Pyroclassic Fires Operating Instructions | Updated May 2019 | V4 | 9
TROUBLESHOOTING
DOORKNOB LOOSE?
The expected lifespan of a doorknob is somewhere between 4 - 10 years depending on how the fire is operated. There
are two typical causes that lead to premature failure of the doorknob:
1. Charring on the back of the knob due to high levels of concentrated heat from over-firing. Over-firing can occur when
the turboslide is left open too long or is held off the face of the starting air hole with ash or embers. Over-firing can
also occur when the door is not sealing due to a damaged rope seal or glass gasket.
2. The door being overtightened when it is closed which in turn leads to it being very tight to open once the fire is hot.
Continued overtightening causes the screws to weaken and then come loose and break away from their fixings.
To avoid these issues and extend the lifespan of the doorknob, keep a clear area of approximately 10cm in the front of
the fire chamber and maintain your fire underneath the air tubes. This will give you the additional benefit of letting the
cylinder absorb the maximum amount of heat from your fuel load. Only turn the door knob enough for the rope to make
light contact between the seal and the front plate. Further cranking of the door knob will result in the weakening of the
screws holding the door knob on.
CRACKS IN THE FIRE CHAMBER
Due to the fire chamber being cast as a one-piece cylinder it goes through some expansion and contraction every time it
is heat cycled and this results in different levels of cracking. This is just the cylinder relieving its inert tension and has no
effect on the operation, performance, or useful life of the unit. For more information on this topic, watch our ‘Why are
there cracks in my cylinder? video, online at http://www.pyroclassic.co.nz/resources/videos/
AVOIDING BACK PUFFING OR MINOR GAS EXPLOSIONS
Hot embers should be brought forward to ensure ignition starts at the front of the new fuel load. Use the ash rake as
per the operating instructions on page 8 of this booklet.
Turboslide not opened or blocked after reloading large logs onto a small ember bed. A good bed of coals is needed to
ensure the ignition of a fresh fuel load and use of the turboslide is necessary to provide extra air until the flames are
well established.
Wood fuel which is too wet for burning. Split a large log and spike the center with a moisture meter. Moisture
content should be less than 25%, ideally 12% - 18%.
An explosive substance such as a battery or aerosol container loaded into the fire chamber. This is VERY dangerous,
do NOT do this.
DOOR LOCK HARD TO OPERATE
Apply a small amount of high temperature grease to the thread as per instructions on page 9. Grease with graphite or
molybdenum disulphide only.
You may be overtightening the door spindle thread. The door on a Pyroclassic seals with minimum pressure. Do not
overtighten this door as this will shorten the life of the handle and gasket.
ASH SPILLS & DE-ASHING
Make sure you have a metal (non-combustible) ash container with a lid and store it outside on concrete or bare ground.
Use the Pyroclassic shovel to empty the fire chamber when it is cool. Be careful as ash almost always contains some hot
ember. Never use a vacuum cleaner. Pot ash can be great for your garden if your soils are acidic. Use only ash from a
cooled fire which used good quality wood.
SAFETY NOTES
FIRES CAN BE DANGEROUS
Always use a fireguard in the presence of children, the elderly or the infirm. In New Zealand and Australia, AS/NZS
2918:2001 guidelines should be followed. In the UK the fireguard should be manufactured in accordance with BS 6539 –
Fireguards for use with solid fuel appliances.
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