Archgard 60-1600I - Manual (Page 19)

Chalet 1600I 19
INSERT AND CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE
It is very important to carefully maintain your Chalet 1600I
insert, including burning seasoned wood and maintaining a
clean insert and chimney system. Remove the fireplace in-
sert periodically for the purpose of inspection. Have the
chimney cleaned before the burning season and as neces-
sary during the season, as creosote deposits may build up
rapidly. Moving parts of your insert require no lubrication.
Have the chimney system cleaned when a significant
layer of creosote has accumulated (3 mm / ⅛" or more).
At the end of the heating season, have the chimney/
insert system inspected and if necessary cleaned/
maintained.
As a precaution, the chimney should be inspected at least
once every month during the heating season to determine if
creosote or soot has built up. Check spark arrestor screens
at least every 2 to 4 weeks. If creosote or soot has accumu-
lated, it should be cleaned or replaced to reduce the risk of
chimney fire.
Proper burning will leave the firebricks in the firebox a tan
color, never black. Steel parts in the firebox will be light to
dark brown, never black or shiny. Replace firebrick and
baffles as necessary.
WOOD
The efficiency and convenience of your wood-heating sys-
tem depend significantly on the quality of the fuel wood
you burn. The four main factors that influence how fire-
wood burns are piece size, wood condition, tree species
and moisture content. The moisture content of the wood
affects the rate at which it burns and the efficiency of
combustion. The wood moisture content of unseasoned
wood, can range between 35 and 60 percent by weight.
Wood that is this wet is hard to ignite and slow to burn. It
also hisses and sizzles in the firebox. It combusts poorly
and produces large amounts of air pollutants. Energy
from the burning fire is used to boil off the moisture,
which reduces efficiency. Wet wood is the most common
problem with wood heating. If you think you have a
problem with your insert's performance, check the dry-
ness of your fuel first. Properly seasoned wood ignites
readily, flames easily and burns efficiently.
The size of the firewood pieces affects the rate of com-
bustion. Large pieces ignite and release their energy
slower than small pieces. Smaller, more finely split pieces
are better for short, hot fires, while larger pieces suit ex-
tended firing cycles. The largest piece of wood for your
Chalet 1600I should be no more than about 15 cm (6 in.)
across and 18” long.
Another factor that affects how firewood burns is the
wood's condition. Wood that has been lying on the
ground or has been cut too long ago and starting to rot, will be difficult to burn. Store two or three days' supply of
wood indoors, making sure that it is clean and dry. In
winter, when you bring wood directly in from the cold out-
doors and immediately load it into the appliance, it may
initially cool the fire and prevent proper combustion. Re-
member, storing wet wood indoors could create mould in-
side the house, so you should limit the amount of wood that
you store inside.
Several tree species are used for firewood, and those you
choose will affect your wood-burning system. The energy
content of wood per dry kilogram (i.e., per unit of weight)
is similar regardless of species (approximately 8,600 BTU/
lb at 15% moisture content). However, the energy output
from each piece of wood (weight per unit volume) of vari-
ous species differs widely. Wood is generally sold by vol-
ume (cords), which means the energy per cord can differ
widely among different species of wood. In general, hard-
woods like maple and oak are denser and have more
energy per piece than soft-woods such as pine, spruce
and cedar.
Burn only dry seasoned wood. Store wood under cover, out
of the rain and snow. Well-seasoned wood will not only
minimize the chance of creosote formation, but will give you
the most efficient fire. Even dry wood contains under 20%
moisture by weight and should be burned hot enough to dry
the wood out. The ARCHGARD CHALET 1600I high-
efficiency Wood Fireplace Insert burns both hardwood
and softwood equally well.
Dead wood lying on the forest floor should be considered
wet, and requires full seasoning time. Standing dead wood
can be considered to be about two-thirds seasoned. The
best way to tell if wood is dry enough to burn, is to use a
moisture meter. If your wood sizzles in the fire, even
though the surface is dry, it may not be fully seasoned.
Splitting wood before it is stored reduces drying time.
Wood should be stacked so that both ends of each piece
are exposed to air, since more drying occurs through the
cut ends than the sides. This is true even with wood that
has been split.
Store wood off the ground , under cover, such as in a shed,
or covered with a tarp, plastic, tar paper, sheets of scrap
plywood, etc., as uncovered wood can absorb water from
rain or snow. Also, leave the sides exposed to the air to
make sure that air can flow around the woodpile so that
there will be no delaying the seasoning process.