Vogelzang VG650ELG (new as of 2013) - Manual (Page 15)

VGZ-025 | 20120424.1 VG650ELG MOUNTAINEER™ | Page 15
SERVICE HINTS continued …
4. Do not attempt to burn (or mix in) green or
wet wood. The use of green or wet wood will
cause a rapid build up of creosote. Wood that
hisses, sizzles and blackens without igniting
in five minutes must be considered too wet to
burn.
5. Do not attempt to extend the burn time by using
wet wood. Not only does burning wet wood
rapidly build up creosote, but it reduces the heat
output by up to 25 percent.
6. Burn the stove with the air inlet control wide
open for 10-25 minutes every time fresh wood
is loaded into the stove. Do not load more than
¼ to ½ of the fuel capacity at one time. Loading
too much wood at once will cause excessive
smoke which contains creosote. Mature fires
or coals produce very little creosote-producing
smoke.
7. Burn with the control open for several minutes
at numerous intervals throughout the day, be-
ing careful not to over fire the unit. Following
this process will help to warm the chimney
and reduce the amount of creosote forming
condensation within the chimney.
8. Establish a routine for the handling of fuel, fir-
ing, and operating the stove. Check daily for
creosote build up until experience shows how
often you need to clean for safe operation. Be
aware that the hotter the fire, the less creosote
is deposited and weekly cleanings may be nec-
essary in mild weather even though monthly
cleanings may be enough in the colder months.
WARNING: IN CASE OF CHIMNEY FIRE:
(1) CLOSE AIR INLET CONTROL(S)
(2) GET OUT OF THE HOUSE
(3) CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
CHIMNEY DRAFT
The chimney is critical to the proper operation
of the stove. It is the chimney that creates draft;
THE STOVE DOES NOT AND CANNOT CRE-
ATE DRAFT. The chimney provides two vital
functions for proper stove operation. First, it is
the passage to exhaust smoke and hot gases created
in the combustion process. Secondly, it supplies
the draft (or pressure) to bring oxygen to the fire
to sustain combustion. Draft is the natural move-
ment of air or gases through a chimney. Chimney
draft comes from the natural tendency for hot (less
dense) air to rise. As the hot air rises within the
chimney it creates a lower pressure at the bottom of
the chimney to which the stove is connected. The
higher pressure air outside the stove then rushes
into the stove where the lower air pressure level
exists, thus bringing oxygen to the fire. This con-
stant flow of air is referred to as the draft. Many
factors or combination of factors can act together
to build or impede the draft. Without the correct
amount of draft, the stove will not operate properly.
If there is excessive draft, an unsafe condition
will arise with too much air being drawn into the
stove and creating an excessively hot fire. This
could cause over firing which runs the risk of
igniting structural elements around the stove and
chimney.
The most common experience is that of insuf-
ficient draft. Under insufficient draft conditions,
the fire will be starved for oxygen, improper or
incomplete combustion occurs resulting in smoke
spillage into the area around the stove. A fire that
is starved for oxygen will not burn well. Such a
fire will produce excessive smoke that will cool
and condense in the chimney creating creosote.
Excessive amounts of creosote buildup can ignite
causing a chimney fire with the possibility of struc-
tural elements igniting as well.
Correct any draft related issues before using
the stove. The following are some possible causes
of insufficient draft. Please note that one or more
factors may play a role in a draft issue and certain
factors may change over time as conditions vary.
1. Atmospheric Pressure and Air Supply
Atmospheric pressure that affects the draft may
occur from outside the structure, inside the
structure, or both. High pressure weather (clear
and cold) usually produces a better chimney
draft than low pressure (overcast and damp)
conditions. Negative pressure can be created
inside a home by appliances that expel air from
within such as bathroom vents, range hoods,
clothes dryers, and forced air furnaces. Do not
allow such appliances to overcome the natural
draft. Note that newer homes tend to be built
more tightly allowing less make up air to seep
freely in. Negative pressure may be overcome
by opening a nearby door or window. In ex-
treme conditions of negative draft, the airflow
in the chimney will reverse direction. This is
known as “down drafting.”
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