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ECOFOGÃO
Use
and Maintenance
Congratulations!
When you acquire an Ecofogão, you have in your hands one of the most
simple, efficient, and clean wood burning technologies currently available.
The Ecofogão uses the "Rocket stove" combustion chamber, which
combines simple components that increase the efficiency of wood combustion
such as thermal insulation, primary and secondary air entrances, and
a natural draft. Additionally, the ECOFOGÃO uses a stove plate
made with highly conductive cast iron and a system that favors heat
transfer to the stove top rather than to the body of the stove.
It also prevents pollution inside the kitchen environment.
The
ECOFOGÃO is portable and easy to transport and install. It is
very practical, allowing you to cook on the same stove top in various
ways. You can cook with small or large pans, or directly on the
stove top with things like meat, pancakes, tapioca, etc.
For
best results and a longer life of your Ecofogão, we suggest that you
follow the instructions below.
TRANSPORTATION
- In
order to transport the Ecofogão more easily, you can remove the lower
section of the legs by simply unscrewing them.
- Always
maintain
the Ecofogão in an upright, horizontal position and avoid dropping
it.
- Avoid
abrupt impact and movement during transport. The ceramic burner
can be dislocated or suffer other damages. Also avoid physical
shocks directly in the ceramic burner, or it may fracture.
- If
possible, tie and secure the Ecofogão to the vehicle well, especially
for prolonged trips.
INSTALLATION
- When
installing the Ecofogão, look for the desired location taking into
consideration the position of the combustion chamber and the sides
of the stove. The side closest to the burner is subject to the
highest temperatures. It is recommended that this side is placed
close to a wall or some sort of protection from the table or other
objects. Avoid physical contact between people and this side
of the Ecofogão. The mouth of the burner needs to be orientated
in a way that makes feeding wood to the fire easier, especially to
use larger pieces of firewood.
- The
chimney also needs to be taken into consideration. It can reach
relatively hot temperatures and contact with it can cause superficial
burns. Install the Ecofogão so that the chimney is out of the
way of your arms and especially of children.
- Install
the Ecofogão in a horizontal, flat position. This is very important
for the griddle to work correctly.
- Install
the entire chimney; the three tubes are needed to provide adequate
height to cause a natural draft, which is practically the "engine"
of the Ecofogão. When the chimney is properly installed the
best results will be observed in the Ecofogão: good burning,
heat transfer, and the extraction of the hot gases. Secure the
chimney tightly in its place, avoid deviating it from its verticle
position, and push the end of the chimney tightly into the Ecofogão.
- Verify
that the stove top is positioned correctly. There should be a mark
that aligns the griddle with the body of the Ecofogão. This
is the only position which works. Also check the position of
the gasket that seals the griddle to the body of the stove, which
prevents smoke from escaping and cold air from entering under the
griddle. A good seal will help the chimney draft to feed oxygen
to the fire and extract the hot gases effectively.
USING
THE ECOFOGÃO
- In
order for the Ecofogão to work correctly, the grate in the feeding
area needs to be horizontal in the mouth of the combustion chamber.
The grate helps oxygenate the wood better, resulting in higher quality
combustion.
- In
order to light the fire, put kindling and small pieces of firewood
inside of the combustion chamber on top of the grate. Put a piece
of folded, but not crushed, newspaper, into the front of the mouth
and light the fire. The chimney needs to pull the fire inside, underneath
the kindling, and the fire should light. Larger pieces of wood should
immediately be fed into the fire.
- Don't
use moist wood. If it is a rainy day with high relative humidity,
you can use some pieces of charcoal along with the kindling in order
to increase the temperature in the combustion chamber quickly.
Look for a place to store your wood and keep it dry.
- In
order to heat the stove more quickly, put as much wood as you can
into the fire and when the stove top is at the ideal temperature you
can gradually decrease the amount of wood while maintaining the ideal
temperature.
- The
stove top will have different temperatures in different places.
The area on top of the burner will be hotter, and around the edges
of the stove plate it will be less hot. Use each area according
to the amount of heat that you need.
- Don't
use wood that is too thick or too thin. The ideal combination
would be 3 to 5 pieces of wood from 2 to 5 centimeters in diameter.
Place them close to each other while maintaining a minimal distance
between them to allow air to enter through each piece of wood.
Oxygenation of the wood is important for good combustion.
- Avoid
forcing the wood into the combustion chamber because you risk fracturing
the ceramic.
- Also
avoid putting wood all the way to the end of the chamber, preventing
passage of air to the back of the wood. It is recommended to
leave two centimeters of distance between the wood and the back of
the chamber to allow gases to pass through.
- If
all of the wood burns away but there are still hot coals inside of
the combustion chamber, simply put another piece of wood in the chamber.
In a few minutes it should light spontaneously. You do not need
to blow on it. If it is taking a long time, try putting a piece
of newspaper or paper towel inside of the chamber for faster ignition.
- When
you are finished cooking, you can let the fire burn out or finish
burning the rest of the wood.
- Since
the Ecofogão is a stove based on surface contact, always use pans
with flat bottoms in order to use the most energy. If the pan
has a deformed bottom, it is best if it is curved towards the inside
of the pan, allowing the pan to rest securely on the stove top for
better heating and to prevent accidents.
MAINTENANCE
AND CLEANING
- Before
lighting another fire in the Ecofogão, you need to remove the ashes
left from the last fire. Remove the grill and with a long spoon
remove the ashes, which can be used as fertilization in a garden or
a flower bed.
- The
griddle should periodically be dipped in oil in order to prevent rust
and prolong its useful life. This
should also be down with meats that are going to be cooked directly
on the stovetop.
- If
the Ecofogão is used every day for many hours, it is recommended
that you removed the accumulated soot under the stove plate and clean
it once per week.
- Also,
the chimney needs to be cleaned every two months or less, depending
on how much you use the Ecofogão. One easy way to clean the
chimney is to tap the chimney with a piece of wood along the entire
length and lift up the chimney to remove the soot from the box on
the Ecofogão at the base of the chimney.
- In
order to clean the stainless steel oven, follow the instructions provided
by ACESITA
TYPICAL
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
- The
most typical problem of the Ecofogão is the return of smoke through
the mouth of the combustion chamber. This problem occurs when
the passage for the combustion gases is restricted. This occurs
when there is excessive soot underneath the stove plate or in the
chimney. In this case, it is recommended to clean underneath
the stove plate and the chimney. Whenever smoke or flames are
coming out of the mouth of the combustion chamber, this is an indication
that the Ecofogão is not working properly and immediate maintenance
is necessary.
- Another
typical problem is when the stove top does not heat up, which also
occurs when there is excessive soot underneath the stove plate.
To fix this problem, clean underneath the stove plate.
- One
problem that can occur with time is the excessive accumulation of
coals in the combustion chamber. This can restrict air circulation
underneath the grate. For this, open a space for air to enter,
or remove the excess coals.
- Smoke
generally will only escape around the stove top when the fire is just
starting, especially when using paper that generates lots of smoke.
If smoke continues to escape around the stove top, check if the gasket
is positioned well under the griddle around the border, sealing the
griddle with the body of the stove.
ADDITIONAL
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
If
you would like to consult us or need additional technical assistance
with your Ecofogão, you can contact us by telephone
(31) 3497-6655 or by e-mail ecofogao@ecofogao.com
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