6. When you can see that the chimney is hot enough to draw (after 5 - 10 minutes), close the door and the
primary air (Fig. 4B)
7. Reduce the amount of secondary air to the desired position, and the optimal combustion will continue.
Make sure that there is always enough air (oxygen) to maintain clear, lasting flames when, and after,
reducing the amount of combustion air (Fig. 4A).
8. Once the fire has been reduced to a thick layer of embers, a new portion of wood can be added. Stoke the
stove frequently but only add small amounts of fuel max 3 kg at a time. If the stove is filled too full, the
heat created may cause extreme stress in the chimney. Add fuel to the fire in moderation.
The maximum recommended weight of wood fuel per load is 3.0 kg/h (approx 3 split logs).
Rules of wood burning
If you want less heat, put fewer logs on the stove and reduce the amount of air. It is still important to main-
tain a good layer of embers.
Less heat - less wood - less air
Greater heat - more wood - more air
Soot deposits will settle on the glass if the stove is run too slowly or if your wood is not well seasoned.
We would strongly recommend that you do not leave your stove alit at night. It harms the environment, and
constitutes very poor use of the wood, as the gases in the wood do not ignite at the low temperature, but
settle as soot (unburned gases) in the chimney and stove instead.
The holes must not be covered.
The fire is best when it is burning well and the smoke from
the chimney is almost invisible.
Avoid smouldering fires as this produces the most pollution.
WARNING: Wood stoves must never be left unattended with
the door open.
If the door is left partly open, gas and flame may be drawn
out of the fireplace stove opening, creating risks from both
fire and smoke. We recommend that you fit a smoke detec-
tor in the room where the stove is installed.
DO NOT OVERFIRE THIS HEATER. Over firing may cause a
house fire, or can result in permanent damage to the stove.
If any part of the stove glows, you are over firing.
42 | 43
APOLLO WOOD STOVE
3. Put 2 - 3 fuel tablets or 5 - 8 rolled up sheets of newspaper between these woods
4. Add some kindling wood (1 - 2 kg) in a criss-cross pattern on top (Fig. 9 A&B)
5. Finally, place a medium-sized log on the top of the pile and light the tablets/newspaper
8. QUATERNARY COMBUSTION (PATENTED)
Four points of combustion
For the burning of wood to be efficient it needs to pass through a process of primary, secondary, tertiary and
quaternary combustion.
Primary combustion
This is the initial burning of wood at relatively low temperatures. During primary combustion, large amounts
of creosote gas and soot are produced because of the water contained in the wood. Creosote holds 60% of the
potential energy of the wood, but which is deposited as soot on the inside of the stove and chimney without
emitting heat.
Secondary combustion
The combustion chamber is thus insulated, allowing the core temperature to rise - providing precisely the
right amount of oxygen - to 600
O
C which is the temperature at which creosote spontaneously combusts.
A chain reaction then increases the temperature on the inside of the wood-burning stove from 600
O
C to
roughly 870
O
C without the addition of any fuel. This, then, is secondary combustion.
Fig. 9A (Horizontal) Fig. 9B (Vertical)
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