Operating Your Stove; Your First Fires; Lighting Fires; The Top Down Fire - Drolet DB03105 Installation And Operation Manual

Report prepared for: Guillaume Thibodeau-Fortin (Stove Builder International Inc.) on 12/1/2017 8:00:00 AM
100 - Owner's manual ESCAPE 1800 (16 of 59)
Installation and Operation Manual for Escape 1800

4 Operating Your Stove

4.1 Your First Fires

Two things will happen as you burn your first few fires; the paint cures and the internal
components of the stove are conditioned.
As the paint cures, some of the chemicals vaporize. The vapors are not poisonous, but
they do smell bad. Fresh paint fumes can also cause false alarms in smoke detectors. So,
when you first light your stove, be prepared by opening doors and/or windows to ventilate
the house. As you burn hotter and hotter fires, more of the painted surfaces reach the
curing temperature of the paint. The smell of curing paint does not disappear until you
have burned one or two very hot fires.
Burn one or two small fires to begin the curing and conditioning process. Then build bigger
and hotter fires until there is no longer any paint smell from the stove. Once the paint smell
disappears, your stove is ready for serious heating.

4.2 Lighting Fires

Each person who heats with wood develops their own favorite way to light fires. Whatever
method you choose, your goal should be to get a hot fire burning quickly. A fire that starts
fast produces less smoke and deposits less creosote in the chimney. Here are three
popular and effective ways to start wood fires.
4.2.1 BEST PRACTICE : The Top Down Fire
The top down fire starting method solves two problems with the conventional method: first,
it does not collapse and smother itself as it burns; and second, it's cleaner. The top down
method only works properly if the wood is well-seasoned.
Start by crisscrossing six medium-sized (2-3 inches) pieces of dry firewood in the firebox.
Crisscross around 10 finely split and dry kindling (0.5 to 1 in) leaving air space between
the pieces. Then put at least 5 news paper sheets to the top of the pieces. The best way to
have your ignition clean and environmentally friendly is to roll the news papers to make a
long cylinder, then to make 2 knots with it. The goal is to have the news papers as
compact as possible to make it burn slowly. After the ignition of the news paper, let the
door open of 1 inch for 5-10 minutes. The air control should be open. Let burn until you
have a good coal bed. You are now ready for the main load.
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