Operations & Maintenance

Before using your Cheminees Philippe

Four weeks drying time should be respected to ensure that moisture evaporates from all parts (connections, flue, stone covering, hood etc)

Once this period has passed, you can light your first fire, with a moderate amount of wood and a reduced opening of the air intake to limit the intensity of the fire, which will allow a progressive rise in temperature within the insert and other elements, to avoid rapid expansion of the materials and thermal shock.
Have small fires for 10 days to finalise the drying process.

During initial use, there may be a smell from the unit, caused by surplus paint. A few additional fires after the drying time may be required to remove this smell.

Fuel: Wood

It must be dry. As a general rule, the drier the wood, the higher the energy content.
Tip: Cold wood does not burn as well, so bring your firewood indoors into the warmth a few days before use.

Do not burn domestic waste, plastic (eg bottles) or plastic derivatives, rubber, oily products (eg oil soaked rags) etc which not only give off an unpleasant odour but will also pollute the environment and can cause hazardous combustion residues in the fireplace and flue which can be harmful to you, your environment and your fireplace.

Lighting

To start a fire: avoid using coated paper, spread newspaper or straw on the base of the insert; place on top of this small twigs then small, dry branches or finely chopped wood; next use larger branches or chopped wood, of approx. 3cm diameter. Ignite the paper, close the door and open the air inlet completely. Then, when the fire has caught, you can load more fuel.

Never light a fire using petrol, alcohol etc.

To facilitate fire lighting, we recommend keeping a bed of ashes on the base plate (without obstructing the holes allowing air intake).

Important: We advise you to take care when lighting the fire if the air draw is not ideal. The insert is dependent on atmospheric conditions. You are advised to be very vigilant, for example. When there are strong winds (too much air drawn up) or fog (not enough air drawn up).

Working

With the lift able open door:

When using the unit with the door open, it is necessary for the damper to be in the open position, to reduce the chances of smoke being blown back.

With the door closed:

Opening the damper will ensure that smoke is not blown back out when refuelling. A lever above the door works the damper (see image no.9 Controlling the damper).

To ensure maximum performance for your radiant fire, it is necessary to keep a close eye on it. It is recommended that refuelling is carried out several times rather than overloading the fireplace.

Each time more fuel is added, ensure a lively fire burns for a short time, so that condensation, which generally forms when fuel is first placed in the fire, is evacuated. Using the fireplace for a long time at a very slow burn is not recommended, especially at the start and end of winter and when the temperature rises as this can cause deposits of soot and tar on the window and in the flue.

Do not use the fireplace with the air inlets entirely open and an excessive loading of wood as this will be likely to damage the cast iron elements of the unit, the connections and the flue.

Loading – heat output:

The heat output from the Cheminees Philippe fire depends mainly on the fuel used. Depending on the humidity of the wood, a 50cem log
–  6cm weighs around 1kg
– 10cem weighs around 3 kg
– 15cm weighs around 7 kg

For sustained heat, use large numbers of small logs (eg 6 to 8 logs of 6cm in diameter on a good bed of embers).

For a longer lasting fire, use larger diameter logs (eg 3 logs of 13 to 15 cm diameter on a medium bed of embers).

NEVER LOAD MORE THAN 20 kg OF WOOD

NB. Normal operation is dependent on the bed of embers: do not allow this to disappear completely at the end of heating, in order to avoid facilitate the lighting of the next fire, which reduces the likelihood of the window becoming stained with soot. Relight using tinder if necessary.

Precautions to take when adding fuel:

Open first the air flow inlet, undo the window latch, half open the window, then wait a moment before slowly opening it fully. These precautions will reduce the likelihood of smoke being blown out.

Warnings

Never throw water onto the fire to put it out.

The window pane(s) can reach high temperatures by releasing radiated heat; we advise you not to place sensitive objects within 1500mm proximity. Be careful of burns, particularly on young children.

If your fireplace is equipped with wood storage areas, ensure that they are not obstructed (eg by a door, or by overloading with wood etc) so that air can flow freely. Additionally, do not store easily flammable materials there (eg paper, matches)

Caution: in the event of a chimney fire, close the air inlets and the window, and call the fire brigade.

Maintenance

The fireplace should be mechanically swept twice a year (by a professional), including once during the heating period (winter) when a service should be carried out, looking at the connections and flue to ensure the equipment is in good order. The contractor should give a certificated. The various parts of the unit should be checked and the sealing. It may be necessary to replace the door seals.

If there are any defects, you must not use the fireplace. Repair must be carried out before reuse. Ensure that the installation is carried out by a professional.

Once the heating period is over, clean all the internal cast iron elements scrape off any soot or tar and brush down all the parts. To facilitate this task, take out all removable parts, (grates, firedog, baffle deflector etc).

We advise you, during this period to leave air inlets open to allow the circulation of air. Pay particular attention to this in fireplaces which are not used for a continuous period (eg holiday homes). Sporadic use perpetuates condensation, which accelerates oxidation.

For units equipped with a perforated grille on the outside, clean this with a vacuum clearer to avoid the build up of dust in the perforations which would reduce convection air circulation. Reassemble the damper before reuse.

Regularly empty the ash box to avoid an accumulation of ash which could obstruct and damage the grates. Do not dispose of burning embers negligently, as these can set fire to flammable objects.

To clean the glass panel when the window is cold, rub it with a wet sponge, or ideally a cloth soaked in a cleaning product containing caustic soda. Follow the product’s instructions and pay attention to usage warnings.

For equipment with brass accessories or façade, varying degrees of discolouration may occur according to the temperature when in use.

When the fireplace is not being used, brass can tarnish through natural oxidation. For this reason, it is necessary to regularly maintain these parts using a copper or brass cleaning product. Avoid staining the brass with the glass cleaning product.

Spare Parts

When requesting spare parts or information, please note the serial number which can be found on the identification plate on the base plate of the insert, under the ash box. Only use spare parts manufactured by us.

Guarantee

The installation guarantee is effective within a framework of compliance with the code of practice, the legislation in force, the installation instructions and the correct use of the insert, our regulations concerning set up, connection and insulation, and regulations concerning the installation and use of the fireplace and the insert.

Care will need to be taken with implementation of the various components, the choice of materials, compliance with the code of practice and conformity, to ensure that the installation is carried out safely.

This document does not claim to cover all eventualities, or to cover the entirety of the prescriptive legal documentation and does not render exempt the necessity of consulting the latter.

For any special circumstances, consult us.