Vermont Castings Montpelier Homeowner's Installation & Operating Manual page 11

Starting and Maintaining a Wood Fire
Burn solid wood fuel only in the Montpelier Medium
Insert, and burn it directly on the grate. Do not
elevate the fuel. Do not burn coal or other fuels.
Cast iron is a superior material for solid fuel stoves but
it must be treated with respect. It is extremely strong,
but can be broken with a sharp blow from a hammer
or from the thermal shock of rapid and extreme tem-
perature changes. It is important to temper the cast iron
plates with an initial series of 3-4 break-in fires. The
plates expand and contract with changes in tempera-
ture. Minimize thermal stress by allowing the plates to
adjust gradually during the break-in fires by following
Steps 1-3 on the following page.
WARNING: Operate your Montpelier Medium Insert
only with the door fully closed. If the door is left
partially open, gas and flame may be drawn out of
the fireplace opening, creating risks of both fire and
smoke.
Follow these guidelines as you start and maintain the
fire, and remove the ashes. Prior to starting a fire with a
cold stove, it is recommended to clear the lower pri-
mary air holes located under the front brick. To do this,
remove the andiron and lift out the front refractory brick.
Sweep any ash accumulation out of the three (3) air
slots. Keeping these slots clear of ash will ensure better
performance.
1. Open the primary air control fully.
2. Lay some crumpled newspapers in the bottom.
Place on the paper six or eight pieces of dry, finely-
split kindling. On the kindling lay two or three larger
sticks of split dry wood approximately 1-2" (25-50
mm).
Do not use chemicals or fluids to start the fire. Do
not burn garbage or flammable fluids such as gaso-
line, naptha, or engine oil. Also, never use gaso-
line-type lantern fuel, kerosene, charcoal lighter
fluid, or similar liquids to start or "freshen up" a fire
in this heater. Keep all such liquids well away from
the heater while it is in use.
3. Light the newspaper and close the door. Gradually
build up the fire by adding a few 3-5" (76 -127 mm)
diameter splits.
If this is your initial break-in fire, let the fire burn brightly,
but not to excess. Control the fire's intensity by adjust-
ing the air control lever. After an hour or so stop adding
wood so that the fire dies out gradually.
For ongoing operation after the initial break-in, continue
to add a few sticks at a time of a progressively larger
size. Be sure to keep the fuel load behind the front
grate bar at all times. Continue until you have a live
ember bed at least 3-4" (76 - 102 mm) deep. This may
take an hour or longer, particularly when the Montpelier
30004403
Medium Insert is vented to an exterior masonry chim-
ney or when you are just starting a fire.
You'll soon find that the insert is HOT WHILE IN OPER-
ATION! KEEP CHILDREN, CLOTHING, AND FURNI-
TURE AWAY. CONTACT MAY CAUSE SKIN BURNS.
NOTE: Some chimneys need to be "primed," or
warmed up, before they will draw sufficiently to start
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
doors. This should heat the chimney enough to initiate
a draft.
Once the draft is established, open the front door and
light the rest of the fuel from the bottom. Do not light the
main bed of fuel until the chimney begins drawing, and
repeat the procedure as often as necessary if the initial
attempt is unsuccessful.
4. Once a good ember bed of at least 3-4" (76 - 102
mm) has formed, add the desired amount of wood
and close the primary air control to a medium-low
setting. The fire volume will diminish immediately,
but the Montpelier Medium Insert will continue to
heat up. Maintain control of the fire using the primary
air control, and remember: reduce the setting for
less heat, increase the setting for more heat. Refer
to the air control settings chart on Page 10 for rec-
ommended settings at different burn rates.
Do not over-fire this heater.
Overfiring may cause a house fire, or can result in
permanent damage to the stove. If an exterior part
of the Montpelier Medium Insert glows, you are
overfiring.
Reloading and Reviving a Wood Fire
Set the air control on "High," and wait at least fifteen
seconds for the draft to increase. Turn the convection
blower off. Open the door slowly.
Check the ash level, and remove excess ash. Three (3)
primary air holes located under the front brick provide
air to the coal bed. (Fig. 11) These holes should be
cleared of ash for proper performance.
Add the fuel, smaller pieces first. If it is necessary to
use wood smaller than the 18" (460 mm) optimum size,
be sure to fill the firebox as completely as possible
by loading the wood pieces alternately on the left and
right. Split wood will fill the firebox more completely and
reduce the frequency of reloading.
If you have an ember bed of at least 2-3" (51 - 76 mm),
the air setting may not need to be adjusted. If the em-
ber bed is less than 2-3" (51 - 76 mm), you may have
to leave the air setting on high for a few minutes until
flames appear.
Finally, adjust the air control and fan speed for your
desired heat level.
Montpelier Medium Insert
11