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Wood burning stove giving very little heat

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  • 24-10-2013 12:38pm
    #1
    guiltej
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭


    Hi,

    I got a Stockton 7 inset stove installed recently and haven't had much success getting any significant heat output from it. I've had to resort to putting on the gas boiler instead.
    I'm just burning wood so far in it. To start the fire I have the Primary air control fully open, the Airwash control fully open and the Secondary Air control fully open and the door. Once the fire gets going I close the door and then after another while I close the Primary and Secondary air controls.
    As the fire establishes I half close the Airwash control as the manual says this is the most effecient way to burn.
    But I am not getting very much heat into the room and literally have to almost sit on the stove to feel any heat.

    I am buring wood that has been air dried for 2 years so the moisture content should be low.
    I am wondering do I need to have the firebox full to get sufficient heat output. I didn't get the chimney flue lined when I got the stove installed, would this be a reason why the stove isn't giving heat out. Some articles I've read suggest you need the chimney lined for a stove.
    Any advice would be appreciated.


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    #2
    SB6
    Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭SB6


    Thats dissapointing alright. Has me stumped too. First thing I was thinking was wet timber but not the case....

    Inset stoves dont heat the room as well as a stand out one would, so thats part of it.

    Is the stove heating water also?


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    #3
    prf
    Registered Users Posts: 47 ✭prf


    Don't close the air controls fully.you need to allow the fire have air to burn.when it's up to temperature,use the air control to control the rate of burning and therefore output.the air wash system will only work if the fire is burning hot.when you get the hang of controlling it,you will be glad of the heat.


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    #4
    guiltej
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭guiltej


    No it aint heating water, just purely for heating the room which is quite big. It's an L-shaped kitchen cum living room with the stove in the living area.

    My folks have an Esse inset stove which is much smaller. But you couldn't have the radiator on at the same time as the stove 'cause you'd pass out with the heat in the room. I'm just not getting any heat like that out of the stockton.


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    #5
    guiltej
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭guiltej


    It's definitely a bit of a black art trying to figure out the air controls. Struggled trying to light the fire initially as I wasn't sure what way to have the controls but I seem to have sussed that now. Just not getting much heat out of the stove into the room once the fire is going.


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    #6
    emg74
    Registered Users Posts: 225 ✭✭emg74


    We have a small Stockton 3 stove and I find that the best way to work it is to make sure the fire is going well before closing it down...

    This is probably stating the obvious but do you have a big enough fire in the stove ? if it is a big room, you probably need to have the firebox filled until the fire is established and the stove has heated up itself, after that you can start shutting it down.


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    #7
    guiltej
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭guiltej


    That's a question I've been asking myself as well to be honest. Because the weather has been so mild I probably haven't been filling the firebox up fully which may be the reason for the lack of heat.

    Can I ask you a question about the controls. Does the Stockton 3 have 3 air controls, airwash, primary and secondary? Which ones would you leave open. I've been leaving closing off the secondary one and the prmary one but leaving the airwash half open once the fire gets going. Maybe I'm closing off the other ones too soon as well as not filling the box enough.


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    #8
    emg74
    Registered Users Posts: 225 ✭✭emg74


    The stockton 3 only has two controls - A slider at the top and one at the bottom.

    When I light the fire in it, I leave both fully open as well as leaving the door slightly open. When the stove has started to heat up, I close the door ( I think it helps keep the glass clean by having the glass slightly heated before closing the door --might be all in my head:)) , next thing I do is to slide the bottom control about 1/2 way over, leaving the top one (airwash) fully open. After another while when the fire is burning good and orange, I fully close the bottom slider and slide the top one to half...

    I find that the stove does heat the room really well (small room) but there definitely is a "knack" to it esp trying to keep the glass from blackening. We don't use it too often as it is in the room that isn't used all that often. I tend to use a bit of smokeless coal along with the firewood which probably helps the heat output too.

    We have a stratford boiler stove in the livingroom and it is alot more straightforward than the stockton.

    Maybe try it with a bigger fire to start with and see how you go


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    #9
    guiltej
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭guiltej


    Much appreciate that.
    Will try a bigger fire and will leave the bottom control open for longer that I have been. Fingers crossed !


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    #10
    dugger
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭dugger


    emg74 wrote: »
    The stockton 3 only has two controls - A slider at the top and one at the bottom.

    When I light the fire in it, I leave both fully open as well as leaving the door slightly open. When the stove has started to heat up, I close the door ( I think it helps keep the glass clean by having the glass slightly heated before closing the door --might be all in my head:)) , next thing I do is to slide the bottom control about 1/2 way over, leaving the top one (airwash) fully open. After another while when the fire is burning good and orange, I fully close the bottom slider and slide the top one to half...

    I find that the stove does heat the room really well (small room) but there definitely is a "knack" to it esp trying to keep the glass from blackening. We don't use it too often as it is in the room that isn't used all that often. I tend to use a bit of smokeless coal along with the firewood which probably helps the heat output too.

    We have a stratford boiler stove in the livingroom and it is alot more straightforward than the stockton.

    Maybe try it with a bigger fire to start with and see how you go
    I have a pierce stove and have had the control system explained to me quite well and easy to understand getting to heat 16 rads on timber only, open primary air full when lighting to create the draught in the fire box and get the fire really going have your secondary air open but this will only benefit you when there heat in stove as the hotter the secondary air the better the secondary burn on the gases released from the timber I know that pierces have a way of super heating the secondary air which they tell me is the only on the market all I know is I can heat my 2575sq foot house with 16rads on timber only with ease. Its all down to the secondary air really when fire is roaring I have secondary air open 3/4 and primary open 1/4 hope this helps


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    #11
    guiltej
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭guiltej


    Definitely sounds like I need to figure out the best way to use the controls. Will take into accout what you've said. Thanks for that.


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