UNLESS A WOOD STOVE IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ALSO BURN
COAL SHOULD BE USED TO BURN WOOD ONLY!!!ANY TYPE OF WOOD
MAY BE USED IN YOUR STOVE , BUT SPECIFIC VARIETIES HAVE
BETTER ENERGY YIELDS THAN OTHERS. PLEASE CONSULT THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE CHOICE




HIGH ENERGY YIELD                                            ENERGY YIELD
                                        (MILLIONS OF BTU PER CORD)
OAK                        29
SUGAR MAPLE     28
BEECH                   26
YELLOW BIRCH    25
ASH                         24
ELM                         23

MEDIUM ENERGY YIELD     

LARCH                   23
RED MAPLE          23
DOUGLAS RED FUR    23
SILVER BIRCH  22
ALDER                 18
POPLAR               17
HEMLOCK            17

LOW ENERGY YIELD               

SPRUCE            17
PINE                    17
BASS                   16
FIR                       13




IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU USE ONLY DRY WOOD IN
YOUR WOOD STOVE. THE WOOD MUST HAVE DRIED FOR 9 TO 15
MONTHS, SUCH THAT THE HUMIDITY CONTENT (IN WEIGHT) IS
REDUCED BELOW 20% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE LOG. IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT THAT EVEN IF WOOD HAS BEEN CUT SINCE ONE, TWO
OR EVEN MORE YEARS IT IS NOT NECESSARILY DRY , IF IT IS
STORED IN POOR CONDITIONS : UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS , IT
MAY ROT INSTEAD OF DRYING. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PROBLEMS
RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF A WOOD STOVE ARE CAUSED BY
THE FACT  THAT THE WOOD USED WAS TOO DAMP OR HAD DRIED IN
POOR CONDITIONS. THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE:

* IGNITION PROBLEMS
* CREOSOTE BUILD-UP CAUSING CHIMNEY FIRES
*LOW ENERGY YIELD
*BLACKENED WINDOWS
*INCOMPLETE LOG COMBUSTION

SMALLER PIECES OF WOOD DRY FASTER. ALL LOGS EXCEEDING 6"
DIAMETER SHOULD BE SPLIT. THE WOOD SHOULD NOT BE STORED
DIRECTLY ON THE GROUND. AIR SHOULD CIRCULATE THROUGH THE
CORD.A 24" TO 48" GAP SHOULD BE LEFT BETWEEN EACH ROW OF
LOGS ,WHICH SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE SUNNIEST LOCATION
POSSIBLE. THE UPPER LAYER OF WOOD SHOULD BE PROTECTED
FROM THE ELEMENTS BUT NOT THE SIDES.

TESTING YOUR WOOD

WHEN THE STOVE IS THOROUGHLY WARMED, PLACE ONE PIECE OF
SPLIT WOOD (ABOUT FIVE INCHES IN DIAMETER) PARALLEL TO THE
DOOR ON THE BED OF RED EMBERS.
KEEP THE AIR CONTROL FULLY OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR. IF
IGNITION OF THE WOOD IS ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN 90 SECONDS
FROM THE TIME IT WAS PLACED IN THE STOVE YOUR WOOD IS
CORRECTLY DRIED. IF IGNITION TAKES  LONGER YOUR WOOD IS
DAMP.

THE FIRST FIRES IN YOUR NEW WOOD STOVE

THE FRESH PAINT ON YOUR STOVE NEEDS TO BE CURED TO
PRESERVE ITS QUALITY. ONCE THE FUEL IS PROPERLY IGNITED
ONLY BURN SMALL FIRES IN YOUR STOVE FOR THE FIRST FOUR
HOURS OF OPERATION. NEVER OPEN THE AIR CONTROL MORE
THAN NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE A MEDIUM BURN RATE. MAKE SURE
THERE IS ENOUGH AIR CIRCULATION WHILE CURING YOUR STOVE.
THE ODOURS COULD BE SMELLED THE FIRST 3 OR 4 FIRES. NEVER
START YOUR STOVE OUTSIDE. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IF
YOU ARE OVERHEATING.

IGNITION

AFTER MAKING SURE THAT THE STOVE AIR INTAKE CONTROLS ARE
FULLY OPEN, PLACE SEVERAL CRUMPLED SHEETS OF PAPER IN
THE CENTER OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. PLACE 8 TO 10
PIECES OF SMALL DRY KINDLING WOOD OVER THE PAPER IN THE
FORM OF A TENT. YOU MAY ALSO PLACE A FEW PIECES OF HEATING
WOOD, NUT CHOOSE THE SMALLER ONES. NO CHEMICAL PRODUCT
SHOULD BE USED FOR LIGHTING THE FIRE. BEFORE IGNITING THE
PAPER AND KINDLING WOOD, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU WARM
UP THE CHIMNEY. THIS IS DONE IN ORDER TO AVOID BACK DRAFT
PROBLEMS DUE TO NEGATIVE PRESSURE IN THE HOME.IF SUCH IS
THE CASE , OPEN A WINDOW SLIGHTLY NEAR THE STOVE AND
TWIST TOGETHER A FEW SHEETS OF NEWSPAPER INTO A TORCH.
LIGHT THIS PAPER TORCH AND HOLD IT AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO
THE MOUTH OF THE CHIMNEY PIPE INSIDE YOUR WOOD STOVE.
ONCE THE UPDRAFT IS INITIATED YOU ARE READY TO LIGHT YOUR
KINDLING .IT IS ADVISABLE FOR THE FIRST 10 TO 30 MINUTES TO
LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN 1/4" INCH , UNDER SUPERVISION IN ORDER
TO ALLOW FOR GOOD COMBUSTION. AFTER THIS TIME , YOU MUST
CLOSE THE DOOR AND PROGRESSIVELY ADJUST THE AIR CONTROL
TO OBTAIN THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE.

HEATING

CONTROLLED COMBUSTION IS THE MOST EFFICIENT TECHNIQUE
FOR WOOD HEATING BECAUSE IT ENABLES YOU TO SELECT THE
TYPE OF COMBUSTION YOU WANT  FOR EACH GIVEN SITUATION. THE
WOOD WILL BURN SLOWLY IF THE AIR INTAKE IS ADJUSTED TO
ALLOW LESS OXYGEN INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. ON THE
OTHER HAND THE WOOD WILL BURN FASTER IF THE AIR INTAKE IS
ADJUSTED TO ALLOW MORE AIR INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER.


WARNINGS:

*NEVER OVERFIRE YOUR WOOD STOVE. IF ANY PART OF THE STOVE
STARTS TO GLOW RED , OVERFIRING IS HAPPENING. READJUST THE
AIR INTAKE CONTROL AT THE LOWER SETTING.

RELOADING:
ONCE YOU HAVE OBTAINED A GOOD BED OF EMBERS, YOU SHOULD
RELOAD THE UNIT. IN ORDER TO DO THIS, OPEN THE AIR CONTROLS
TO MAXIMUM A FEW SECONDS PRIOR TO OPENING THE DOOR OF
THE STOVE. SLOWLY OPEN THE DOOR TO THE STOVE. BRING THE
RED EMBERS TO THE FRONT OF THE STOVE AND RELOAD THE UNIT.
MOST STOVE OPERATE BEST WITH THE WOOD LOADED TO THE
HEIGHT OF THE FIREBRICKS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE
WOOD COMBUSTION CONSUMES AMBIENT OXYGEN IN THE ROOM. IN
THE CASE OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE , IT IS A GOOS IDEA TO ALLOW
FRESH AIR INTO THE ROOM , EITHER BY OPENING A WINDOW OR BY
INSTALLING A FRESH AIR INTAKE ON YOUR WOOD STOVE.

CREOSOTE FORMATION AND NEED FOR REMOVAL

WHEN WOOD IS BURNED SLOWLY , IT PRODUCES TAR AND OTHER
ORGANIC VAPOURS, WHICH COMBINE WITH EXPELLED MOISTURE
TO FORM CREOSOTE. THE CREOSOTE VAPOURS CONDENSE IN THE
RELATIVELY COOL CHIMNEY FLUE OF A SLOW BURNING FIRE. AS A
RESULT , CREOSOTE RESIDUE ACCUMULATES ON THE FLUE LINING.
WHEN IGNITED THIS CREOSOTE  MAKES A EXTREMELY HOT FIRE.
WHEN BURNING WOOD , THE CHIMNEY CONNECTOR AND THE
CHIMNEY SHOULD BE INSPECTED ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS
DURING THE HEATING SEASON TO DETERMINE IF A CREOSOTE
BUILD- UP HAS OCCURRED. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU
INSTALL A MAGNETIC OR PROBE TYPE THERMOMETER ON YOUR
SMOKE EXHAUST PIPE , APPROX 18" ABOVE THE STOVE. THE
THERMOMETER WILL INDICATE THE TEMPERATURE OF YOUR
EXHAUST GASES. THE IDEAL TEMPERATURE OF THESE GASES IS
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 275 F AND 500F. BELOW THESE TEMPS , THE
CREOSOTE BUILDUP IS PROMOTED. ABOVE 500 DEGREES THE HEAT
IS WASTED SINCE A TOO LARGE  QUANTITY IS LOST INTO THE
ATMOSPHERE.

TO PREVENT CREOSOTE BUILD UP:

* ALWAYS BURN DRY WOOD.THIS ALLOWS CLEAN BURNS AND
HIGHER CHIMNEY TEMPERATURES, THEREFORE LESS CREOSOTE IS
DEPOSITED.

* LEAVE THE AIR CONTROL FULLY OPEN FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES
EVERY TIME YOU RELOAD THE STOVE TO BRING IT BACK TO
PROPER TEMPERATURES. THE SECONDARY COMBUSTION CAN
ONLY TAKE PLACE IF THE FIREBOX IS HOT ENOUGH.

*ALWAYS CHECK FOR CREOSOTE DEPOSITS ONCE EVERY TWO
MONTHS AND HAVE YOUR CHIMNEY CLEANED AT LEAST ONCE A
YEAR.

ASH DISPOSAL:

ASHES SHOULD BE REMOVED FORM THE STOVE EVERY  FEW DAYS
OR WHEN THE ASHES GET 2-3 INCHES DEEP. ALWAYS EMPTY THE
STOVE WHEN IT IS COLD. ALWAYS DISPOSE OF ASHES IN A METAL
CONTAINER WITH A TIGHT FITTING LID. PLACE THIS CONTAINER ON A
NON COMBUSTIBLE FLOOR OR THE GROUND, WELL AWAY FROM ALL
COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS, PENDING FINAL DISPOSAL. IF THE ASHES
ARE DISPOSED OF BY BURIAL IN SOIL OR OTHERWISE LOCALLY
DISPERSED , THEY SHOULD BE RETAINED IN THE CLOSES
CONTAINER UNTIL ALL CINDERS HAVE PROPERLY COOLED.

CAUTION:
*ASHES COULD CONTAIN HOT EMBERS EVEN AFTER TWO DAYS
WITHOUT OPERATING THE STOVE.
*THE ASH PAN CAN BECOME VERY HOT. WEAR GLOVES TO PREVENT
INJURY.
* NEVER BURN THE STOVE WITH THE ASH TRAP OPEN . THIS WOULD
RESULT IN OVER FIRING THE STOVE. DAMAGE TO THE STOVE AND A
HOUSE FIRE MAY RESULT.



FOR QUALITY WOOD STOVE CHIMNEY CLEANING, REPAIRS AND
INSTALLATIONS GIVE US A CALL HERE AT CAPTAIN SOOT WE ARE
HERE TO HELP YOU SAFELY HEAT YOUR HOME.
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631 842 2336
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