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3.0 Lighting a fire in the wood burning stove
3.1 Important safety information
•
The wood burning stove will become warm during use and therefore it should be treated with all necessary
caution.
•
Never keep easily combustible fluids such as petrol in the vicinity of the wood burning stove – and never
use easily combustible fluids to light the fire in the wood burning stove.
•
Never empty the ash drawer when the wood burning stove is warm. Embers may still be found in the ash
drawer for up to 24 hours after the fire has gone out. Please wait to empty the ash drawer until you are
sure that there are no embers in the ash.
•
The door should be kept closed while the wood burning stove is in use. While lighting the fire, the door can
stand ajar for the first few minutes.
•
In the event of a chimney fire: Close all the dampers on the wood burning stove and call the fire-fighting
service.
3.2 Recommended fuels?
Wood and woodbriquettes. We recommend the use of split hardwood that has been stored outdoors under
cover for at least 1 year. Wood that has been stored indoors has a tendency to become too dry and will burn
too quickly. The wood should preferably be felled in the winter, when a lot of the moisture in the wood will have
been drawn down into the roots. In order to achieve optimum combustion, the wood's moisture level should not
exceed 18 %, which roughly corresponds to storing the wood under cover outdoors for one year. The moisture
level of the wood can be measured using a moisture meter or by applying washing up liquid to one end of the
log and blowing air in the other end. If the wood is dry enough, soap bubbles will appear. The wood should be
chopped into logs with a diameter of approx. 10 cm and a log length of max. 32 cm.
Correct firing provides optimal heat output and maximum economy. At the same time, correct firing prevents
environmental damage in the form of smoke and malodorous fumes and also reduces the risk of chimney fires.
Well seasoned wood fuel is essential for correct use. Make sure your fuel is kept dry. If the fuel is wet, a large
proportion of the heat will be used to vaporize the water, and this energy will disappear up the chimney. It is
clearly not only uneconomical to fire with wet fuel but also, as mentioned above, increases the risk of producing
soot, smoke and other environmentally damaging by-products.
Burning varnished wood, impregnated wood, chipboard, paper and other waste is strictly forbidden. Burning these
materials will damage the environment, the wood burning stove and your own health. Fossil fuels must not be
used.
3.3 How do I light a fire in the wood burning stove?
The fire lighting method is very important for starting combustion quickly and efficiently.
1) Open the primary air intake/damper under the door and open the secondary air intake at the top of the
door. The primary damper is used at the start to get the fire going, while the secondary air intake keeps the
fire burning evenly. The secondary air intake is closed when the damper is pushed all the way to the left
and open when the damper is pushed to the right. To open the primary air intake the damper should be
pulled out. The illustration below shows the stove seen from the front with the dampers indicated.
2) Place a log of wood crosswise in the combustion chamber and put 2 firelighters close to the log. Light the
firelighters and quickly put a new log close to the firelighters and several small logs at an angle above it. Air
must be able to reach the firelighters, but the logs should be touching to "warm" each other.
3) Keep the door approx. 1 cm ajar, until the glass is too hot to touch. Then close the door. When there are
distinct, visible flames and the fire has taken hold, close the primary air intake/damper.
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