NARVI NC 16 Wood Burning Stoves Instruction Manual
- June 1, 2024
- NARVI
Table of Contents
NARVI NC 16 Wood Burning Stoves
Product Information
Specifications
- Narvi NC 16 / 20 / 20 VS / 24
- Introduction :
- NC 16: 780 x 580 x 595 mm
- NC 20: 800 x 580 x 595 mm
- NC 20 VS: 740 x 570 x 545 mm
- NC 24: 820 x 580 x 635 mm
Product Usage Instructions
Before Installation
-
Steam Room
Ensure the sauna room dimensions are appropriate for the chosen model: NC 16 – 1250, NC 20 – 1225, NC 24 – 1200. -
Foundation
For installation on a concrete floor, consider fireproof protection for the floor. -
Smoke Flue
Proper installation and connection of the smoke flue are essential for safe operation. -
Ventilation
Ensure proper ventilation in the sauna area for comfort and safety.
Installation and Maintenance
-
Door Installation and Adjustment
Follow instructions to install the door and adjust its opening direction if needed. -
Sauna Heater Stones
Place the sauna heater stones correctly for efficient heating. -
Air Flow Direction Adjustment Plates
Adjust the air flow direction plates as per the user manual for optimal performance.
Using the Sauna Heater
-
Fuel
Use split firewood with specific dimensions and weight as recommended for your model. -
Heating Process
Follow the guidelines for heating the sauna with the appropriate amount of fuel. -
Maintenance
Regularly remove ashes, perform necessary maintenance, and dispose of waste properly.
Soot Fire Prevention
Be aware of the risk of soot fires and follow safety precautions to prevent
them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
-
Q: How should I clean the sauna heater stones?
A: Use a soft brush to remove any debris from the stones. Avoid using harsh chemicals that may damage the stones. -
Q: Can I use alternative fuels in the sauna heater?
A: It is recommended to use only the specified firewood to ensure safe and efficient operation of the sauna heater. -
The sauna heater is drafting poorly
- The sauna heater has not been used in a long time; the smoke flue and sauna heater are damp.
- The sauna heater is not receiving sufficient air; there is a downdraft in the sauna caused by ventilation. Underpressure can be caused for example when the kitchen hood is used.
- The sauna heater has not been cleaned in a long time.
- The ash drawer is closed or full of ashes.
- Leakage in the connective flue.
-
The sauna does not heat up properly
- The firewood is damp.
- The sauna heater has insufficient power.
- The sauna heater or smoke flue is drafting poorly.
- The stones of the sauna heater are dirty or crumbling or stacked too tightly.
- There are too many stones or there are too many small stones.
-
The sauna heater smells
- The sauna heater has not been properly heated the first time it was done.
- The stones of the sauna heater were not washed before loading.
- Fat or other dirt has accumulated on the stones.
- Steam water is not clean.
Introduction
Thank you for having chosen a Narvi sauna heater. To make the most of your sauna heater please read the manual carefully before you start installing and using it and keep the manual for future reference. This user manual contains the technical data of your sauna heater and installation, use and maintenance instructions.
The products are meant only to be used as a sauna heater and for heating the sauna. Do not modify the design of the sauna heater and use only spare parts and accessories recommended by the manufacturer. The data plate included in the delivery of the sauna heater must be glued on the sauna heater, preferably on the lower part of the cover of the sauna heater. Do not heat the sauna heater if you lack sufficient knowledge, if you are not allowed to use a sauna because of your health condition or you are under the influence of substances causing intoxication. Sauna heaters must not be used by underage people. Do not leave children in the sauna without supervision. A sauna is not meant for drying clothes.
Technical data
Before you install the sauna heater
Before installing and using the sauna heater, make sure you are thoroughly familiar with the requirements for installing the sauna heater in the steam room. In case of questions and for additional information do not hesitate to contact the Rescue Board or a construction supervision authority. When installing fireboxes all local laws have to be followed, including those referring to local and European standards.
Steam room
If the walls of a steam room are made of uncovered glass, brick or concrete
add 0.8–1.5 m3 per square meter of such wall and the final choice of the
heater shall be made based on the sum of the area. If the heater is installed
in a sauna that is normally not heated or the sauna is made of massive logs,
multiply the sauna area by 1.5 and choose the heater based on this. The
recommended minimum area of a steam room is indicated in clause 1.1. Please
follow the values for the minimum area stipulated for a steam room.
We recommend choosing a sauna heater with slightly more power to ensure proper
heating of the sauna and to avoid heating the sauna heater to its upper limit.
Slightly stronger power ensures a longer lifetime of the sauna heater and
provides better steam thanks to a greater quantity of stones.
Substrate
A firebox must be installed on the floor with sufficient load-bearing
capacity. The durability of the floor must be checked especially carefully,
when the sauna heater is installed on a wooden floor. The weight of the sauna
heater is shown in clause 1.1. If the existing floor does not meet this
prerequisite, suitable measures (e.g. load-distributing plate) shall be
installed to achieve it.
-
CONCRETE FLOOR
The sauna heater may be installed directly on a concrete floor, which is at least 50 mm thick. If underfloor heating cables or pipes are located under the sauna heater, a Kota installation base must be used to protect them from the sauna heater’s thermal radiation. -
FLOOR MADE OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL OR A TILED FLOOR, UNDERFLOOR HEATING
A Narvi installation base must be installed under the sauna heater, which will protect the floor, moisture barrier and underfloor heating pipes or cables from the thermal radiation of the sauna heater.
Safety clearances
When installing the sauna heater, safety clearances must be taken into
account. Ignorance of safety clearances causes a fire hazard. If required,
additional information can be obtained from the regional branch of the rescue
board.
-
Structure made of combustible materials
The safety clearances are the minimum allowable distances between the sauna heater and structures made of combustible materials. Please observe the stipulated requirements regarding walls, floors, sauna benches, other inventories and storage areas of firewood!
*We recommend leaving 1000 mm maintenance area in front of the sauna heater.
Rear and side safety distances can be shortened by using Narvi protective wall shields. Our dealers can provide more info regarding suitable safety walls for sauna heaters.
Protecting a wall made of combustible material
Figure 3. If the sauna heater is installed on a floor made of combustible materials, an installation base must be used. A piece of sheet metal must be installed in front of the installation base, which extends at least 100 mm over the sides of the heater hatch and at least 400 mm in front of the sauna heater. The sheet metal edges facing the sauna heater must be turned up, so that coal cannot get under the installation base.
Please observe that the safety clearance of an uninsulated smoke flue from structures made of combustible materials is 1000 mm or any other distance stipulated in the manufacturer’s instructions. -
Non-combustible structure
If the wall is masonry or other structure classified as non-combustible, it is sufficient to have a 50 mm air gap between the upright surfaces and the wall. If the sauna heater is installed inside a wall recess of non-combustible material, a 100 mm air gap is required to ensure proper air circulation.
Smoke flue
A smoke flue of the sauna heater must meet the requirements of class T600
irrelevant of the material of the smoke flue. The minimum recommended draft of
the smoke flue is 12 Pa.
A modular smoke flue must meet the requirements of class T600 and provided
with CE-marking. When installing a modular smoke flue safety clearances
stipulated in the installation manual of the smoke flue shall be followed. The
minimum recommended diameter of a modular smoke flue is 120 mm. The weight of
the smoke flue must not cause load on the sauna heater. The sauna heater
should be con-nected to a separate smoke flue. A smoke flue made of bricks
must be at least the so-called half-brick smoke flue.
Ventilation
Ventilation of the steam room should be sufficiently efficient and should
function so that fresh incoming air is routed as close to the sauna heater as
possible. Also proper air circulation has to be provided in the steam room
during using the sauna so that air can exit from under the sauna bench or from
under the door of the washing room (sufficient gap). Other possible fireplaces
that are used simultaneously must be considered, and make sure there is enough
replacement air. Extraction fans working in the same room as the firebox may
cause problems. Incoming air inlets should be located so that they do not get
blocked (for instance because of snow). A firebox needs combustion air in a
volume of 6–10 m3 per kilo of fired wood. The diameter of the ventilation
opening must be at least 100 mm. Forced air system should be built according
to the design prepared by the designer of the heating, water and ventilation
systems.
After using the sauna there shall be a possibility to ventilate and dry the
sauna rooms so that air exits via the upper part of the steam room.
Installation and preheating of the sauna heater
Preheating
Before use and arranging the stones, the sauna heater must be heated to remove
the protective agents. Any pro-tective films and stickers must have been
removed before. Preheating shall be carried out on a non-combustible surface
and outside, since paint emits harmful solvents and smoke during heating. Use
of a connection pipe in-cluded in the delivery of the sauna heater in the
upper joint improves draft during preheating. 1-2 fireboxes of wood are
sufficient for preheating. After preheating and before arranging the stones
loose cover material should be removed from the stone compartment of the sauna
heater with a steel brush. In case the external surface of the sauna heater is
painted, it should not be rubbed or wiped before the first heating. The paint
of the sauna heater will achieve sufficient strength only after the first
heating. Do not create steam during the first heating.
NB! If the sauna heater is equipped with a water tank please check before
preheating that the water tank faucet and safety plug are installed and that
the tank is filled with clean water.
Regulation of the height
The legs of the sauna heater are adjustable and can be used for levelling the
sauna heater and for adjusting the height. There must be an air gap of at
least 25 mm between the sauna heater and the floor. Use a spirit level to
check if the sauna heater is level.
Connection with the stack
The sauna heater can be connected to the smoke flue from the top or back of
the sauna heater. Seal the unused opening with the supplied cover. The sauna
heater comes with a short smoke flue connection pipe, which can be used to
connect the sauna heater’s smoke flue from the back. Only a straight
connective flue without extra parts can be used, when the flue is connected
from rear. If the connection with the smoke flue is done from the above, a
Kota connective flue or Kota smoke flue must be used. In case of connec-tion
from the above, a Kota smoke flue tank for heating water or a Kota stone
basket can be installed around the connective flue.
Do not push the connective flue too deep in the smoke flue, because this would
hinder the draft. Any leaks in the connective flue also reduce the draft;
therefore the connections must be sealed with fireproof sealing material.
Leakage in the connective flue causes combustion gases formed in the sauna
heater to ignite in the flue. The connection joint of the flue and the sauna
heater must be 25 mm. The diameter of the connective flue of the sauna heater
and the height from the floor are shown in clause 1.1.
Please take into account the clearance distance of the modular smoke flue, see
the manufacturer’s instructions.
Installation of a door and changing of the opening direction of the door
Figure 7. Open the door and raise the hinge pin up so it comes out of the bottom hinge barrel. Hold onto the door securely and turn the bottom part of the pin and turn the bottom end of the pin up enough (2) that you can pull the pin down (3) and the pin and door come apart. For installation proceed in reverse order. First push the upper edge of the door in its place and thereafter push the pin through the upper eyelet. Thereafter turn the door and pin in their places from below and let the pin into the bottom eyelet. The pin is correctly installed when the wider areas of the pin are facing down. In this case the pin cannot move away from its place. Door installation is easier when you use long flatnose pliers.
Installation of the faucet, models with a water tank
The water tank is on the side of the stove and it has a large opening for
filling it. For the water volume, see clause 1.1. The faucet is installed when
the sauna heater is installed.
Figure 8. Place the faucet so that the threads are visible on the inside of the tank. Place the faucet so that the threads are visible on the inside of the tank. Place the washer on the outside of the tank, turn the locking nut into place and tighten, turning the faucet clockwise and holding the nut in place with a wrench.
Sauna heater stones
We recommend that you use Kota olive dolerite stones. Natural stones are not
suitable to be used as sauna heater stones 10–15 cm. Before using the stones,
they must be washed to eliminate any impurities. Bigger stones are placed in
the bottom of the stone compartment and the rest are piled sparsely so that
air can move freely between the stones. Flat stones shall be stacked in
upright position. The stones must not block air openings and stones must not
be stacked over the top surface of the sauna heater. The recommended quantity
of stones in the sauna heater is shown in clause 1.1. The use of stones with a
regular shape (rectangular, etc.) and light or ceramic stones is forbidden
because of a risk of too tight stacking.
Air flow direction adjusting plates of the sauna heater
The position and condition of the plates must be regularly inspected. A sauna heater must not be used without air flow adjusting plates.
Using the sauna heater
Firewood
Only use natural wood logs as fuel. Both hardwood and softwood can be used to
heat the sauna heater. The use of chipboard, fibreboard, briquet, pellet,
painted or impregnated wood, waste or plastic is prohibited. To ensure clean
burning and the largest possible efficiency, the wood must be dry. The
moisture content of the wood must be less than 20%. Usually good firewood is
sticks of wood the diameter of which is around 5 cm, length around 33 cm and
weight around 0.5 kg.
Use of liquid fuel is strongly forbidden, also during firing!
Heating
Before heating, make sure that there is no combustible material within the
safety clearances. Also make sure that the ash drawer and fire grate are clean
and if the sauna heater is provided with a water tank, that it is filled with
clean water. Check if there is sufficient draft in the smoke flue. If you
hesitate regarding the draft, check it by burning a small quantity of water in
the firebox first. During heating the door of the firebox must be closed and
the water tank must be filled with water. The sauna heater must not be covered
with anything. To start heating pile firewood over a sufficiently wide area
and ignite it from above. For ignition you may use birch bark or paper.
Ignition aid should be placed between the upper firewood and it can be topped
with some thinner wood sticks or firewood (see drawing 9). Igniting from above
reduces pollution and ensures cleaner burning.
Heating of the sauna:
The power of the sauna heater can be regulated by the ash drawer. If the ash drawer is closed, the power of the sauna heater is at its lowest and the burning time is longer. If it soughs too much in the sauna heater, reduce the draft. To do this close the ash drawer halfway or completely. This way heat reaches better in the sauna heater, stones can store heat and you do not just heat up the flue. A calm flame is a sign of a correct draft. Avoid heating the sauna heater so that the channels of the stone compartment glow red for a long time because this will overload the firebox and the service life of the sauna heater will be reduced. Overheating may also cause excessive heating of the smoke flue and cause a fire hazard. The connective flue pipe must not be glowing red.
Figure 9. Properly stacked firewood.
The following table shows the recommended quantities of firewood for different
types of sauna heaters and positions of the ash drawer. The values shown in
the table meet the values of the nominal power pursuant to standard EN15821.
In the test the size of the sauna was determined based on the maximum area for
the given sauna heater and temperature of 90 °C was achieved in the sauna.
During first times we recommend using less firewood to achieve the desired
temperature than values presented in the table. Maximum quantity of firewood
per hour (max kg/h) indicated in the table must not be exceeded.
- Do not stack firewood in the firebox over 2/3 of its height. Quantities of firewood are shown in clause 4.1. In the ignition phase the ash drawer can be kept open by 10 mm more than indicated in the table. After igniting put the ash drawer back in the position as shown in the table.
- In a sauna heater equipped with a water tank or in a sauna heater that is heated from another room firewood should not be burnt in the front part of the firebox / in the exten-sion, but the firewood must be placed entirely on the grate of the firebox.
- Do not forget that the sauna heater and its part become very hot during heating. Always use gloves or other hand protection when being in touch with the parts of the heater. When moving around in the sauna be careful, because the floor and the ceiling of the sauna may be slippery.
- Be careful – water in the water tank of the sauna heater may be very hot.
- One firebox of firewood burns approximately half an hour. A good time for adding firewood is when there are still some blue flames on the coal in the firebox. Before adding firewood you may even slightly smooth coal on the grate. If firewood is added in the flames too early, the temperature of fume gases increases. Do not use the door to push firewood in the firebox.
- In case the sauna is used or the sauna heater is heated also after the recommended number of times firewood should be added as shown in the table, firewood should not be added according to the quantities mentioned in the table. A proper quantity for keeping heat is 1-2 logs (approximately 1 kg of firewood) every half an hour. The ash drawer may be closed a bit. If you add a big quantity of firewood, the tem-perature of flue gases rises and this can damage the smoke flue and cause a fire hazard. But do not heat continuously over 3 hours. Thereafter, the sauna heater must be allowed to cool down before the next heating.
- In case the sauna will not be used any longer and coal is still glowing without flame, extinguishing can be speeded up by increasing the draft. For this open the ash drawer by 10-20 mm. There is enough heat accommodated in the stones of the sauna heater to dry the sauna room.
- In the ignition phase the closing pan must be fully open. Before you close the closing pan after heating, check that there is no glowing coal in the firebox. Otherwise fumes may be released in the sauna. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colourless toxic gas.
- If you have not used the sauna heater and smoke flue for a longer period or it is cold, please check before use that the smoke flue is in proper order and that there are no corrosion damages on the sauna heater. Start heating very slowly and with small quantity of firewood so that not to damage the smoke flue.
- In case of malfunction, stop the heating immediately and close the fireplace and ash box doors.
Steam water
Use normal domestic water for steam water.
- Quality requirements for domestic water:
- humus content < 12 mg/l
- iron content < 0.2 mg/l
- calcium content < 100 mg/l
- manganese content < 0.05 mg/l
Do not use seawater or other salty water. Also do not use water containing chlorine. The warranty of the sauna heat-er does not cover damages caused by the use of unsuitable steam water. Do not throw water on the stones, if you yourself or somebody else is right next to the sauna heater. Hot water steam may cause burns.
Removing the ashes
The ash drawer must be emptied every time before heating the sauna heater. The
ash drawer must be emptied immediately if ashes fill more than half of the
drawer. Otherwise, the airflow through the firebox grate will be hindered,
which will shorten the life of the grate. The ash drawer must be emptied in a
non-combustible container (for instance metal bucket) after ash has cooled
down. Do not leave the ash bucket standing by the wall (for instance on the
terrace). If the smoke flue is equipped with a closing pan, it should be
opened for the time the ash is removed. Dust will escape with the draft.
Maintenance of the sauna heater
The fireplace, the connective flue and the chimney must be swept regularly.
Cleaning and sweeping of the chimney is important especially if the fireplace
has not been used for a longer period. Besides removing the ashes and having
the chimney annually cleaned by a chimney sweep, the sauna heater requires no
other maintenance. The condition of the heater should be monitored, and usage
must be terminated immediately if deviation is recognized. chimney sweepers
are qualified to estimate the condition, and it helps the inspection if the
stones are removed before. To open the cleaning hatch of the sauna heater, the
upper stones have to be removed from the sauna heater. The stones of the sauna
heater have to be re-arranged once per year and replaced every other year.
Cracking stones collapse and fall lower, some stones will erode. Remove eroded
and broken stones. Due to insufficient maintenance, the sauna heater needs
more time for heating, which in its turn causes load on the structure of the
sauna heater. The enamel surface of the sauna heater should be cleaned
regularly with a damp cloth. Also the water tank of the sauna heater should be
regularly cleaned. Use only clean water to fill the tank. If there is a danger
that water can freeze, the water tank should be emptied.
Disposal
For disposal take the sauna heater to a public waste recycling centre.
Soot fire
IN CASE OF SOOT FIRE (ALSO IF IT HAS ALREADY BEEN EXTINGUISHED) ALWAYS INFORM THE EMERGENCY CENTRE!
If you detect soot fire in the smoke flue, close the ash drawer and the door of the firebox immediately. After soot fire and before the next use of the sauna let a chimney-sweeper check the condition of the smoke flue and the sauna heater.
Warranty
Pursuant to consumer protection legislation Narvi sau-na heater’s warranty
period is two years. The warranty covers normal family use provided use,
installation and maintenance meet the requirements stipulated in the
instructions.
The warranty period starts form the moment that the goods are delivered to the
end user. The supplier is not liable in any way for any defects within the
framework of the warranty or other defects that appear later than two (2)
years after the delivery of the goods to the client. The supplier may decide
to either repair the defective goods or replace the defec-tive goods at its
own direction. The warranty does not cover possible transport, unloading or
installation costs or other corresponding costs. A receipt from the company
selling the product serves as proof of warranty.
The client must check the goods immediately after delivery. The client must
submit a written notice of claims to the supplier within two (2) weeks of
discovering the defect or the moment when the defect should have been
discovered.
Do not modify the structure of this product. With this prod-uct, you can only
use manufacturer-recommended accessories! Failure to comply with the manual or
fire safety regulations can result in a fire or damage to the sauna heater.
More detailed information about the fire safety regulations can be obtained
from the regional branch of the rescue board, for instance.
The product shall be carefully inspected. Improper use of the product is for instance wrong adjustment of the draft, too large a quantity of firewood burnt in the firebox, too long heating time, wrong arrangement of stones (too much or too tight) and use of salty water ( for instance sea water). The warranty does not cover damages caused by improper use of the sauna heater.
Narvi Oy
Yrittäjäntie 1
27230 Lappi, Finland
Tel. +358 207 416 740
www.narvi.fi