed into

combustible wall with a minimum of 12 inch brick
separation from clay liner to combustibles. The fireclay
liner shall run from the outer surface of brick wall to, but
not beyond, the inner surface of chimney flue liner and
shall be firmly cemented in place.

Your local building code agency or fire safety inspector
can refer you to a qualified professional who can inspect
the chimney for you.

B. Solid-insulated, listed factory-build chimney length of the

same inside diameter as the chimney connector and
having 1 inch or more of insulation with a minimum 9
inch air space between the outer wall of the chimney
length and combustibles.

C. Sheet steel chimney connector, minimum 24 gauge

thickness, with a ventilated thimble, minimum 24 gauge
in thickness, having two 1 inch air channels, separated
from combustibles by a minimum of 6 inch of glass fiber
insulation. Opening shall be covered, and thim ble
supported with a sheet steel support, minimum 24
gauge in thickness.

5