STOVE GUIDE - DanSkan

TOPFIRE… FIRE FROM ABOVE
THE RIGHT START-UP AND HEATING FIRE
INTELLIGENT SELF CONTROL
DAN SKAN stoves have an extraordinary efficiency and very economical burning because of the ‘intelligent self-control’ of the DAN
SKAN automatic.
Stove dealers throughout Europe confirm that DAN SKAN stoves require clearly less fuel to provide a very good heat output
compared to other stoves.
A prerequisite for effective and economical combustion is, of course, that you burn your stove as we recommend with our Top Fire
method as well as our other operating instructions.
The most important thing is that the combustion is always undertaken with a fully closed riddle grate with an ash layer of approximately
50 mm thick in the fire chamber bed and that only the secondary and tertiary air is used from above the fire.
TOP FIRE AS THE STANDARD FIRE
The riddle grate should be closed (pushed in) and the pull control open (pulled outwards).
Before re-lighting the fire, push some of the ashes at the very front of the bed towards the middle and back so that they cover the
riddle grate. Ensure that you still leave some ash covering the front but that the riddle grate is covered by a depth of approximately
50mm to form a good air seal.
Position four or five good sized logs, side to side on the bed with their sawn ends away from the glass. The largest of the logs
should be set towards the front of the fire chamber.
The usual kindling wood for lighting the fire is then placed on top of this wood pile – not under! The fire is then lit from above = TOP
FIRE!
It may be necessary to leave the stove door ajar slightly to maximise the combustion air for a quicker start. Do not leave the stove
unattended when the door is ajar.
The fire will then burn from the top downwards and build a good layer of embers for further combustion. The starting fire phase
with the slightly open door will take approximately 30 minutes.
When the fire is burning well and the fire chamber walls are soot-free the stove is operating at the appropriate temperature and the
door can then be closed. The starting fire can then burn for another 1 or 2 hours depending on the original fuel load.
When the fire has burned down and turned into a ‘flat fire’, but still with good flames, you can then reload with two hardwood logs,
such as beech or oak placing these side to side, re-loading every 30 to 50 minutes or so. Be careful only to use dry wood as it will
always burn with flames and not smoke. Only flames create real heating power and keep the up-draught in the flue system working.
When you reload ensure that this is done when there are still some flames arising from the embers – leaving the reloading until
there are no flames could be problematic and make it difficult to re-start the up-draught needed for efficient combustion.
The self opening and closing DAN SKAN automatic system will sustain effective combustion throughout the fire cycle so that all of
the flue gases are burned and none escape unused through the flue system to provide you with the highest possible efficiency.
THE TOP FIRE PICTURES (see right hand page)
TOP FIRE AS STANDARD FIRE
Pictures 1 and 2: Ash in front of the fire chamber bed is pushed
towards the back and over the riddle grate with a scraper, leaving
some covering of ash at the front of the bed. The ash should form a
bed of at least 50mm deep to create a good air seal over the riddle
grate which should be closed
Pictures 3 and 4: Three to five logs of easily combustible wood are
laid side to side in the fire chamber with the largest logs to the front.
The usual kindling wood for lighting the fire is then placed on top of
this wood pile – not under!
Picture 5: The fire is then lit from above = TOP FIRE!
Picture 6A: The door of the stove should be opened slightly to get
more starting air and to create a bellows effect. The pull control is
opened for the whole of the combustion.
Picture 7A: The fire burns from the top downwards and will build a
good layer of embers for further combustion.
Picture 8A: When the fire is burning well and the fire chamber walls
are soot-free the stove door can then be closed. At this stage hardwood
logs such as beech or oak can be loaded, again laid side to side.
TOP FIRE AS AN AIRBOX-FIRE WITH EXTERNAL AIR
Pictures 1 to 5: 
Information as previously for the starting fire.
Pictures 6B to 8B: Combustion using 100% external air is always
undertaken with the stove door closed and with the CLASSIC Line
range the pull control is also closed.
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