Q&A Glacier Bay Stove -- how to use?

Question:

My wife and I just moved into a home that is approximately 20 years old. It has a Glacier Bay wood stove as an insert to the fireplace. It looks like a very professional and "safe" installation. However, we don't have any documentation on it and this is our first wood stove. Can someone tell me how I'm supposed to use the thing safely. We will be getting the chimney swept but that is only the beginning. It has a heatilator (I know how that works) but there is also a rheostat with off-high-med-low settings on it with a 3-prong plug attached that I have no idea what to do with.



Answer:

This company is long out of business, however the stove is very similar to a stove called "Gibraltar" which may still be sold today. Your chimney sweep may know something about this brand.
Your stove has a blower, which would plug into any wall outlet. The rheostat you mention is probably an after-market speed control that you can plug the insert into..then the rheostat into a wall outlet. This will help to adjust the blowers.

As far as operation, the general tips at http://hearth.com/what/specific.html are probably your best bet.