User Manual

• All fuels need the presence of oxygen to burn. The more oxygen a fire gets the hotter

and faster it will burn. When, where and how air is introduced into a firebox of a stove

will greatly influence the heat output, burning rate, fuel efficiency and impact on the

environment.

• Wood needs to be seasoned (left for at least one year after cutting) prior to burning in

the stove. As a fuel it gives a good flame and a reasonably high heat output, the burn

rate is high and will vary considerably depending on size and species.

• Wood requires combustion air to be directed down onto it (down draught) to burn

most efficiently.

4.5 Principles of combustion

There are 3 stages in the burning of wood.

Drying out. When a piece of wood enters the firebox it will stay below the boiling

point of water (100 C) until all the moisture has been driven out. Between 150

– 200

degrees C wood begins to give off volatile gases, some of these will burn while others

will mix with the carbon dioxide and water vapour and be carried out the chimney as

smoke

In the second stage of combustion temperatures must reach 600 C for the gases to

start burning off. This will only occur with the right amount of air and heat leading to

higher efficiencies. These gases burn as a yellow flame above the wood.

Charcoal is left once all the gases have been burnt off. The charcoal contains at least

half of the woods heat potential, at this stage the fire will burn more slowly and

without flame requiring less air.

• The secondary combustion air supply on your stove provides the air necessary for

burning off the volatile gases.

• It is important to burn wood in complete loads, this will ensure all the wood in the

load is at the same stage of combustion as much as possible. By doing this the

firebox temperature will stay in the gas burning stage for longer making the stove

more efficient and cleaner burning.

• Your Chilli Billie has been designed to burn wood efficiently. It is not advised to try

and keep a wood fire in overnight. When the air controls are put on a low setting,

logs can smoulder burn inefficiently, releasing harmful emissions into the

atmosphere.