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C. 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 appliance,
minimize thermal stress by letting the plates adjust gradually
during three or four initial break-in fires following Steps 1-3
below.
D. Wood Burning Operation
Burn only solid wood in this appliance, and burn it directly on
the grate. Do not elevate the fuel. Do not burn coal or other
fuels. In the United States, it is against the law to operate
this wood heater in a manner inconsistent with operating
instructions in this manual.
The bypass 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. Never use flammable fluids such as
gasoline, gasoline type lantern fuel, kerosene, charcoal
lighter fluid, naptha, engine oil or similar liquids to
start or "freshen up" a fire in this heater. Keep all such
liquids well away from the heater while it is in use.
1. Open the stove bypass damper, and open the primary air
control fully.
2. Place several sheets of crumpled newspaper in the
stove. Place six or eight pieces of dry kindling split to a
finger-width size on the paper. On the kindling, lay two or
three larger sticks of split dry wood approximately 1-2"
(25-51 mm) in diameter, Figure 5.4.
Figure 5.4 - Start the fire with newspaper and dry kindling.
3. Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually build
up the fire by adding a few 3-5" (80-120 mm) diameter
pieces of split firewood. If this is one of the first few
ST263
"break-in" fires, let the fire burn brightly, and then
starting a fire
let it die out. During the break-in fires, do not let the
12/99
stove get hotter than 500°F. (260°C) as measured on
an optional stove-top thermometer. Adjust the air control
lever as necessary to control the fire. Some odor from
the stove's hot metal and the paint is normal for the first
few fires.
24
Vermont Castings • Defiant® Model 1975-CAT-C Installation Manual_R12 • 11/21
NOTE: Some chimneys must 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 the smoke to
rise rapidly, making it easier to establish 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.
NOTE: Effectiveness of a "top-down" method to start a fire.
Smoke emissions when starting a fire can be difficult to
control because the stove is not yet heated to its optimum
temperature. One method of reducing emissions during a
cold start-up is the use of a "top-down" kindling procedure.
In this, place larger pieces of kindling on the bottom of the
kindling pile followed by smaller and smaller pieces as the
pile is added to. Very finely split pieces should be on the
top. 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.
4. If your appliance has been broken-in previously using
Steps 1-3, continue to build the fire gradually. Add larger
wood with a diameter of 3-4" (75-100 mm). Continue
adding split logs of this size to the briskly-burning fire
until there is a glowing ember bed 2-3" (51-75 mm) deep.
(Figure 38) A good ember bed is necessary for proper
functioning of the combustion system.
5. Close the damper when the griddle temperature reaches
450°F (230°C) and sufficient ember bed is established.
This will force the smoke into the secondary combustion
chamber where the smoke and gases will ignite if the
stove is sufficiently hot. Even though it is possible for
the fire to get quite hot within a few minutes after a fire is
started, secondary combustion may stop or the fire may
go out if the fire dies down immediately as a result of the
damper being closed too early.
6. Adjust the air control for your desired heat output.
NOTE: Stove installations vary widely, and the operating
guidance given here is only a starting point. The "Draft
Management" section in this manual will explain in detail
how the features of your installation may help or hinder good
draft, and how you may need to vary your firing technique if
your installation doesn't encourage a good draft.
High-Efficiency Wood Burning with the Catalytic Combustor
Your Defiant stove was shipped from the factory with a
separately packaged catalytic combustor.
8390-975
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