The 5-Point Troubleshooting Check List

Your Kimberly™ and Katydid™ wood stove heaters are simple to operate and have been designed to provide you with many years of trouble-free service. Experience has shown that most user challenges are easily solved when Kimberly™ and Katydid™ owners follow the 5-point troubleshooting checklist below:

• Check the chimney for any sign of obstruction, such as a build-up of creosote. If your Kimberly™ or Katydid™ wood stove heater is spilling smoke with the door open, poor chimney performance is usually the cause.

• Kimberly™ Only: Check the grate/ash dump cover. After removing ashes from the firebox, care must be taken to be sure that the grate/ash dump is cleaned out, seated properly, and does not rock back and forth. Any rocking motion is indicative that there is some tiny piece of debris underneath, which is likely causing this issue. The emphasis would be on the word, “tiny” because one would notice a big piece of debris and remove it. Never operate the Kimberly™ wood stove heater without the grate/ash dump cover, as doing so can cause a run-away fire.

• Check the door gasket. The door gasket on your Kimberly™ or Katydid™ wood stove heater needs to form a tight seal when the door is closed against its frame. A loose or damaged door gasket can cause unwanted air to enter the combustion chamber, and interfere with the secondary combustion.

• Kimberly™ Only: Test the draft control handle by moving it from one direction to the other several times. If the draft control handle does not operate properly, there may be remaining debris under the ash dump cover, which can allow excessive air into the burn chamber and interfere with the secondary combustion. Should this occur, stop the fire and clean the firebox.

• Check the door handle. At all times, you should operate the Kimberly™ or Katydid™ wood stove heater stove with the door handle in the fully-closed position. Failure to do so can cause unwanted air to enter the combustion chamber and interfere with the secondary combustion. After a fire has been well established in the combustion chamber, the best indicator that your Kimberly™ or Katydid™ wood stove heater is operating properly is to observe an aggressive flame pattern inside and above the level of the door. This flame pattern indicates that secondary combustion is occurring as it should, and that your Kimberly™ or Katydid™ wood stove heater is running at peak efficiency.

For further information about your Kimberly™ or Katydid™ wood stove heater, download our Kimberly™ or Katydid™ Owner’s Manual or contact us for personal assistance.