Hearth and Home Technologies 4100I-NL-B Indoor Fireplace User Manual


 
Page 17
September 1, 2008
4100-I ACT WOOD INSERT
250-7201E
R
WOOD SELECTION AND STORAGE
Burn only dry seasoned wood. Dry, well-seasoned wood will not only minimize the chance of creosote formation but will
give you the most efcient heat output. Even dry wood contains at least 15% moisture by weight and should be burned hot
enough to keep the chimney hot enough to maintain particulate (smoke) burning. Burning unseasoned wood of any variety
defeats the inserts’ efciency.
Dead wood lying on the forest oor should be considered wet, and requires full seasoning time. Standing wood can be
considered to be about two-thirds seasoned. Wood is dry enough to burn if the ends of the logs have cracks radiating in all
directions from the center. If your wood sizzles in the re, even though the surface is dry, it may not be fully cured.
Drying time can be reduced by splitting wood prior to storage. Since the majority of drying occurs through the cut ends
rather than the sides, stack the wood so both ends of each piece are exposed to air. Store wood under cover, such as in a
shed, or covered with a tarp, plastic, tar paper, sheets of scrap plywood, etc.
OVERFIRING
Do not overre. Overring can result in crazing, an effect causing a white, non-removable lm to be deposited on the
inside of the glass. Using ammable liquids or too much wood, or burning trash in the insert, may result in overring. If
the chimney connector or insert glows red, or worse, white, the insert is overred. This condition may ignite creosote in
the chimney, possibly causing a house re. If any part of the insert starts to glow, you are in an overre situation. If you
overre, immediately close the insert controls and door, if open, to reduce the air supply to the re. 
voids your warranty.

an odor and perhaps see some vapor rise from the insert surface, this is normal. We recommend that you open a
window until the odor dissipates and the paint is cured.
OPERATION
Before lighting your rst re in the insert, make certain that the bafe is correctly positioned. It should be resting against the
rear support. Also refer to care and cleaning of plated surfaces on  before lighting your rst re.


There are many ways to build a re. The basic principle is to light easily-ignitable tinder or paper, which ignites the fast-burn-
ing kindling, which in turn ignites the slow-burning rewood. Here is one method that works well:
1. Place several wads of crushed paper on the rebox oor. Heating ue with slightly crumpled newspaper before adding
kindling keeps smoke to a minimum.
2. Lay small dry sticks of kindling on top of the paper.
. Open Start-Up Air Control (bottom rod) and Primary Air Control (top rod) fully.

4. Ensure that no matches or other combustibles are in the immediate area of the insert, that the room is adequately
ventilated, and the ue is unobstructed.
5. Light the paper in the insert. NEVER light or rekindle insert with kerosene, gasoline, or charcoal lighter uid; the results
can be fatal.
6. Once the kindling is burning quickly, add several full-length logs three inches (76mm) or four inches (102mm) in diameter.
Be careful not to smother the re. Stack the pieces of wood carefully. They should be near enough to keep each other
hot, but far enough away from each other to allow adequate air ow between them.
7. When ready to reload the insert, add more logs. Large logs burn slowly, holding a re longer. Small logs burn fast and
hot, giving quick heat.
8. Adjust the Start-Up Air Control and Primary Air Control, maintaining ames above the fuel. The more you close down
the Primary Control, the lower and slower the re will burn. The more you open the Primary Control the more heat will
be produced. The Start-Up Air Control (bottom rod) is only used for the rst 5 to 15 minutes.
As long as there are hot coals, repeating steps 7 and 8 will maintain a continuous re.
BUILDING A FIRE
