Osburn Stratford Operating instructions

Brand: Osburn

Model: Stratford

Category: Stoves

Type: Operating instructions

READ AND KEEP THIS MANUAL FOR REFERENCE

45703A

Printed in Canada 05-03-2014

INSTALLATIONANDOPERATIONMANUAL

Stratford

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 USENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION

AGENCYPHASEIICERTIFIEDWOOD

FIREPLACE

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ListedtostandardsULC‐S610andUL127

byIntertekTestingServices

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

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



www.osburn‐mfg.com

StoveBuilderInternationalInc.

250,ruedeCopenhague,St‐Augustin‐de‐Desmaures(Quebec)CanadaG3A2H3

Tel:(418)878‐3040Fax:(418)878‐3001

This manual is available for free download on the manufacturer’s web site. It is a

copyrighted document. Re-sale is strictly prohibited. The manufacturer may update this

manual from time to time and cannot be responsible for problems, injuries, or damages

arising out of the use of information contained in any manual obtained from unauthorized

sources.

Stratford Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual

2 _______________________________________________________________________

THANKYOUFORCHOOSINGTHISOSBURNWOODFIREPLACE

AsoneofNorthAmerica’slargestandmostrespectedwoodstoveandfireplacemanufacturers,

StoveBuilderInternationaltakesprideinthequalityandperformanceofallitsproducts.Wewant

tohelpyougetmaximumsatisfactionasyouusethisproduct.

Inthepagesthatfollowyouwillfindgeneraladviceonwoodheating,detailedinstructionsforsafe

andeffectiveinstallation,andguidanceonhowtogetthebestperformancefromthisfireplaceas

youbuildandmaintainfires,andmaintainyourwoodheatingsystem.

Werecommendthatourwoodburninghearthproductsbeinstalledandservicedbyprofessionals

whoarecertifiedintheUnitedStatesbyNFI(NationalFireplaceInstitute®)orinCanadabyWETT

(WoodEnergyTechnologyTransfer)orinQuebecbyAPC(AssociationdesProfessionnelsdu

Chauffage).

Congratulationsonmakingawisepurchase.

Ifthisfireplaceisnotproperlyinstalled,combustiblematerialsnearitmayoverheat.Toreduce

theriskoffire,followtheinstallationinstructionsinthismanualexactly.Contactlocalbuilding

orfireofficialsaboutrestrictionsandinstallationinspectionrequirementsinyourarea.

Pleasereadthisentiremanualbeforeyouinstallanduseyournewfireplace.Youmayneedto

getabuildingpermitfortheinstallationofthisfireplaceandthechimneythatitisconnectedto.

Consultyourmunicipalbuildingdepartmentorfiredepartmentbeforeinstallation.We

recommendthatyoualsoinformyourhomeinsurancecompanytofindoutiftheinstallation

willaffectyourpolicy.

Thisheatingunitisdesignedtoserveasasupplementaryheatsource.Werecommendthata

primaryheatsourcealsobeavailableinthehome.Themanufacturercannotberesponsiblefor

costsassociatedwiththeuseofanotherheatingsystem.

CAUTION:Donotattempttomodifyoraltertheconstructionofthefireplaceoritscomponents.

Anymodificationoralterationofconstructionmayvoidthewarranty,listingsandapprovalsofthis

system.Inthatcase,StoveBuilderInternational(SBI)willnotberesponsiblefordamages.Install

thefireplaceonlyasdescribedintheseinstructions.



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Tableofcontent

PART A - OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ............................... 6

1Safety Information ..................................................................... 6

1.1Summary of Operation and Maintenance Cautions and Warnings ......................... 6

2General Information................................................................... 9

2.1Stratford Specifications .......................................................................................... 9

2.2Zone Heating and How to Make it Work for You .................................................. 12

2.3The Benefits of Low Emissions and High Efficiency ............................................. 13

2.4The SBI Commitment to You and the Environment .............................................. 13

2.4.1What is Your New Fireplace Made Of? ............................................................. 13

3Fuel ........................................................................................... 14

3.1Materials That Should Not be Burned .................................................................. 14

3.2How to Prepare or Buy Good Firewood ............................................................... 14

3.2.1What is Good Firewood? .................................................................................. 14

3.2.2Tree Species ..................................................................................................... 14

3.2.3Log Length ........................................................................................................ 15

3.2.4Piece Size ......................................................................................................... 16

3.2.5How to Dry Firewood ........................................................................................ 16

3.2.6Judging Firewood Moisture Content ................................................................. 17

3.3Manufactured Logs .............................................................................................. 17

4Operating Your Fireplace ........................................................ 18

4.1The use of a fire screen ....................................................................................... 18

4.2Your First Fires ..................................................................................................... 18

4.3Lighting Fires ........................................................................................................ 18

4.3.1Conventional Fire Starting ................................................................................ 19

4.3.2The Top Down Fire ........................................................................................... 19

4.3.3Two Parallel Logs ............................................................................................. 20

4.3.4Using Fire Starters ............................................................................................ 20

4.4Maintaining Wood Fires ....................................................................................... 20

4.4.1General Advice ................................................................................................. 20

4.4.2Ash Removal .................................................................................................... 21

4.4.3Raking Charcoal ............................................................................................... 21

4.4.4Firing Each New Load Hot ................................................................................ 22

4.4.5Turning Down the Air Supply ............................................................................ 22

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4.4.6Building Different Fires for Different Needs ....................................................... 23

5Maintaining Your Wood Heating System .............................. 25

5.1Fireplace Maintenance ......................................................................................... 25

5.1.1Plated Finish Maintenance ................................................................................ 25

5.1.2Glass Door Cleaning ......................................................................................... 25

5.1.3Door Adjustment ............................................................................................... 26

5.1.4Door Alignment ................................................................................................. 27

5.1.5Replacing the Door Gasket ............................................................................... 29

5.1.6Replacing the Glass Gasket and/or the Glass .................................................. 30

5.1.7Cleaning and Painting the Fireplace ................................................................. 31

5.2Chimney and Chimney Liner Maintenance........................................................... 31

5.2.1Why Chimney Cleaning is Necessary ............................................................... 31

5.2.2How Often Should You Clean the Chimney? .................................................... 31

5.2.3Cleaning the Chimney ....................................................................................... 32

5.2.4Fire Baffle Removal Prior to Cleaning the Chimney .......................................... 33

5.2.5Chimney Fire .................................................................................................... 33

PART B – INSTALLATION ............................................................ 34

6Safety Information ................................................................... 34

6.1Summary of Installation Cautions and Warnings .................................................. 34

6.2Regulations Covering Fireplace Installation ......................................................... 35

6.3Fireplace Installation ............................................................................................ 36

6.3.1Locating the STRATFORD ............................................................................... 36

6.3.2Minimum Heart Extension Requirements .......................................................... 42

6.3.3Framing, Facing, Mantel, and Combustible Shelf ............................................. 43

7Clearances to Combustible Material ...................................... 51

7.1Locating the Certification Label ............................................................................ 51

8The Venting System ................................................................ 52

8.1General ................................................................................................................ 52

8.2Suitable Chimneys ............................................................................................... 52

8.3Minimum Chimney Height .................................................................................... 52

8.4The Relationship Between the Chimney and the House ...................................... 52

8.4.1Why the chimney should penetrate the highest heated space .......................... 52

8.5Chimney Installation Notes ................................................................................... 53

8.6Chimney Installation Instructions .......................................................................... 56

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8.6.1Examples of Typical Chimney Installation ......................................................... 56

8.6.2Offset Chimney Installation ............................................................................... 61

8.7Angled Wall Radiation Shield ............................................................................... 65

8.8Chimney Support Installation ............................................................................... 65

8.8.1Universal Roof Support ..................................................................................... 65

8.8.2Universal Offset Support ................................................................................... 66

8.9Installation Instructions for Masonry Application .................................................. 66

8.10Supply of Combustion Air ..................................................................................... 67

8.10.1Air Supply in Conventional Houses ................................................................... 67

Appendix 1: Hot Air Ducting Installation .................................... 69

Appendix 2: Blower Maintenance or Replacement ................... 74

Appendix 3: Installing the Door Overlay .................................... 78

Appendix 4: Installing the Adapter for Fresh Air Kit ................. 79

Appendix 5: Installing the Fire Screen (AC01560) ..................... 83

Appendix 6: Installation of Secondary Air Tubes and Baffle ... 84

Appendix 7: Exploded Diagram and Parts List .......................... 89

OSBURN LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY ................................. 94



Toreceivefullwarrantycoverage,youwillneedtoshowevidenceof

thedateyoupurchasedyourstove.Keepyoursalesinvoice.Wealso

recommendthatyouregisteryourwarrantyonlineat:

http://www.osburn‐mfg.com/warranty‐registration.aspx

Registeringyourwarrantyonlinewillhelpustoquicklytrackthe

informationweneedaboutyourstove.



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6 _______________________________________________________________________

PARTA‐OPERATIONANDMAINTENANCE

PleaseseePartBforinstallationinstructions.

1 SAFETYINFORMATION

1.1 SUMMARYOFOPERATIONANDMAINTENANCECAUTIONSANDWARNINGS

• HOTWHILEINOPERATION,KEEPCHILDREN,CLOTHINGANDFURNITUREAWAY.CONTACT

MAYCAUSESKINBURNS.GLOVESMAYBENEEDEDFORFIREPLACEOPERATION.

• USINGAFIREPLACEWITHCRACKEDORBROKENCOMPONENTS,SUCHASGLASSOR

FIREBRICKSORBAFFLESMAYPRODUCEANUNSAFECONDITIONANDMAYDAMAGETHE

FIREPLACE.

• OPERATEONLYWITHDOORFULLYCLOSEDORFULLYOPENWITHFIRESCREENINPLACE.IF

DOORISLEFTPARTLYOPEN,GASANDFLAMEMAYBEDRAWNOUTOFTHEOPENING,

CREATINGRISKSFROMBOTHFIREANDSMOKE.

• OPENTHEAIRCONTROLFULLYBEFOREOPENINGTHELOADINGDOOR.

• THISFIREPLACEHASBEENTESTEDFORUSEWITHANOPENDOORINCONJUNCTIONWITHA

FIRESCREEN(AC01560,SOLDSEPARATELY).THEDOORMAYBEOPENORFIRESCREEN

REMOVEDONLYDURINGLIGHTINGPROCEDURESORRELOADING.ALWAYSCLOSETHEDOOR

ORPUTBACKTHEFIRESCREENAFTERIGNITION.DONOTLEAVETHEFIREPLACE

UNATTENDEDWHENTHEDOORISOPENEDWITHORWITHOUTFIRESCREEN.

• DONOTINSTALLTHEFIREPLACEOUTDOORS.

• THEFIREPLACEANDCHIMNEYMUSTBEINANENCLOSUREUPTOTHEATTIC.

• NEVERUSEGASOLINE,LANTERNFUEL(NAPHTHA),FUELOIL,MOTOROIL,KEROSENE,

CHARCOALLIGHTERFLUID,ORSIMILARLIQUIDSORAEROSOLSTOSTARTAFIREINTHIS

FIREPLACE.KEEPALLSUCHLIQUIDSORAEROSOLSWELLAWAYFROMTHEFIREPLACEWHILE

ITISINUSE.

• DONOTSTOREFUELWITHINHEATERMINIMUMINSTALLATIONCLEARANCES.

• BURNONLYSEASONEDNATURALFIREWOOD.

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• DONOTBURN:

o GARBAGEOFANYKIND,

o COALORCHARCOAL,

o TREATED,PAINTEDORCOATEDWOOD,

o PLYWOODORPARTICLEBOARD,

o FINEPAPER,COLOREDPAPERORCARDBOARD,

o SALTWATERDRIFTWOOD,

o MANUFACTUREDLOGSCONTAININGWAXORCHEMICALADDITIVES,

o RAILROADTIESOR

o LIQUIDSSUCHASKEROSCENEORDIESELFUELTOSTARTAFIRE.



• THISAPPLIANCESHOULDBEMAINTAINEDANDOPERATEDATALLTIMESINACCORDANCE

WITHTHESEINSTRUCTIONS.

• DONOTELEVATETHEFIREBYMEANSOFGRATES,ANDIRONSOROTHERMEANS.

• THISFIREPLACEMUSTALWAYSBEUSEDWITHTHEORIGINALANDIRONS(SEEAPPENDIX7:

EXPLODEDDIAGRAMANDPARTSLISTFORREPLACEMENTPARTS).

• SOMEJURISDICTIONSINTHEUSAREQUIREASUPPLYOFOUTDOORCOMBUSTIONAIRFOR

THEFIREPLACE.INCANADA,ANOUTDOORAIRSUPPLYISNOTREQUIRED,IFACARBON

MONOXIDE(CO)DETECTOR/ALARMISLOCATEDINTHEROOMINWHICHTHEFIREPLACEIS

INSTALLED.THECODETECTORWILLPROVIDEWARNINGIFFORANYREASONTHEWOOD

FIREPLACEFAILSTOFUNCTIONCORRECTLY.IFYOUAREREQUIREDTOINSTALLAN

OUTDOORAIRSUPPLY,WERECOMMENDTHATYOUALSOINSTALLACODETECTOR/ALARM

TOPROVIDEWARNINGIFSMOKESPILLAGEFROMTHEFIREPLACEOCCURS.



CAUTION:KEEPCOMBUSTIBLEMATERIALSATLEAST48INCHESAWAYFROMTHEFRONTOF

THEFIREPLACEOPENING.

CAUTION:DONOTUSEAFIREPLACEINSERTANDOTHERPRODUCTSNOTSPECIFIEDFORUSE

WITHTHISFIREPLACE.

CAUTION: DONOTOBSTRUCTAIRINTLETS.THISFIREPLACENEEDSAIRFORITSGOOD

OPERATION.

CAUTION: DONOTBLOCKTHEHOTAIRVENTSTOTHEFIREPLACEASTHISWILLCAUSETHE

FIREPLACETOOVERHEAT.

WARNING:DONOTUSEMATERIALSOTHERTHANTHOSELISTEDINTHEREPLACEMENT

PARTSSECTIONDURINGINSTALLATIONASTHEYMAYBESAFETYHAZARDSANDA

FIRECOULDRESULT.

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WARNING:THISFIREPLACEHASNOTBEENTESTEDWITHANUNVENTEDORVENTEDGASLOG

SET.TOREDUCERISKOFFIREORINJURY,DONOTINSTALLANUNVENTEDGAS

LOGSETINTOTHISFIREPLACE.

CAUTION:DONOTINSTALLINAMOBILEHOME(CANADA)ORMANUFACTUREDHOME*

(USA).

* The US department of Housing and Urban Development describes

“manufactured homes” better known as “mobile home” as followed;

Buildings built on fixed wheels and those transported on temporary

wheels/axles and set on a permanent foundation.



PLEASENOTETHATTHEPICTURESSHOWNINTHISMANUAL

AREGENERICANDMAYNOTMATCHEXACTLYTHELOOKOF

YOURFIREPLACE.



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2 GENERALINFORMATION

2.1 STRATFORDSPECIFICATIONS

FuelTypeCordwood

TestStandards(safety)ULC‐S610andUL127

TestStandard(emissions)EPAMethod28(40CFRPart60)

Heatingcapacityrange*500to2100sq.ft.(46.5to195m2)

Maximumheatoutput**

(EPAtestfuel)30,450BTU/h(8.9kW/h)

Maximumheatoutput**

(naturalhardwoodfuel)75,000BTU/h(22kW/h)

Optimumefficiency77%

ParticulateEmissions4.4g/h

ApproximateBurnTime*8to9hours

ShippingWeight417lb(189kg)

FireboxVolume2.5cu.ft.(0.071m3)

MaximumLogLength21"east‐west***

FlueOutletDiameter6"(150mm)diameter(vertical)

BaffleMaterialC‐Cast

MobilehomeapprovedNo



*Burntimeandheatingcapacitymayvarysubjecttolocationinhome,chimneydraft,chimney

diameter,locality,heatlossfactors,climate,fuelsandothervariables.

**TheEPAtestfuelisdimensionalDouglasfirpiecesstapledtogetherintocribswithairspaces

between.Wealsotestusingthesameprocedureexceptusingsplithardwoodfirewoodtoreflect

real‐worldheatoutput.Thisfireplaceisnotintendedtooperateatitspeakheatoutput

continuously.

***East‐west:throughthedooryouseethesidesofthelogs.

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



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

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

2.2 ZONEHEATINGANDHOWTOMAKEITWORKFORYOU

YournewStratfordwoodfireplaceisaspaceheater,whichmeansitisintendedtoheattheareait

isinstalledin,aswellasspacesthatconnecttothatarea,althoughtoalowertemperature.Thisis

calledzoneheatinganditisanincreasinglypopularwaytoheathomesorspaceswithinhomes.

Zoneheatingcanbeusedtosupplementanotherheatingsystembyheatingaparticularspace

withinahome,suchasabasementfamilyroomoranadditionthatlacksanotherheatsource.

Housesofmoderatesizeandrelativelynewconstructioncanbeheatedwithaproperlysizedand

locatedwoodfireplace.Wholehousezoneheatingworksbestwhenthefireplaceislocatedinthe

partofthehousewherethefamilyspendsmostofitstime.Thisisnormallythemainlivingarea

wherethekitchen,diningandlivingroomsarelocated.Bylocatingthefireplaceinthisarea,you

willgetthemaximumbenefitoftheheatitproducesandwillachievethehighestpossibleheating

efficiencyandcomfort.Thespacewhereyouspendmostofyourtimewillbewarmest,while

bedroomsandbasement(ifthereisone)willstaycooler.Inthisway,youwillburnlesswoodthan

withotherformsofheating.

Althoughthefireplacemaybeabletoheatthemainlivingareasofyourhousetoanadequate

temperature,westronglyrecommendthatyoualsohaveaconventionaloil,gasorelectricheating

systemtoprovidebackupheating.

Yoursuccesswithzoneheatingwilldependonseveralfactors,includingthecorrectsizingand

locationofthefireplace,thesize,layoutandageofyourhomeandyourclimatezone.Three‐

seasonvacationhomescanusuallybeheatedwithsmallerfireplacesthanhousesthatareheated

allwinter.

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2.3 THEBENEFITSOFLOWEMISSIONSANDHIGHEFFICIENCY

ThelowsmokeemissionsproducedbythespecialfeaturesinsidetheStratfordfireboxmeanthat

yourhouseholdwillreleaseupto90percentlesssmokeintotheoutsideenvironmentthanifyou

usedanolderconventionalstove.Butthereismoretotheemissioncontroltechnologiesthan

protectingtheenvironment.

Thesmokereleasedfromwoodwhenitisheatedcontainsabouthalfoftheenergycontentofthe

fuel.Byburningthewoodcompletely,yourfireplacereleasesalltheheatenergyfromthewood

insteadofwastingitassmokeupthechimney.Also,thefeaturesinsidethefireboxallowyouto

reducetheairsupplytocontrolheatoutput,whilemaintainingcleanandefficientflaming

combustion,whichbooststheefficientdeliveryofheattoyourhome.

Theemissioncontrolandadvancedcombustionfeaturesofyourfireplacecanonlyworkproperly

ifyourfuelisinthecorrectmoisturecontentrangeof15to20percent.SeeSection3:Fuelofthis

manualforsuggestionsonpreparingfuelwoodandjudgingitsmoisture.

2.4 THESBICOMMITMENTTOYOUANDTHEENVIRONMENT

TheSBIteamiscommittedtoprotectingtheenvironment,sowedoeverythingwecantouseonly

materialsinourproductsthatwillhavenolastingnegativeimpactontheenvironment.

2.4.1 WHATISYOURNEWFIREPLACEMADEOF?

Thebodyofyourfireplace,whichismostofitsweight,iscarbonsteel.Shoulditeverbecome

necessarymanyyearsinthefuture,almosttheentirefireplacecanberecycledintonewproducts,

thuseliminatingtheneedtominenewmaterials.

Thepaintcoatingonyourfireplaceisverythin.ItsVOCcontent(VolatileOrganicCompounds)is

verylow.VOCscanberesponsibleforsmog,soallthepaintusedduringthemanufacturing

processmeetsthelatestairqualityrequirementsregardingVOCreductionorelimination.

Theairtubesarestainlesssteel,whichcanalsoberecycled.

TheC‐Castbaffleismadeofanaluminosilicatefibrematerialthatiscompressedwithabinderto

formarigidboard.C‐Castcanwithstandtemperaturesabove2,000°F.Itisnotconsidered

hazardouswaste.Disposalatalandfillisrecommended.

Mouldedrefractorybricksaremainlycomposedofsilicondioxide,alsoknownassilica,aproduct

processedfromaminedmineral.Itismostcommonlyfoundinnatureintheformofsandand

clay.Disposalatalandfillisrecommended.Thesteelmeshcontainedinsomerefractorybrickscan

berecycled.

Thedoorandglassgasketsarefibreglasswhichisspunfrommeltedsand.Blackgasketshavebeen

dippedintoasolvent‐freesolution.Disposalatalandfillisrecommended.

Thedoorglassisa5mmthickceramicmaterialthatcontainsnotoxicchemicals.Itismadeof

naturalrawmaterialssuchassandandquartzthatarecombinedinsuchawaytoformahigh

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temperatureglass.Ceramicglasscannotberecycledinthesamewayasnormalglass,soitshould

notbedisposedofwithyourregularhouseholdproducts.Disposalatalandfillisrecommended.



3 FUEL

3.1 MATERIALSTHATSHOULDNOTBEBURNED

• GARBAGEOFANYKIND,

• COALORCHARCOAL,

• TREATED,PAINTEDORCOATEDWOOD,

• PLYWOODORPARTICLEBOARD,

• FINEPAPER,COLOREDPAPERORCARDBOARD,

• SALTWATERDRIFTWOOD

• MANUFACTUREDLOGSCONTAININGWAXORCHEMICALADDITIVES

• RAILROADTIES

• LIQUIDSSUCHASKEROSENEORDIESELFUELTOSTARTAFIRE

WARNING:DONOTPOKEORSTIRTHELOGSWHILETHEYAREBURNING.USEONLYFIRELOGS

THATHAVEBEENTESTEDFORUSEINFIREPLACES(SEEULC/ORD‐C127,

COMPOSITEFIRELOGS)ANDPRIORTOUSE,REFERTOFIRELOGWARNINGSAND

CAUTIONSMARKINGSONPACKAGING.

3.2 HOWTOPREPAREORBUYGOODFIREWOOD

3.2.1 WHATISGOODFIREWOOD?

Goodfirewoodhasbeencuttothecorrectlengthforthefireplace,splittoarangeofsizesand

stackedintheopenuntilitsmoisturecontentisreducedto15to20percent.

3.2.2 TREESPECIES

Thetreespeciesthefirewoodisproducedfromislessimportantthanitsmoisturecontent.The

maindifferenceinfirewoodfromvarioustreespeciesisthedensityofthewood.Hardwoodsare

denserthansoftwoods.PeoplewholiveinthecoldestregionsofNorthAmericausuallyhaveonly

spruce,birchandpoplar,otherlow‐densityspeciestoburnandyettheycanheattheirhomes

successfully.

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Homeownerswithaccesstobothhardwoodandsoftwoodfuelsometimesusebothtypesfor

differentpurposes.Forexample,softerwoodsmakegoodfuelforrelativelymildweatherinspring

andfallbecausetheylightquicklyandproducelessheatSoftwoodsarenotasdenseas

hardwoodssoagivenvolumeofwoodcontainslessenergy.Usingsoftwoodsavoidsoverheating

thehouse,whichcanbeacommonproblemwithwoodheatinginmoderateweather.Harder

woodsarebestforcolderwinterweatherwhenmoreheatandlongerburncyclesaredesirable.

Notethathardwoodtreeslikeoak,maple,ashandbeechareslowergrowingandlongerlivedthan

softerwoodslikepoplarandbirch.Thatmakeshardwoodtreesmorevaluable.Theadvicethat

onlyhardwoodsaregoodtoburnisoutdated.Old,leakycastironstoveswouldn’tholdafire

overnightunlesstheywerefedlargepiecesofhardwood.Thatisnolongertrue.Youcan

successfullyheatyourhomebyusingthelessdesirabletreespeciesandgivetheforestabreakat

thesametime.

3.2.3 LOGLENGTH

Logsshouldbecutatleast1”(25mm)shorterthanthefireboxsotheyfitineasily.Piecesthatare

evenslightlytoolongmakeloadingthefireplaceverydifficult.Themostcommonstandardlength

offirewoodis16”(400mm).

Thepiecesshouldbeaconsistentlength,withamaximumof1”(25mm)variationfrompieceto

piece.



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3.2.4 PIECESIZE

Firewooddriesmorequicklywhenitissplit.Largeunsplitroundscantakeyearstodryenoughto

burn.Evenwhendried,unsplitlogsaredifficulttoignitebecausetheydon’thavethesharpedges

wheretheflamesfirstcatch.Logsassmallas3”(75mm)shouldbesplittoencouragedrying.

 

Woodshouldbesplittoarangeofsizes,fromabout3”to6”(75mmto150mm)incrosssection.

Havingarangeofsizesmakesstartingandrekindlingfiresmucheasier.Often,thefirewood

purchasedfromcommercialsuppliersisnotsplitfinelyenoughforconvenientstoking.Itis

sometimesadvisabletoresplitthewoodbeforestackingtodry.

3.2.5 HOWTODRYFIREWOOD

Firewoodthatisnotdryenoughtoburnisthecauseofmostcomplaintsaboutwoodfireplaces.

Continuallyburninggreenorunseasonedwoodproducesmorecreosoteandinvolveslackofheat

anddirtyglassdoor.SeeSection5:Maintainingyourwoodheatingsystemforconcernsabout

creosote.



Herearesomethingstoconsiderinestimatingdryingtime:

• firewoodtakesalongtimetodry

• firewoodboughtfromadealerisrarelydryenoughtoburn,soitisadvisabletobuythewood

inspringanddryityourself

• dryinghappensfasterindryweatherthanindamp,maritimeclimates

• dryinghappensfasterinwarmsummerweatherthaninwinterweather

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• smallpiecesdrymorequicklythanlargepieces

• splitpiecesdrymorequicklythanunsplitrounds

• softwoodstakelesstimetodrythanhardwoods

• softwoodslikepine,spruce,andpoplar/aspencanbedryenoughtoburnafterbeingstacked

intheopenforonlythesummermonths

• hardwoodslikeoak,mapleandashcantakeone,oreventwoyearstodryfully,especiallyif

thepiecesarebig

• firewooddriesmorequicklywhenstackedintheopenwhereitisexposedtosunandwind;it

takesmuchlongertodrywhenstackedinawoodshed

• firewoodthatisreadytoburnhasamoisturecontentbetween15and20%byweightandwill

allowyourfireplacetoproduceitshighestpossibleefficiency

3.2.6 JUDGINGFIREWOODMOISTURECONTENT

Youcanfindoutifsomefirewoodisdryenoughtoburnbyusingtheseguidelines:

• cracksformattheendsoflogsastheydry

• asitdriesinthesun,thewoodturnsfromwhiteorcreamcoloredtogreyoryellow,

• bangtwopiecesofwoodtogether;seasonedwoodsoundshollowandwetwoodsoundsdull,

• drywoodismuchlighterinweightthanwetwood,

• splitapiece,andifthefreshfacefeelswarmanddryitisdryenoughtoburn;ifitfeelsdamp,

itistoowet,

• burnapiece;wetwoodhissesandsizzlesinthefireanddrywooddoesnot.



Youcouldbuyawoodmoisturemetertotest

yourfirewood.



3.3 MANUFACTUREDLOGS

Donotburnmanufacturedlogsmadeofwax

impregnatedsawdustorlogswithanychemical

additives.Manufacturedlogsmadeof100%

compressedsawdustcanbeburned,butbe

carefulburningtoomuchoftheselogsatthe

sametime.Startwithonemanufacturedlog

andseehowthefireplacereacts.Neveruse

morethantwomanufacturedlogsatatime.



Stratford Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual

18 ______________________________________________________________________

4 OPERATINGYOURFIREPLACE

4.1 THEUSEOFAFIRESCREEN

Thisfireplacehasbeentestedforusewithanopendoorinconjunctionwithafirescreen

(AC01560,soldseparately).Makesurethefirescreenisproperlysecuredonthefireplacetoavoid

anyriskofsparksdamagingyourflooring.Whenthefirescreenisinuse,donotleavethe

fireplaceunattendedsothatyoucanrespondpromptlyintheeventofsmokespillageintothe

room.PotentialcausesofsmokespillagearedescribedinSection8:TheVentingSystemofthis

manual.SeeAppendix5:InstallingtheFireScreen(AC01560)forinstallationinstructions.

OPERATINGWITHTHEFIRESCREENINCREASESTHEPOSSIBILITYOFGENERATINGCARBON

MONOXIDE.CARBONMONOXIDEISANODOURLESSGASTHATISHIGHLYTOXICANDWHICH

CANCAUSEDEATHATHIGHCONCENTRATIONINAIR.

4.2 YOURFIRSTFIRES

Twothingswillhappenasyouburnyourfirstfewfires;thepaintcuresandtheinternal

componentsofthefireplaceareconditioned.

Asthepaintcures,someofthechemicalsvaporize.Thevaporsarenotpoisonous,buttheydo

smellbad.Freshpaintfumescanalsocausefalsealarmsinsmokedetectors.So,whenyoufirst

lightyourfireplace,bepreparedbyopeningdoorsand/orwindowstoventilatethehouse.Asyou

burnhotterandhotterfires,moreofthepaintedsurfacesreachthecuringtemperatureofthe

paint.Thesmellofcuringpaintdoesnotdisappearuntilyouhaveburnedoneortwoveryhot

fires.

Burnoneortwosmallfirestobeginthecuringandconditioningprocess.Thenbuildbiggerand

hotterfiresuntilthereisnolongeranypaintsmellfromthefireplace.Oncethepaintsmell

disappears,yourfireplaceisreadyforseriousheating.

4.3 LIGHTINGFIRES

Eachpersonwhoheatswithwooddevelopstheirownfavoritewaytolightfires.Whatever

methodyouchoose,yourgoalshouldbetogetahotfireburningquickly.Afirethatstartsfast

produceslesssmokeanddepositslesscreosoteinthechimney.Herearethreepopularand

effectivewaystostartwoodfires.

Stratford Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual

______________________________________________________________________ 19

4.3.1 CONVENTIONALFIRESTARTING

Theconventionalwaytobuildawoodfireisto

bunchup5to10sheetsofplainnewspaperand

placetheminthefirebox.Next,place10orso

piecesoffinekindlingonthenewspaper.This

kindlingshouldbeverythin;lessthan1”(25mm).

Next,placesomelargerkindlingpiecesonthefine

kindling.Opentheaircontrolfullyandlightthe

newspaper.Ifyouhaveatall,straightventing

systemyoushouldbeabletoclosethedoor

immediatelyandthefirewillignite.Oncethefire

hasignited,closethedoorandleavetheair

controlfullyopen.



Aconventionalkindlingfirewithpaper

underfinelysplitwood.

DONOTLEAVETHEFIREPLACEUNATTENDEDWHENTHEDOORISSLIGHTLYOPENED.ALWAYS

CLOSEANDLATCHTHEDOORAFTERTHEFIREIGNITES.

Afterthekindlingfirehasmostlyburned,youcanaddstandardfirewoodpiecesuntilyouhavea

fireoftherightsizefortheconditions.

CAUTION:PLACETHEWOODLOGSFARENOUGHFROMTHEGLASSTOALLOWPROPERPRIMARY

AIRFLOW

4.3.2 THETOPDOWNFIRE

Thetopdownfirestartingmethodsolvestwoproblemswiththeconventionalmethod:first,it

doesnotcollapseandsmotheritselfasitburns;andsecond,itisnotnecessarytobuildupthefire

graduallybecausethefireboxisloadedbeforethefireislit.Atopdownfirecanprovideuptotwo

hoursofheatingormore.Thetopdownmethodonlyworksproperlyifthewoodiswell‐seasoned.

Startbyplacingthreeorfourfull‐sizedsplitpiecesofdryfirewoodinthefirebox.Next,place4or5

morefinelysplitpiecesoffirewood(2”to3”[50mmto75mm]india.)onthebaselogsatright

angles(logcabinstyle).Nowplaceabout10piecesoffinelysplitkindlingonthesecondlayerat

rightangles.

Thefireistoppedwithabout5sheetsofnewspaper.Youcanjustbunchthemupandstuffthem

inbetweenthekindlingandtheundersideofthebaffle.Oryoucanmakenewspaperknotsby

Stratford Fireplace Installation and Operation Manual

20 ______________________________________________________________________

rollingupsinglesheetscornertocornerandtyingaknotinthem.Theadvantageofknotsisthat

theydon’trolloffthefireastheyburn.Lightthenewspaperandwatchasthefireburnsfromtop

tobottom.

4.3.3 TWOPARALLELLOGS

Placetwospitlogsinthefirebox.Placeafewsheetsoftwistednewspaperbetweenthelogs.Now

placesomefinekindlingacrossthetwologsandsomelargerkindlingacrossthose,logcabinstyle.

Lightthenewspaper.

4.3.4 USINGFIRESTARTERS

Manypeopleliketousecommercialfirestartersinsteadofnewspaper.Someofthesestartersare

madeofsawdustandwaxandothersarespecializedflammablesolidchemicals.Followthe

packagedirectionsforuse.

Gelstartermaybeusedbutonlyiftherearenohotemberspresent.Useonlyinacoldfireboxto

startafire.

DONOTUSEFLAMMABLELIQUIDSSUCHASGASOLINE,NAPHTHA,FUELOIL,MOTOROIL,OR

AEROSOLSTOSTARTORREKINDLETHEFIRE.

4.4 MAINTAININGWOODFIRES

4.4.1 GENERALADVICE

Woodheatingwithaspaceheaterisverydifferentthanotherformsofheating.Therewillbe

variationsinthetemperatureindifferentpartsofthehouseandtherewillbevariationsin

temperaturethroughoutthedayandnight.Thisisnormal,andforexperiencedwoodburners

theseareadvantagesofzoneheatingwithwood.

Donotexpectsteadyheatoutputfromyourfireplace.Itisnormalforitssurfacetemperatureto

riseafteranewloadofwoodisignitedandforitstemperaturetograduallydeclineasthefire

progresses.Thisrisingandfallingoftemperaturecanbematchedtoyourhouseholdroutines.For

example,theareatemperaturecanbecoolerwhenyouareactive,suchaswhendoinghousework

orcooking,anditcanbewarmerwhenyouareinactive,suchaswhenreadingorwatching

television.

Woodburnsbestincycles.Acyclestartswhenanewloadofwoodisignitedbyhotcoalsandends

whenthatloadhasbeenconsumeddowntoabedofcharcoalaboutthesamesizeasitwaswhen

thewoodwasloaded.Donotattempttoproduceasteadyheatoutputbyplacingasinglelogon

thefireatregularintervals.Alwaysplaceatleastthree,andpreferablymore,piecesonthefireat

atimesothattheheatradiatedfromonepiecehelpstoignitethepiecesnexttoit.Eachloadof

woodshouldprovideseveralhoursofheating.Thesizeofeachloadcanbematchedtothe

amountofheatneeded.

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Osburn Stratford Operating instructions

Brand: Osburn

Model: Stratford

Category: Stoves

Type: Operating instructions

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Osburn Stratford Operating instructions

Osburn Stratford Operating instructions

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