user manual

TR008 / 050207.2 DURANGO™ / Page 11
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
given off by the burning wood and increases the
efficiency of the stove and reduces chimney emis-
sions.
Smoke given off by burning fuel consists of
very small organic liquid droplets. If these droplets
condense, they form a sticky tar-like substance
called creosote. When operated properly, this
stove is designed to burn these droplets. Burning
these droplets releases heat that would otherwise
be lost up the chimney as smoke. Following the
instructions below will help you operate your stove
properly to maximize the stove’s performance.
Actual performance is dependent on chimney
height, weather, log size, wood species and mois-
ture content. Some experimentation will initially
be required to find that “sweet spot” where your
stove performs best. The following will give you a
starting point to find your optimum settings.
When first loading fuel set the door air inlet
control at the wide open position for at least 15–20
minutes. When the stove is working properly you
should be able to observe secondary combustion
flames above the fuel pieces in front of the sec-
ondary air tubes at the top of the firebox. These
secondary flames should continue to burn after
the primary air inlet is reset from wide open to the
desired operating setting. If the flames do not con-
tinue to burn, open the air control to re-establish the
secondary flames then slowly reset the air control
to the desired setting. Initially it may take several
attempts to figure your stove out. But once you find
the operating “sweet spot” and the correct mix of
procedures to get there, only minor adjustments
will be necessary.
The best indicator of a properly operating stove
is to look for smoke coming out of the chimney.
You may see steam emissions that will quickly dis-
sipate. Smoke will thin but continue to drift with-
out totally disappearing. If you do detect smoke
emissions, open the air control a little bit, let the
stove adjust for 10–15 minutes and re-check your
chimney. Remember – visible smoke represents
lost heat.
NOTICE - INITIAL BURNS TO CURE PAINT
Because of the high operating temperatures, this
stove uses a special high-temp paint which requires
a series of burns to cure the paint for durability and
a lifetime of service.
Proper curing of the high-temp paint
requires a series of three initial burns. The stove
should be allowed to cool off between each burn.
The first two burns should be small fires and low
temperatures (250 degrees F) for a duration of
20 minutes each. The third fire should be at a
medium-high temperature (500 F to 700 F) for
twenty minutes. Provide adequate cross ventila-
tion to clear any smoke or odor caused by initial
firings.
STARTING A FIRE
1. Set air inlet control to fully open position.
2. Open the feed door and place several wads of
crushed paper in the firebox.
3. Cover the paper with a generous amount of
kindling in a teepee fashion and a few small
pieces of wood.
4. Ignite the paper and leave the door open
slightly. DO NOT LEAVE STOVE UNAT-
TENDED WITH DOOR OPEN!
5. Add large pieces of wood as the fire progresses
being careful not to overload. (Do not fill fire-
box beyond firebrick area.) An ideal coal bed of
1 –2” should be established to achieve optimum
performance.
6. This unit is designed to function most effec-
tively when air is allowed to circulate to all
areas of the firebox. TIP: If ash or coals remain
in the stove, make sure to clear them away from
the Lower Primary Air Orifice (LPAO) and rake
a slight (1-to-2 inch wide) trough down the
center of the coal bed from front to back prior
to loading the fuel.
7. Once fuel has been loaded, close the door and
leave the air inlet control fully open until fire is
well established (at least 15–20 minutes) being
careful not to overfire (if any of the exterior
parts of the stove or chimney connections begin
to glow you are overfiring the stove).
8. Re-adjust the door air inlet control to desired
burn rate. (If excessive smoke fills the firebox,
open air inlet control slightly until flames
resume and wood is sufficiently ignited.) The
basic rule of thumb is “closed - low,” “half way
open - medium” and “fully open - high.”
NOTE: The four (4) inlet holes in the primary
air inlet control slide are designed to remain
partially open with slide in the closed position.
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