Please help Stockton 7 not working

auspoz

Hi I'm hoping that someone here will be able to advise me. I bought a stockton 7 insert stove from my local fireplace/stove shop,where I had bought my fireplace 10 years ago. They recommended a fitter who I got even though he was more expensive than another quote I got. I went with him as I figured that he must be the best if they were recommending him and the threads here all said that fitting correctly was most important. I wasn't home when he fitted the stove but was delighted when I got home and saw my lovely stove in place. He had lit a small fire when he put it in, and on his advice we lit another small one that night and the next day. When I went to light the big fire the day after I noticed two small cracks on the granite hearth of the fireplace. I rang the installer and told him about the cracks and asked him to come and have a look. He went mental and was very aggressive on the phone to me, said my only solution was not to pay him and that he would come and rip the stove out!
So I got back on to the stove shop who recommended him, and they said they would come and have a look. In the meantime I tried lighting my stove again and couldn't get it to
heat up. When the stove shop man came he lit a fire and couldn't get any heat either and he looked at the cracks. He has since been talking to Stovax and the installer and has just been onto me saying that it is probably an air problem and that the installer was going to come and take the stove out to check the installation and that he would then light a fire with the window open and if it worked I would have to have a 4 inch hole drilled in the wall to let the air in.
Nobody is taking responsibility for the cracks in granite hearth and to be honest I'm reluctant to let the installer in as he was so aggressive. I have a fire lighting now with the window open right now but it doesn't seem to be making any difference.
Can anyone advise me what to do I have a stove that isn't heating my room and two cracks in my lovely fireplace.

Marcanthony

auspoz wrote: »

Hi I'm hoping that someone here will be able to advise me. I bought a stockton 7 insert stove from my local fireplace/stove shop,where I had bought my fireplace 10 years ago. They recommended a fitter who I got even though he was more expensive than another quote I got. I went with him as I figured that he must be the best if they were recommending him and the threads here all said that fitting correctly was most important. I wasn't home when he fitted the stove but was delighted when I got home and saw my lovely stove in place. He had lit a small fire when he put it in, and on his advice we lit another small one that night and the next day. When I went to light the big fire the day after I noticed two small cracks on the granite hearth of the fireplace. I rang the installer and told him about the cracks and asked him to come and have a look. He went mental and was very aggressive on the phone to me, said my only solution was not to pay him and that he would come and rip the stove out!
So I got back on to the stove shop who recommended him, and they said they would come and have a look. In the meantime I tried lighting my stove again and couldn't get it to
heat up. When the stove shop man came he lit a fire and couldn't get any heat either and he looked at the cracks. He has since been talking to Stovax and the installer and has just been onto me saying that it is probably an air problem and that the installer was going to come and take the stove out to check the installation and that he would then light a fire with the window open and if it worked I would have to have a 4 inch hole drilled in the wall to let the air in.
Nobody is taking responsibility for the cracks in granite hearth and to be honest I'm reluctant to let the installer in as he was so aggressive. I have a fire lighting now with the window open right now but it doesn't seem to be making any difference.
Can anyone advise me what to do I have a stove that isn't heating my room and two cracks in my lovely fireplace.

The reason it is not heating could most likly because of an insufficent draw or A downdraft from the chimney.
wheater they supplied the heart or not. The fitter (WITH EXPERIENCE) should have advised you of the poss risks to the heart before fitting.to prevent a come back on him. The heat from the stove can put pressure on the heart and cause it to crack if theres no expansion joints in the heart.In my opinion theres a conflict of intrest in the fitting and the purchase of the stove and there customer service / knoweledge and back up service leaves a lot to be desired.

Stand your ground (TELL THE SUPPLIER. YOU COULD HAVE GOT THE JOB DONE CHEAPER.BUT FOR PIECE OF MIND TO PREVENT THE PROBLEMS YOU ARE HAVING NOW.YOU USED THERE RECOMENDATION) PERSONALLY IF I RECOMMENED SOMEONE TO DO A JOB AFTER SELLING THE APPLIANCE . I WOULD FELL OBLIGED TO RECTIFY ANY FAULTS OR DAMAGE.AS I WOULD FEEL IT WOULD REFLECT THE COMPANY AND AT THE VERY LEAST SHOW THE COMPANIES TRUSTWORTHINESS.

FIRST OF ALL GET CONFIRMATION THERES A SUFFICENT DRAW OR NO DOWNDRAFT BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING . ASK WHY YOU WHERE NOT INFORMED OF THE RISK TO THE HEARTH (IF YOU HAVE NO EXPANSION JOINTS IN THE HEART).

opening the window will allow for combustion and allow fire to light and determain a sufficent draw.however a downdraft may only require an additional inrease in the flue height.incorrect sized flues can create combustion problems.

LET US KNOW HOW YOU GOT ON. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW YOU GOT ON WITH THEM?

"HORSES FOR COURSES".........

""THE FITTER (JESSE JAMES) " to give him the benifit of the doubt probably fitted the appliance to the instructions of the seller and he is just taking it for granted all is ok with what he done.(because he was told to fit it that way) now he wants payment and he probably thinks you had them cracks in the hearth before he fitted and you are looking for compensation or a reduction in the fee and can not see your side of things because he thinks what he done is to perfection.

a bit of a case of "Monkey see, Monkey do"

"knowledge is in the mind of the beholder"

Marcanthony

auspoz,
i have adjusted the above post.
now what i changed above was about excessive draw in the flue and the heat just going up the flue. But if what i pointed out is ok . you have a sufficent draw and you have no back draft. it could be what i edited EXCESSIVE DRAW IN THE FLUE and this could be because of something as simple as a faulty door seal drawing in air.

However the reason i changed my theory is because you stated the heart was cracked and you did as the fitter said about lighting the small fires and due to this i asumed the stove would not be getting that hot as the heat would be going up the flue quicker and the stove provider lit a fire. so i take for granted. (he inspected the stove visually)
When the fitter stated a small fire.That was to stop damage to the stove paintwork ect (thermal stability) and the door should be left open (slightly ajar) to prevent damage to the seal on the door of the stove.

No more to offer .........let me know how you got on.........................

auspoz

Thanks for that MarcAnthony I on't have much of an update as yet. There are expansion joints in my hearth but I really doubt that it was heat that caused the cracks as it hasn't got that hot. I think he must have damaged it when fitting it but I just didn't notice it until I spent more time near it trying to get the big fire going.
I tried lighting the stove with the window open but it didn't seem to make any difference. So the guy from the stove shop is going to come round mon or tues to try it. When I asked him again about the cracks on hearth he said asked me if I thought they were responsible because they recommended the fitter and I replied that I would never have got him if they hadn't recommended him. I guess I'll have to wait and see. I told him I wouldn't allow the fitter back into the house unless someone from the shop was here. I'll let you know what happens.

Marcanthony

auspoz wrote: »

Thanks for that MarcAnthony I on't have much of an update as yet. There are expansion joints in my hearth but I really doubt that it was heat that caused the cracks as it hasn't got that hot. I think he must have damaged it when fitting it but I just didn't notice it until I spent more time near it trying to get the big fire going.
I tried lighting the stove with the window open but it didn't seem to make any difference. So the guy from the stove shop is going to come round mon or tues to try it. When I asked him again about the cracks on hearth he said asked me if I thought they were responsible because they recommended the fitter and I replied that I would never have got him if they hadn't recommended him. I guess I'll have to wait and see. I told him I wouldn't allow the fitter back into the house unless someone from the shop was here. I'll let you know what happens.

I would say outside the issue with the crack in the fire place. its just a minor issue that has been overlooked due to a lack of knowledge (seller) and experience (fitter).

auspoz

Hi again my latest update is this: the guy from the stove shop came over today and lit the stove with his fuel logs. It was a very windy day here and the stove did get hotter than the previous time but still nothing like as hot as I expected. I was able to touch the metal at the top of the stove for a couple of seconds at a time and I had a fleece on in the room. The guy from the stove shop said he felt warm and when I asked him if he thought the stove was working at capacity he said it was warm but there was definatley an air problem but that the stove itself was working. He had spoken to the fitter again yesterday and the fitter had told him he would try to call while he was here but when the fitter did not answer his phone to the stove shop guy today. He has not contacted me at all since I told him about the cracks. The guy from the stove shop said he would talk to the shop owner and the fitter and get back to me tomorrow but I get the feeling he is trying to wash his hands of it.