Heco 420 Series User manual
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on the purchase of your new Heco Cookstove, we hope that you enjoy using it!
Our Story
The Heco Cookstove originally started as an idea. Amos Stoltzfus, owner of Breeo, LLC, had a vision for a cookstove
that would be easy to use, attractive, and last a lifetime. The idea for this cookstove gradually turned into a reality as
the project transitioned from ideas, to drawings, to the actual fabrication process. The Heco Cookstove challenges an
industry that has seen few improvements or modifications in the last 20 years, with many cookstoves remaining
unchanged despite advances in clean burning technology. The clean lines and more simplistic, modern design of the
Heco Cookstove is a part of the plan to truly bring innovation to the cookstove market. This stove burns wood or coal,
allowing for unparalleled flexibility of fuel choices. The oven can be easily controlled for consistent baking and
cooking temperatures. All of the exterior parts, with the exception of the cooktop in some cases, are porcelain coated
for a beautiful, smooth finish. The Heco Cookstove is designed to be used for generations. Worn porcelain parts can
easily be replaced and switched out for different options. For example, a customer can choose glass doors to add
ambiance to the room the stove is in, or can easily switch to a solid door if they’d like to. The stove’s designer, Amos
Stoltzfus, has 20+ years of metal fabrication experience and 15+ years of stove design and production experience. The
Heco Cookstoves are manufactured at Breeo’s headquarters in Lancaster County, PA.
INDEX
INTRODUCTION & INDEX
Page 2
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Page 3
OPERATIONAL & WORK PRACTICE STANDARDS
Page 4,5
COOKSTOVE LOCATION
Page 6,7
CHIMNEY REQUIREMENTS
Page 8
OPERATION CONTROLS
Page 9
BAKING & COOKING CONTROLS
Page 10
DOMESTIC WATER OPTIONS
Page 11
EXHAUST CLEANOUT
Page 12
420 PARTS LIST
Page 13
420 FIREBRICK LIST
Page 14
520 PARTS LIST
Page 15
520 FIREBRICK LIST
Page 16
TROUBLESHOOTING
Page 17,18
WARRANTY
Page 19
CONTACT INFO
Page 20
Page 2
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read all instructions before installing or operating any Heco Cookstove.
2. You must install both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors before installing or operating your cookstove.
3. Check your local codes; this installation must meet their guidelines.
4. Do not open bottom ash door to increase draft; the ash door is designed for emptying ashes only.
5. Never leave Heco Cookstove doors open when the cookstove is unattended.
6. Do not hook cookstove up to an aluminum Type B gas vent. Use a code approved Class A chimney that has a
6”diameter (min) to 8” diameter (max), and is a minimum of 20’ high.
7. Before you ignite your cookstove, be sure to inspect the chimney for any cracking or leaking liners, as this will
affect the draft.
8. Clean the chimney before installing your cookstove. If creosote is attached to the liner, you will run the risk of
a chimney fire.
9. Never leave children unsupervised while in the same room as the cookstove. To avoid injury, provide a sturdy
barrier to keep children and pets a safe distance from the cookstove.
10. Keep cookstove area clear of all combustible materials, gasoline, and other flammable vapors and liquids.
11. Use the required floor protection shown on the safety listing located on the back of the cookstove.
12. Ensure the clearance to combustible walls and floors meet the requirements listed on page 7 of this manual.
13. Do not allow anyone who is unfamiliar with the cookstove to operate it.
14. Spend time becoming acquainted with the different settings on your cookstove and how each will affect its
burning patterns. It is impossible to state exactly how each setting will affect your cookstove.
15. Be extremely careful when removing the ash pan from the cookstove. It may be extremely hot!
16. When replacing the baffle in the fire box, shut down the stove so the fire stops burning. Cookstove with 3
Panel Tops -
once the cookstove has cooled, remove the left and center cooktop panels to provide access to
the baffle. Cookstove with Solid Steel Top -
once the cookstove has cooled, you can access the baffle through
the fire door. The baffle is located above the reburn tubes at the top of the fire box.
17. Make sure your stove pipe has at least 3 screws per joint.
18. Do not install this cookstove in a mobile home or trailer.
19. Do not use a manual, barometric or automatic damper when burning wood.
Page 3
OPERATION & WORK PRACTICE STANDARDS
1. When burning wood, burn only dry, seasoned cord-wood, with 20% moisture content or less. Bring wood to
room temperature before burning.
2. Keep wood covered in a wood shed or under a tarp.
3. Right after delivery: stack cord-wood under cover.
4. Split cord wood before drying.
5. Do not burn green wood; it needs to have no more than 20% moisture.
6. All firewood must be seasoned at least 1 year .
7. Check wood moisture at least once a week.
8. Keep a 2” to 3” ash layer on top of the grates when burning wood. Note: Do not cover louver vents.
9. The cookstove is designed to burn air-dried wood and coal at a predetermined firing rate. Over-firing occurs
when the ash door is left open during operation or a highly volatile fuel ( i.e. large amounts of small kindling) is
used. The surface of your cookstove should not exceed 800 degrees. If the surface does exceed 800 degrees,
the warranty on the stove will be void.
10. Open firebox door slowly to avoid a “flashback”.
11. When you load wood into the cookstove, fully open the draft until the new wood ignites and then set to
normal burn; this will pre-heat the wood and the secondary re-burn will work more efficiently.
12. With new steel there is a small amount of oil and/or dirt on the metal so you may smell an odor. This is normal
during the first operation. You may want to assemble the cookstove outside and build a small fire in it to
“BURN OFF” this dirt and oil before installing the unit in your home.
13. Be extremely careful when removing the ash pan from the cookstove. It can get very hot!
14. Check the fit on the firebox door; It must fit tightly. If it does not, check for deterioration or wear of the
ceramic rope seal. Replace defective seals.
15. Inspect and clean your chimney and stove pipe regularly.
16. In the event of a chimney fire, shut all cookstove draft controls, alert everyone in the house, and call your fire
department immediately. If the flue is still burning vigorously, throw baking soda into the firebox or discharge
a fire extinguisher into the firebox. After the chimney fire is over, have a certified chimney sweep completely
inspect your system for damage before further use.
17. Slow fires: it is not recommended to burn the Heco Cookstove more than necessary early in the fall and late in
the spring, as you cannot keep the fire box hot enough to burn gasses (without overheating your home). Slow
fires can cause excessive creosote buildup in the firebox, stove pipe and chimney.
18. Equip your home with fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors.
19. Do not burn garbage, gasoline, or any other flammable liquids in your cookstove.
20. This is a wood and coal burning cookstove and should not be altered in any way. Altering the stove from the
original design will void the warranty.
Page 4
OPERATION & WORK PRACTICE STANDARDS
Testing Cookstove Draft Before Lighting
To test your draft, place a piece of newspaper inside the cookstove fire box and light it. Pay close attention to the
direction of fire’s flame and smoke. If the smoke is drawn up into the stove exhaust, your draft is working properly. If
the smoke spills out the door, you do not have proper draft.
Starting a Coal Fire
Remove the steel Wood Plate that sits on the grates inside the cookstove’s fire box. This plate cannot be used when
burning coal in the cookstove. Set oven bypass control to cooking mode. Fully open the Bimetal Regulator and
Airwash Controls. Place crumpled paper and kindling on the bottom grate inside the fire box and ignite with a match
or lighter. Use a small pile of kindling to get the fire started, adding larger pieces of wood to build up the heat of the
fire. Once your fire is hot, add 2” of coal over the entire grate area. As the coal starts burning and glows red, add
another layer of coal. Keep adding coal until you have an 8” body of fire. You can now add 30 lbs. of coal and adjust
the draft on the Bimetal Regulator Control to meet your needs.
NOTE: You can also use charcoal briquettes as a fire starter.
Maintaining a Coal Fire
Shake ashes every 12 hours if possible. You must keep your ashes cleaned out from underneath the grates; This may require
emptying your ash pan daily. If there is no air space under the grates, they will warp and become inoperable.
Starting a Wood Fire
Install the steel Wood Plate that sits on the grates inside the cookstove’s fire box; this plate will hold up the ash bed
of the fire. When starting a wood fire, use the steps listed above for starting a coal fire, but do not add coal. Allow ash
to build up on top of the grates; this will not choke the fire until it covers the louver vents. Keep approximately 2” to
3” of ash on grates at all times. The airwash vents will work as the fire’s primary air. Adjust the Airwash Control as
needed to burn a fire that meets your needs.
Creosote Formation & Removal
When wood is burned slowly, it can produce tar or other organic vapors, which, when combined with expelled
moisture, will form creosote. The creosote vapors condense in the relatively cool chimney flue of a slow burning fire.
As a result, creosote residue accumulates on the flue lining. When ignited, this creosote makes an extremely hot fire.
The chimney connector and the chimney itself should be inspected at least twice a month, during the heating season,
to determine if creosote buildup has occurred. If creosote has accumulated, the creosote should be removed
immediately to reduce the risk of a chimney fire.
NOTE: the key for reducing creosote buildup is to burn a hot fire and use seasoned firewood. Firewood should be
seasoned for one year with a moisture rating of no more than 20%. The wood should be cut, split and stacked under
open shelter to dry. Stack the firewood indoors one day prior to burning it. Shutting primary air supply to the fire box
will cause the fire to smolder, which will result in creosote accumulation.
Page 5
COOKSTOVE LOCATION
1. The cookstove must be located on a non-combustible floor. If you have a combustible floor, you are required
to use a non-combustible floor board (Type 1 Board).
2. Review the plaque on the cookstove before installation. The most important consideration in installing your
cookstove is adequate clearance between the stove and any combustible surface. A cookstove that is placed
too close in proximity to a wall or furniture may cause a fire.
3. The hearth must extend out at least 15” from the front edge of the cookstove, 8” from the rear of the
cookstove, and 8” from the left side of the cookstove. It also must run underneath and extend 2” beyond
either side of the stove pipe, if the pipe is elbowed towards a wall.
4. The cookstove must have its own chimney flue. Do not connect this unit to a chimney flue serving other
appliances.
5. Connection of the cookstove to the chimney should be made as direct as possible (6 feet maximum horizontal)
and no more than two bends should be used, as needed. Any reductions in the flue pipe should be no less
than 6” in diameter. The pipe connecting the cookstove to the chimney should be at least 24 gauge. Thicker
gauges are available, and will resist corrosion longer and need fewer replacements. Slope the flue pipe
towards the cookstove 1/4” per foot of horizontal run, this will help any condensation that forms in the pipe
to be carried back down into the cookstove. The cookstove connection pipe should be installed so that the
upper pipe section fits inside the lower connection pipe section. This way any condensation building up inside
the pipe, will stay inside the pipe as it flows down through the surface and back into the cookstove. Horizontal
pipe runs should have the pipe seams turned up. Particular attention should be paid to the point where the
flue passes through a wall or ceiling; This penetration should always be made with chimney thimble, insulated
pipe, and proper accessories based on the manufacturer's instructions. Chimney connectors must not pass
through the ceiling, through concealed spaces, or enter the chimney in the attic, unless proper clearance is
attained or the insulated pipe is used based on the manufacturer's instructions.
REMEMBER: all pipe sections should be connected by at least 3 sheet-metal screws per joint. A fire in the stack may
cause vibration, and poorly fastened piping may come apart, causing an extreme fire and smoke hazard. Do not
extend the stove pipe past the inside edge of the flue liner. If you have a manufactured stainless steel chimney, attach
the stove pipe to a stove pipe adapter. Whenever the pipe connects to a masonry chimney, the flue to the chimney
should be larger than the stove pipe, ensuring that you can insert the pipe out to the inside edge of the chimney (not
past). Be sure to seal as tight as possible and cover with a stove pipe collar.
CAUTION: do not store combustible or flammable materials near cookstove.
Page 6
COOKSTOVE LOCATION
This cookstove must be installed with, and maintain, the clearances shown in the illustration above.
1. Set the cookstove on a solid, non-combustible floor.
2. Use a non-combustible floor board (Type 1 Board).
3. The hearth material must extend out at least 15” from the front edge, 8” from either side and 8” behind the
cookstove. It also must run underneath and extend 2” beyond either side of the Exhaust Box and stove pipe, if
the pipe is elbowed towards a wall.
According to NFPA Standards, single-walled stove pipes can be within 9 inches of a combustible, provided an
approved fire retardant material is utilized. It must also be covered with 28 gauge sheet metal and spaced out 1”
on non-combustible spacers.
Page 7
CHIMNEY REQUIREMENTS
The minimum height of a chimney system for the Heco Cookstove is 20 feet. The chimney must extend above the roof
of a house at a minimum of 3 feet at any exit points. On a pitched roof, installation of the chimney must be 2 feet
higher than anything within a 10 foot radius of the chimney. It is important to have a chimney draft of 0.06 water
column. It is required to abide by the manufacturer's instructions on Class A chimneys, as well as local building codes.
It is not recommended to build a chimney on a building addition that is lower than the original part of the house. Do
not extend the stovepipe past the inside of a masonry chimney liner and never connect this unit to a chimney serving
another appliance.
1. The cookstove must have it’s own chimney flue. One cookstove per flue.
2. The chimney must be a masonry (recommending Chimtek), or a stainless steel insulated chimney system.
3. The masonry chimney should not have any missing mortar or loose bricks.
4. No mortar or chimney parts should be blocking the chimney flue.
5. There should be a two inch clearance between any chimney; except a Chimtek Masonry Chimney System,
which has 0 clearance.
6. The chimney should extend at least 2 feet above the highest point of the house, or 2 feet above the point
at which the chimney is 10 feet from the roof.
Page 8
OPERATION CONTROLS
Primary Air Control
This Bimetal Regulator is used to adjust the Primary Air. Primary Air is the main draft that enters into the stove, under
the grates in the fire box, to add oxygen to the fire. This control is used less when burning wood, as wood needs 80%
Secondary Air. It is not uncommon to use only Secondary Air when burning wood.
Secondary Air & Airwash Control
The Secondary Air Control is on the left side of the stove and feeds the Secondary Air Reburn Tubes located at the top
of the fire box, as well as the air wash located at the front of the fire box. The air wash works as the primary air when
burning wood and keeps your fire door glass clean when open. When burning coal, set the secondary air at
approximately 50%. WARNING! DO NOT CLOSE SECONDARY AIR CONTROL WHEN BURNING COAL AS THIS COULD
RESULT IN GAS EXPLOSIONS. Pull the secondary air handle out to provide more air flow in the fire box and to keep
your fire door glass clean. Push the secondary air handle in to decrease the air flow in the fire box.
Wood Plate
The cookstove comes with a steel Wood Plate (installed), which must be used when burning wood. Always be sure to
remove the steel Wood Plate when burning coal.
Page 9
BAKING & COOKING CONTROLS
The Heco Cookstove is designed for both oven baking and stovetop cooking. The Oven Bypass Control is used to set
the stove in either Cook Mode or Bake Mode.
This control is changed by using the handle located on the right side of
the cookstove (see below). You can cook and bake at the same time while in Bake Mode,
but cannot do this while in
Cook Mode.
Do not set the cookstove in Bake Mode if you are not baking, this will decrease the lifetime of your
cookstove’s oven box and require more frequent creosote clean out. The diagram below shows the two settings for
the Oven Bypass Control; pull the handle (on the right side of the stove) out to set the cookstove in Bake Mode and
push the handle in for Cook Mode.
CAUTION: Keep fire box door closed at all times while in Bake Mode. Opening the fire box door while in Bake Mode
will cause smoke spillage!
Page 10
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