Seasoned Wood; Starting A Fire; Grate; Firescreen - Heat & Glo RUTHERFORD-50 Owner's Manual

B. Seasoned Wood
Properly seasoned wood is important for successful opera-
tion of your fireplace. Most woodburning fireplace problems
are caused by burning wet, unseasoned wood.
Seasoned firewood is wood that is cut to size, split and air
dried to a moisture content of around 20%.
Imagine a wooden bucket that weighs about eight pounds.
Fill it with a gallon of water, put it in the fireplace and try to
burn it. This sounds ridiculous but that is exactly what you
are doing if you burn unseasoned wood.
A tree cut down a year ago and not split is likely to have
almost as high a moisture content now as it did when it was
cut.
Please refer to Section 2.M. for more detail.
C. Starting a Fire
NOTICE: You must establish a good draft to prevent smoke
spillage into the room.
WARNING! Risk of Fire! Keep combustible materials,
gasoline and other flammable vapors and liquids clear of
the fireplace.
DO NOT:
• store flammable materials close to the fireplace
• use gasoline, lantern fuel, kerosene, charcoal lighter
fluid or similar liquids to start or "freshen up" a fire in
this fireplace.
Keep all flammable liquids well away from the fireplace while
it is in use. Combustible materials may ignite.
• The first three or four fires should be of moderate size to
allow the oils and binders to be burned from the fireplace
and the molded brick panel, and paint to cure. You
may notice an industrial odor the first few fires. This is
considered normal.
• Use well-seasoned wood (see Section 2.M.).
• Open the flue damper to a fully open position.
• Place crumpled or twisted paper under the fireplace

grate.

• Loosely arrange kindling or small pieces of wood to form
a 'tent' on the fireplace grate.
• Pre-warm the flue to establish a draft to help reduce smoke
spillage during start-up. Hold a rolled up piece of burning
newspaper under the flue damper for a few moments.
• Light the crumpled paper to ignite the kindling.
• Add small pieces of wood until a hot bed of embers has
been established.
• Add a minimum of three average size pieces of split
firewood, placed to allow combustion air and flames
between them.
CAUTION! Odors and vapors released during initial opera-
tion may be irritating to sensitive individuals. Open windows
for air circulation.
8 Heat & Glo • RUTHERFORD-50 • 4059-333 Rev L• 5/11
D. Grate
This fireplace is designed to be used with the grate sup-
plied with this unit or one approved by HHT. The grate will
deteriorate over time and will need occasional replacement.
WARNING! Risk of Fire! Use only the factory-supplied
integral grate.
• Keeps logs in place.
• Allows proper air circulation around the fire.
E. Firescreen
The firescreen is provided to control sparks. Keep it closed
when the fireplace is in use.
WARNING! Risk of Fire or Burns!
• Screen will not prevent burning materials from falling
out.
• Screen pulls or handles may be hot.
F. Flue Damper
• Refer to Figure 2.1 for location of control.
• Must be in fully open position (handle up toward the top
of the fireplace) during operation of the fireplace.
• Before lighting the fireplace, verify fully open position by
looking up from the inside of the fireplace.
WARNING! Risk of Fire and Asphyxiation! Open damper
prior to operating fireplace. A closed damper overfires
the fireplace and will cause smoke and flames to spill
into the room.
G. Outside Air
• Refer to Figure 2.1 for location of controls.
• Outside air doors should be in the fully opened position
during operation of the fireplace.
• Before lighting the fireplace, turn both handles & pull out
to open. Reverse steps to close and lock.
H. Molded Brick Panel
• The molded brick panel is shipped separately, but required
to contain heat and provide an attractive interior.
• It will deteriorate over time and will need occasional
replacement. Small hairline cracks and discoloration are
normal and do not affect its safety.
• Cracks in the mortar may occur and do not affect the
safety of the unit. If mortar falls out of the joints and metal
is exposed, replace or patch the mortar.
• (See Molded Brick Panel Maintenance, Section 3.C.)
WARNING! Risk of Fire! DO NOT burn fireplace without
molded brick panel. Use only molded brick panel supplied
by Hearth & Home Technologies, Inc.
NOTICE: Do not stubstitute for HHT mortar. Other materials
may stain the molded brick panels.