Ideal Burn Technique
New fireplaces burn differently than the wood fireplaces and stoves that you may have used in the past. There are two main categories that we can split most new appliances into: High Efficient and Low to Mid-efficient. It is good practice to refer to your Owner’s manual when starting up your fireplace for the season, but here are some notes to consider when burning your new fireplaces.
High Efficient – Closed Door Operation Fireplaces and Wood Stoves
1. No more than ~2” of ash in the bottom of the firebox;
2. If applicable: Provide maximum input air (open air control fully / open bypass damper and/or leave door cracked open); This helps feed the fire on start up.
3. Use dry kindling to build a teepee or log cabin, and get hot fire started quickly.
4. Once your kindling has burnt down, introduce more wood to fill the firebox in incremental sizes as you build the fire. Leave air control open until the new wood is nice and charred.
5. Leave air intake wide open until firebox is full of flames, wood is charred black withglowing edges (typically around 30 -45 minutes – although this can vary). If your appliance has a stove top or smoke pipe thermometer – follow those guidelines.
6. Turn the air control off (or down, in 2-3 stages). Do not open the firebox for 4 hours (small), 6-8 hours (medium) or longer (large).
It’s important to get the full chimney hot before the air control is closed. If chimney is nothot enough, a proper draft will not be created and your appliance will smolder, smoke back, or shut down once the air control is engaged (or glass will get dirty)
7. Always refer to your Owner’s Manual for unit specific instructions and tips.
Low/Mid-Efficient – Open Door Operation Fireplaces and Decorative Wood Stoves
1. No more than ~2” of ash in the bottom of the firebox;
2. If applicable: Provide maximum input air (open air control fully / open bypass damper and/or leave door cracked open); This helps feed the fire on start up.
3. Use dry kindling to build a teepee or log cabin, and get hot fire started quickly. These units will burn faster, and hotter than your high efficient models, but provide larger more luxurious flames.
4. Once your kindling has ignited and still burning strong; introduce more wood to fill the firebox in incremental sizes as you build the fire. Leave air control open while burning.
5. Add more wood when the existing load burns down and creates a red, hot coal bed.Repeat this step every 45-60 minutes until you’re ready to let the fire burn down. It will take anywhere from 1-2 hours for the bulk of the firewood to burn down to a coal bed.
6. Some fireplaces can be burned with the door open, and a screen in its place. This prevents log roll out, and sparks from flying out. It also slows down the burn process so you can enjoy your fire longer. This technique is best used after your coal bed is established.
7. It’s important to always burn a large load once the coal bed is established, this will ensure proper draft, prevent the glass from accumulating soot, and reduces the chance of creosote build up in the chimney and on the interior firebricks. A hot burn is a clean burn.
8. After you are done with your fire, allow the remaining wood to burn down, close your door (if applicable) and let your fireplace cool down. With most larger fireplaces, the air control and chimney dampers should be closed the following morning, after your coals have cooled and chance of smoke back has passed.
9. Always refer to your Owner’s Manual for unit specific instructions and tips.
For any type of wood burning appliance, it is important to always use DRY wood. The longer it cures, the better. For Tips on storing wood see our Wood Fuel Article. If you have any questions, or need information on your Chantico installed unit, Contact Us and we can gather unit specific information.