2 Very Different Stove Requests

cormie

Thanks sooty but the idea of having to break out the fireback and then rebuild it upon moving out won't be a goer I don't think. I imagine this is something best advised to be done by somebody with experience as well as what sounds like a much more complicated and expensive installation of the stove itself and the flue issue, or a cctv examination without spending another few hundred on the flexi liner. I was prepared to give the brass surround a belt of the hammer to let the pipe fit under it as it just needed 4mm but that's about all I could get away with here really.

I was really looking forward to the idea of getting the Pioneer 400 but the work required for it, or the inset will be too much for the rented accommodation I think and the total cost of installing stove 2 with gas etc means I may have to just let this go for now or alternatively go with the likes of a boru doras door which may accomplish two things at least: Blocking the draught up the chimney when the fire isn't in use and somewhat controlling the burning level of fuel. It would be a step up from the open fire and it's looking like that's the best I can do for now maybe.

Do you think the Pioneer 400 would be a good solution for stove 2 given the room size and providing the gas installation goes ahead etc? It's the cheapest stove but still seems like it has all the requirements needed.

jimjimt

If you are going with the Boru Doras why not choose a Boru Stove and see can you get a deal for the two.

Interesting to compare costs against other makes.

sooty_soupy

I was glad to hear that Joe had not seen the pictures. It is very difficult for anyone to give correct advice if they are not able to see the job. It would have been inconceivable that an approved Clearview agent would have let you do what you were hoping, based on your photos, so to hear that you were concluding these things yourself is reassuring.

The fireback would be very easy to fit with no building work involved as it goes in in one piece, with a bag of insulation behind it, and a rope seal and fire cement up the two sides, but if you are not comfortable with this, then perhaps a different brand of stove would be more practical such as the boru.

Best regards

D

cormie

It's an unfortunate result to what has been an extremely informative thread and I really appreciate all the help. Given the circumstance of the rental accommodation, I may have to settle on the likes of a boru doras fire door for now. I can get a brand new one with receipt and 5 year warranty for €420. I know efficiency and quality wise it's probably nothing compared to a clearview, but as a stop gap it may be a good solution to seal the fire place when the fire isn't in use and to control, somewhat, the burning speed of the fuel itself. It's annoying as I was dead set and knew I was going to be getting a quality, long lasting stove with the clearview. Unfortunately the cost to do it properly (including flue lining) and the complications and cost of installing and removing from a rental property just make it not feasible for now.

It's looking like I'll have to go with the likes of a Boru Doras or a cheaper, smaller inset such as the Boru Croi Beag, FireWarm, Dimplex or Blacksmith. The 5 year warranty on the Boru Croi Beag is somewhat reassuring and the fact they are made in Ireland. I don't see any mention of what they are made out of but for €420 or so as a once off payment (I'd be confident enough I could install it myself) for something that will seal the chimney when the fire is unlit, close off the fireplace from the general air in the room (I believe I may have a dust allergy and don't think the coal deposits are helping) and that will probably save me the cost of the unit in fuel in the 5 years the warranty is valid for, it may be the best solution for now, unfortunately

jimjimt

The Boru door is not going to be as good as any stove. No arguments there. It is what it is a work around to suit some situations.

To be honest I have yet to come across a bad stove. I have seen the cheaper/lighter wood burning stoves being abused. Where people buy them as a cheap stove abuse them with coal and crack them. Not fit for purpose and the users fault for abusing the stove. The stove shop then gets the abuse.

Their is plenty to choose from including the Boru, Clearview, Stanley, Henely and more.
Boru's offices are in Thurles.
Stanley's offices are in Waterford.
All a phone call away.

That is why the boards are here to throw options and opinions to you and not to make sales.
I do believe making sales is not allowed on the boards.
That way you have the final say in what is right for you.

cormie

Thanks for that Jim, given the door and the cheaper insets are pretty much the same price, maybe I'd just be better off going for a "disposable" stove for now and hope that it lasts a good bit longer than the 5 year warranty and I can install it myself and easily take it out when the time comes, perhaps sell it on and replace it with a clearview if the renter ever becomes a home owner

Given what Sooty has been saying about the cheaper stoves, the 5 year warranty would be somewhat reassuring. I don't know if the Boru is built with the Pig Iron sooty speaks of and the fire cement which may crumble but I'll make sure to keep watch for this in the first 5 years so it will hopefully last a bit longer and not end up burning excessive fuel.

Again, this is just a stop gap so as long as it blocks the heat going out the chimney when the fire is unlit, keeps the dust particles more at bay than an open fire and allows a fire to last longer, I'll be getting what I want from the low investment and it will hopefully pay for itself over 5 years of fuel saving both with burning logs and not losing heat up the chimney when the fire is unlit.

One point is that if I'm getting a cheaper inset stove, it may as well be a good bit cheaper so it's not only a little more to get the clearview. The clearview Inset would probably end up costing the guts of €3,000 to do properly given the removal of fire plate, refitting of fire plate and all parts and labour. I'd be expecting a stove to last a lifetime for that price. I'd be happy to pay €500/€600 including the stove and what could probably be a self install, but forgetting about lining the chimney etc for a 5 year solution.

sooty_soupy

As a stop gap it is hard to dispute what you are obviously thinking about. At the price they are quoting it is a very difficult argument for us to tell you to put in anything else when you look at the cost implications, when you are not comfortable with replacing the fireback if you decide to take it out, but here are a couple of things to check before you buy anything. The warranty that Boru offer, which seems to be your reassurance…just ring them and ask them what the warranty actually covers. The glass, rope, tiles, grate, baffle etc are often not covered so then you have to ask yourself what your warranty actually covers…just a thought. Also it seems a little disconcerting that this new kid on the block are not listed as a manufacturer on the very well respected site, www.whatstove.co.uk, so where can you read reviews on the units.

Either way you are in control of the finances and the decisions you make, I am only here to advise. In my original posts I have always made reference to other brands, that we don't sell, such as Charnwood, Morso, Jotul and the like, but obviously if you were set on the Clearview that we do offer, well then of course I will advise you accordingly on which of the models would best suit your needs.

After a phone call with Joe at Bell Stoves yesterday about this thread, he has confirmed that there have been sales that he has picked up from the advice I have given here, even though he is not on boards. When inferring that my advice is in some way generating sales purely for myself, it might be worthwhile noting that at times I am generating sales for what is effectively a competitor, while I fly the flag for a UK based, world class stove manufacturer for nearly 30 years, so at times get no financial reward for the time and effort spent on this site trying to guide people through the maze that has become the stove industry.

Whatever you do Cormie, the best of luck. We are closing for Christmas tomorrow, and I will be laying off the emails et until the New Year. It has been a long season for us, with over 120 stoves fitted in less than three months, so between co-ordinating all of that and trying to deal with emails etc, it is time for the Bushmills.

Best regards over the holidays and a peaceful, warm 2013 to you all…..as long as the world doesn't end tomorrow, which would mean it has all be a waste of time. ;-)

cormie

Haha, ah I think we're ok in that regard.

I rang boru and you're right, the 5 year warranty only covers the body itself and not the bricks, grate, glass, ashpan or rope. I guess I'll have to be careful with all that so. The best price I've found is €595 for the whole unit and I may need a few connections which I can hopefully then re-use later with the clearview if required.

I checked out whatstove when I first heard of the boru too and there's nothing there, but I came across this thread which seems to have some pretty positive feedback: http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=116640

I applaud any supplier who will give such advice as you have been doing. It shows commitment to what they do and a great knowledge of the subject and is completely reassuring to any prospective buyers on the product they are getting. I've had the same happen here when giving advice on my own line of business, I get some sales through boards.ie too and know well about the non promotion rules, but people like to see input from suppliers and I believe it speaks volumes in terms of reliability and commitment to what they do. I'm meeting someone tomorrow from the web design forum and giving him business as a result of how helpful and professional he has come across.

cormie

I'm somewhat disappointed to report that I bought a stove for the rented accommodation today. I found out the heat design/tripp/firewarm/green stove/san remo whatever it goes by also comes with a 5 year warranty so given that I could get it 100eur cheaper than the other cheapo brands, I decided just to go for it and hope for the best. It was between the dimplex westcott (499 in woodies was the cheapest I found), the boru croi beag (550 was the cheapest) and this one (bought for 450 in TJ O'Mahony's Ballymount.

I'm going to give it a go without any connections to the flue, just as it was designed for, to slot straight in and work out of the box. I'll make sure to clean the back from time to time so there isn't a build up of soot and I got some rock wool insulation that they had spare in the warehouse thrown in so I'll pack that behind it. With the style of my fireplace, it's a very tight fit and it's just small enough to fit. In fact the croi beag is stated as 5mm taller and I'm having doubts that would have fit. It pretty much lines up with the brass surround, just a bit smaller so should get a good seal hopefully.

Fitting isn't as easy as you might think. The instructions are terrible and what's confusing too is they give you a length of fire rope and it says in the instructions to glue it to the edge of the stove, but there's already fire rope all around it so I'm not sure if they mean to fit a 2nd layer, or that they started supplying with rope fitted after a while and never updated the manual.

I just need to anchor it to the ground tomorrow and I can test it out then.

The reason I said I'm disappointed to report is because I was set on just going with the clearview and having it over and done with. This is only a temporary solution and it does feel kind of cheap too. I'll be happy if it lasts 5 years without any need for the warranty but good to know I have it. If circumstances change I'll check the interest of the landlord in keeping it and maybe the new place can get a clearview

jimjimt

Dimplex and Boru are well respected names.

What price was the Clearview just to compare to the so called El Cheapo's was it doubled or tripled the price that you could not inform and compare ?

For what it is worth and what I have learn through out the years always be wary of someones sale pitch on running down every one else's products.
More than one good brand out there.

I have never seen a stove held together with fire cement and pig iron.
I have seen budget stoves that work perfect if instructions are adhere too.
If you cannot figure out how to install the stove hire a pro who can. For it would be very unfair to run down the stove later if it was not installed properly.

cormie

Thanks Jim, that's somewhat reassuring anyway

The clearview inset unit was about €1,500, it definitely wouldn't have gone in without taking out the fireback and more so that would have cost between installation and removal and rebuild when leaving the accommodation, at least another €600 I'm sure. Then as it's a 5 story building with the fireplace on the basement, to do it proper proper with flexi liner, bends etc would be another €800 in parts and would add to the above labour another few hundred I guess.

You're talking at least 3K for it to be done proper proper.

The Boru wouldn't actually have fit in the opening due to the tiles of the fireplace being angled outwards, I would have had to cut the edges off the boru, not big deal but would mean that if my whole chimney was in tatters and no stove would ever work without a liner, I couldn't return or sell on as easily.

My thinking was to either do it properly, with a stove that was top quality and would last a lifetime (I'm not even 30 so would be expecting another 50 years out of it and out of me too I guess ) which I could take with me wherever I go, or to try get away with a cheaper solution that would seal the chimney when the fire is unlit, get fuel to last longer and more efficient and keep the air in the house cleaner. I mentioned the last point to one seller who said the open fire would be the best way to keep the room air clean as it just sucks everything up. I was thinking if the fire was sealed off from the room while lighting and unlit, that the particle air from the fuel wouldn't be mixing with the room air as much?

If I can save €500 worth of fuel in 5 years then this stove will have more than done its job. It will also mean I'll be more inclined to put the fire on and not use the storage heaters as much, I love a real fire and prefer the idea of burning wood as opposed to coal which I've always burnt over wood as it lasts longer. I'd also be fine selling it to the landlord where as I'd want to keep the clearview, but who knows if circumstances would change and I'd have nowhere for the clearview in a new place etc.

Once the budget for the other stove is there, doing the gas etc, I'll 99% be going clearview for that house, as it will be a permanent fixture etc.

Will just have to make do for now with the firewarm. Just have to buy a carbon monoxide alarm now. Would it be ok to have this on the mantle piece, or over on the side of the fireplace or does carbon monoxide rise, meaning it may be too late by the time it goes off?

jimjimt

Read the instructions for the alarm it will have to be certain distance away from walls, edges. Cannot just place them anywhere.

Here is a link for info along with a video,

http://www.carbonmonoxide.ie/htm/co_alarms.htm

1500 yoyos for a Clearview. Some one making serious money.

Something tells me if you give Boru, Dimplex, Firewarm another 1000 they will guarantee ropes glass and anything you wanted guaranteed. Even give them another 500 they would match the guarantee/warranty.

cormie

Thanks Jim, read the instructions while sitting in traffic and it says keep it 150mm away from edges, keep it higher than doors and windows and a few other things too, but basic enough. 27eur in B&Q so don't know how that fares but they had a carbon+smoke detector where I bought it for 60eur which is a bit rich.

cormie

Well folks, I'm about 2 hours into my first trial fire and so far so good. I've the carbon monoxide alarm sitting on a painting above the fire place and it's remained silent and there's no visible signs of smoke coming back into the room either.

Installation took longer than expected but if I was to do it again, it'd be much quicker I'm sure. I did it on the cheap, decided to take the gamble without the flue pipes etc and see how the chimney took it with the intention of getting it installed properly if it didn't work out. Seems fine so far, so total spend so far is only €450. It was tough trying to get a tight seal to the fireplace but used the arm lever thingy on top and tapped the bottom in with a piece of wood against the stove and a hammer, seems to have worked.

I've rockwool stuffed between it and the fire back and then stuffed it in from the opening to the flue too.

I got 3 pack of eco logs which seem ok, I prefer regular logs though, seems they burn better? Should I completely avoid using any bits of wood which seem a little wet, or is the odd piece ok, also what about bits of wood with nails? I threw anything on the open fire and never had an issue but just want to be sure.

So fingers crossed I don't run into any issues today or any day over the next 5 years So next thing now is to try build a budget for Stove 2. Have a warm Christmas everyone and thanks again for all the great advice!

Robbie.G

cormie wrote: »

Well folks, I'm about 2 hours into my first trial fire and so far so good. I've the carbon monoxide alarm sitting on a painting above the fire place and it's remained silent and there's no visible signs of smoke coming back into the room either.

Installation took longer than expected but if I was to do it again, it'd be much quicker I'm sure. I did it on the cheap, decided to take the gamble without the flue pipes etc and see how the chimney took it with the intention of getting it installed properly if it didn't work out. Seems fine so far, so total spend so far is only €450. It was tough trying to get a tight seal to the fireplace but used the arm lever thingy on top and tapped the bottom in with a piece of wood against the stove and a hammer, seems to have worked.

I've rockwool stuffed between it and the fire back and then stuffed it in from the opening to the flue too.

I got 3 pack of eco logs which seem ok, I prefer regular logs though, seems they burn better? Should I completely avoid using any bits of wood which seem a little wet, or is the odd piece ok, also what about bits of wood with nails? I threw anything on the open fire and never had an issue but just want to be sure.

So fingers crossed I don't run into any issues today or any day over the next 5 years So next thing now is to try build a budget for Stove 2. Have a warm Christmas everyone and thanks again for all the great advice!

Why don't you post some pics of the installation so everyone can see the result

cormie

Here's a video instead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1AwNHLvdWk

Robbie.G

cormie wrote: »

Here's a video instead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1AwNHLvdWk

Looks good just be careful if the stove is wedged in tight on the top when the stove expands with the heat Its Possible that it could crack the marble on the fireplace or even split the casing on the stove.

cormie

Thanks for the warning, there's about 2mm in it when I look at it now (it's hot at the moment) so hopefully be ok. There was quite a bit of room for stuffing rockwoold in behind it too so should be fine at the back too. If it can last as it has today for another 5 years I'll be happy. The glass has dirtied up a little so the airwash musn't be so effective but I think I may have slightly overloaded it at the start, had a big fire going in it for a short while until it died down. It seems easier to relight a dying fire than the open fire was which is great too!

mloc123

With these slot in style stoves...

We have a disconnected back boiler open fire which is drained and open, we light it with no issues and use it as an open fire...

Providing one of the stoves would fit the open space, should it work the same as with a fireback?

Robbie.G

mloc123 wrote: »

With these slot in style stoves...

We have a disconnected back boiler open fire which is drained and open, we light it with no issues and use it as an open fire...

Providing one of the stoves would fit the open space, should it work the same as with a fireback?

There are insert stoves that the FIREBACK can be left in place or others that the FIREBACK must be removed.The type that leaves FIREBACK in place are a designed to be a DIY fit as You just stick it in and away you go.As these are cheap to by and basically no fitting charges you do get what you pay for.Whatever you are thinking go to one or two stove shops and get their oppinion.

sooty_soupy

HeatDragon wrote: »

Hi folks

For high efficiency stove 87% or more you have to spend aprox 5k S&Fitt.
I have stove fitted by hqplumbing.ie and my stove heat full house and hot water cylinder.
Is fully controlled combustion process by special digital controller and there is also special fan to provide fresh air for combustion.
Another thing my stove is designed for sealed heating system. 20min to get all rads red hot.

All those stoves free standing or inserts without proper heat exchangers are only a scrap and wasting your fuel wood etc
Only looks nice.

What a load of crap. If you fuel any stove plumbed in correctly, it will eventually do what you are claiming, it is just the sheer volume of fuel you go though to do such a job. To say a freestanding stove is scrap and wasting fuel shows how ignorant you are. Your plumbing company have done a good job on you it seems.

Every stove serves a purpose. Budget stoves for the financially restrained, good dry stoves for those who want quality and just need a family/living area warm quickly, and for those that have plenty of fuel, and spend a lot of time at home, then a central heating system is worthwhile but to come out with a comment like yours is not helpful and frankly absurd.

sooty_soupy

mloc123 wrote: »

With these slot in style stoves...

We have a disconnected back boiler open fire which is drained and open, we light it with no issues and use it as an open fire…

The issue is that a lot of the warmth of the fuel will pass BEHIND the boiler and into the flue system, which makes the open fire less efficient.

Providing one of the stoves would fit the open space, should it work the same as with a fireback?

A fireback fitted correctly and insulated behind will help to radiate more heat into the room, making the open fire more efficient. If you choose to fit a proper inset rather than a face to the fireplace, then the convection system included in many of the high end stoves means you can get more heat and a distribution system included rather than a mere radiant heat from a glass door and frame.

As with everything in life, you get what you pay for.

Good luck

cormie

Sooty, you were right about the airwash system being a bit pants. My glass door was completely dark after 2 days and took a good few minutes of elbow greece along with a damp bit of kitchen towel with wood ash to get it clean again. I'd be pretty disappointed if I bought a stove intended for much longer term use and knew I'd be having to clean it frequently.

Dtp79

HeatDragon wrote: »

Hi folks

For high efficiency stove 87% or more you have to spend aprox 5k S&Fitt.
I have stove fitted by hqplumbing.ie and my stove heat full house and hot water cylinder.
Is fully controlled combustion process by special digital controller and there is also special fan to provide fresh air for combustion.
Another thing my stove is designed for sealed heating system. 20min to get all rads red hot.

All those stoves free standing or inserts without proper heat exchangers are only a scrap and wasting your fuel wood etc
Only looks nice.

BOOOM

cormie

So having used the stove almost every day since I bought it, I'm getting to grips with the way it works and how different it is from an open fire. I threw 2 big enough nuggets of coal and after 2 days of being on for at least 5 hours each day, the nuggets were still distinguishable from the other ash. This would never be the case with an open fire so I'm guessing the temperature of the stove just isn't high enough to break them down as quickly as an open fire?

With the stove I bough 3 packs of eco logs, 5 logs each about 400mm long and 80mm diameter, these burn easy and last about 90 minutes before needing another on the fire. They were €10 for 3 packs.

I just bought a 35kg bag of hardwood for €11, unfortunately it appears to be just cut so not dried at all. I'm testing one at the moment but it doesn't appear to be taking too well. I don't know if it's too big (almost the size of the grate) or too wet or too hard, or all 3.

Any suggestions on where to get Kiln dried logs (hardwood?) around the Dun Laoghaire area? How would the price compare to €11 for 35kg in Kiln dried? I can't take a huge delivery, maybe 100kg max due to space restrictions.

I didn't pay much attention to the inferiority of the airwash system for keeping the glass clean compared to what Clearview uses but now this alone would almost be enough to spend the money on a premium brand like Clearview. I just can't imagine someone old having to clean the glass every 2nd day. It takes a lot of elbow greece! Do the Clearview glass panels EVER get dirty? The glass on my stove seems to get the dirties when the fire is dying down or if there's fuel too close to the glass.

Also, with regards ASH. I've heard wood ash can be composted? There's a compost bin outside. If there's any deposits of coal nugget ash at all should this be disposed of separately? Also, what about firelighters, would a wood fire lit with firelighters still be ok to compost the ash of?

jimjimt

HeatDragon wrote: »

Hi folks

For high efficiency stove 87% or more you have to spend aprox 5k S&Fitt.
I have stove fitted by hqplumbing.ie and my stove heat full house and hot water cylinder.
Is fully controlled combustion process by special digital controller and there is also special fan to provide fresh air for combustion.
Another thing my stove is designed for sealed heating system. 20min to get all rads red hot.

All those stoves free standing or inserts without proper heat exchangers are only a scrap and wasting your fuel wood etc
Only looks nice.

Hello Heat Dragon
why don't you educate us all a little more.

What make and model boiler/stove are you using ?
Link to manufacturers website.
Safety feature that allows it to be pressurized ?
And all the tec info you can provide.
I am a natural doubting thomas, I find it hard to believe that a solid fuel appliance can have all rads from cold to red hot in 20mins.

sooty_soupy

cormie wrote: »

Sooty, you were right about the airwash system being a bit pants. My glass door was completely dark after 2 days and took a good few minutes of elbow greece along with a damp bit of kitchen towel with wood ash to get it clean again. I'd be pretty disappointed if I bought a stove intended for much longer term use and knew I'd be having to clean it frequently.

One of the most popular questions I was asked as a chimney technician for over 20 years…"have I any tips for keeping the glass clean on that stove?" This was everyones complaint with stoves, and still is. The Clearview are different and that is why I sell them, but as long as you have heat for the time being and your efficiency improves for the hour, then you can use this as a stepping stone, and aspire to buying a high end stove next time.

Happy New Year to you.

D

sooty_soupy

sooty_soupy wrote: »

cormie wrote: »

So having used the stove almost every day since I bought it, I'm getting to grips with the way it works and how different it is from an open fire. I threw 2 big enough nuggets of coal and after 2 days of being on for at least 5 hours each day, the nuggets were still distinguishable from the other ash. This would never be the case with an open fire so I'm guessing the temperature of the stove just isn't high enough to break them down as quickly as an open fire?

With the stove I bough 3 packs of eco logs, 5 logs each about 400mm long and 80mm diameter, these burn easy and last about 90 minutes before needing another on the fire. They were for 3 packs.

Our stove last night for a New Year party went through 7 logs in total about the size you are referring to, and it burnt from 6pm until 4am in comparison, so already you are going through more fuel…i.e costing more to run, even though it was cheaper to buy the stove!

I just bought a 35kg bag of hardwood for unfortunately it appears to be just cut so not dried at all. I'm testing one at the moment but it doesn't appear to be taking too well. I don't know if it's too big (almost the size of the grate) or too wet or too hard, or all 3.

Any suggestions on where to get Kiln dried logs (hardwood?) around the Dun Laoghaire area? How would the price compare to for 35kg in Kiln dried? I can't take a huge delivery, maybe 100kg max due to space restrictions.

You should NEVER buy wood by weight. call me a cynic but if they are selling cheap wood, not dried out properly, then the weight will be made up of water. If you are buying wood, get a wood moisture meter first, and go to the depot selling the fuel. Lift a sample log they are claiming is seasoned, split it with an axe and take your moisture reading from the exposed inner core. That will put the cat among the pigeons with these arseholes using the word seasoned all the time, when they know no more about wood burning than my cocker spaniel. LESS THAN 20% is what you are looking for.

I didn't pay much attention to the inferiority of the airwash system for keeping the glass clean compared to what Clearview uses but now this alone would almost be enough to spend the money on a premium brand like Clearview. I just can't imagine someone old having to clean the glass every 2nd day. It takes a lot of elbow greece! Do the Clearview glass panels EVER get dirty?

Our stove got a wee spray with Clearview paint and I wiped the glass which tok about 10 seconds yesterday. That was the first wipe the glass has had in over 2 months.

The glass on my stove seems to get the dirties when the fire is dying down or if there's fuel too close to the glass.

Also, with regards ASH. I've heard wood ash can be composted? There's a compost bin outside. If there's any deposits of coal nugget ash at all should this be disposed of separately? Also, what about firelighters, would a wood fire lit with firelighters still be ok to compost the ash of?

We don't burn coal, so I can't help you, but I would imagine that the coal ash should be fine for composting. WHATEVER you do, do not use the coal ash to clean the glass. It is far too abrasive and will leave the glass porous and you will never get it clean. We use a small firelighter and dry logs and our fire is lit in about 2-3 minutes.

cormie

Thanks again Sooty, as helpful as ever!

I never considered not to buy wood by weight but it makes sense now. I got 13 bags of kiln dried hardwood yesterday and they are about 10kg each. The guy at the depot showed me the moisture reader giving a read of about 16/17% in front of me. He didn't split it in half and take it from the inside though but they are burning very very well. Giving great heat, taking the burn quick and lasting long. It's the only fuel I've burnt so far which still gives a nice flame with the air inlets closed. The heat off them was far greater than any of the eco logs that I'd used before. I brought the last bit of coal I had along with the wet hardwood to my mam to use in the open fire so I'm just left with the hardwood now for myself so will be having cleaner, hotter fires from now on!

That sounds great about the clearview glass compared to the "airwash" system.

sooty_soupy

cormie wrote: »

Thanks again Sooty, as helpful as ever!

I never considered not to buy wood by weight but it makes sense now. I got 13 bags of kiln dried hardwood yesterday and they are about 10kg each. The guy at the depot showed me the moisture reader giving a read of about 16/17% in front of me. He didn't split it in half and take it from the inside though but they are burning very very well.

Wood will always be surface dry if you can remember that. If you think about log stores they are open to let the weather get to the wood, which "seasons" the wood. It is exposed to the seasons ;-) if you think about it. When you bring this wood into the house to burn, any surface damp will evaporate in front of the stove when stored in a basket or log stand, and you're good to go.

Giving great heat, taking the burn quick and lasting long. It's the only fuel I've burnt so far which still gives a nice flame with the air inlets closed.

Which would send the alarm bells ringing with me straight away. If you close the air vents of a Clearview, the stove looks like it has gone out, giving you TOTAL control over fuel consumption. We can keep our stove in all night on two of your logs easily, from 10pm to 8am without a worry. Where is the oxygen getting into your stove to feed the combustion when you are trying to close the stove down…At this early stage in it's life, your stove is already over burning which will eat your fuel supply and produce out of control burning which means the components of your stove will succumb to the excessive heat…the very reason why manufacturers don't give you any warranty on the consumable parts.

The heat off them was far greater than any of the eco logs that I'd used before. I brought the last bit of coal I had along with the wet hardwood to my mam to use in the open fire so I'm just left with the hardwood now for myself so will be having cleaner, hotter fires from now on!

That sounds great about the clearview glass compared to the "airwash" system.