Lighting Fires - Enerzone EB00041 Installation And Operation Manual

As hotter and hotter fires are burnt, more of the painted surfaces reach the curing temperature
of the paint. The smell of curing paint does not disappear until one or two very hot fires have
been burnt.

4.4 Lighting Fires

Each person heating with wood develops its own favorite way to light fires. Whichever method
is chosen, the goal should be to get a hot fire burning, quickly. A fire who ignites fast produces
less smoke and deposits less creosote in the chimney. Here are three popular and effective ways
to ignite wood fires.
4.4.1 Conventional Method
The conventional method to build a wood fire is to bunch up 5 to 10
sheets of newspaper and place them in the firebox. Next, a dozen
pieces of fine kindling are placed on the newspaper. This kindling
should be very thin; less than 1 inch thick (25 mm). Then, larger
kindling pieces are placed on the fine kindling. The air control fully
open, the newspaper is lit. With a tall and straight venting system
the door can be closed immediately and the fire will ignite. Once
the fire has ignited, the door can be closed with the air control still
fully open. When the kindling is almost completely burned, standard
firewood pieces can be added until the fire is the right size for the
weather.
DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY OPENED.
ALWAYS CLOSE AND LATCH THE DOOR AFTER THE FIRE IGNITES.
4.4.2 The Top Down Method
The top down method solves two problems encountered when using the conventional method:
first, the fire does not collapse on itself and smother as it burns; and second, it is not necessary
to build up the fire gradually since the firebox is loaded before the fire is lit. A top down fire can
burn for two hours or more. The top down method works properly only if well-seasoned wood
is used.
Three or four full-sized split pieces of dry firewood are placed in the firebox. Then, 4 or 5 more
finely split pieces of firewood (2" to 3" [50 mm to 75 mm] in diameter) are placed on the top of
the logs at right angles (log cabin style). Next, a dozen of finely split kindling are placed on the
second layer at right angles.
The fire is topped with 5 sheets of newspaper, stuffed in between the kindling, under the baffle.
Knots can be made in the newspaper by rolling up single sheets corner to corner and tying a
knot in them. The advantage of knots is that they don't roll off the fire as they burn. Newspaper
is lit and the fire burns from top to bottom.
4.4.3 Two Parallel Logs Method
Two spit logs are placed in the firebox with a few sheets of twisted newspaper in between the
logs. Fine kindling is added across the two logs and some larger kindling across those, log cabin
style. Newspaper is lit.
Installation and Operation Manual - Solution 2.3 Page 21