Air Intake Control; Fire Types - Empire Comfort Systems Gateway 1700 Mode D'emploi

The best time to remove ash is in the morning, after an overnight fire when the heater is relatively
cold, but there is still a little chimney draft to draw the ash dust into the heater and prevent
going out into the room.
Ashes almost always contain live embers that can stay hot for days and which release carbon
monoxide gas. Ashes should be placed in a tightly covered metal container. The container must
be placed on a non-combustible floor or on the ground well away from all combustible materials.
If the ashes are disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise locally dispersed, they should be kept
in a closed metal container until they are completely cooled. No other waste should be placed
in this container.
NEVER STORE ASHES INDOORS OR IN A NON-METALLIC CONTAINER
OR ON A WOODEN DECK.
CENDRES
ASHES
5.6

Air Intake Control

Once the firewood, firebox and chimney are hot, air intake can be reduced to achieve a steady
burn.
As the air intake is reduced, the burn rate
decreases. This has the effect of distributing
the thermal energy of the fuel over a longer
period of time. In addition, the flow rate of
exhaust through the appliance and flue pipe
slows down, which increases the duration of
the energy transfer of the exhaust gases. As
the air intake is reduced, the flame slows down.
If the flames diminish to the point of disappearing,
the air intake has been reduced too early in
the combustion cycle or the wood used is too
wet. If the wood is dry and the air control is
used properly, the flames should decrease, but
remain bright and stable.
On the other hand, too much air can make the fire uncontrollable, creating very high temperatures in
the unit as well as in the chimney and seriously damaging them. A reddish glow on the unit and on the
chimney components indicates overheating. Excessive temperatures can cause a chimney fire.
5.7

Fire Types

Using the air intake control is not the only way to match the appliance heat output to the desired
temperature in the house. A house will need far less heating in October than in January to
maintain a comfortable temperature. Filling the firebox full in fall weather will overheat the space.
Otherwise, the combustion rate will have to be reduced to a minimum and the fire will be smoky
and inefficient. Here are some suggestions for building fires suitable for different heating needs.
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Figure 15: Air Intake Control