Vermont Castings Aspen C3 Owner's Manual page 13

Figure 2.1 - Start a fire with small, dry kindling.
Light the kindling pile with a match at the top and allow the
kindling to burn downward into the larger pieces. This reduces
smoke by slowly increasing the fire size without creating an
air-starved condition.
3. After the stove has been broken-in using Steps 1-2,
continue to build the fire gradually. Add larger wood with
a diameter of 3-4" (75-102 mm).
Refuel While the Embers Are Still Hot:
Reload the Aspen C3 while it is still hot and there are plenty
of glowing embers to re-kindle the fire. Include some smaller
pieces of wood in the new load of fuel to help the stove return
to its operating temperature quickly. Wear stove gloves, and
follow this procedure when you reload your stove:
1. Use a fireplace tool to break up the charcoal. Pull the
charcoal from the back to the front. This will encourage
efficient combustion as the fuel burns from front to rear.
Take care, however, not to block the primary air box with
coals or ash, Figure 2.2.
2. Load wood - smaller, split pieces first. Close the door.
Ash Disposal:
Remove ash before it reaches the top of the primary air box,
Figure 2.2. Check the level at least once a day, and before
each re-fueling.
Dispose of ashes into a metal container with a tight-fitting
lid kept outdoors. Put the closed container of ash on a
noncombustible floor or on the ground, well away from all
combustible materials, pending final disposal. If the ash is
disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise locally dispersed,
keep it in the closed container until all cinders have thoroughly
cooled. You can use wood ash as a garden fertilizer.
Empty the ashes regularly, typically every one to three days.
The frequency will vary depending on how you operate your
Aspen C3.
13 Vermont Castings • Aspen C3 Owner's Manual_R5 • 2019 - ___ • 11/19
!
Never use your household or shop vacuum cleaner
to remove ash from the stove; always remove and
dispose of the ash properly.
Primary Air Box
Figure 2.2
Tips & Tricks for Managing Heat Output
While the Aspen C3 has no manual air controls, there are
several tricks to managing heat output and burn times.
a. Log size: Smaller splits will burn faster and with more
heat output than larger splits.
Larger split logs or unsplit rounds will burn longer with
lower heat output.
Firebox loading also has a significant effect on heat output
and burn times.
For overnight burns, a full firebox of larger splits or logs
is best.
For burning in the shoulder seasons a hot fire of small
splits burned down to coals can be most effective at not
overheating the living space.
Lastly, heat output can effectively be regulated by loading
1-2 logs as needed throughout the day rather than
continuously filling the firebox.
b. Coaling: When running the stove continuously at high rates
of fire, coals may accumulate in the rear of the firebox.
In order to burn these coals down to allow space for the
loading of fresh fuel, rake the coals from the rear of the
firebox to the front. Place several splits of kindling on the
coals and allow them to burn down. Once the coals have
burned down, they can be leveled and fresh fuel can be
added.
CAUTION
8390-950c