Specifications

Hercules Boiler Model 16
NON RECOMMENDED FUELS
• Wood off cuts and building materials must not be used as fuel at any
time. Off cuts can contain chemicals etc that accelerate the burn
rate or produce excessive tar deposits and on some occasions
harmful gases.
The fuels below are suitable for open fires and therefore are not
recommended to burn in a closed appliance.
• Premium Coal
• House Coal
• Premium Doubles
• Coal and Doubles Blend
• Triple Heat
• Lignite Nuggets
• Rough Slack
• Peat Briguettes
• Turf
Only authorised smokeless fuels may be used in smoke control areas.
Under NO circumstances burn ‘petroleum coke’ or ‘House Coal’ as it will burn
out the internal grate and baffle plates in a very short period of time and may
damage the stove beyond repair.
Only burn dry, seasoned wood. This will give a good heat yield and help to keep
the glass clean. A growing tree contains 50-95% water. Burning unseasoned wood
turns most of the energy released into water vapour which goes into the flue and
little heat is given off to the room. The moisture will combine with other combustion
products forming a sticky surface and the risk of obstruction, or worse still a chimney
fire, is greater. Wood logs are best stored in a stack, sheltered from the weather, in
a well ventilated area and raised off the ground. This allows the air to circulate and
prevents mildew.
Starting and Maintaining the Fire
Do not use gasoline, lighter fluid, Kerosene or other flammable liquids to
start or rekindle the fire for obvious safety reasons.
Build a fire directly on the grate with crumpled newspaper, kindling wood and/or
commercially available “firelighters”. Do not allow single pieces of paper to float
up the chimney especially alight. This is a common cause of a chimney fire and
can cause structural damage to the property. Ensure all air controls (primary and
secondary) are fully open to begin with as shown in the pictures above. When the
kindling is burning well, add larger pieces of wood or solid fuel to gradually increase
the size of the fire. The stove will work more efficiently with the main door closed as
you will be able to control the combustion air and the rate of fuel burning. It is not
recommended to operate the stove with the fuel loading door open other than to
load fuel. When alight the loading door handle and the ash pan handle will become
very hot. Please use the glove provided to avoid touching hot parts.
There are IMPORTANT differences in the method of operation for burning solid fuel
or wood in your stove. Please read both sections even if only one fuel type is
relevant to you.