Building And Maintaining A Fire; Starting A Fire - Vermont Castings 1920 Installation & Operating Manual

Do not for any reason attempt to increase the firing of
your heater by altering the air control adjustment range
outlined in these directions.
Use the following air control settings as a starting point to help
determine the best settings for your installation. (Figure 8.1)
Aspen Control Settings:
Burn Rate
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
Figure 8.1 - Air inlet shutter settings; Low - Medium - High.
F. Building and Maintaining a Fire
Cast iron is extremely strong, but it can be broken with a sharp
blow from a hammer or from the thermal shock of rapid and
extreme temperature change.
The cast plates expand and contract with changes in
temperature. When you first begin using your Aspen, minimize
thermal stress by allowing the plates to adjust gradually during
three or four initial break-in fires following Steps 1-3.
BURN SOLID WOOD FUEL ONLY, AND BURN IT DIRECTLY
ON THE GRATE. DO NOT ELEVATE THE FUEL. DO NOT
BURN COAL OR OTHER FUELS.
!
OPERATE THIS STOVE ONLY WITH THE DOOR FULLY
CLOSED.
Save These Instructions
Primary Air Control
From 12:00
From 1:00
From 2:00
ST262
air inlet settings
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WARNING
Vermont Castings • Aspen 1920 Owner's Manual_R32 • 08/17
The Primary Air Inlet must be fully open when starting a
fire or when refueling.
Step 1 - Open the primary air control fully.
Step 2 - Place several sheets of crumpled newspaper in the
stove. Avoid using glossy or colored paper, as these burn
poorly. At the front of the firebox, place on the paper six or
eight pieces of dry kindling split to a finger-width size, and
on the kindling lay two or three larger sticks of split dry wood
approximately 1-2" (25-51 mm) in diameter.
Step 3 - Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually
build up the fire by adding a few 3-5" (80-120 mm) 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
500°F. (260°C) as measured on an optional 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 sustain 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 begins drawing.
NOTE: Effectiveness of a "top-down" method to start a fire.
Smoke emissions when starting a fire can be difficult to
control because the stove is not yet heated to its optimum
temperature. One method of reducing emissions during a
cold start-up is the use of a "top-down" kindling procedure.
In this, place larger pieces of kindling on the bottom of the
kindling pile followed by smaller and smaller pieces as the
pile is added to. Very finely split pieces should be on the top.
Figure 8.2 - Start a fire with small, dry kindling.
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starting a fire

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