10 Harman Oakwood
3-90-08327R26_03/14
BUILDING A FIRE
Overring
Avoid  overfiring  your  stove.  Overfiring  is  a  potentially 
hazardous  situation  which  can  lead  to  overheating  of 
combustible  materials  nearby,  damage  to  the  stove,  and 
in extreme cases, cause a re. Overring is caused by: 1. 
Too much air owing through the stove too quickly. 2. You 
may have positioned the primary air control lever too far to 
the right. 3. Inadvertently leaving the damper open or 4. Not 
keeping up with routine maintenance, such as checking door 
gaskets for wear.
Overring results in excessive fuel consumption, and may 
cause parts of the stove or chimney connector to glow red. 
If you notice signs of overring, reduce the air supply to the 
re, and review the Maintenance section in this manual.
In the event of a chimney re, call your local re department; 
make sure everyone is safely out of the house. Reduce the 
air  intake  of  the  stove  as  much  as  possible  using  the  air 
control lever; close the bypass damper to further restrict air 
ow. Do not throw  water  on  the  re;  this  can cause stove 
damage and create an even more dangerous situation. Have 
your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected before 
resuming burning in your stove.
As you begin to operate your stove at higher temperatures, 
you will notice a “hot”  or  unpleasant smell; this is just  the 
paint going through the curing process, and will disappear 
after a few res.
Reloading: Once you have prepared and maintained a thick 
charcoal bed, and the secondary combustion is established, 
you should be able to reload the stove at any time by simply 
opening the bypass damper, then the load door, adding fuel 
and closing the door then the damper. This depends on coal 
bed size, load size and moisture content of fuel.
Removing Ashes:  Before  reloading,  empty  the  ash  pan 
(remember to close the ash door while emptying the pan). 
The ashes should be the coolest at this time. Remove ashes 
from the re chamber periodically by raking a poker across 
the bottom grates.
Excessive ash buildup can prevent proper venting of exhaust 
gases.  Do  not  allow  the  ash  pan  to  over-ll. Ash  buildup 
between the ash pan and the bottom of the grate can cause 
the grate to overheat and wear out prematurely.
The Oakwood was designed to provide access to the ash pan 
without the need for opening the main door. Before opening 
the ash door and removing the ash pan, open the bypass 
damper. Wearing heavy protective gloves, open the ash door 
and remove the ash pan by pulling it forward by the handle. 
Close the ash door and damper bypass before  taking  the 
ashes outside for safe disposal.
Ashes  should  be  placed  in  a  metal  container  with  a  tight 
tting lid. The closed container of ashes should be placed 
on a noncombustible oor or on the ground, well away from 
all combustible materials, pending nal disposal. If the ashes 
are disposed of by burial in soil or otherwise locally dispersed, 
they should be retained in the closed container until all cinders 
have thoroughly cooled.
Never use the ash disposal container for other trash. Wood 
ash can be added to your garden or compost.
CAUTION
The stove is hot while in operation. Keep children, 
clothing and furniture away. Contact may cause skin 
burns.
CAUTION
Never leave the stove unattended if either the ash or 
load door is open. Overring may result.
CAUTION
Risk of Excessive Temperatures. Keep Ash Door 
Closed During Firing of the Heater.