How do I fit my baffle plate? Before fitting any baffle plate, you will need to ensure that you remove the firebricks or cast-iron liners (depending on model) that surround the inside of the firebox.
Bay Window:
The baffle plate must be turned lengthways and placed into the woodheaters firebox opening. Ensure that the baffle folds are facing upwards.
Once the baffle plate is inside the firebox, the plate needs to be angled upwards towards the r/h internal top of the firebox. When doing this, ensure you clear the baffle locator pins at the rear of the firebox. This will allow the front part of the baffle plate to clear the l/h lower front firebox opening.
Now you can turn the baffle plate to its correct (horizontal) orientation. Tilt the r/h side and angle it to the inner roof of the firebox above the baffle locator pins. Repeat this for the l/h side and lower the baffle onto the locators. The baffle plate should now be in the correct position.
Flat Window:
Lift the baffle plate so it is horizontal inside of the firebox, with the lip at the front of the baffle plate facing upwards.
Lower the rear of the baffle to bottom of the firebox.
Lift the front of the baffle upwards and towards the front of the firebox, allowing the rear of the baffle to clear the locator pins at the upper-rear of the firebox.
Lower the baffle onto the locators. If done correctly, the rear lip should be hooked in behind the locator pins, and the front of the baffle plate will be resting on the ledge above the firebox opening.
How do I remove my baffle plate? To remove your baffle plate, first you will need to remove the firebricks or cast iron liners (depending on model) that surround inside of the firebox.
Once firebricks/cast iron liners are removed, lift the baffle upwards and bring slightly forward. This will allow the baffle to move clear of the baffle locater pins at the rear of the firebox.
Drop the rear of the down and manoeuvre baffle at an angle to remove from woodheater.
How often do I need to clean my flue? It is recommended that you clean your flue annually. This will allow your woodheater to achieve maximum efficiency, prevent downdraughts, and prevent the occurrence of flue fires. See “how do I clean my flue?” for further instruction.
How do I clean my flue? - Carefully remove the baffle plate and put it to one side and close the woodheater door.
- Obtain the correct size flue brush** from your local dealer and proceed up onto your roof.
- Remove the cowl and slowly push the flue brush down the chimney until it stops.
- Pull the brush back out and repeat the process. Each time you do this you will notice the brush will go further down the chimney, eventually reaching the bottom. This will cause the soot and creosote to fall into the firebox.
- Clean all the soot and creosote out of the firebox.
- Return the baffle plate to its position.
All Eureka woodheaters are fitted with 150mm flues except for the following, which have 170mm flues: Solitaire, Garnet and Duet.
How often should I empty the ashes from the firebox? This depends entirely on how much you are operating your wood woodheater. While there is no hard-and-fast rule on how often to remove the ashes from the firebox, it is recommended that you remove the ashes before they are at a level that they may spill from the firebox. It is also worth noting that it is beneficial to leave about 1-inch of ash on the floor of your firebox. This can help to insulate the firebox and gain more efficiency during igniting the fire.
How can I clean my glass? Generally the only time you may need to clean your glass is after a long overnight burn. If you find that you have a wet sticky black film on your glass (creosote), it is better to burn the woodheater as normal for one load of wood, with the air slide fully open. When the wood has burnt down to a hot bed of embers, open the door and leave it wide open until the glass cools sufficiently to be wiped with a damp cloth. This should clean all the white smoky film off the glass.
Creosote on the glass is normally a sign that you have tried to get too long an overnight burn or you have burnt excessively wet or green wood. If the film on the glass won’t come off with a wet cloth, you can use wet ash from the ash bed as a cleaner or commercial products such as Crystal Clear, Johnson Foam Clean or Windex.
My fan is noisy. How can I try to fix this? - Turn the power off and unplug the appliance from the wall socket.
- Access your fan by removing front panel, which is held in place by screws on most models.
- Disconnect the wiring loom via the plastic joiner and unscrew the nuts holding the fan in position.
- Clean any dust with a dry paint brush and vacuum the fan blades. You may also vacuum ash and debris from where the fan is located. Clean carefully around the motor.
- Place two or three drops of sewing machine oil on the shafts at the bearings.
- Place the fan back into position, following steps 1-3 in reverse.
My handle is loose, how can I tighten it? - Ensure that the woodheater is cold, then open the door.
- Unscrew the Allen key screw in the door handle shaft.
- Rotate door handle shaft anti-clockwise when facing woodheater (1 turn = 1 millimetre).
- Close the door and lock into position.
- Reopen the door and check for an even indentation along the sealing strip (door rope).
- Repeat the process again if required. (Trying to rip a small piece of paper in-between door rope and firebox will help determine if sealing is sufficient. If paper is removed without resistance, repeat adjustment process until resistance is achieved).
- Replace Allen key screw and check to ensure that the roll pin is centralises in the door handle shaft.
- When closing the door you should now feel a firm resistance when the roll pin latch comes into contact with the catch.
Smoke enters the room when I open the door If smoke is escaping into the room when you open the door of your woodheater, it is likely that your flue is experiencing backdraught. This is normally caused by either:
- Obstacles (trees, buildings) affecting the air flow around the top of the flue/chimney.
- A build-up of creosote or any other blockage affecting the flow of air through the flue.
If there are obstacles around the top of your flue/chimney, you may be able to reduce the interference they cause by simply extending your flue by a metre. This will help facilitate a more consistent airflow.
If your chimney is not obstructed at all, you may need to clean your flue. To do this, follow the “How do I clean my flue?”, or consult with an accredited chimney sweep. It is worth noting that it is recommended that you clean your flue every 12 months.
Effective Woodfire Operation: How do I effectively light my fire?
- Place a firelighter or paper in the bottom of the firebox.
- Place a large amount of small kindling on top.
- Ignite the paper/firelighter.
- Set the air slide to high/open and leave main door open approximately 25mm.
- When kindling is burning, place about four pieces of small wood** on top.
- Once the wood is alight, close the main door.
- After approximately 20 minutes, turn the air control down to medium and turn the fan on to low speed.
Ensure wood is seasoned and dry for best results. Wood with moisture can cause difficulty in igniting the fire and encourage creosote formation on door glass and inside the flue.
How do I get my woodheater to burn overnight? - Approximately 30 minutes before retiring to bed, load the woodheater with a mix of small kindling and small-medium sized wood.
- Position the air control in the medium to high position and allow woodheater to run for about thirty minutes, with the aim of getting it burning at a high temperature. This will reduce the moisture content in the fuel before shut down. (This helps reduce creosote formation in the firebox and flue).
- After around thirty minutes, set the air control to a lower setting that you have found best for your requirements.
- Turn the fan off and retire.
The aim when overnight burning is to have only a few hot embers left in the bottom of the firebox in the morning. Not huge lumps of wood.
How do I stop my woodheater burning so fast? If you feel your woodheater is burning too fast, there are a couple of things to consider:
Is the door sealing correctly?
If not, check to see if the door rope is evenly laid, and readjust the handle to create a stronger seal (see my handle is loose).
Is the air slide hard against the face of the woodheater?
If you suspect it is not, remove the air slide from the woodheater and ensure it is clean and smooth. Reattach to the woodheater, tightening the bolts and ensuring it is hard up against the face of the woodheater.
You will also need to consider the length of your flue. The longer the flue, the more air is drawn into the firebox, encouraging a faster burn.
Do I need to leave my fan on overnight? No. If you are leaving your woodheater for an overnight burn you will not need to leave your fan turned on. As the woodheater will be dampened to achieve a longer burn, it will not create sufficient heat to cause any issues for the woodheater.