Specifications

16 EMPYRE ELITE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL • 2011
OPERATION
Understanding the Gasication Process of
the Empyre Elite Wood Furnace
Wood gasication is an amazingly clean burning and
efcient process! It is a process where much of the
solid fuel is converted to gases. These gases ignite
and burn along with the solid fuel. A large percentage
of wood is converted into gases. In order to burn these
gases there must be the right amount of air, as well as
temperaturesofwellover1000ºF(538ºC).Gasication
is accomplished in the Empyre Elite furnace because:
a)airowisengineeredtoprovidethecorrectamountof
underreandoverreair.Thissettingiscalibratedfor
burning seasoned wood;
b) temperatures high enough to burn the gases are
reachedintheinsulatedchamberbelowtherewood.
Akeyfactorinthegasicationprocessisthewooditself,
the type of wood, the moisture content, diameter, length
andplacementintherebox.TheEmpyreElitefurnace
isnotdifculttooperateusingseasonedwoodandby
using the following guide it will also work well even when
using less than ideal wood.
The gases in the wood are released when the wood
surfaceisexposedtothere.Themoresurfaceareaof
a piece of wood that is exposed and the drier the wood
is, the faster the gases are released. Example: A small
DRYpieceofburningrewoodwillreleasegasesmuch
fasterthanalargeWETpieceofrewood.
Scenario 1: in the case of the small DRY piece of
rewoodwhich hasa lot ofexposedsurfacearea,the
gasesarereleased rapidlyandthe reburns veryhot
but it is starving for air due to the high volume of gases.
This will eventually create smoke.
Scenario2:inthecaseofthelargepieceofWETrewood
that, in proportion to its mass, has little surface area
and will release gases slowly. In this case there is too
muchair.Theairisnowcoolingthereresultinginblue
smoke and very little heat.
Generally speaking, when burning extremely dry
rewood, pieces should be over 5” (12.7 cm) in
diameter. If using high moisture wood, use pieces that
are less than 5” (12.7 cm) in diameter. It is good to mix
the dry and wet wood when possible. When using the
recommended seasoned wood, where the moisture
content is between 19% and 25%, the diameter of the
wood is not that important.
Scenario 1 is also created when stirring a hot re.
Scenario 2 is also created when rewood is tooshort
inrelationtothelengthoftherebox.Correctlengthof
rewoodfortheEmpyreElite100is18”-25”(45.7cm-
63.5 cm), the Elite 200 is 20” - 28” (50.8 cm - 71.2 cm).
Stack wood pieces side by side. If pieces are short
place them end to end making one long piece. Firewood
should be centered front to back over the brick slots.
Scenario 2 is also created when wood bridges in the
rebox.Thisisoftenduetowoodwithhighmoisture
or lack of careful placement of the wood. Scenario 2
is also created when starting up a cold furnace. Only
a small amount of wood is burning with a lot of excess
air.
Identifying Smoke Verses Condensation
Mostly the exhaust from the chimney will be clear. There are
times soon after loading the furnace when a gray vapour
may appear. This vapour disappears soon after leaving the
chimney. This vapour is moisture being released from the
wood. Smoke is more blue in colour and will not disappear
as quickly as the gray vapour. On a cold winter day what
looks like smoke may only be vapour.
Loading Wood into the Firebox
1. The right time to add wood is when there still is a good
layer of charcoal or wood left, but not so much that it
isdifculttostir.
2. Using the ash rake, gently pull the charcoal away from
the back of the rebox. Stir the charcoal sufciently
so that ash falls down through the brick slot. Always
ensure that the brick slots are not blocked by ash
buildup.Placewoodintotherebox,DONOTthrow,as
this may damage the brick lining.
Correct:
Thereboxshouldbeloadedwith
wood of proper length. This will
lengthen the burn time.
Incorrect:
Thereboxlooselylledwithirreg-
ular pieces of wood will decrease
burn time and may cause unneces-
sary bridging.