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4.5.4 Firing Each New Load Hot
Place the new load of wood on and behind the charcoal and not too close to the glass. Close
the door and open the air control fully. Leave the air control fully open until the firebox is full of
flames, the wood has charred to black and its edges are glowing red. Firing each load of wood
hot accomplishes a few things:
− Drives the surface moisture from the wood,
− Creates a layer of char on the wood, which slows down its release of smoke,
− Heats the firebox components so they reflect heat back to the fire, and
− Heats the flue system so it can produce strong, steady draft for the rest of the cycle.
Although it is important to fire each new load hot, do not allow the fire to burn at full intensity
for more than a few minutes.
DO NOT LEAVE THE WOOD FIRE UNATTENDED WHILE A NEW LOAD IS BEING FIRED HOT.
When you burn a new load of wood hot to heat up the wood, the wood fire and the flue system,
the result will be a surge of heat from the wood fire. This heat surge is welcome when the room
temperature is a little lower than desirable, but not welcome if the space is already warm.
Therefore, allow each load of wood to burn down so that the space begins to cool off a little
before loading. Letting the space cool before loading is one of the secrets to clean burning and
effective zone heating.
4.5.5 Turning down the Air Supply
As you reduce the air supply to the fire, two important
things happen. First, the firing rate slows down to spread
the heat energy in the fuel over a longer period of time.
Second, the flow rate of exhaust through the wood fire
and flue slows down, which gives more time for the
transfer of heat from the exhaust. You will notice that as
you reduce the air setting, the flames slow down. This is
your indication that the wood fire is burning at its peak
efficiency. If the flames get small and almost disappear
when you turn down the air, you have turned down the air too early, or your firewood is wetter than
it should be. With good fuel and correct air control use, the flames should slow down, but should
stay large and steady, even as the air supply is reduced.
4.6
Building different fires for different needs
Using the air control is not the only way to match the wood fire's heat output to the heat demand.
Your house will need far less heat in April than in July to be kept at a comfortable temperature.
If you fill the firebox full in fall weather, you will either overheat the space or turn the wood fire
down so much that the fire will be smoky and inefficient. Here are some suggestions for building
fires to match different heat demand.
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Installation and Operation Manual - Escape 1800
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