Messersmith

®

Wood Chip Combustion Systems

What starts the fire? The first time you start the Messersmith Conversion Burner, you light the fuel with a piece of paper or some dry shavings and a match. Once the fire is lit, the coals remain on the grates. When heat is needed, the forced air draft fans the coals into flame. To maintain coals when heat isn't needed, the Messersmith Conversion Burner runs for only 30 seconds every 30 minutes.

The hopper is turned by a rheostated DC Motor. This enables you to speed up or slow down the amount of fuel flowing on the grates. How fast it should feed will depend on the amount of  heat you need and the type of fuel you have. You can also regulate the amount of air the fire needs by adjusting the damper of the draft fan.

Because the hopper when closed is essentially sealed and your chimney draws air out, the fire does not burn back into the hopper. When it begins to burn back into the tube, the auger cuts off the oxygen supply and only coals remain. To burn dry fuel we recommend adding an extra auger, our "step-down" unit.

How much fuel will I need? The amount of fuel you need will depend on the type of fuel, the amount of heat called for, and the outside temperature. (A Model 3648 hopper will hold enough green hardwood sawdust for at least 24 hours for a 1600 sq. ft. home in Upper Michigan. Dry sawdust will probably burn faster. Dry chopped corn cobs should last longer.)

Messersmith Conversion Burners are presently available with two standard size hoppers. You may choose an in-the-furnace grate in either a standard or double width. If, for some reason, you need to enter your heat exchanger at a height lower than the standard height, a special step down unit may be ordered.