Osburn OB01151 - Manual (Page 21)

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11. We recommend that you have a fresh air or make up air supply for the insert. In Canada this is
a building code requirement. If this is not done, it could cause poor air quality in the home,
poor and incomplete combustion, and poor efficiency in the insert. Adequate ventilation is
required to reduce effects from room air starvation and exhaust fans.
Outside combustion air may be required if:
a. The solid-fuel-fired appliance does not draw steadily, smoke rollout occurs, fuel burns
poorly, or back-drafts occur whether or not there is combustion present.
b. Existing fuel-fired equipment in the house, such as fireplaces or other heating appliances,
smell, do not operate properly, suffer smoke roll-out when opened, or back-draft whether
or not there is combustion present.
c. Opening a window slightly on a calm (windless) day alleviates any of the above
symptoms.
d. The house is equipped with a well-sealed vapor barrier and tight fitting windows and/or
has any powered devices that exhaust house air.
e. There is excessive condensation on windows in the winter.
f. A ventilation system is installed in the house.
3.2 Fuel
1. Fuel for the insert must not be stored closer than the required clearances to combustibles and
not in the space required for ash removal.
2. Your Osburn insert is designed to burn C ORDWOOD F UEL O NLY . Do not burn coal, charcoal, or
trash in the unit. Highly flammable items such as trash may ignite creosote in the chimney,
resulting in a chimney fire. Never burn salt wood, beachwood, chemically treated wood, or
wood removed from salt water, since the deposits left will deteriorate the firebox. Damage
caused by chemicals or salt is not covered under warranty.
3. Seasoned dense wood is recommended. Wood should be air dried in a covered ventilated area
for six months to a year or more. This reduces the moisture content of the wood, resulting in
better insert performance. Wood species with a moisture content of 20% or less are ideal. Dry
seasoned wood can be distinguished from green wood by the checks or cracks in the ends.
4. Wet or green wood will tend to cause the fire to smolder, producing large amounts of creosote.
Creosote build-up could result in a chimney fire. This wood will also prove difficult to keep
burning properly, and fires will tend to go out. Green wood produces very little heat, and
sometimes causes customers to think that the insert does not work. If you must burn wet wood,
use only small amounts mixed with dry wood.
5. Decayed wood or low density wood has very little energy content or heating value, and will not
burn satisfactorily for long periods of time.
An example of the energy values of some common wood fuels is given in Table 3.1
For recommended wood sizes, refer to the specifications.