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WinterWarm Fireplace Insert or System
Use the following air control settings as a starting point
to help determine the best settings for your installation.
Each is described as a fraction of the total distance the
lever may be moved from right to left.
WinterWarm Control Settings
Burn Rate
Low
Medium
High
How To Build a Wood Fire and
Keep It Going
A WinterWarm leaves the factory with the combustor
installed.
In the United States, it is against the law to operate this
wood heater in a manner inconsistent with operating
instructions in this manual, or if the catalytic combustor
is deactivated or removed.
High-Efficiency Wood Burning
with Catalytic Combustion
The components of the catalytic combustion system in
your WinterWarm work together to produce optimum
conditions for secondary combustion.
When the damper is closed, smoke is directed through
the catalytic element, which causes ignition of smoke
at temperatures of 500-600°F (260-315°C), half the
temperature normally required for unaided secondary
combustion.
The catalytic element is a ceramic "honeycomb" coated
with the catalytic material. The element is located in
the secondary combustion chamber, molded from a
special high-temperature insulating refractory mate-
rial. The design of the chamber provides the correct
environment necessary for secondary combustion of
the fuel (smoke).
Catalytic combustion is activated by closing the damp-
er, thereby exposing the smoke to the combustor.
Closing the stove damper may also reduce the draft, so
to avoid putting out the fire or deactivating the combus-
tor, close the damper only when a fire is well-estab-
lished. When starting a fire, wait until the fire is well
established and there is an ember bed of at least 3-4"
(76 - 102mm) before closing the damper.
Never kindle a fire with colored paper or paper that
has colored ink or a glossy surface, and never burn
treated wood, garbage, solvents, or trash. All of these
may poison the catalyst and prevent it from operating
properly. Never burn cardboard or loose paper except
6
Primary Air Control
From far right to 1/3
the distance to left
From 1/3 to 2/3 the distance
to left
From 2/3 the distance
to left to far left
for kindling purposes. Never burn coal; doing so can
produce soot or large flakes of char or fly ash that can
coat the combustor and cause smoke to spill into the
room. Coal smoke also can poison the catalyst so that it
won't operate properly.
In general, the fire must be sufficiently well-established
to ensure that catalytic activity is initiated. When first
starting a fire, a medium- to high- firing rate must be
maintained for at least twenty minutes. This ensures
that the stove, catalyst, and fuel are all stabilized at the
proper operating temperatures.
Even though it is possible for the fire to get quite hot
within a few minutes after a fire is started, the combus-
tor may stop working or the fire may go out if the fire
is allowed to die down immediately as a result of the
damper being closed. Once the combustor starts work-
ing, heat generated by burning the smoke will keep it
working.
To determine whether the combustor is operating, ob-
serve the amount of smoke leaving the chimney when
the damper is activated and when it is not. This proce-
dure is described on Page 12.
Starting and Maintaining a Wood Fire
Burn solid wood fuel only in the WinterWarm, and
burn it directly on the grate. Do not elevate the fuel.
Do not burn coal or other fuels.
Cast iron is a superior material for solid fuel stoves but
it must be treated with respect. It is extremely strong,
but can be broken with a sharp blow from a hammer or
from the thermal shock of rapid and extreme tempera-
ture changes.
The cast plates expand and contract with changes in
temperature. Minimize thermal stress by allowing the
plates to adjust gradually during an initial break-in fire
by following Steps 1-3 below.
Always be certain that the damper is open when start-
ing a fire or when refueling. This rule is easy to re-
member, as the WinterWarm's integrated door/damper
interlock design does not permit opening the door unless
the damper is already open. To open the damper, lift up
on the lever and move it to the left. (Fig. 6)
WARNING: Operate your WinterWarm only with
the door fully closed and either the glass panel or
spark screen in place. If the door is left partially
open, gas and flame may be drawn out of the
fireplace opening, creating risks of both fire and
smoke.
2000941
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