Napoleon Fireplaces NZ-26WI - Manual (Page 16)

W415-0585 / B / 11.28.06
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For maximum efficiency, when the fireplace is thoroughly
hot, load it fully to the top of the door opening and burn at a
medium low setting. The bricks will be nearly all white and
the glass mostly clear. The whiteness of the bricks and the
cleanness of the glass are good indicators of your operating
efficiency.
Not enough heat is produced when only one or two pieces of
wood are burned. A minimum of three pieces are needed to
encase a bed of coals that sustains the fire. Loosely stacked
wood burns quicker than a tightly packed load.
Wood burns in cycles rather than giving a steady output of
heat. It is best to plan these cycles around your household
routine so that only enough coals are left to start the next
load. In the evening, load your fireplace, at least, a half-hour
before bed to ensure the fire is hot enough to close the draft
control for an overnight burn.
Burn only dry seasoned wood. It produces more heat and
less soot or creosote. Do not burn ocean beach wood. Its
salt content can produce a metal eating acid. When refueling
open the door slowly to prevent smoke spillage. use a pair
of long fireplace gloves when feeding the fire. Keep a small
steel shovel nearby to use as a poker and to remove ashes.
Do not store wood within 3 feet (1m) of the fireplace.
FLASH FIRES: A flash fire is a small fire burned quickly when
you don't need much heat. After your kindling has "caught",
load at least  pieces of wood, stacked loosely. Burn with the
draft control fully open or closed only slightly.
EXTENDED FIRE: Load your larger pieces of wood com-
pactly, packed close enough to prevent the flames from
penetrating it completely. After approximately 0 minutes,
depending on the size of the load, close the draft control
completely making sure that the fire is not extinguished.
DO NOT OVERFIRE THE FIREPLACE! Overfiring can occur
by: a) burning large amounts of smaller wood pieces such as
furniture scraps, skids or treated wood; b) vigorously burning
large loads of wood with the draft control on "HIGH" (fully
open) for long periods of time (one or two hours).
FUEL LOADING AND BURN CYCLE
Remove all source of gasoline or other flammable
vapours and liquids in the vicinity of this or other
appliances prior to lighting. Ensure that the top
firebricks and fibre baffles are in place and not
lifted up.
When first installed, the fireplace and the steel are cold and
must become hot before the fireplace will function well. During
the break-in period (the first 2 or 3 fires) create only small, hot
fires using kindling; this will allow the firebrick to cure. Do not
be alarmed if small hairline cracks develop in the firebrick.
This is a normal occurrence and does not pose a safety
hazard. The paint may also smell a little for the first few fires
as it cures and you may wish to open a door or window to
alleviate the smell.
To start, a brisk fire is required. Place loosely crumpled paper
on the floor of the fireplace behind the log retainer and cover
with dry kindling. Open the draft control fully by moving the
lever to "HIGH". Light the paper and leave the door slightly
ajar (one inch) until all kindling is burning. To maintain a brisk
fire, a hot coal bed must be established and maintained.
Slowly add larger wood (2x4 size pieces). Lay the pieces
lengthwise from side to side in the hot coal bed with a shallow
trench between, so that the primary air can flow directly into
this trench and ignite the fuel above. When the fire seems to
be at its peak, medium sized logs may be added. Once these
logs have caught fire, carefully close the door.
Closing the door too quickly after refueling will reduce
the firebox temperature and result in an unsatisfactory
burn.
Remember it is more efficient to burn medium sized wood,
briskly, and refuel frequently than to load the fireplace with
large logs that result in a smouldering, inefficient fire and
dirty glass.
As soon as the door is closed, you will observe a change in the
flame pattern. The flames will get smaller and lazier because
less oxygen is getting into the combustion chamber. The
flames, however, are more efficient. The flames will remain
lazy but become larger again as soon as the firebricks have
been heated thoroughly and the chimney becomes heated
and provides a good draft. At this point, the roaring fire that
you see when the door is opened is wastefully drawing heated
room air up the chimney -- certainly not desirable. So always
operate with the door fully closed once the medium sized logs
have caught fire.
You can now add larger pieces of wood and operate the fire-
place normally. Once the fireplace is entirely hot, it will burn
very efficiently with little smoke from the chimney. There will
be a bed of orange coals in the firebox and secondary flames
flickering just below the top of the firebox. You can safely fill
the firebox with wood to the top of the door.
Can't get the stove operating? use more kindling and pa-
per. Assuming the chimney and vent are sized correctly and
there is sufficient combustion air, the lack of sufficiently dry
quantities of
small kindling is the problem. Thumb size is a
good gauge for small kindling diameter.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Can't get heat out of the stove? One of two things may
have happened. The fireplace door may have been closed
prematurely and the fireplace itself has not reached optimum
temperature. Re-open the door and/or draft control to re-
establish a brisk fire. The other problem may have been wet
wood. The typical symptom is sizzling wood and moisture
being driven from the wood.