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4 Operating Your Insert
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 insert 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 insert, 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 insert. Once the paint smell disappears,
your insert 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 Conventional Fire Starting
The conventional way to build a wood fire is to
bunch up 5 to 10 sheets of plain newspaper and
place them in the firebox. Next, place 10 or so
pieces of fine kindling on the newspaper. This
kindling should be very thin; less than 1" (25 mm).
Next, place some larger kindling pieces on the fine
kindling. Open the air control fully and light the
newspaper. If you have a tall, straight venting
system you should be able to close the door
immediately and the fire will ignite. Once the fire
has ignited, close the door and leave the air control
fully open.
A conventional kindling fire with paper
under finely split wood.
DO NOT LEAVE THE INSERT UNATTENDED WHEN THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY OPENED.
ALWAYS CLOSE AND LATCH THE DOOR AFTER THE FIRE IGNITES.
After the kindling fire has mostly burned, you can add standard firewood pieces until you have a
fire of the right size for the conditions.
Destination 1.5 Insert Installation and Operation Manual
16
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