Fisher Stoves CHARLESTON Installation instructions

March 2021 www.fisherstoves.co.nz

FISHER CHARLESTON

FISHER DENNISTON

MULTI-FUEL HEATER

INSTALLATION & OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

March 2021 page 2www.fisherstoves.co.nz

Congratulations on the purchase of your Fisher multi-fuel heater.

Please read this installation and operation manual carefully.

The installation of this ﬁ re must comply with the Installation Standard

AS/NZS 2918:2001 as well as any additional local requirements.

Please ensure you have all relevant permits/building consents prior to installation.

Keep this booklet as a reference guide.

INSTALLATION OF FISHER MULTI-FUEL HEATER

Fisher recommends you use a suitably qualiﬁ ed installation technician to install your ﬁ re. Your dealer or

heating specialist will be able to help with recommendations as well as advise on permits/consents required

for the installation in your area.

Please follow carefully all dimensions and recommendations provided on the individual speciﬁ cation sheet

for your model of heater as these dimensions comply with the required New Zealand standard (AS/NZS

2918:2001).

As safety and emissions performance can be affected by altering the appliance, no modiﬁ cations are

allowed without the written permission from the manufacturer.

INSTALLATION

1. Unpack the heater and check that there is no damage.

2. Ascertain the position of the roof penetration for the ﬂ ue system. A correctly installed

ﬂ ue system will normally prevent down draught problems during windy weather and

eliminate smoke spillage problems due to lack of draught.

3. Ascertain suitable position for appliance and size of ﬂ oor protector and check the ceiling

to ensure that no major structural members will be affected by the path of the ﬂ ue.

4. Check that the sub-structure is capable of carrying the heater (i.e. weight

consideration on the ﬂ oor).

5. Check measurements of the heater to combustibles or shield.

6. Locate the heater in the required position (also see ‘Fitting Seismic Restraint’ after

installation instruction #10).

7. Using a plumb line fastened to the ceiling, mark the centre of the ﬂ ue penetration

position and cut the ceiling hole to the required size and frame out.

8. Install the ﬂ ue system (see ﬂ ue installation instructions supplied with ﬂ ue system).

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Remember:

• The ﬂ ue system should rise vertically from the appliance with as few offsets as possible. Offsets should

be avoided where possible as each change in direction creates a resistance to airﬂ ow and makes ﬂ ue

cleaning difﬁ cult.

• The ﬂ ue system must be well sealed with a minimum of 3 ﬁ xings at each joint.

• The ﬂ ue pipe penetrating the chimney must continue to the minimum length of 4.6m from the top of the

ﬂ oor protector to the cowl.

• Flue exiting more than 3 metres from the ridgeline must terminate no less than 1 metre above the roof

penetration (see diagram 1 below).

• Where the top of the ﬂ ue pipe is more than 2 metres above its highest ﬁ xing point, it must be stayed

against high winds.

9. Drill and ﬁ x ﬂ ue system into ﬂ ue spigot with stainless steel self-tapping screws.

10. Drill and secure the appliance to the ﬂ oor protector using the two holes in the rear

legs of the appliance

FITTING SEISMIC RESTRAINT

The Floor Protector must be mechanically ﬁ xed to the ﬂ oor by bolting or screwing.

Note: Floor Protector to be ﬁ xed by gluing when on a concrete ﬂ oor that may have water pipes or electrical

wires present. The appliance can then be bolted to the ﬂ oor protector with two 6mm x 50mm dynabolts.

BAFFLE

Before lighting your appliance for the ﬁ rst time, make sure the bafﬂ e is in the correct position being as far to

the rear as possible.

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WARNINGS

1. WARNING: THE HEATER AND FLUE SYSTEM SHALL BE INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE

WITH AS/NZS 2918:2001 AND THE APPROPRIATE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RELEVANT

BUILDING CODE OR CODES.

2. PLEASE ENSURE THAT ONLY COMPONENTS APPROVED BY FISHER ARE USED FOR THE

INSTALLATION as substitutes may adversely affect the performance and might nullify compliance with

the requirements of AS/NZS 2918:2001.

CAUTION: MIXING OF HEATER OR FLUE SYSTEM COMPONENTS FROM DIFFERENT

SOURCES OR MODIFYING THE DIMENSIONAL SPECIFICATIONS MAY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS

CONDITIONS. WHERE SUCH ACTION IS CONSIDERED, THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE

CONSULTED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.

3. CAUTION: CRACKED AND BROKEN COMPONENTS, e.g. GLASS PANELS OR CERAMIC BRICKS

MAY RENDER THE INSTALLATION UNSAFE.

Any variation from these installation instructions or any doubts about them must be checked against the

requirements of the AS/NZS 2918:2001.

March 2021 page 5www.fisherstoves.co.nz

CORRECT OPERATION OF YOUR FISHER SOLID FUEL HEATER

Simply by burning your Fisher heater correctly, you can improve efﬁ ciency, reduce fuel consumption

and minimise air pollution.

STARTING A NEW FIRE

Please note: If lighting the heater for the ﬁ rst time dust heater, glass, trim and ﬂ ue before ﬁ ring to avoid

particles sticking or discolouring. Once ﬁ red, some smoke and vapour will be released as the VHT painted

surfaces enter the ﬁ nal curing process. Open all windows and doors while running the ﬁ re on high for up to

3 hours. People with respiratory, heart or other relevant medical conditions should avoid inhaling vapours

during the curing process. All VHT paint will cure at the highest temperature achieved and will produce

smoke again if this temperature is exceeded.

To start and maintain a good ﬁ re you will need the following ingredients:

1. A small quantity of newspaper (do not use coloured or coated paper);

2. A packet of ﬁ relighters (optional)

3. A quantity of ﬁ nely split, dry soft wood kindling in a variety of sizes; and

4. Seasoned ﬁ rewood split into a range of piece sizes.

The ﬁ rst step is to crumple half a dozen sheets of newspaper and

put them just inside the ﬁ rebox. The amount of newspaper you

need will depend on the ﬁ rebox size, and the dryness and ﬁ neness

of the kindling you are using. The drier and ﬁ ner the kindling, the

less newspaper you need. Many people make the mistake of using

too little newspaper. Be generous with the newspaper and you

will have more success. Putting some ﬁ relighter halves under the

newspaper can also help sustain ﬁ rebox temperature until the

wood is burning.

On top of the paper place 10 to 15 pieces of ﬁ nely split, dry

kindling. Softwoods, such as cedar or pine, make good kindling.

Ideally, the kindling should be placed on the newspaper so that the

combustion air reaches the newspaper fast where you ignite it. It is

also a good idea to add two or three very small pieces of ﬁ rewood

to the kindling load before lighting.

TO BUILD A QUICK,

HOT FIRE

Use plenty of crumpled newspaper

and dry, ﬁ nely-split kindling. Set

the air control fully open. Light

the newspaper near where the

combustion air enters the ﬁ rebox.

When a kindling ﬁ re is built properly,

you should expect fast ignition

and no smouldering.

March 2021 page 6www.fisherstoves.co.nz

Set the air control to fully open, light the ﬁ relighters or the newspaper and close but do not latch the door.

After about 5-10 minutes, when the wood is ﬂ aming brightly, latch the door (some longer ﬂ ue installations

may require door to be left unlatched for up to 15 minutes until the ﬂ ue system is warm and producing strong

draught). Since leaving the door open slightly can cause dangerously high temperatures, never leave the

woodstove unattended while starting the ﬁ re.

When the ﬂ ames from the kindling load just begin to subside, add several small pieces of ﬁ rewood. Try to

avoid smothering the ﬁ re with the new pieces. Placing the pieces on the burning kindling can help prevent

smothering. As your Fisher heater is a radiant heater it requires approximately 45-60 minutes to preheat the

steel ﬁ rebox before it can effectively radiate heat into the room. Place ﬁ rewood in a uniform position, front

to rear loading. A well maintained, hot ﬁ re will reduce the preheat cycle.

REKINDLING A FIRE FROM CHARCOAL OR EMBERS

Embers found at the back of the ﬁ rebox should be raked evenly

around the ﬁ re. If only a small amount of embers remain, you will

have to start with kindling. If there is a good quantity of glowing

embers to work with, place at least three, and preferably more than

ﬁ ve pieces of small ﬁ rewood on the embers. Open the air inlets

fully and close the door.

If everything is just right, fast ignition of the new load should be

expected. Allow the ﬁ re to burn with bright turbulent ﬂ ames until

the wood is completely alight. This usually takes between 15 and

30 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces and the moisture

content of the wood. When the wood is burning well, reduce the air

setting to produce the amount of heat and length of burn desired.

Reducing the air control setting in two or three stages will result in

less air pollution because the ﬁ re will not have to recover from the

single, large reduction in air supply.

The most important rule is NEVER LET THE FIRE SMOULDER. As long as there is solid wood in the

ﬁ rebox, there must be ﬂ ames present or the unburned gases will escape, both reducing efﬁ ciency and

increasing air pollution.

Always open the ﬁ re door slowly to allow fresh air to enter and maintain the smoke path. If you open the door

too quickly, smoke can puff out.

TO REKINDLE A FIRE

FROM HOT COALS

Spread the charcoal evenly

throughout the ﬁ rebox. Place small

pieces of wood on and behind the

coals. Open the air inlets fully and

leave them open until the pieces

of wood are well charred. This

illustration shows the arrangement

of pieces for an extended ﬁ re.

March 2021 page 7www.fisherstoves.co.nz

SOME OTHER USEFUL TIPS

Fuel load geometry: Small pieces of ﬁ rewood arranged loosely in a crisscross pattern burn quickly because

the combustion air can reach all the pieces at once. Larger pieces placed a little more compactly burn

slower. Once your heater has reached maximum temperature, it is more efﬁ cient to top up frequently with

about 25% of a full load rather than let the ﬁ re die down and need to completely reﬁ ll it.

SMALL AND LARGE FUEL LOAD GEOMETRY

Fire in cycles: Don’t expect perfectly steady heat output from your

Fisher heater. Solid fuel heaters burn in cycles. A cycle is the time

between the ignition of a load from charcoal and the consumption

of the load back to a coal bed. Plan the ﬁ ring cycles around your

household routine. If someone is home to operate the heater, build

a small hot ﬁ re. If you must be away from the house during the day,

build a long-burning ﬁ re.

The small, hot ﬁ re: A small, hot ﬁ re is a small amount of wood

burned quickly. Use it when you just want to take the chill off the

house. The small hot ﬁ re technique eliminates the smouldering

ﬁ res that are common when people don’t need their heater running

hot all the time, like in spring and autumn. To build a small hot

ﬁ re, rake the embers evenly in the ﬁ rebox and place several small

pieces of ﬁ rewood on it. The bottom layer should be placed to

ensure that combustion air can ﬂ ow over the embers and along

the length of the pieces of wood. The next layer should be stacked

loosely in a crisscross arrangement. Open the air inlet to produce

a hot, bright ﬁ re. After approximately 15–20 minutes the air supply

can be reduced slightly as the ﬁ re progresses, but never enough to extinguish the ﬂ ames. When only

charcoal remains, the air supply can be reduced further to prevent cooling the ember bed. Reload with small

pieces often, as full loads will smother the ember bed.

A SMALL-STACKED FUEL LOAD

Good for short-duration ﬁ res.

A LARGE-STACKED FUEL LOAD

Good for extended burning cycles

(see above)

LOADING FOR A SMALL

HOT FIRE

Rake the embers evenly. Load

the wood loosely in a crisscross

arrangement. Let the ﬁ re burn

brightly until most of the solid

wood is burned before reducing

the air setting.

March 2021 page 8www.fisherstoves.co.nz

The long-burning ﬁ re: To achieve a long burning ﬁ re, rake the embers evenly, as with the small hot ﬁ re, and

use larger and more pieces of wood. Place the pieces in a similar pattern to the small hot ﬁ re, using more

pieces and larger pieces (especially the top layer). Always make certain that there is a gap between the

pieces to ensure that the combustion air can reach all pieces. Open the air inlets fully for between 15 to

30 minutes depending on load size and fuel moisture content. When the ﬁ re is burning ﬁ ercely (at least 15

minutes), reduce the air control in stages to the desired level. This allows you to turn down the air control and

still maintain a clean-burning ﬁ re.

REMEMBER: NEVER LET THE FIRE SMOULDER.

Preventing creosote build-up: Creosote is a tar-like substance that builds up when the organic

compounds in smoke condense onto cooler ﬂ ue surfaces. Left to build up over time, creosote will restrict the

airﬂ ow of the ﬂ ue and impair the performance of your heater. The production of smoke is at its highest when

a fresh fuel load is added or when the air control is at its lowest position. The most effective way to control

the creosote formation is to burn the heater so as to ensure as complete combustion as possible and at the

same time promoting higher ﬂ ue temperatures. Smoldering ﬁ res should always be avoided.

The amount of charcoal in the ash is often a good indicator of how well you are operating the heater.

If there is no charcoal and only very ﬁ ne ash, then you are doing an excellent job. If there is a lot of

charcoal you may be turning the combustion air down too soon after re-fuelling, or not raking the charcoal

to the combustion air inlet, or turning the combustion air down too low to support efﬁ cient combustion,

or all of the above.

REMEMBER: THE HOTTER THE FIRE, THE LESS CREOSOTE FORMATION.

When you have mastered the techniques for efﬁ cient wood burning, here is what you should see:

1. When wood burns it should be ﬂ aming until only charcoal remains. If there are no

ﬂ ames, something is wrong.

2. Firebricks in the ﬁ rebox should be tan in colour, never black.

3. Steel parts in the ﬁ rebox should be light to dark brown, never black and shiny.

4. With seasoned wood, correct air settings and proper loading arrangement you should

expect quick ignition of a new load of wood - the bottom pieces should be ﬂ aming by

the time the door is closed.

5. The glass door should be clear. A discoloured glass indicates that the wood is too wet

or the air control has not been left open long enough.

6. The exhaust coming from the top of the ﬂ ue system should be clear or white. A plume

of blue or grey smoke indicates smouldering, inefﬁ cient combustion, air pollution and

probably low operating temperatures.

March 2021 page 9www.fisherstoves.co.nz

Correctly installed and operated, Fisher solid fuel heaters do not spill smoke into the house. There are three

main reasons why some woodstoves smoke:

Bad installation design: Incorrect ﬂ ue installation, resulting in low ﬂ ue temperatures and low draught, can

make a wood heater more likely to spill smoke. For example, ﬂ ue systems that run up the outside wall of the

house and are not correctly insulated can rob the heat from the ﬂ ue and produce very little draught. Each

elbow in the ﬂ ue pipe assembly slows down the ﬂ ow of gases and causes a small restriction to ﬂ ow. When a

ﬂ ue system includes more than one elbow, the restriction can be enough to cause spillage.

Extreme negative pressure in the house: Energy efﬁ ciency practices and new building code rules are

making our houses more and more airtight. This makes the houses energy efﬁ cient, but also makes them

more sensitive to negative pressure when air is exhausted from the house. Large, fan-forced exhaust

ventilators, like down-draught-type kitchen stove exhausts, can cause extreme negative pressure in the

house when they are operating. Because new houses are tightly sealed, there are few holes to allow

replacement air to enter, and the house pressure becomes negative. This negative pressure works against

ﬂ ue system draught. In severe cases, the negative pressure in the house overcomes the ﬂ ue system draught

and the appliance begins to spill smoke, especially when a ﬁ re is started or when it dies down to coals.

To prevent this extreme negative pressure, one option is to open a window slightly to allow combustion air

into the room.

Improper heater ﬁ ring technique: When a solid fuel heater is starved for air it smoulders, producing a

relatively cool, smoky ﬁ re. The temperatures throughout the system are low. During a smouldering ﬁ re,

the ﬂ ue system will not be receiving the hot gas it needs to produce strong draught. When the heater

door is opened, smoke will spill into the room. A smouldering ﬁ re is the single most common reason for

smoke spillage and totally unnecessary. By using the suggestions on proper ﬁ ring technique earlier in this

document, you will be able to avoid these smouldering ﬁ res.

PURCHASING THE FIREWOOD

The quality of the ﬁ rewood you burn can have a dramatic effect on the efﬁ ciency and operation of the heater.

The main factors that affect the burning characteristics of ﬁ rewood are moisture content, tree species and

piece size.

The moisture content of the wood affects the rate at which it burns and the efﬁ ciency of combustion. When

trees are cut, the wood moisture content ranges between 35 and 60 percent by weight. If you attempt to burn

wood this wet it will be hard to ignite, slow to burn and will hiss and sizzle in the ﬁ rebox. So much energy will

be consumed in boiling off the excess water that the efﬁ ciency of combustion and the heat to your home will

be low, condensation and corrosion may be occurring in the ﬂ ue and smoke may be causing problems to

your neighbours. Properly seasoned wood ignites readily and burns efﬁ ciently.

PLEASE NOTE: WOOD WITH A MOISTURE CONTENT OF 25% OR LESS IS THE ONLY APPROVED

WOOD TO USE IN CLEAN AIR ZONES.

March 2021 page 10www.fisherstoves.co.nz

Firewood should be cut and split in the early spring and stacked under cover, with

good ventilation, to be ready for burning when required.

Look for checks or cracks in the end grain as a sign of dry wood. The stacks of ﬁ rewood should be in an

open area so that air can circulate through them. During the summer, as warm breezes ﬂ ow through the

stacks, carrying away the evaporating water, the moisture content of the wood will fall to around 20 per cent.

At this moisture content the wood is ready for burning.

Although the energy content of dry wood per kilogram is almost the same regardless

of species, some burn differently because of differences in density e.g pine is less dense than woods like

gums, Manuka or Black Wattle. A denser wood will produce a longer-lasting coal bed, while a less dense

wood will bring a ﬁ re to an optimum burning temperature more quickly.

The size of the ﬁ rewood pieces affects the rate of combustion. Larger pieces ignite and release their energy

more slowly than small pieces. Smaller pieces are better for short, hot ﬁ res and larger pieces are preferable

for extended ﬁ ring cycles. In general, commercial ﬁ rewood dealers supply ﬁ rewood in thicker pieces than

modern wood-burning heaters can handle. It is often necessary to split some of the wood again before using

it. The thickest piece size for high-efﬁ ciency heaters should not exceed about 150 mm (6 in.) across the

largest dimension and a range of smaller pieces will be needed for effective stoking. Maximum log length

varies according to model.

BURNING COAL

When using coal, the only type you should use is sub-bituminous coal (check with your local supplier). Note:

removal of the safety tab on the ash door pan will cause severe damage due to overheating from excessive

air supply. Removal of tab will void warranty.

Please also refer to ‘Exclusions’ in the Warranty Page 14.

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