We recommend scheduling your annual maintenance with a qualified technician from your local Avalon dealer, but many of these tasks can be performed yourself. Be sure to refer to your Owner’s Manual as more detailed instructions about daily and annual maintenance may be found there. Make sure the appliance is completely cooled prior to conducting service.  If any problems are found contact your local dealer to schedule an appointment.

GAS APPLIANCE OWNERS…

1. Clean the glass with a soft cloth and fireplace glass cleaner.  Inspect the gasket around the glass; make sure it forms an airtight seal against the face of the firebox.
2. Clean the log set with a damp cloth to remove soot and dust.
3. Clean the air channels, ducts, and blower (if applicable.)
4. Check the burner, pilot, and interior firebox for cracks, warping, or damage.
5. Inspect the gas control valve and gas lines for cracks or wear.  Make sure all the connections are tight.
6. Replace the Power Backup batteries.
7. Check the vents for blockage, as they tend to be inviting spots for birds, spiders and insects to build nests.  Remove all debris and vegetation from the vent termination. If you have a chimney be sure to have it cleaned by a certified chimney sweep.
8. Light the pilot and turn the fireplace on to inspect the flames.
9. Last but not least, test your carbon monoxide detectors and replace the batteries if needed.

WOOD APPLIANCE OWNERS…

1. Vacuum the air duct and blower (if applicable.)
2. Inspect the firebrick and baffle.  Make sure the bricks are intact and have no gaps between them.
3. Check the secondary air tubes for severe deterioration. Confirm the push pins hold the air tubes in place.
4. Check the door gasket; it should form an airtight seal with the front of the firebox.
5. Clean the glass and inspect it for cracks.  The glass gasket should also form a tight seal against the door.
6. Examine the chimney for creosote build-up (this is what causes chimney fires.)  Have it cleaned by a certified chimney sweep. Remove all debris and vegetation from the vent termination.

PELLET APPLIANCE OWNERS…

1. Inspect the exhaust venting system for fly ash and soot.  Clean if necessary.
2. Clean the exhaust and convection blower.
3. Examine the chimney for creosote build-up (this is what causes chimney fires.)  Be sure to have it cleaned by a certified chimney sweep.  Remove all debris and vegetation from the vent termination.
4. Check for air leaks around the door, glass, and ash pan.  Replace the gaskets if necessary.  Clean the glass with fireplace glass cleaner.
5. Clean the pellet logs with a damp cloth to remove dust and soot (if applicable.)

With proper care and attention your Travis pellet stove will last you for generations to come.  Click below to view our Pellet Homeowner’s Video.

From all of us here at Avalon we wish you a joyous holiday season and a happy new year!

The majority of homes in America use a forced air central heating system.  Now, regardless of the type (gas, propane, oil, electric, and so on) they all distribute air through a series of ductwork.  These ducts may be made of sheet metal or plastic flex and can be insulated or un-insulated. Some common disadvantages of this framework are leaky ducts, uneven heat distribution, and wasted energy going to ductwork in attics and crawl spaces.

An advantage of forced air central heating is that it efficiently works via a thermostat, but while I might favor a comfortable 68 degrees my significant other might continually (and quite subtly) raise it to a tropical 76.  Another major advantage of this system is that it quickly heats up the entire house.  However, I’m guessing you probably don’t spend the majority of your time in the laundry room, bathroom, or spare bedroom(s). So, why are you spending money heating those areas?

Zone heating offers a practical solution to these dilemmas by only heating the rooms in which you live.  This strategy may easily save you 30% or more on your energy bill as a result of the overall decrease in your fuel consumption.

You have many, many options for which type of hearth product to install, including fireplaces, freestanding stoves, or fireplace inserts that may burn a variety of fuels, such as firewood, pellets, corn, natural gas, or propane.  Avalon makes almost 40 different models to choose from, which can be overwhelming to say the least.  All of our wood and pellet models are energy-efficient and qualify for the $1,500 Tax Credit towards biomass burning appliances.  (Just a side note; this tax credit is only good for purchases made through December 31^st, 2010, so if you’re considering a wood or pellet stove act fast.)  Our GreenSmart gas models are efficient, self-adapting, and offer an adjustable turn down rate to provide you with your ideal comfort zone. (Please read the article on GreenSmart to learn more…we’re quite proud of this technology.)  Some models also have optional heat ducts so you can vent heat into adjoining rooms.  Avalon’s electric fireplaces make a quick,  easy, and beautiful addition to any room requiring a low BTU space heater, and they make a great holiday gift…hint, hint.

An Avalon specialty retailer can guide you through the process of determining which product is right for you.  Be prepared to answer these questions:

• What is the square footage of the zone you wish to heat?
• What fuels are readily available in your area?
• What is your design style?
• What type of central heat do you have?
• What is the age and construction of your house?
• Is there available space to install a freestanding stove?

Just think, soon you could be sitting around the kitchen table on a chilly winter’s eve enjoying dinner by the warmth of your new gas (or wood or pellet) stove, and all the while your mind is at ease because you know your home is more efficient and that next heat bill is going to be a few dollars less.  And let’s be honest, you don’t miss the sound of that pesky furnace cycling on and off either.  Visit www.AvalonFirestyles.com to find your local Zone Heating expert.

A couple hundred years ago a traditional masonry fireplace was state-of-the-art design; function and beauty wrapped up in a neat little array of bricks and mortar. Today’s energy efficient homes are tightly constructed, well insulated around windows and doors, and have the latest in advanced heating equipment. Yet, the past is alluring, and many homeowners make the mistake of installing an open-hearth fireplace smack dab in the middle of tens of thousands of dollars worth of 21^st century technology. Seems like a conflict of interest, right? They quickly discover that their quaint and traditional open fireplace is inefficient, filthy, smoky, requires an inconvenient amount of wood for the small amount of heat output, stinks, blows cold air into their house, and sets off the smoke alarm. Then they wonder why.

Air wants to flow to zones of lower pressure.

Most homes built today have the fireplace against an exterior wall on the ground floor.  Whether or not the chase is insulated in this position it’s likely that the outside cold air will decrease the temperature of the flue. Meanwhile, the air inside the house, which is warmer than the outside air, rises. So, the air pressure high in the house is slightly positive, which leaves the pressure on the ground floor slightly negative. When the temperature of the flue falls below the temperature of the bottom floor that cold air will get sucked into the home.

Modern homes also come equipped with powerful exhaust fans such as dryer vents, kitchen ranges, and negative pressure ventilation systems.  These fans will quickly depressurize a house…again causing air to flow down the chimney into the home.

Even the simple physics of operating an open fireplace in a home today just don’t add up.  Today’s homes can’t tolerate more than 200 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of expelled air without becoming depressurized.  An open-hearth fireplace will easily consume 200 – 600 cfm depending on the size of the fire.  So, here again, we have a positive outside air pressure combating a negative pressure home.

In all these examples we see what is called “back-drafting.”  The house is acting as a better chimney than the chimney itself.  It explains why there’s cold air emanating from the fireplace and why you get a face full of smoke when you go to light it.   Combustion also produces toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and methane.  You know where I’m going with this, right?   When your open fireplace is back drafting those toxic gases are being pumped right into your living space.  Excuse the sarcasm, but that’s probably not the healthiest stuff to be breathing in.

There are options though. Many wood fireplaces and inserts can be installed to look like a traditional masonry fireplace. Avalon manufactures highly efficient, EPA certified models. You don’t have to sacrifice design for functionality or vice versa. Our units have aesthetic appeal while delivering an impressive heat output to your home.  The Olympic Insert shown in the photo below is the cleanest burning large insert on the market.  The Olympic can be installed recessed into the fireplace opening or extended onto the hearth for additional radiant heating and a handy cook-top surface.  The unit features a built-in convection chamber that circulates and distributes warm air throughout your home, and a bypass damper for smokeless startup and reloading.  Click on the photo to review Avalon’s entire line-up of energy efficient wood inserts.

Your 21^st century home deserves a 21^st century fireplace. Do the research. Choose the wood fireplace or insert that’s right for you and make sure to have it installed by a certified specialty hearth retailer.  Visit www.avalonfirestyles.com to find a dealer near you and to learn more about our wood fireplaces.

To learn more about heating with wood go to www.woodheat.org.

• You can install one anywhere in your home in less than an hour; all you need is a standard wall outlet.
• The built-in 5,000 BTU heater is great for zonal heating.
• They operate at 100% efficiency – every bit of power goes into heating your home.
• The pulsating logs and ember bed combined with a unique light filtering technique create a realistic flame that can be enjoyed even when the fan is turned off.
• The glass does not get hot so they’re safe for small children to be around.
• You have MANY options of our designer faces to choose from to customize the look of your fireplace.
• You can control EVERY feature from the comfort of your couch via the hand-held remote control.  Check out how many features there are!

1. Thermostat setting              4.  Accent Light Dimmer
2. Sleep Timer                         5.  Air Purifire^® Speed (564 E Only)
3. Flame speed                        6.  Audio System Volume Control (21 E Only)

Let’s take a quick peek at the two models of electric fireplaces we have.  We’ll let you decide which one is right for you.

21 E shown with Bungalow Double Doors

21 E Electric Fireplace

The 21 E is a portrait style fireplace inspired by our famous Bed & Breakfast ^™ gas fireplace.  This electric fireplace is the only one to include a built-in audio system.  We’ve given you the capability to plug in any mp3 audio device to the speaker system so you can listen to your favorite songs while staying warm and enjoying the ambiance of the dancing flames. There’s even a handy USB port so you can charge your audio device as well.  You won’t find such a unique combination of features anywhere else.

And, here’s a little perk…through December 20th, 2010 we’re giving you a FREE iPOD^™ SHUFFLE with the purchase of your 21 E!!!

564 E shown with Tree of Life Double Doors

Seattle 564 E Electric Fireplace

The 564 E is a traditional landscape style fireplace that includes the Purifire^® clean air system.  You have three installation choices to finish off the 564 E:  (1) Install it in a freestanding cabinet,  (2) Build it into an existing wall, or (3) Install it as an insert into an unused masonry fireplace.

Click HERE to read more and to find an Avalon dealer near you that can show the magic of these electric fireplaces in person!

1.  Intermittent Pilot: A pilot light is just a simple name for the flame used to light the gas in a fireplace. When you turn your fireplace on that gas is lit by the pilot light and then emitted through the ports in the burner creating that desirable and realistic wood-like fire that we all love. In the past, gas models have used what we call a standing pilot light, meaning that the small pilot flame is continuously on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You’re probably thinking to yourself, ‘Since I don’t run my fireplace 24/7 year round, isn’t this a waste of energy?’ The answer is yes, absolutely.  A standing pilot wastes .552 therms (a unit of heat) each day.  One therm of gas costs $1.10.  This means the unit costs $0.61 to run every day, even when you’re not using it.  That’s $222 of wasted energy each year. So, we decided to get “Smart” by using an intermittent pilot system instead. This system does exactly what the name suggests, turns the pilot light on and off intermittently. The best part is, you have all the control.  When the fireplace is turned on a high voltage spark ignites the pilot light.  When the fireplace is turned off, the pilot light turns off as well.  It’s as simple as that.  All our GreenSmart models come standard with an Intermittent Pilot Ignition system, as well as the option for a standing pilot with just the flip of a switch.

2. Split-Flow Burner with Comfort Control™: The burner that comes in your gas fireplace has tiny holes in it, called burner ports, which release ignited gas and produce dancing yellow flames.  In all of our GreenSmart models those ports are separated into a front and rear section. We’ve done this so that you can turn the rear portion of the burner off, while leaving the flames in front burning.  This is the Comfort Control™ feature. It’s what allows us to achieve such high turndown ratios and what allows you to use your fireplace year round.

3. Battery Back-up: This is a very important feature when deciding whether or not to buy a gas fireplace.  You need to be able to heat your home in the event of a power outage, and our battery back-up allows you to do this by supplying the energy required to ignite the pilot as well as run the Comfort Control feature.

4. Flame Height Adjustment: There’s a small knob on the control panel of the fireplace that allows you to customize your flame height.  Yes, this does tie in to the GreenSmart system and we’ll get into that when going over the GreenSmart Remote. However, and perhaps more importantly, this element allows you to personalize the look of the fire to your tastes or mood.  With the flip of a switch a fire can completely change the feel of a room.  It can add merriness to a party, coziness to a small gathering, or romance to an intimate dinner.

5. Convection Blower: A blower, or fan, is basically a way to increase the heat transfer from the fireplace into your home.  By using the blower you also greatly increase the efficiency of the fireplace and reduce your heating costs.

Whew! We’ve covered the integral parts of the GreenSmart technology except for one…the GreenSmart Remote Control.  This remote is almost like a little robot that adjusts the flame height to maintain whatever temperature in the room you decide. It really is a “Set It and Forget It” system.  All you have to do is set your desired temperature and the remote does the rest. This system allows you to conserve fuel by not overheating your room or cycling the fireplace on and off endlessly. By using the “Smart” function remote you’re operating your fireplace as efficiently as possible, which means you’re heating your home as efficiently as possible.

We’re not done yet.  All our GreenSmart models come standard with a few luxuries that we feel you deserve.

Accent Lights – These lights add a warm glow to the logs and fireback and are perfect as a soft nightlight when the fireplace is turned off.

Concealment Door – The control panel, valve and wires are all neatly hidden behind an elegantly designed concealment door that conveniently opens and closes for easy access to the controls.

Control Panel Lighting and High Visibility Dashboard – Once the concealment door is opened the entire dashboard is lit up by automatic LED lights.  This makes the high resolution silk-screened lettering on the controls easy to view even in a low light environment.

So, all the hype about GreenSmart is well founded.  Take some time to browse through our GreenSmart units on our website: www.avalonfirestyles.com, then head down to your local Avalon showroom so they can show the magic in person.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

1.  Take the time to educate young children about the dangers of fire and the hot surface temperatures of glass and metal surrounding the fireplace.

2.  Never leave young ones unsupervised around a burning fireplace as children, toddlers especially, like to throw things that could potentially break the glass or melt to the surface and release toxic fumes.

3.  If necessary, secure the fireplace doors with a lock or latch so they don’t get opened when you’re not around.

4.  If you have an infant or toddler consider installing a fire screen. Make sure it’s tall enough so that children can’t climb over it, and that it’s placed far enough away so that reaching arms can’t touch the surfaces of the fireplace.

Only you know your child’s abilities and the unique configuration of your fireplace and room.  Try to look at it through their eyes so that all possible precautions are taken.  Implementing a few safety measures such as these will allow everyone in your home to safely enjoy the comfort and warmth of your new gas fireplace.

Perhaps you’re in the market for a GAS fireplace, insert or stove. Well, there’s no government contribution, but don’t despair! Avalon still wants to offer you a FREE accessory. Through July 5th at participating dealers you can select a free blower, remote or fireback with the purchase of ANY Avalon gas unit. That’s up to $325 that stays in your pocket.

For all you “greenies” out there (what us Seattleites fondly call environmentally conscious folk), you can rest assured that your investment is protecting our earth. Avalon strives to be on the forefront of Green Technology, and Avalon wood, pellet and gas stoves are built in a Green factory and are extremely efficient and clean burning.

You can also be confident that you are investing in the American economy. All Avalon products are built right here in the good ol’ USA. So, if you want to declare your energy independence, save the planet, contribute to American jobs, get some cash from the government, AND get a little something for free, there’s no better time than now! Alright, it is possible I’m being slightly dramatic, but can you blame me? It’s all true! Visit the Avalon website now to find a participating dealer near you. Remember, you only have until July 5th to take advantage of this fantastic offer. I hope that you decide to become part of our Avalon family!

So, it’s not all about machines and how we minimize our steel recycling; although we do find that stuff pretty fascinating and could probably drone on about it for hours. We also discuss the history of the company and the story behind what makes us special.  Rochelle, visiting us from Vermont, said “I was amazed to hear about the longevity of the employees,” as she glanced up at our giant ‘Then & Now’ poster.

1988

2008

This is what comes from a group dedicated not only to making the best product decade after decade, but to creating a family environment that encourages levity, enthusiasm and creativity day after day.

Grant, also from Vermont, expressed his appreciation towards his Lopi Endeavor woodstove during a TWO WEEK long power outage a couple of years ago in the New England area.  It doubled perfectly as a heater and a cooktop stove.  You’re quite welcome Grant. We’re glad we could help.

Though we were sad to see them leave, we said farewell to a happy and well fed tour group who was eager to tell friends and family about their morning.  I want to give a big “Thank you!” to everyone who came to visit, and I hope you come back to take the tour again. We’d love to have you, and I know that every time I meander through the 11 acres here we like to call ‘home’ I learn something new.

OUR NEXT TOUR DATES ARE:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2ND

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16TH

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30TH

We hope that you can join us!

There’s a catch…

YOU ONLY HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2010 TO BUY.

So don’t delay!

Click on the Avalon banner below to read more about this amazing program and to find a specialty hearth retailer near you.

EVERY AVALON WOOD & PELLET MODEL QUALIFIES!!!

CLICK TO REGISTER