
OsburnMatrixInstallationandOperationManual
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Housesofmoderatesizeandrelativelynewconstructioncanbeheatedwithaproperlysizedand
locatedwoodfire.Wholehousezoneheatingworksbestwhenthewoodfireislocatedinthepart
ofthehousewherethefamilyspendsmostofitstime.Thisisnormallythemainlivingareawhere
thekitchen,diningandlivingroomsarelocated.Bylocatingthewoodfireinthisarea,youwillget
themaximumbenefitoftheheatitproducesandwillachievethehighestpossibleheating
efficiencyandcomfort.Thespacewhereyouspendmostofyourtimewillbewarmest,while
bedroomsandbasement(ifthereisone)willstaycooler.Inthisway,youwillburnlesswoodthan
withotherformsofheating.
Althoughthewoodfiremaybeabletoheatthemainlivingareasofyourhousetoanadequate
temperature,westronglyrecommendthatyoualsohaveaconventionaloil,gasorelectricheating
systemtoprovidebackupheating.
Yoursuccesswithzoneheatingwilldependonseveralfactors,includingthecorrectsizingand
locationofthewoodfire,thesize,layoutandageofyourhomeandyourclimatezone.Three‐
seasonvacationhomescanusuallybeheatedwithsmallerwoodfiresthanhousesthatareheated
allwinter.
2.3 THEBENEFITSOFLOWEMISSIONSANDHIGHEFFICIENCY
ThelowsmokeemissionsproducedbythespecialfeaturesinsidetheOsburnMatrixfireboxmean
thatyourhouseholdwillreleaseupto90percentlesssmokeintotheoutsideenvironmentthanif
youusedanolderconventionalwoodfire.Butthereismoretotheemissioncontroltechnologies
thanprotectingtheenvironment.
Thesmokereleasedfromwoodwhenitisheatedcontainsabouthalfoftheenergycontentofthe
fuel.Byburningthewoodcompletely,yourwoodfirereleasesalltheheatenergyfromthewood
insteadofwastingitassmokeupthefluesystem.Also,thefeaturesinsidethefireboxallowyouto
reducetheairsupplytocontrolheatoutput,whilemaintainingcleanandefficientflaming
combustion,whichbooststheefficientdeliveryofheattoyourhome.
Theemissioncontrolandadvancedcombustionfeaturesofyourwoodfirecanonlyworkproperly
ifyourfuelisinthecorrectmoisturecontentrangeof15to20percent.SeeSection3ofthis
manualforsuggestionsonpreparingfuelwoodandjudgingitsmoisture.
2.4 OSBURN’SCOMMITMENTTOYOUANDTHEENVIRONMENT
TheOsburnteamiscommittedtoprotectingtheenvironment,sowedoeverythingwecantouse
onlymaterialsinourproductsthatwillhavenolastingnegativeimpactontheenvironment.
2.4.1 WHATISYOURNEWWOODFIREMADEOF?
Thebodyofyourwoodfire,whichismostofitsweight,iscarbonsteel.Shoulditeverbecome
necessarymanyyearsinthefuture,almosttheentirewoodfirecanberecycledintonew
products,thuseliminatingtheneedtominenewmaterials.