Refuel While The Embers Are Still Hot - Vermont Castings Defiant 1975 Installation And Operating Manual

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 and the paint is
normal for the first few fires.
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 news-
paper, 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,
Fig. 37 Start the fire with newspaper and dry kindling.
and repeat the procedure as often as necessary if the
initial attempt is unsuccessful.
4. if your Defiant has been broken-in previously us-
ST263
ing Steps 1-3, continue to build the fire gradually. Add
larger wood with a diameter of 3-4" (75-100 mm). Con-
starting a fire
tinue adding split logs of this size to the briskly-burn-
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ing fire until there is a glowing ember bed 2-3" (51-75
mm) deep. (Fig. 38) A good ember bed is necessary for
proper functioning of the non-catalytic system and may
take an hour or more to establish.
Fig. 38 Add larger pieces of wood as the fire begins to burn
well.
30005220
ST264
good fire
Defiant 1975 Non-Catalytic / Catalytic Woodburning Stove
®
5. Close the damper when the griddle temperature
reaches 450°F (230°C).
6. Adjust the air control for your desired heat output.
NoTe: Stove installations vary widely, and the operat-
ing guidance given here is only a starting point . The
draft management information on Page 27 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 encour-
age a good draft.

Refuel while the embers are Still hot

When reloading, best results will be achieved if you first
de-ash the stove by stirring the fuel bed to allow ash to
fall through the grate into the ash pan.
Do not break the charcoal into very small pieces or
pound or compress the charcoal bed.
It is important that air can circulate through the charcoal
bed during the burn. Larger pieces of charcoal allow
more air to circulate under the wood, resulting in the
fire reviving more quickly. (Fig. 39)
ST263
Fig. 39 Add full size logs after the ember bed is 3" (75mm)
deep.
For best results when refueling, wear long-cuffed stove
gloves to protect your hands and forearms, add fuel
while the stove still has plenty of glowing embers to
re-kindle the fire, and include some smaller pieces of
wood in the new fuel load to help the stove regain its
operating temperature quickly. Use this sequence as a
guide to successful refueling:
1. Open the damper.
2. De-ash the stove as described above. Open the
ashdoor and check the level of ash in the ash pan.
Empty the pan if necessary and replace it in the
stove. Close the ash door.
3. Open the griddle, load the wood (smaller pieces
first), and close the griddle.
4. Close the damper.
ST264
5. When the surface temperature reaches 450°F.
(230°C), adjust the air control for the amount of heat
you desire.
ST264a
add wood fire
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ST264a
25