When dry wood is burned in a wood-burning stove the following process occurs (over a period of approx. 1 hour): - After lighting up the log dries out and heats up. - After drying the temperature of the wood rises so much (to approx. 150 - 200° C) that it is con-verted into volatile gases and charcoal. - As the wood is gasifed a certain portion of the gases produced burn and are converted into car-bon dioxide and water. During this phase the temperature rises to around 600 - 800° C, and a plentiful supply of air is required. If the air supply is accidentally reduced, the flames will be smothered, but this will not stop the conversion of the wood into gas. The unburned gas will then flow out into the chimney, causing a nuisance outdoors and build up of tarry soot. - Next the charcoal will burn, which requires very little air supply. Finally, new wood must be laid on the glowing charcoal cinders. Warning It is extremely important to ensure that you do not overheat your stove, as this can cause irreparable damage. This kind of damage is not covered by the warranty. Extremely high combustion temperatures can occur when using very dry fuel, such as: - Kiln-dried wood - Coke - High-energy coke - Compressed fuel - Pallet wood INCORRECT WOOD BURNING Too much air supplied to the combustion process causes an uncontrollable fire that will heat the en-tire stove very rapidly to an extremely high temperature. This can happen if you fire with - an open ashpan - open air vent in weather conditions that produce an extra-strong draught in the chimney. Never fill the stove completely with wood. It is better to heat a stove up slowly, like a car. This will prevent cracked tiles/soapstone, damage to welds and annealing of the iron. Overfilling the firebox also substantially reduces the useful life of the vermiculite panels, as cracks are more easily caused. Never ignite the fire at the top. Start slowly with a “normal” fire from the bottom, as any former Scout will know! A LITTLE TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON WOOD BURNING 1 kilo of dry wood is made up of 20% water, with the remaining 80% divided into 60% gas and 20% charcoal. The 60% gas only contains around half the energy content of the wood, while the 20% charcoal con-tains the other half. To achieve optimum combustion, the temperature must reach 600 - 800° C *. It is best to stoke fre-quently using small quantities of wood. If too much wood is laid on a layer of embers, the air sup-plied will not be sufficient to attain the required temperature, and the gases will disappear out through the chimney unburned. So, it is vital to supply air to the fire immediately after adding fuel, so there are flames in the firebox, and the gases burn. (See the operating instructions for your stove model for further guidance.) REMEMBER THAT THREE LOGS WILL BURN JUST AS QUICKLY AS ONE The quantity of firewood determines the heat emission - the more heat you require, the more wood you should add at each new stoking. TYPES OF FUEL AND HEATING VALUES Stoves from Jydepejsen are designed and approved for burning wood. Combustion involves conversion of the fuel from solid form into gases, water vapour and charcoal. The heating value is an expression of the content of combustible gases - stated in kcal/kg. All wood has roughly the same heating value per kilogram. The lighter the wood, the more that must be used to achieve the same heating value as with a heavier species of wood. As mentioned, air-dried wood contains around 20% water, corresponding to a heating value of ap-prox. 4 kWh/kg equivalent to approx. 3440 kcal/kg (1kW = 860 kcal.) * Source: Technological Institute, Denmark Warning! NEVER use impregnated wood, painted wood, laminated plastic, plywood, chipboard, refuse, milk cartons, printed matter or similar. Use of such materials will invalidate your warranty, as they may emit toxic, corrosive and hazardous fumes when burned. They may also cause a build-up of the toxic gas dioxin, which is damaging to the stove and the environment. FUEL Recently-felled wood contains 60-70% water and must therefore be seasoned before it can be used in a wood-burning stove. It must be sawn, chopped and air dried, and must contain no more than approx. 25% water before use. This equates to the wood being left in the open for approx. 1 year - covered only to protect against rain. It is very important to always use pure, dry wood. Damp wood requires a lot of air for combustion, as extra energy in the form of heat is needed to dry it out. Heat emission is therefore minimal. It also causes sooting up of the chimney, with a risk of tarry soot and chimney fire.