Doors

Metal Doors: The door into the burn area (fire box) of the stove is constructed of metal. This area is the only place where injury could occur by touching part of the heat generating stove. The door is built solid, except in the case of air vents that can be regulated for draft purposes. Each stove is unique as to the size of door it will require. Doors are kept small to decrease the area that quickly looses its heat, insuring a larger heat storing area of masonry. Glass doors are not needed, nor are they useful. Because of the way the fire is burned quickly, and at high temperature, the flame of the fire is only evident for a short time. Then the burned wood becomes a type of burning charcoal and the damper is shut down to contain the heat, thus preventing its escape out of the flue.The damper must never be completley shut while blue flame is evedent, this is carbon monoxide. This system makes the amount of wood burned, for the amount of heat radiated into the home, a very low ratio. Heat loss up the chimney is not a factor in this type of masonry stove. Viewing a burning fire, in the open hearth fireplace way, is not the way the Russian stove was meant to work. Here you have the most efficient use of every stick of wood you choose to burn. Nearly all of the heat generated stays in the living area of the home, thus making the wood required for a season of burning much less than that of a wood burning fire place.