Negative Pressure Warning; Creosote; Ash Disposal; Fuel - Lennox Hearth Products Striker CA160 Installation And Operation Manual

NEGATIVE PRESSURE WARNING

This appliance is not designed to be operated in a negative pressure.
In very airtight homes with large kitchen exhaust fans, furnace cold air
returns, fresh air exchange systems and any other air system in close
proximity to the heating appliance may create a negative pressure in the
same room as the heating appliance. This can create dangerous back
drafting of the fireplace insert and chimney joints, drawing combustion
by-products into the home. Be sure your home has adequate makeup air
to eliminate negative pressures caused by the above-mentioned sources.
Outside air connected to the appliance probably will not resolve such
a problem as the stove or fireplace insert is not the source of negative
pressure. Lennox Hearth Products accepts no liability for damages
resulting from negative pressures described above.
Ventilation Requirements - Provide adequate air for combustion. The
fresh air requirements of this appliance must be met within the space
where it will be installed. Ventilation is essential when using a Solid-Fuel-
Burning heater. In well insulated and weather tight homes, it may be
difficult to establish a good draft up the chimney (caused by a shortage
of air in the home). The lack of air is caused by many common household
appliances which exhaust air from the home (such as a furnace, heat
pump, air conditioner, clothes dryer, exhaust fans, fireplaces, and other
fuel burning appliances). Also, the combustion process of this heater
uses oxygen from inside the dwelling. If the available fresh air delivery
in the dwelling is insufficient to support the demands of these appliances,
problems can result (i.e. excessive negative pressure can develop in the
dwelling which will affect the rate at which this appliance can draft thus
resulting in performance problems. To correct this problem it may help
to open a window (preferably on the windward side of the house) or
install an optional outside air kit.
CREOSOTE, FORMATION AND NEED FOR REMOVAL
When wood is burned slowly, it produces tar and other organic vapors,
which combine with expelled moisture to form creosote. The creosote
vapors condense in the relatively cool chimney flue of a slow-burning
fire. As a result, creosote residue accumulates on the flue lining. When
ignited, this creosote makes an extremely hot fire. The chimney and
chimney connector should be inspected at least once monthly during
the heating season to determine if a creosote build-up has occurred. If
creosote has accumulated, it should be removed to reduce the risk of
a chimney fire.

ASH DISPOSAL

Ashes should be scooped out of a cool stove or insert with a small metal
shovel. Ashes should be placed in a metal container with a tight fitting lid.
The closed container of ashes should be placed on a non-combustible
floor or on the ground, well away from all combustible materials, pending
final disposal. If the ashes are disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise
locally dispersed, they should be retained in the closed container until
all the cinders have thoroughly cooled. Ashes can ignite up to 72 hours
after removal from the stove or insert.

FUEL

This unit is designed and engineered to burn, dry, well-seasoned wood
only.
Dry, seasoned wood is that which has been cut, split and allowed to dry
under a covered area where air is free to flow and circulate under and
around the wood (not under a tarp or plastic). Make sure wood is not
stacked directly on the ground, it may absorb moisture from the ground.
It should be allowed to dry in these conditions for a minimum of six
months, preferably one year or more. IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD THAT
WOOD CANNOT BE LEFT IN ANY KIND OF WET OR DAMP AREA OR IT
WILL NEVER BECOME COMPLETELY SEASONED. Your fireplace insert
will not operate at the level that it is meant to unless you use seasoned,
dry wood. Do not burn driftwood or wood that has been in salt water,
doing so will void your warranty. Do not burn treated wood, coal, garbage,
cardboard, solvents, or colored paper. Burning treated wood, garbage,
solvents, or colored paper may result in the release of toxic fumes. This
type of burning will also void your warranty.

PAINT CURING

If your fireplace insert has a Gold or Nickel-Plated Door, be sure to
clean it with a household type glass cleaner and a very soft cloth to
remove any fingerprints and residues prior to the first fire and before
any fire if the gold has been handled or soiled. Do not close the door
tightly during the "Burn-In Period." Also, open the door frequently
(every -10 minutes) to keep the gasket from adhering to the curing
paint. Ventilate the house well during these first firings as the paint gives
off carbon dioxide and unpleasant odors. It is recommended that persons
sensitive to an imbalance in the indoor air quality avoid the fireplace insert
during the curing process.
Your new Striker™ C/A160 wood burning insert is painted with a high
temperature paint that cures during the first few firings. We recommend
that you put your fireplace insert through a regimen of three burns. The
first two should last for 20 minutes each at 250 degrees (the fireplace
insert should be allowed to cool completely between each burn). The
third should be a burn of at least 450 degrees F. for 45-60 minutes.
The paint will become soft, gummy and emit non-toxic smoke during
these burns. After the fireplace insert cools down for the third time, the
paint will harden. DO NOT BUILD A LARGE ROARING FIRE UNTIL THIS
CURING EFFECT IS COMPLETE OR YOU MAY DAMAGE THE FINISH OF
YOUR STOVE OR INSERT. Spray can touch-ups should be done only
with a high temperature stove paint (cat. no. 70K99), available from all
Lennox Hearth Products dealers.

BURN-IN PERIOD

Please be patient with the heat output of your fireplace insert for the first
few weeks. The steel will go through a curing process that eliminates
moisture, which is deep in the steel and firebrick. This moisture will
reduce initial heat output of your fireplace insert and may make it difficult
to start. After you have broken in the paint on the fireplace insert it will
be necessary to build hot fires to thoroughly remove the moisture from
the appliance. Running the fireplace insert with the draft fully open for
1 to 1-1/2 hours after starting and adding gener ous amounts of fuel
during the first week or two should complete the curing process. We
recommend the use of a thermometer attached to the fireplace insert
top or chimney. Temperatures on the connector pipe should run in the
250-600 degree range. (DO NOT OVERFIRE THE STOVE OR INSERT
DURING THIS PROCESS. IF THE STOVE OR CHIMNEY BECOMES RED,
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF AIR ENTERING THE STOVE OR INSERT
IMMEDIATELY).