Burning Wood Logs - Hi-Flame Alpha II AL907-SE Instruction Manual

BURNING WOOD LOGS

As previously stated wood burns best
on a bed of its own embers which also
forms a barrier that reflects heat and
protects the fire grate from being
damaged. You can therefore leave a
bed of ash in place to create a layer of
approximately 25mm (1"), only
occasionally removing the surplus ash.
The end grain of the wood produces
more of the remaining moisture and
gases so whenever possible point the
log ends away from the glass to help
keep the glass clean.
Fuel Load The logs should be
approximately 325 – 350mm (13" –
14") long and a typical fuel load should
weigh 1.5 – 1.75kg (3.3lb – 3.8lb).
To get the best out of your stove,
ideally you will need three different
thicknesses of wood log as you build
the fire through each lighting phase:
The recommended maximum fuel load: Photo
shows a typical loosely stacked fuel load of
approximately 1.75kg of fully seasoned wood logs
approx 350mm (14") long by 75 – 100mm thick
Alpha II Handbook Non-Defra.indd 16-17
1 Kindling This is generally finely
chopped wood, approximately 5 to
10mm thick (1/4" to 1/2") from your
supply of logs. Alternatively use dried
twigs or small branches which have also
been fully seasoned
2 Lighting Logs These are slightly
bigger diameter logs, approximately
25 to 50mm (1" to 2")
3 Refuelling Logs These should be
approximately 75 to 100mm thick (3"
to 4"). Bigger logs should be split down
to this size
Lighting a Wood Fire
The main difference between smoke
and flame is temperature, so when
lighting a fire you need to get the
temperature in the firechamber as high
as possible as quickly as possible. This
is also critical in creating a good 'draw'
within the flue system, especially when
it is particularly cold outside.
When flue gas temperatures are below
120°C, creosote tars form within the
gases and the fire will be smoky and
burn with a dull orange flame. Burning
the stove like this for a sustained period
will create unnecessary smoke and not
be good for the chimney or flue system.
1 The Lighting Phase
For best results:
Primary Air – fully open
Secondary Air – fully open
Door – slightly ajar (optional)
Avoid trying to light the fire with
excessive amounts of paper as this
has a very high ash content which can
'smother' the ash bed. If you have good
dry kindling or sticks then paper should
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B
A
Use the tool provided to adjust the Secondary air
control A – moving it to the left hand side will
reduce the air supply and 'slow' the fire down. B
is Primary air – move clockwise to close
not be needed at all.
The size of the logs used at each stage
is also important. If the kindling wood is
too large this will not light well and will
be slow to get started. Two handfuls of
smaller pieces of kindling (equivalent
to the weight of typical log) layered in
a criss-cross or 'wig-wam' and a small
firelighter will get the fire well
established and up to operating
temperature quickly.
If you feel you have a weak chimney
draught, then keeping the stove door
slightly ajar for the first 10 – 15
minutes will assist, after which it should
be closed. This will also help prevent the
build-up of condensation on the door
glass until the glass warms up,
especially if you have not used the stove
for a few days.
During the lighting phase the Primary
and Secondary air settings on the stove
should be fully open.
2 The First Refuel Phase
For best results:
After 10 minutes
Primary Air – close completely
Secondary Air – fully open
Door – closed
Once the embers are starting to glow
and the flames start to calm down the
first refuelling can take place. For this
stage use slightly larger pieces of wood
than the lighting wood – but smaller
than the main refuelling wood in the
next phase. The reason for this is that
the embers from the kindling wood are
small and will not hold a high
temperature for too long.
If unnecessarily large pieces of wood
are placed on the embers at this stage
and do not ignite well there is a risk
that the firebox will cool down and the
wood start to smoke. When the first
refuelling wood is burning well (say,
after about 10 minutes from the start)
the Primary air can be completely shut.
3 The Main Firing Phase
For best results:
After 17 or 18 minutes –
Secondary Air – adjust to suit
Primary Air – remains closed
Door – remains closed
Once the embers of the first refuel
phase are glowing then these can be
evenly spread with a poker or
companion tool and the main
refuelling wood can be quickly set.
Wood burns best if the flames have
other wood to 'play off'. For example a
single dense piece of wood or log will
not burn as well as 2 or 3 smaller logs
of equivalent mass. The more contact
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