Start-up and running-in

START-UP

The oven must be sufficiently dry and able to start up or run in. If you have any question, consult ALECOOK about the date of manufacture.

It’s recommended, if possible, to make the ignitions in a row (always allowing the oven to lose all the temperature of the previous ignition) in order to become familiar with the operation, heating, performance and firewood necessary to obtain and maintain the different temperatures.

FIRST IGNITION

Use two newspapers with all their loose leaves forming not very compact balls, pile up inside the oven in the central area of the vault slightly backwards. You should not use ignition pills not even the ecological ones. Turn on and leave the upper draught and the door’s hatch open to a minimum (3-5mm). Once the firewood has been consumed and we do not see flame, the door’s hatch and the upper draught of the smoke outlet must be completely closed. We will notice that the pyrometer marks between 50-90ºC. We let it cool without opening either of the two draughts.

SECOND IGNITION THAT CAN BE CARRIED OUT AFTER THE PREVIOUS ONE

We introduce a handful of firewood (which we can cover with both hands). We always deposit it in the centre slightly backwards and with newspapers sheets we will proceed to turn it on. We close the door but the upper draught and the door’s hatch open completely for easy ignition. After 2 or 3 minutes, and when the fire is intense, the air inlet of the door’s hatch will be closed to a minimum 3-5mm) without the fire being extinguished, keeping the flame high and not leaving the combustion chamber as otherwise the fire would excessively dilate the outlet draught and cracks would appear in the masonry that lines it. (Although this would not affect the operation or durability of the oven, it would only be an aesthetic issue).

Once the firewood has been consumed and we do not see flame, the door’s hatch and the upper draught of the smoke outlet must be completely closed. We will notice, at that moment, that the pyrometer marks between 100-150ºC. We let it cool without opening either of the two draughts.

SUCCESSIVE IGNITIONS

The subsequent third, fourth and fifth ignitions will always be with twice as much as firewood as the previous one so that the oven reaches more and more temperature and keeps it for more hours. In this way, you will observe the firewood necessary to reach the different temperatures that you will need in later use depending on what is going to be cooked.

The important thing is to heat to the right extent as slow as possible with a good flame, without leaving the oven, in this way more temperature is stored and better results are obtained.

The START-UP ignitions are recommended to be followed in order to become familiar with the operation, heating, performance and firewood necessary for it.

The last ignition will be “FULL” of firewood and the procedure will be the same.

With the oven turned on and if the temperature is close to 500ºC during the combustion of the firewood, remove the pyrometer until the end of the combustion since during the same the temperature data does not interest us and the pyrometer could be damaged. Once finished, it is time to re-enter it so that it indicates the real temperature without flame. Normally, it will reach a temperature of 350-380ºC and will last more than 12 hours with a heat loss curve of approximately 10-20ºC per hour.

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