Vermont Castings 1920 Homeowner's Installation And Operating Manual page 15

Step 3. Light the newspaper and close the door.
Gradually build up the fire by adding a few 80-10
mm (3-5") diameter splits. if this is one of the first
few "break-in" fires, let the fire burn brightly, and
then let it die out.
• During the break-in fires, don't let the stove get
hotter than 60° C (500° F) as measured on an op-
tional stove-top thermometer. Adjust the air control
lever as necessary 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 sus-
tain 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 door. This should heat the chimney
enough to initiate strong draft.
Once the draft is established, open the front door
and light the rest of the fuel bed at the bottom. Do
not light the main bed of fuel until the chimney be-
gins drawing.
Step 4. after the stove has been broken-in using
Steps 1-3, continue to build the fire gradually. Add
larger wood with a diameter of 75-10 mm (3-4").
Continue adding split logs of this size to the briskly-
burning fire until there is a glowing ember bed at
least 51 mm (") deep. A good ember bed is neces-
sary for proper functioning and may take up to an
hour to establish.
Step 5. Adjust the thermostatic air control for the de-
sired heat output.
fig. 20 Gradually add larger pieces of wood until all the wood
is burning well.
ST264
good fire
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refuel while the embers are Still hot
Reload the Aspen while it is still hot and there are plen-
ty of glowing embers to re-kindle the fire. Include some
smaller pieces of wood in the new load of fuel to help
the stove return to its operating temperature quickly.
Follow this procedure when you reload your stove:
Note: Door handles can be hot. A glove has been in-
cluded with your stove. We recommend using this glove
whenever operating door or damper controls.
Step 1. Open the thermostat lever.
Step . Open the door and check the ash level in the
ash pan. If necessary, dispose of the ashes and
replace the pan.
Step 3. Use a fireplace tool to break up the charcoal
and direct ash through the grate. Pull the charcoal
from the back to the front. This will encourage effi-
cient combustion as the fuel burns from front to rear.
Step 4. Load wood — smaller, split pieces first. Close
the door. Ideal performance will be achieved by oper-
ating with the air control set in the maximum (HIGH)
positon for several minutes after refueling. Reset the
primary air control for the desired heat output after
the fire is re-established.
Remove ash before it reaches the top of the ash pan.
Check the level at least once a day, and before each re-
fueling. Using stove gloves, pull the ash pan out of the
stove by its handle. Remove the ash pan and properly
dispose of the ashes. Be sure to keep the pan level dur-
ing disposal.
Empty the ash pan regularly, typically every one to
three days. The frequency will vary depending on how
you operate your Aspen; if you burn more wood at
higher heat output settings, ash will accumulate rapidly.
Dispose of ashes into a metal container with a tight-fit-
ting lid kept outdoors. Put the closed container of ash
on a noncombustible floor or on the ground, well away
from all combustible materials, pending final disposal.
If the ash is disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise
locally dispersed, keep it in the closed container until all
cinders have thoroughly cooled. You can use wood ash
as a garden fertilizer.
cautioN: Never use your household or shop vac-
uum cleaner to remove ash from the stove; always
ST64
remove and dispose of the ash properly.
Aspen Woodburning Stove
®
ash disposal
15