Breckwell W3000 - Manual (Page 11)

MAXIMIZING YOUR STOVES EFFICIENCY
Heat transfer can be enhanced by slowing the rate of incoming combustion air, allowing more time for heat to be transferred in to your
home. Slowing the rate of incoming air also slows the rate of exhaust going up the chimney and carrying heat away with it. To achieve this,
always thoroughly preheat your stove before closing the damper.
The following are some tips for getting the most out of your stove:
1.
Always thoroughly preheat your stove before slowing the burn rate (closing the damper).
2. Always operate your stove as much as possible in the low to medium burn rates.
3. Temperature measurements taken from the hottest point on the stove, on the top or face, can be used to repeat burn rates.
4. Do not continually operate your stove with the damper wide open. This can damage your stove and chimney. It is a waste of wood, and
is very inefficient causing excessive heat loss through the chimney.
5. Periodically go outside and check your chimney. More than a very small amount of smoke indicates wasted heat, creosote build up and
pollution.
6. Do not set the damper so low as to completely extinguish the flames in the firebox. Check for at least some flames 20 minutes after
setting the damper. Adjust if needed.
ACHIEVING LONG, CLEAN BURNS
It is important to realize that stove technology and design have changed over the years, as well as proper operation. In older
stoves the mind set was to get the stove as hot as possible before setting the damper on low for long burns. This no longer
applies to your new Breckwell stove. It is still important to have the stove hot enough to burn efficiently, but this will now take less
pre-heating than older stoves. After some initial experimentation, you will be able to determine the optimum operating
temperatures for various burn rates. Breckwell wood stoves are emission tested to EPA standards with the damper fully closed for
low burn rates Whether or not you should burn your stove with the damper completely closed will depend on the following
factors:
• Moisture content and type of wood.
•
How you load your wood.
•
Your chimney system.
•
The temperature of the stove.
After thoroughly pre-heating the stove, using a stove/chimney thermometer, monitor the temperature on the top of the stove. Use 325
degrees as a starting point. When the top reaches the target temperature, close the damper all the way in. If the flames go completely out,
open the damper all the way and then slowly close until there is a small amount of flame. Remember to check the stove in twenty minutes
after adjusting the damper as it takes this long for the stove to stabilize. There should still be some small flames on or above the wood.
Try varying the target temperature in increments of 25 degrees. If the stove is burning the wood too quickly, use a lower temperature. If
there are no flames in the firebox after a few minutes, use a higher temperature. You may need to burn the stove with the damper fully open
for a few minutes before setting for a low burn. Never smolder a fire during a long burn. Check your chimney for large amounts of smoke as
this indicates poor combustion.
Experiment with different loading methods. Fresh wood should be loaded towards the rear of the firebox, while bringing half-burned wood
towards the front. If the new wood does not ignite within a few minutes, try crisscrossing the wood to allow for more airflow around the wood.
OPERATION 11