Testing Your Wood; Fueling Instructions - Breckwell SW500 Operation Manual

in the fire, even though the surface is dry, it may not be
fully cured and should be seasoned longer. It is EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT that you use DRY WOOD only in your wood
stove. The wood should have dried for 9 to 15 months,
such that the humidity content (in weight) is reduced below
20% of the weight of the log. It is very important to keep
in mind that even if the wood has been cut for one, two,
or even more years, it is not necessarily dry, if it has been
stored in poor conditions. Under extreme conditions, it may
rot instead of drying. This point cannot be overstressed; the
vast majority of the problems related to the operation of a
wood stove is caused by the fact that the wood used was
too damp or had dried in poor conditions. These problems
can be:
• ignition problems
• creosote build-up causing chimney fires
• low energy yield
• blackened windows
• incomplete log combustion
Do not burn manufactured logs made of wax
impregnated sawdust or logs with any chemical
additives. Manufactured logs made of 100%
compressed sawdust can be burned, but be careful burning
too much of these logs at the same time. Start with one
manufactured log and see how the stove reacts. You can
increase the number of logs burned at a time but make sure
the temperature never rises higher than 475 °F (246 °C)
on a magnetic thermometer for installation on single wall
stove pipes. The thermometer should be placed about 18"
(457 mm) above the stove. Higher temperatures can lead to
overheat and damage your stove.

TESTING YOUR WOOD

• When the stove is thoroughly warmed, place one piece of
split wood (about five inches in diameter) parallel to the
door on the bed of red embers.
• Keep the air control fully open and close the door.
If the wood ignites within 90 seconds from the time it
was placed in the stove, your wood is correctly dried. If
ignition takes longer, your wood is damp.
• If your wood hisses and water or vapor escapes at
the ends of the piece, your wood is soaked or freshly
cut (green). Do not use this wood in your stove. Large
amounts of creosote could be deposited in your chimney,
creating potential conditions for a chimney fire.
TAMPER WARNING
This wood heater has a manufacturer-set minimum low burn
rate that must not be altered. It is against federal regulations
© 2023 Breckwell Hearth
OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS
to alter this setting or otherwise operate this wood heater
in a manner inconsistent with operating instructions in this
manual.
EFFICIENCIES
Efficiencies can be based on either the lower heating value
(LHV) or the higher heating value (HHV) of the fuel. The
lower heating value is when water leaves the combustion
process as a vapor, in the case of woodstoves the moisture
in the wood being burned leaves the stove as a vapor. The
higher heating value is when water leaves the combustion
process completely condensed. In the case of woodstoves
this would assume the exhaust gases are room temperature
when leaving the system, and therefore calculations using
this heating value consider the heat going up the chimney
as lost energy. Therefore, efficiency calculated using the
lower heating value of wood will be higher than efficiency
calculated using the higher heating value. The best way
to achieve optimum efficiencies is to learn the burn
characteristic of you appliance and burn well-seasoned
wood. Higher burn rates are not always the best heating
burn rates; after a good fire is established a lower burn rate
may be a better option for efficient heating. A lower burn
rate slows the flow of usable heat out of the home through
the chimney, and it also consumes less wood.
NOTICE - INITIAL BURNS TO CURE PAINT
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH OPERATING TEMPERATURES,
THIS APPLIANCE IS COATED WITH A SPECIAL HIGH TEMP
PAINT WHICH REQUIRES A SERIES OF LOW TO MEDIUM
BURNS TO FULLY CURE FOR DURABILITY AND A LIFETIME
OF SERVICE.
Proper curing of the high-temp paint requires a series of
three initial burns. The appliance should be allowed to cool
off between each burn. The first two burns should be small
fires and low temperatures (250°F) for a duration of 20
minutes each. The third fire should be at a temperature of
approximately 500°F for 20 minutes. Provide adequate
cross ventilation to clear any smoke or odor caused by
initial firings.
Notice: Use solid wood fuel only! Do not burn garbage,
or flammable fluids. Do not use coal. This appliance is not
designed to accommodate the air flow (draft) required to
properly burn coal or coal products. Do not elevate the fire
using grates or irons. Build the fire directly on the firebrick.

FUELING INSTRUCTIONS

This wood stove has been certified by the US EPA to meet strict
2020 guidelines. To ensure this unit produces the optimal
minimum emissions it is critical that only well-seasoned
cordwood is burned (see the "Fuel Recommendations"
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