• Horizontal sections. These should be avoided or kept as
short as possible and always at a minimum gradient of 2 cm
per metre. You are advised to assess the depression to
guarantee sufficient gas evacuation. The flue pipe should be
increased in proportion to requirements.
• Obstruction in the flue pipe. When the stove is not used for
a long period of time, and especially during the summer, you
might find that birds, wasps or bees will nest in the chimney
pot; in which case you will have trouble lighting the stove
again. Moreover, a poorly or improperly made flue pipe may
cause instances of crumbling plaster or cracks through which
air enters.
CLEANING THE FLUE PIPE. THE FLUE PIPE MUST BE
CLEANED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THE BEST TIME IS AT
THE END OF WINTER.
AIR RECOVERY
• No air recovery. The stove can still be lit but soon burns up
the available oxygen, reducing combustion and causing the
gases to build up and come out of the stove. The purity of the
ambient air is compromised as a result. In this case you
definitely need an outside air vent.
• Insufficient air recovery. If there is insufficient air recovery,
combustion is poor and gases will come out of the stove
especially when you open the door to add more wood. If the
stove is installed in a room with double-framed doors or
double-glazed windows, a suitable air vent must be installed
to ensure a good flow of air.
OTHER REASONS
• The position is too windy. You need to install a
WINDPROOF chimney pot, otherwise any change in the
direction of the wind will compromise evacuation of the
gases.
• Presence of two flue pipes in the same room or in two
adjacent rooms. The flue pipe with the more powerful
draught pressure will draw the gases from the one with the
least powerful one; as a result gases will come out of the
stove with the poorer flue draught pressure.
• Presence of a ventilating hood in the room. If there is
insufficient air recovery, the air will be retrieved by the stove
causing smoke. If you switch on the hood while the stove is in
use, you must leave a window ajar for all the time the
ventilating hood is in operation.
• Poor connections. Narrow sections, internal edges, imperfect
joints and sharp bends might accidentally be created when
connecting the stove to the flue that could impede the
evacuation of the gases.
• Uninsulated flue pipe. Gases passing through an
uninsulated flue pipe will cool down and compromise flue
draught pressure. This causes atmospheric pollution,
condensation and the deposit of unburned products inside
the pipe, affecting its efficiency.
4. MAINTENANCE
4.1 ROUTINE CLEANING AND CHECKS
The cooker is at its most efficient when all the surfaces and
pipes the gases come in contact with are kept perfectly clean.
The boiler must be cleaned whenever the yield decreases.
We advise regular maintenance by a qualified technician. Clean
and check the cooking plate and the iron doors' fibreglass seals
on a regular basis.
All maintenance and cleaning must only ever be carried out
when the stove has fully cooled down::
• (thermocooker) Remove the iron cooking plate and clean
underneath thoroughly with the provided steel brush;
• scratch and brush all surfaces of the boiler;
• (thermocooker) Remove the pressurized door under the oven
and use the small shovel to clean the flue-ways, removing all
the ash at the base (only for mod.FK900);
• vacuum-clean all accessible areas.
CLEANING THE CERAMIC GLASS OF THE
COMBUSTION CHAMBER'S DOOR
Eliminate all traces of soot on the inner side of the ceramic
glass using a soft cloth dampened with a little clean ash, or
with a suitable product in the event of stubborn traces of tar.
Dry well afterwards.
Clean the outer side of the ceramic glass with a damp cloth
or, if necessary, with a little neutral detergent. Dry well
afterwards.
ECO MODELS: EXTRACT THE OVEN DOOR
• extract the door's lock using a screwdriver if necessary
• turn the lock to its locking position
• close the door as far as the lock permits
• remove the door by lifting it and pulling it towards you
4.2 MAINTENANCE OF THE COOKING PLATE
When you first use the cooker, the cast iron plate will gra-
dually change colour, starting with the hottest part and, after
a while, the colder parts. The plate eventually becomes all
one colour. Clean the heating plate with any type of deter-
gent; then rinse it only if it is slightly warm so that the humi-
dity can evaporate naturally. Grease the entire plate with a
cloth soaked in oil.
The heating plate is made of iron so prolonged contact with
humidity will cause a thin layer of rust to form on its surface.
This can be removed as follows:
• rub the surface of the plate with 120 grit abrasive paper
• rub the surface with food oil
• clean with a dry cloth.
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