FAQs

Your flue should at very least be inspected once per year and ideally be cleaned once per year by a local chimney sweep. This prevents full or partial blockages and ensure your woodheater achieves maximum efficiency, avoids downdraughts, and avoids the occurrence of flue fires.

To find your local service person, contact your local dealership.

The fan should be inspected annually (ideally prior to the first use of the season) to ensure it is free of dust and debris.

This will ensure that it runs efficiently and quietly. Not servicing the fan regularly will allow dust to build up, which can take the fan out of balance overtime and cause unwanted noise and even failure.

To find out how to access the fan on your model, consult your owner’s manual, or download a copy from our website.

To ensure your woodheater doesn’t burn too fast (wasting your firewood and risking damage to the woodheater), you need to ensure that the baffle plate is not dramatically warped, free of holes/cracks, and is correctly positioned.

Prior to each season inspect your baffle plate. If there is substantial warping, any sign of cracks or holes (aside from holes inherent to the baffle design), contact your nearest dealership to purchase a replacement baffle plate.

The correct positioning/installation of the baffle plate varies by model, hence it is best to consult the owner’s manual for you model. However generally speaking, the baffle plate should always be positioned hard up against the rear wall of the firebox and have the front lip curling upwards.

Please note that failing to maintain or install the baffle plate correctly risks the long-term integrity of the firebox and is cause for voiding of your 10-year firebox warranty.

Your woodheaters walls will be lined by either firebricks or cast iron liners. These provide protection to the firebox walls (ensuring your heaters longevity) as well as insulating heat into the fire to increase its efficiency.

If your firebricks have degraded, or cast liners worn to the point wear they are not protecting the walls, they need to be replaced. Contact your local dealership to enquire about replacement parts.

Please note that failing to maintain these linings risks the long-term integrity of the firebox and is cause for voiding of your 10-year firebox warranty.

To ensure your woodheater doesn’t burn too fast (wasting your firewood and risking damage to the woodheater), you need to ensure that the door rope is sealing firmly against the firebox when the door is closed.

To check if it is sealing correctly, take strip of paper and close the door so that the paper is half inside the fire, half outside. Tug on the paper to see if it is sealing. If the paper is loose, the door is not sealing and needs adjustment. To find out how to adjust the tightness of your door, consult your owner’s manual, or download a copy from our website.

Note that it is also possible that the door rope is too worn, and may need replacing to refresh the seal. You can purchase replacement rope from your nearest dealership.

Please note that failing to maintain the door seal risks the long-term integrity of the firebox and can be cause for voiding of your 10-year firebox warranty.

Your door glass should be free from any cracks, as these cause air leakage, leading to damaging firebox temperatures as well of risk of further damage to the glass.

If your glass has a crack, it should be replaced immediately. You can purchase replacement glass from your nearest dealership.

The door glass should also be sealed securely within the door frame, if your door glass is loose, consult your owner’s manual for how to secure the door glass.

Through use, your firebox will gradually fill up with ash. It is best practice to have some ash in the firebox, as this aids the insulation of heat into the fire, however we don’t want the ash to be overflowing, as it is messy and takes up usable firebox volume.

Prior to your ash building up to a level where it is spilling from the firebox, wait for ash to be completely cooled, then scoop out into a steel bucket and dispose of (it can make a great garden fertilizer!).

Be sure to leave approx. 15mm in the firebox when cleaning to ensure efficient operation of the fire after cleaning.

It is possible that via installation issues with the flue or chimney, or via extreme weather events, that water may leak onto, or into your woodheater. This can lead to corrosion of the firebox if not addressed.

If you see any signs of rusting in your firebox, contact your local service person to have it inspected to prevent further damage. You can contact your nearest dealership to find a local service person.

To find a local service person or purchase any replacement parts, contact your local dealership.

If the dealership does not have their own dedicated service team, they will be able to put you in contact with an independent local service person.

1. Ensure the Air Slide is in the open or high position.
   
   
2. In the firebox lay your fire lighters 10 to 15 centimeters apart, depending on the size of your firebox. Do not use newspaper as a fire lighter.
   
   
3. Add soft wood kindling in a crisscross pattern above the firelighters. Softwood kindling allows for fire to light quicker and burn hotter.
   
   
4. Light fire with match or gas lighter, when fire is ablaze close the door, but do not latch the door. Leave for 5-10 minutes maximum and do not leave unattended.
   
   
5. Load pieces of hardwood that are no wider than a drink can in a crisscross pattern.
   
   
6. Latch the door and leave latched for 30 minutes. If your heater has a fan, do not run the fan for at least 45 minutes.
   
   
7. After 30 minutes add the large pieces of hardwood. These pieces should be no bigger than a loaf of bread. Close and latch door after loading.
   
   
8. After 45 minutes you can adjust the air slide to slow fire down and find your comfort level. If you have a fan fitted you can now turn it on.
   
   

You can also refer to the following video from the Australian Home Heating Association for further assistance with lighting your fire: https://youtu.be/85IobI–NTI

If your unit is fitted with the fan as standard, it needs to be used to ensure your woodheater operates effectively. If it isn’t used valuable heat will be trapped in between the panelling around the firebox. Consider the below when operating the fan for best results:

The fan should not be operated until the fire is well established, as if there is no heat to circulate, it will only distribute cool air and slow the fire from warming up.

Your fan will have 3 speeds. The highest speed is only effectively used in short bursts when the fire is roaring hot. It is great for getting heat into the room quickly. However, if left on high for an extended period, it can begin to cool the fire, and be counterproductive to heating your home

The most optimal speed setting for the fan is Low or Medium, as these steadily circulate the heat from the fire, without risk of cooling the firebox too quickly.

To maximise your burn time and achieve overnight burns, following the below steps.

1. Around 30 minutes before retiring to bed, fully load the heater and get it roaring with the airslide in the fully open position.
   
   
2. Be sure to use some larger pieces of wood, as these will burn for linger once ignited than several small pieces.
   
   
3. After around 15-20 mins, check to see that the wood has begun charring. If it has, you can now turn down the airslide and retire to bed. Note that closing the air control down before the wood has charred will result in more creosote build up and may leave you with unburnt lumps of wood in the morning. You can also turn off the fan at this stage (if your model is not fitted with a thermostatic fan).
   
   

Please note that burn times are influenced by a number of additional factors, including; flue length, wood type, wood cut size, wind conditions, and unwanted air leaking into the firebox.

See “My fire burns too fast” in the sections below for additional advice.

All of our woodheaters are designed for use with well-seasoned hardwoods, with a moisture content of less than 20%. All hardwoods have varying qualities in terms of ease of ignition, longevity of burn and ash output. Hence it is important to consider this when choosing the right fuel for your heater.

Your location will also dictate the availability of certain species of hardwood. Speak to your local dealer or firewood merchant to get an idea of what is available in your area.

Generally speaking, the following species are among the best for use in Australian woodheaters; Red Gum, Jarrah, Box Varieties, Ironbark.
 
It is important to note that hardwoods are slow to ignite, hence using a softwood as kindling is acceptable to ease the lighting process. However, using softwoods outside of the ignition process will damage your firebox due to the rapid burn and high-temperature they release, and is cause for voiding of your 10-year firebox warranty.
 
You may also refer to the following video from the Australian Home Heating Association for further information regarding firewood: https://youtu.be/mbsNvAPtP3w

It is absolutely vital to the performance of your heater that your firewood be well seasoned to reduce its moisture content to the appropriate level (see “How dry should my wood be?”).

Generally speaking, you should aim to season your wood (ie: have it cut, split and stacked) for 12 months, with 6 months being the minimum.

This being the case, the best time to collect/purchase your firewood is at the start of spring. This coincides with most firewood collection windows – however you should confirm your local firewood collection windows with your local council.
 
You may also refer to the following video from the Australian Home Heating Association for further information regarding firewood: https://youtu.be/mbsNvAPtP3w

The ideal moisture range for firewood is between 10-20%. Any higher than this and your fire is at risk of producing excessive smoke, not producing the desired heat output, staining your door glass with creosote, and creating blockages in your flue.

Less commonly, is it also possible for your firewood to be too dry (ie: less than 10% moisture), as a small amount of moisture is required for the combustion process to be most efficient.
 
You may also refer to the following video from the Australian Home Heating Association for further information regarding firewood: https://youtu.be/mbsNvAPtP3w

Best practice for storing firewood is in a covered stack with plenty of access to air. If possible, stacking your wood onto a pallet helps to encourage airflow, as does stacking your wood in a crisscross fashion.
 
You may also refer to the following video from the Australian Home Heating Association for further information regarding firewood: https://youtu.be/mbsNvAPtP3w

There are several factors that can cause your fire to burn faster than designed. Below is a list of a number of things to check if you are concerned your fire is burning too fast:

Door Seal – ensure your door is sealing firmly when closed. See “Door Seal” under “Maintenance”.

Door Glass – your door glass should be sealed firmly within the door frame of your woodheater. It should also be free of cracks. See “Door Glass” under “Maintenance”.

Airslide loose – through use overtime the airslide control on your heater may become loose and leak extra air into the firebox. It can be checked as per instructions in the owner’s manual for your particular model to ensure it is sealing correctly.

Baffle Plate – ensure your baffle plate is free from any holes/cracks, and is positioned firmly against the rear of the firebox.

Fuel Type – Ensure you are burning hardwoods, as these provide the longer burn times. Do not burn any softwoods (ie: pines) as these burn very fast (softwoods can be used only as kindling).

Fuel Size – the size of the wood you load will affect the speed of the burn. Smaller split logs will burn faster, while larger, un-split logs will burn slower – but may produce more creosote.

1. 6m flue. However, do to building requirements, many flues are longer than this. If your flue system is in excess of 5m, it is likely to burn faster than its optimal design.

If your fire is regularly puffing large amounts of smoke into your room, there is likely an explanation for this that can be addressed. See the below checklist of the various items that can cause a downdraught:

Firewood: Are you using dry seasoned wood? Check with moisture meter. Ideally, wood should not be burnt when its moisture content is above 20%. A moisture meter to check your firewood is recommended.

Fuel Loading: Load your firewood front to back, as this allows the air to flow between the logs and help with the burning cycle.

Fuel Loading: Before opening the door, open the airslide fully and wait 30 sec to 1 min before opening the door. Turning off the fan can also be helpful, as it stops the flow of air dragging smoke out of the heater
 
Ignition: Is the heater being lit properly to ensure correct draw? See “Lighting you fire” under “Operation”. Note that it especially important with larger woodheaters to build a large fire, filling the firebox to ensure it draws air correctly. It should also be noted that this lighting technique is more vital with modern/current Australian woodheaters than it was with models from 15+ years prior, due to changes in emissions regulations.

Ignition: be sure to leave the airslide in the fully open position for at least 15-20 mins when first lighting, as this ensures the fire is able to get roaring hot and encourage airflow through the flue system, and allows better burn off of particulate during the stage when the firewood is generating the most smoke. This should also be followed when adding new fuel to the fire.

Flue length:

1. 6m of flue is required by Australian Standards for any woodheater in Australia. If you woodheater has less than this, it will struggle to operate and will likely smoke. It should also be noted that this is the minimum.

If your flue has any bends, or depending on other environmental factors (ie: high winds, gullies, etc) you may require a flue extension to achieve the expected level of draw. If you do have bends in the flue this may also necessitate a specialist cowl to help overcome the reduction in airflow caused by this. Enquire with your local dealership about Turbo or Rocket Cowls.

Flue Obstructions: Are there any trees or building structures within 3m of the flue cowl? If so, this will affect the flue’s ability to draw properly. A flue extension may be required to move the cowl away from the obstruction (if the obstruction can’t be removed (ie: tree branches)

Flue Obstructions: Is there any part of your house that is higher than the flue cowl? If so, a flue extension may be required to bring the cowl above the roof line and into clear air.

Internal Obstructions: Remove your baffle plate and check for any build up on top. Remove any build up before reinstalling the baffle plate.

Flue Blockage: Over time, even through using good firewood, your flue will need cleaning to ensure it is clear and operating effectively. If you are using wet wood, this can happen rapidly within a few burns. Hence, you should have the flue cleaned on an annual basis, or anytime that you begin to experience smoke spillage int the room.

It is part of the normal cycle of a woodheater to generate some creosote build-up on the glass as it burns through the shut-down period. This is because with reduced air supply, the fire is not able to completely burn off particulate, and hence it will build up in the firebox and on the door glass.

Provided your firewood is of the appropriate moisture content (between 15-20%) you should only get light-moderate build up on the glass, which to a large extent will self clean from the glass as you next get the fire roaring.
 
If you are getting thick creosote build up on the glass, this is a sure sign that your firewood is too wet. Consider purchasing a moisture meter to test your wood. It could also be a sign that you are not allowing your fire long enough to reach a high temperature before closing down the airslide.

Over time the fan can gather dust and debris, hence it should be checked and cleaned annually as per the instructions in your owner’s manual – refer to “Fan” under “Maintenance”.

If after a number of years your fan needs replacement, you may purchase one through your local dealership.

Our Woodheaters are painted with the best available heat-resistant paint from Stovebright.

Currently our complete range is painted in Metallic Black (colour code 6309), however previously we have used colours such as Charcoal (6201), Satin Black (1990), Titanium (6119), and Rich Brown Metallic (6298).

If you need to touch up the finish on your heater, aerosol cans of Stovebright paints can be purchased through all leading heating retailers.

As standard the power cord on all of our Inbuilt Woodheaters comes out of the right-hand side of the fascia.

Our design does leave capability for the power cord to be changed to the left-hand side. Please consult with your local dealership at time of order if you require a left-hand side power cord on your unit.

The wattage on our twin wheel fans is approx. 30 Watts on the highest speed (which should only be used for a short burst for optimal heating efficiency), and approx. 25 Watts on the Medium and Low speeds.