Operating instructions

MODEL 400 WOODSTOVE
1. Availability of combustion air. Asource of air
(oxygen) is required in order for combustion to
take place. The air enters the firebox through an
opening in the insert body. The amount of air
allowed in is regulated by the draft slide control.
The important thing is to realize that whatever air
is consumed by the fire must be replaced. If you
are using room air, the air is replaced through
cracks around windows, under doors, etc.
However, most newly constructed houses or
existing homes fitted with tightly sealed doors and
windows are relatively air tight. In this case, an
outside air source must be made available to feed
combustion air from outside the home into the
stove.
2. Heat generated from the fire. Most of the heat
produced from the fire is transferred into the heat
exchanger of the insert, then into the room.
However, part of this heat escapes up the chim-
ney taking smoke and other combustion gases
with it. Most modern woodburning appliances,
including the Model 400, extract heat so efficiently
that the amount that goes up the flue can be mini-
mal. This is one reason why it is important to
burn well seasoned wood. The heat generated
from the fire should be warming your home and
establishing the flue draft. It should not be wast-
ed by evaporating moisture out of wet, unsea-
soned wood.
3. Diameter and height of flue system. Aspecific
volume of air, determined by the diameter and
height of the chimney connector and chimney, is
contained within the flue system. As heat from
the fire enters the flue, it warms this air causing it
to rise. The air moving up the flue draws smoke
and more heated air from the fire with it, thus
establishing draft. The amount of draft depends
on the temperature of the heated air and the vol-
ume of air that is contained in the flue system.
DRAFT PROBLEMS.
For the Model 400 woodstove, the minimum flue draft
requirement is 0.06 inches of water column as mea-
sured with a draft meter. Most woodstove dealers
have draft meters available to measure your flue
draft if you suspect a problem.
If the fire is hard to start and smoke spills out of the
door, or you find it difficult to establish and maintain a
moderately high burn rate, then the flue draft is too
low and corrective measures must be taken.
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Be sure you have air available for combustion and
that your firewood is dry and well seasoned. Build
your fires properly and according to the instructions
given on page 18. Be sure your flue system is
installed correctly and that it is the proper diameter
and height. In addition, check for the following:
• All chimney connector sections are properly
installed and the joints are sealed tightly.
• The chimney and chimney connectors are clean;
free of creosote build-up.
• If utilizing an existing chimney that has been left
unused over a period of time, be sure it is not
obstructed with debris from animals or nesting
birds.
• Make sure overhanging trees and branches are cut
back within 10 feet of the top of the chimney.
• If the chimney cap is equipped with a spark arrestor
screen, be sure it is clean and free of any build-up
of soot or creosote.
If you still suspect you have a low draft problem it
may be necessary to increase the volume of air in
your flue system. Since the diameter of your flue sys-
tem is matched with the size of the flue collar and
should not be changed, then the height of the system
will need to be increased. Add chimney a little at a
time until the draft improves.
In some cases, regardless of what you do, it can still
be difficult to establish the proper flue draft. This is
especially evident when using an exterior factory-built
chimney or exterior masonry chimney which is likely
to have too large of a flue. Try placing several sheets
of crumpled paper on top of your kindling as close to
the flue outlet of the stove as possible. Light this
paper first then the paper under the kindling. The
heat generated from the rapidly burning paper on top
of the kindling should help get the draft established.
Still other factors can effect how well your flue system
performs. Neighboring structures, high winds, tall
trees, even hillsides can effect air currents around the
chimney. Well designed chimney caps, wind direc-
tional caps, even draft inducing caps are available
that can help. Your woodstove dealer is the local
expert in your area. He can usually make sugges-
tions or discover problems that can be easily correct-
ed allowing your woodstove and flue systems to oper-
ate correctly as it has been designed, providing safe
and economical heat for your home.