Esse 525 Stove Installation Guide

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525-500VISTA-I07-300719
TYPES OF WOOD FOR FUEL
For best results, use well-seasoned hardwood such as Oak, Ash or Beech. Allow wood to
dry out under cover in well-ventilated conditions for at least twelve months. As a rough
guide wood is ready for burning when radial cracks appear in the end of logs. Properly dry
wood means it should have a moisture content of between15%-20% which can only be
accurately measured using a moisture meter. Burning wood that is not seasoned will
result in tar being deposited in the stove, on the glass and in the flueways. This build-up
of tar is a hazard and if it ignites may cause a chimney fire. Resinous softwood burns well
and gives a high output for short periods but is not as efficient and does not last as long
as hardwood.
RE-FUELLING
Adding a 'little fuel often' is the best re-fuelling method to keep smoke to a minimum.
Our tests have shown that burning logs not longer than 20cm and with a width or
diameter of no more than 12cm will produce the optimum smoke free performance.
SOLID MINERAL FUEL BURNING
LIGHTING AND CONTROLLING THE FIRE
Before lighting the fire for the first time, ensure that the baffle, the riddling grate and the
side and back bricks are in position. Burning without either will result in the stove castings
overheating and being damaged.
Open the primary and secondary air control fully. Place some tightly rolled paper on top
of some crumpled paper on the base towards the back of the stove. On top of this, place
some small pieces of wood and on top of that a few small pieces of mineral fuel. Light the
crumpled paper and close the door. Once the fire becomes established and the fuel is
burning, more fuel can be added. When the stove is hot and the fuel is no longer
producing smoke, the secondary air control can be reduced. The burning rate of the fire
can now be controlled with primary air control. As air from the primary air slider flows up
through the grate it will cool the grate preventing it from overheating and becoming
damaged. Reducing the primary air control and, as a result, introducing air only from the
secondary air control, will allow the fuel to burn but the grate will not be cooled resulting
in damage to the grate. When controlling the fire, the air inlet should be altered gradually.
Reducing the primary air dramatically and all at once on a hot stove will cause the fuel to
clinker and will result in a build-up of gases and smoke which could ignite with a bang the
moment air is reintroduced.
EXTENDED BURNING
Before adding a large amount of fuel, the grate should be de-ashed and the ash pan
emptied. Add the fuel sloping it from the front coal bar up to the back of the stove to the
level of the top of the back brick. Open the primary air control and let the fire burn for a
period on high rate in order to heat the stove back up to temperature and drive off the
moisture and gases in the fuel. If a lot of smoke is produced on reloading, the secondary
air control can be opened further to keep the smoke back from the glass. As the fire gets
back up to the temperature, reduce the secondary air control and reduce the primary air
inlet to suit the burning rate. The exact setting of the air controls depends on a number