Vermont Castings Encore 2550 Installating And Operation Manual page 23

Conditioning Your Stove
Cast iron is extremely strong, but it can be broken with
a sharp blow from a hammer or from the thermal shock
of rapid and extreme temperature change.
The cast plates expand and contract with changes in
temperature. When you first begin using your Encore,
minimize thermal stress by allowing the plates to adjust
gradually during three or four initial break-in fires follow-
ing Steps 1-3 below.
Starting and Maintaining a Wood Fire
Burn only solid wood in the Encore, and burn it directly
on the grate. Do not elevate the fuel. Do not burn coal
or other fuels.
The damper must be open when starting a fire or
when refueling.
Do not use chemicals or fluids to start the fire. Do
not burn garbage or flammable fluids such as gaso-
line, naptha, or engine oil.
1. Open the stove damper, and open the primary air
control fully.
2. Place several sheets of crumpled newspaper in the
stove. DO NOT use glossy advertisements or col-
ored paper, as they can poison the catalyst. Place
on the paper six or eight pieces of dry kindling split
to a finger-width size, and on the kindling lay two or
three larger sticks of split dry wood approximately
1-2" (25-51 mm) in diameter.
Fig. 39 Start fire with newspaper and dry kindling.
Never use gasoline-type lantern fuel, kerosene, char-
coal lighter fluid, or similar liquids to start or "freshen
up" a fire. Keep all such liquids well away from the
ST263
Encore while it is in use.
starting a fire
3. Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually
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build up the fire by adding a few 3-5" (76-127 mm)
diameter splits. If this is one of the first few "break-
in" fires, let the fire burn brightly, and then let it die
out.
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Fig. 40 Add larger pieces of wood as the fire begins to burn
well.
During the break-in fires, do not let the stove get hotter
than 500°F (260°C) as measured on an optional stove-
top thermometer. Adjust the air control lever as neces-
sary to control the fire.
Some odor from the stove's hot metal, the paint, and
the cement is normal for the first few fires.
NOTE: Some chimneys need to be "primed," or
warmed up, before they will draw sufficiently to start
a fire. To correct this situation, roll up a couple pieces
of newspaper, place them on top of the kindling and
toward the back of the stove, light them, and close
the doors. This will encourage smoke to rise rapidly,
encouraging a good draft.
Once the draft is established, open the front door and
light the rest of the fuel from the bottom. Do not light
the main bed of fuel until the chimney begins drawing,
and repeat the procedure as often as necessary if the
initial attempt is unsuccessful.
4. If your Encore has been broken-in previously using
Steps 1-3, continue to build the fire gradually. Add
larger wood with a diameter of 3-4" (76-102 mm).
Continue adding split logs of this size to the briskly-
burning fire until there is a glowing ember bed at
least 3" (76mm) deep. A good ember bed is neces-
sary for proper functioning of the catalytic system
and may take an hour or more to establish.
ST263
Fig. 41 Add full-size logs when the kindling has burned down
to a bed of embers.
Encore Woodburning Stove
ST264
good fire
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ST264a
add wood fire
ST265
ST264a
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