Maintaining The Fire - Osburn 2000 Owner's Manual

3.5

MAINTAINING THE FIRE

Once the wood has been consumed (or partially consumed) and you have obtained a good bed of
embers, you should reload the unit. In order to do so, open the air control to its maximum for
approximately 15 seconds prior to opening the stove door. Then, proceed by opening the door very
slowly. Open it by 2" to 4" (52 to 104 mm) for 10 to 15 seconds before opening it completely. This
procedure will increase the draft and thus eliminate the smoke which is stagnant in a state of slow
combustion in the stove. Then, bring the red embers to the front of the stove and reload the unit.
Depending on the type of wood you burn and the strength of the draft in your flue, you may
have to leave the air control open to its maximum for more than 15 seconds to avoid smoke
spillage before you reload the stove.
Your Osburn 2000 wood stove will work best if a thick bed of hot embers is maintained in the
bottom of the firebox, and a minimum of two large pieces of seasoned fuel are added. Combustion
efficiency is largely related to establishing a hot ember bed, and hot firebox temperatures. The
quicker the stove and chimney (flue) get up to normal operating temperatures, the better. A small
intense fire is preferred to a large smouldering fire, both to improve combustion efficiency and to
reduce the amount of creosote build-up. The best performance will be obtained by adding relatively
small amounts of fuel to a well established ember bed, and then operating with the air inlet control
open long enough to achieve a hot fire. The wood should be placed with air in between individual
pieces. Use a poker to make an air channel in the embers below the wood. This will allow air to flow
under the wood for a more efficient burn.
In order to achieve an optimum efficiency from your unit, we suggest that you operate it with the air
control slightly open (approximately 10%). Make sure that you have a good fire going and an
adequate ember bed before you completely close the air control. Use a chimney thermometer if
necessary. Closing the air control too soon will lower combustion efficiency and may cause the fire
to die out. The addition of a blower (if not already included) is highly recommended to maximize
your unit's efficiency.
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