Starting A Fire; Adding Fuel; Operational Tips - Vogelzang International TR008 Durango Owner's Manual

STARTING A FIRE

DO NOT LEAVE STOVE UNATTENDED WITH DOOR OPEN!
The top down method of fire building is recommended for this appliance. After making sure that the stove air intake controls are
fully open (completely pull-out towards you), Place the largest pieces of wood on the bottom, laid in parallel and close together.
Smaller pieces are placed in a second layer, crossways to the first. A third layer of still smaller pieces is laid crossways to the
second, this time with some spaces between. Then a fourth layer of loose, small kindling and twisted newspaper sheets tops off
the pile. Add large pieces of wood as the fire progresses being careful not to overload. (Do not fill firebox beyond firebrick area.)
An ideal coal bed of 1 –2" should be established to achieve optimum performance. This unit is designed to function most effectively
when air is allowed to circulate to all areas of the firebox. TIP: If ash or coals remain in the stove, make sure to clear them away
from the Lower Primary Air Orifice (LPAO) and rake a slight (1-to-2 inch wide) trough down the center of the coal bed from front to
back prior to loading the fuel. Once fuel has been loaded, close the door and leave the air inlet control fully open until fire is well
established (at least 15–20 minutes) being careful not to overfire (if any of the exterior parts of the stove or chimney connections
begin to glow you are overfiring the stove). Re-adjust the door air inlet control to desired burn rate. (If excessive smoke fills the
firebox, open air inlet control slightly until flames resume and wood is sufficiently ignited.) The basic rule of thumb is "closed - low,"
"half way open - medium" and "fully open - high."
NOTE: The four (4) inlet holes in the primary air inlet control slide are designed to remain partially open with slide in the closed
position.
VISIBLE SMOKE
The amount of visible smoke being produced can be an effective method of determining how efficiently the combustion process is
taking place at the given settings. Visible smoke consist of unburned fuel and moisture leaving your stove. Learn to adjust the air
settings of your specific unit to produce the smallest amount of visible smoke. Wood that has not been seasoned properly and has
a high wood moisture content will produce excess visible smoke and burn poorly.

ADDING FUEL

If the coal bed is not hot and glowing, rake the coals to the front of the stove, close the door and adjust the air inlet control to the
wide open position. Let the coals reheat for 10–15 minutes. When hot and glowing, spread them out and place your next fuel load
into the stove (make sure no coals or ashes block the LPAO). Leave the door air inlet control in the wide open position for 15–20
minutes. Fuel load size can vary but should be kept 1–2 inches below the secondary air tubes. Also position the fuel to leave space
so the air from the inlet can work down between the pieces of fuel. This reduces the time it takes for new fuel to burn properly.
1. When refueling, adjust air inlet control to the fully open position. When fire brightens, slowly and carefully open the door. This
procedure will prevent gases from igniting causing smoke and flame spillage.
2. When adding fuel be careful not to hit, bump or damage the ceramic baffle board located at the top of the firebox. Be careful
not to overload or over fire the stove.
3. When adding fuel be careful not to smother the fire. Do not build fires against glass and make sure the coal bed does not ob-
struct the air inlet. Do not load fuel to a height or in such a manner that it creates a hazard when opening the door.
4. Close the feed door and secure tightly.
5. Adjust the air inlet control as described above.
6. Empty ashes regularly. Do not allow ashes to pile up (see Safety Instructions #14 on page 2.)
7. Properly dispose of hot ashes (see Safety Instructions, item #14 on page 2.)
8. Do not over fire the stove (over firing is when any part of the stove exterior or chimney connections glow).

OPERATIONAL TIPS

Operational Tips for Good, Efficient, and Clean Combustion
• Get the appliance hot and establish a good coal bed before adjusting to a low burn rate (this may take 30 minutes or more
depending on your wood)
• Use smaller pieces of wood during start-up and a high burn rate to increase the stove temperature
• Be considerate of the environment and only burn dry wood
• Burn small, intense fires instead of large, slow burning fires when possible
• Learn your appliance's operating characteristics to obtain optimum performance
• Burning unseasoned wet wood only hurts your stoves efficiency and leads to accelerated creosote buildup in your chimney
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OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS