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Dutchwest
7001135
Use the Air Control Settings
that Work Best for You
No single combination of control settings will fit every
situation. Each installation will differ depending on the
quality of the fuel, the amount of heat desired, and how
long you wish the fire to burn.
Control settings also depend on your particular instal-
lation’s “draft,” or the force that moves air from the
stove up through the chimney. Draft is affected by such
things as the height, type, and location of the chimney,
local geography, nearby obstructions, and other factors.
Too much draft may cause excessive temperatures in
the stove. On the other hand, too little draft can cause
backpuffing into the room and/or the “plugging” of the
chimney and catalytic burner.
How do you know if your draft is excessively high or
low? Symptoms of too much draft include an uncontrol-
lable burn or a glowing-red part of the stove or chimney
connector. A sign of inadequate draft is smoke leaking
into the room through the stove or chimney connector
joints.
When first using the stove, keep a record of the results
you achieve from different control settings. You will
find that specific control settings will give you a fixed
amount of heat. It may take a week or two to determine
the amount of heat and the length of burn you should
expect from various control settings.
Notice that the probe thermometer on the stove top tells
you the temperature of the catalytic burner only; it does
not tell you how hot the firebox is. Normal range for the
catalyst is 600 to 1400˚ F (315 to 760˚C ). The catalyst
temperatures are very intense (far more intense than
any other part of the stove) but they are also very local-
ized.
You should put a magnetic surface thermometer on the
side door. This is the only single-thickness area of the
firebox, and it’s a handy location since you’ll use the
side door more than any other.
The normal range of firebox temperatures is 400 to
650˚ F (190 to 330˚ C). Temperatures below this range
can encourage creosote formation in the stovepipe and
chimney; higher temperatures can cause stove parts to
burn out prematurely. Always operate the stove accord-
ing to firebox temperatures. Besides the air control, you
can manage the stove’s heat output and burn time by
how much wood you load at at a time.
Notice that changes in the weather have a strong effect
on chimney draft. Higher outdoor temperatures and
lower air pressure both weaken draft; lower tempera-
tures and higher air pressure encourage a stronger
draft. An exception to this is in installations with outdoor
chimneys; since these lose heat to the outdoors, it
takes longer to warm them up initally, and it takes more
heat to keep them warm, especially during very low
temperatures outdoors.
Most installations do not require a large amount of
combustion air, especially if adequate draft is available.
Do not attempt to increase the firing rate of your heater
by altering the air control adjustment range outlined in
these directions.
In some newer homes that are well insulated and
weather-tight, poor draft may result from insufficient
air in the house. In such instances, an open window
near the stove on the windward side of the house (side
against which the wind is blowing) will provide the fresh
air needed.
Use the air control settings indicated in Figure 24 as
a starting point to help determine the best settings for
your installation.
DO NOT OPERATE THE STOVE WITH THE ASH
DOOR OPEN. OPERATION WITH THE ASH DOOR
OPEN CAN CAUSE AN OVERFIRING CONDITION
TO OCCUR. OVERFIRING THE STOVE IS DANGER-
OUS AND CAN RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE,
INJURY, OR LOSS OF LIFE.
Primary Air Catalyst Air
Position of primary air control
lever for different burn rates.
Low 1/2 turn open
Medium 1
¹⁄₂ turn open
High 1
¹⁄₂ to 2 turns open
Number of turns the air control
is open for different burn rates.
Fig. 25 Primary and Catalyst air settings.
High
Med.
Low
Closed