Insert stove - burning with air intakes closed?

cathy427

Hi there

We recent got a "preloved" (ie 2nd hand) stanley cara insert and are delighted with it.

It puts out great heat - (gets through a fair bit of fuel)
with both air intakes closed it still burns away (when open them it really flares up) I thought closing them would "kill the fire"

Is it normal that once the fire is going that it still burns away with both air intakes closed or is it fitted wrongly?

Him indoors wondering is the draw from the chimney enough to keep it going when its hot and is that why it burns away.

Crazy Eye

cathy427 wrote: »

Hi there

We recent got a "preloved" (ie 2nd hand) stanley cara insert and are delighted with it.

It puts out great heat - (gets through a fair bit of fuel)
with both air intakes closed it still burns away (when open them it really flares up) I thought closing them would "kill the fire"

Is it normal that once the fire is going that it still burns away with both air intakes closed or is it fitted wrongly?

Him indoors wondering is the draw from the chimney enough to keep it going when its hot and is that why it burns away.

rope seals on glass door and under grate may be worn out and need to be replaced worn out seals will let air in to fan the fire even when stove is shut down

2 stroke

I dont know about the stanley, but my Boru insert stove burns away quite happily, once the fire has become established, with the air intakes closed, . There are 5 small holes at the back of the stove that supply prewarmed air above the fuel even when the intakes are closed. I operate the stove by the rule that if the glass isnt blackening and no visible smoke from the chimney, its getting enough air.

cathy427

Crazy Eye wrote: »

rope seals on glass door and under grate may be worn out and need to be replaced worn out seals will let air in to fan the fire even when stove is shut down

Thanks Crazy eyes - didn't know there was one under the grate.
Installer said he replaced seals - I know to look there was a new one on the door, will go looking in morning for one under the grate.

So are you saying it should not burn at all with with both closed?

Crazy Eye

cathy427 wrote: »

Thanks Crazy eyes - didn't know there was one under the grate.
Installer said he replaced seals - I know to look there was a new one on the door, will go looking in morning for one under the grate.

So are you saying it should not burn at all with with both closed?

with all controls shut down stove should not burn away it will go into overnight mode and very slow smoulder burn at best . try fluffing up the glass door seal pinch it out to fluff it up and give stove a real good clean out remove grate and ash pan and clean it all out

cathy427

2 stroke wrote: »

I dont know about the stanley, but my Boru insert stove burns away quite happily, once the fire has become established, with the air intakes closed, . There are 5 small holes at the back of the stove that supply prewarmed air above the fuel even when the intakes are closed. I operate the stove by the rule that if the glass isnt blackening and no visible smoke from the chimney, its getting enough air.

Thanks 2 stroke - your reply came in when I was typing the last reply.

I am exactly the same - I keep the airwash open until fire is hot and glass is clear and then it doesn't blacken much after that.

All might be ok so, thanks very much.

There is great heat so dont think there can be much wrong.

Do you get through much fuel?

Do you like the boru? We were going for one of those but friends were building an extension and putting in back boiler so the stanley came up

cathy427

Crazy Eye wrote: »

with all controls shut down stove should not burn away it will go into overnight mode and very slow smoulder burn at best . try fluffing up the glass door seal pinch it out to fluff it up and give stove a real good clean out remove grate and ash pan and clean it all out

Thanks, posts crossed again.

Ok, will try that tomorrow.

The main price of the stove was that we paid the fitter to remove and reinstall and he is a full time fitter and friend of the original owners.

The price was to remove, freshen up "like new" and re-install so dont want to be ringing him unless I am sure something has gone wrong cause it all looks spotless and there is defo as I said new rope around the glass (edit from here on) and great heat out of it

shoes34

I just got an Horse Flame Insert Stove put in on Tuesday have light 2 small fires, this morning as there was gale force winds last night when I came into the sitting room, I could hear the wind and notice there is a small gap on the side of the stove (not at the fireplace where it went into but on the actual piece of the stove) is this normal? I never noticed it when I purchased it was going to go back to the store I got it to see if the display model is the same.

Thanks.