Starting / Maintaining The Fire; Formation Of Creosote - Jøtul C 450 Kennebec Installation And Operating Instructions For The United States & Canada

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Starting and Maintaining a Fire
Burn only solid wood directly on the firebrick of the
stove. Do not elevate the fire in any way.
1. Set the Air Control Lever in the full open position. 2.
Crumple several sheets of newspaper directly on the
firebrick.
2. Place several pieces of small dry kindling (approximate-
ly 1" in diameter) on top of the newspaper, with two to
three small logs (approximately 2" to 3" in diameter)
on top.
3. Light the fire and close the door. Gradually build the
fire by adding larger and larger logs as the fire devel-
ops a bed of coals.
4. When you have added the final logs, adjust the Air
Control Lever to provide the desired fire intensity.
Experiment with a variety of air control settings to
determine the best one for your individual circumstanc-
es. Remember that fuel characteristics, chimney system
condition, building design, and weather conditions all af-
fect the performance of your fireplace insert. In time, you
will discover how these elements combine and how you
can work with them to achieve satisfactory performance.
NEVER OVER-FIRE THE STOVE. IF ANY PART OF
THE STOVE OR CHIMNEY GLOWS, YOU ARE OVER-
FIRING. A HOUSE FIRE OR SERIOUS DAMAGE TO
THE STOVE OR CHIMNEY COULD RESULT. IF THIS
CONDITION OCCURS, IMMEDIATELY CLOSE THE AIR
CONTROL.
Adding Fuel to the Fire
When reloading the stove while a bed of hot embers
still exists, follow this reloading procedure:
• Always wear stove gloves when tending to the fire.
• Push the Air Control Lever to the full open position
(far right).
• Wait a few seconds before opening the door. This
allows the renewed air circulation to clear unburned
gases from the firebox.
• Use a stove tool or poker to distribute the hot em-
bers equally around the firebox.
• Load the fuel, usually with smaller logs first.
• Close the doors and secure the latch.
• Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the fire to re-establish before
adjusting the Air Control Lever for the desired heat
output. If a thick bed of live coals is present, you may
be able to add fuel and immediately set the air con-
trol without waiting for the fire to be re-established.
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Creosote Formation
The Jøtul C 450 is designed to burn wood cleanly
and efficiently when operated as described in this
manual. However, when wood is burned slowly and
at low temperatures, tar and other organic vapors
are produced which condense on the relatively cooler
chimney flue surfaces to form creosote. Failure to
keep the chimney system free of creosote build up
could result in a chimney fire.
The creosote that accumulates in the chimney
is highly flammable and is the fuel of chimney fires.
To prevent chimney fires, it is important to have the
chimney flue and connector pipe inspected twice
monthly during frequent use and cleaned whenever
accumulation of 1/4" or more is evident. A qualified
chimney sweep or other authorized service person
can provide this service.
It is also important to remember that chimney
size, temperature and height all affect draft which in
turn affects the formation of creosote. An exterior
chimney, whether masonry or prefabricated steel,
will be exposed to cold outside temperatures, and
consequently, will be more prone to creosote accu-
mulation than an interior flue.
A chimney flue located within the home interior
will benefit from the insulating characteristics of the
building itself. Consequently, the flue system will be
less conducive to condensation of unburned gases
and minimal creosote accumulation will result.
As a general rule, try to avoid burning the insert
at the lowest air control settings. Although a low
setting will prolong burn time, it may also result in
incomplete combustion. In reducing the fire intensi-
ty, draft is weakened and the chimney flue cools. This,
together with the increase in unburned gases, leads
to rapid creosote accumulation.
Break-in Period Ventilation
It is normal for a new stove to emit odor and possibly
smoke during the first few fires. This is characteristic
of the burn-off of residues from the manufacturing
process and the curing of painted surfaces. Open a
window near the fireplace insert to provide plenty of
fresh air to the room during this "seasoning" period.