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STOVES questions and answers here(see mod note in post 1)

paddy147

The amount of threads getting posted each day about stoves is unreal and taking away from other plumbing issues.

Can I suggest to the members and also the mods a dedicated "sticky" thread about stoves and nothing else.

Thanks.:)

Hi Folks. This sticky has been suggested by a regular poster and contributed to quite well. It seems to have generated a lot of interest. While advertising is not permitted under forum charter a balanced view of multiple suppliers is allowed. The rule of thumb is if you are unsure just ask. But keeping it simple and discussing the techanical details of multiple suppliers will be safe. Keep pricing out of the thread and only reply if requested to by PM -Personal message. An instant permant ban will result for breach of charter on advertising.

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cathy427

Car99 wrote: »

a bit of re bar

Thanks,
not sure what that is -
What would I be asking for in the shop for that?

Bass Reeves

vicwatson wrote: »

I find the glass gets dirty easily unless I have top damper open a good bit (this with birch, burned oak before and didn’t have as much an issue, much easier to control)

I do not really worry about how clean or sorry the glass is. Not sure about the Cara but a lot of older stoves have no air wash system to keep glass clean. It something with an older stove I would not worry about. If Wood is good and dry you will need virtually no air to burn it.

Car99

cathy427 wrote: »

Thanks,
not sure what that is -
What would I be asking for in the shop for that?

Rebar is stell bar used to reinforce concrete its every where and is very cheap. Do you know anyone that works on a building site? That's your best bet .

Bass Reeves

cathy427 wrote: »

Thanks,
not sure what that is -
What would I be asking for in the shop for that?

Rebar means reinforceing bar. It used to reinforce concrete. It usually sold in 20' lengths so not really something sold in a shop.

If there is a small engineering/ steel fabrication or welding outfit near you they should be able to sort you with a small piece of steel that will block the home in grate. A builder or farmer may have a piece as well

Irish Gunner

Ok reading through the posts to try and find answers which I am sure is somewhere, still searching

We got a Henley CAMBRIDGE 5kW - Black installed in the summer and only beginning to light it recently

https://mcdhomeandgarden.ie/stoves/16-henley-cambridge-5kw-multi-fuel-stove-freestanding.html

Got 10 bags of Kiln Dried Logs from Monahans and just using these.

So kindles and Firelights to get it started and I am not a twisted Firestarter

but learning

So get it started and leave door ajar to get it lit up and then leave air vent open at the bottom and the leaver a the top to the right then once lit up add Wood but leave vents as is.

Anywho the glass regularly picks up heat and goes black.

So do we need to leave vents open to stop this or anything different we should be doing to become a Firestarter twisted Firestarter and prevent glass going black?

Thanks

limnam

Whats the moisture level of the wood?

Purgative

cathy427 wrote: »

Thanks,
not sure what that is -
What would I be asking for in the shop for that?

Cathy, my local builders merchant (in Mayo) will cut it to length for you - I'm sure we're not unique.

Good luck.

Irish Gunner

limnam wrote: »

Whats the moisture level of the wood?

Not sure

Stored out the back in Plastic container box so not sure if rain/ cold having any affect on them?

Purgative

Irish Gunner wrote: »

.....

So get it started and leave door ajar to get it lit up and then leave air vent open at the bottom and the leaver a the top to the right then once lit up add Wood but leave vents as is.

Anywho the glass regularly picks up heat and goes black.

So do we need to leave vents open to stop this or anything different we should be doing to become a Firestarter twisted Firestarter and prevent glass going black?

Thanks

Hi IG. We shut the door as soon as we've lit to allow it to draw from underneath. The bottom vent will make it burn hotter and faster so its a bit of a balancing act, but we don't open the door other than to add fuel.

Our glass goes black. Its black now. We don't worry unless someone is coming round (not these days of course) and then we give it a bit of a clean up.

limnam

Irish Gunner wrote: »

Not sure

Stored out the back in Plastic container box so not sure if rain/ cold having any affect on them?

Depends how long they're there, how much sun/wind they get and what the content was when they were stored originally.

the higher the content the more "smoke" and the dirtier the glass can get.

There's other reasons but that's a fairly common one.

even kindling with high moisture content will do it.

Gruffalux

Going mad here. Stanley range. 15 years no trouble. I gave it an ordinary clean out yesterday, scraped ashes soot etc on sides of oven box, the usual clean. Did not light until evening so it was off for 12 hours plus low fire during night. I am guessing chimney went cold. It is very cold outside. Big smoke issues last night when I lit. Left it go out. Since 6am I have been battling the beast. Big fires with good dry wood vents open to try heat chimney and reverse whatever pressure issue has happened. Works fine with vents open. Gobbles through the wood. Close damper - endless smoke and fire hardly draws at all. I smell like a gypsy, me eyes are sore and 8 hours into battle I am wondering wtf can I do here? Help please.

Purgative

Gruff when did you last have your chimney cleaned?

Gruffalux

Purgative wrote: »

Gruff when did you last have your chimney cleaned?

In early Spring. It was fairly clean he said anyway. I have hardly used any coal this year either except in December.
Thanks for reply. The big difference is the stove clean, the fire out for unusual time (12 hours) and the very low temps outside.

Gruffalux

My instinct is cold air has got into chimney and is stopping draw...?

Irish Gunner

Purgative wrote: »

Hi IG. We shut the door as soon as we've lit to allow it to draw from underneath. The bottom vent will make it burn hotter and faster so its a bit of a balancing act, but we don't open the door other than to add fuel.

Our glass goes black. Its black now. We don't worry unless someone is coming round (not these days of course) and then we give it a bit of a clean up.

Thanks yeah no visitors to ours but Miss Gunner wondering how to keep it clean

I only leave it slightly ajar to build flame and then close it and leave the bottom air vent open and top leaver is to the left so think that is open

limnam wrote: »

Depends how long they're there, how much sun/wind they get and what the content was when they were stored originally.

the higher the content the more "smoke" and the dirtier the glass can get.

There's other reasons but that's a fairly common one.

even kindling with high moisture content will do it.

Well no Sun in Ireland

Kept in shed and bunker and who knows where Monahan's had them stored

Maybe its just a given, glass will go black in the grand scheme of things not a Biggie or even a Tupac

Just wipe it off when it does ....obviously not when lit

Thanks

Mickeroo

Dip a wet cloth in the ash and wipe the glass to get it off, handiest way I find and no faffing about with sprays or anything.

Also when you have the fire lit and going well try closing the bottom air vent altogether, you should get better heat from wood by doing this as it burns better when the air is coming from above. You should be able control how strong it's burning with the top vent for the most part, though you may occasionally need to open the bottom briefly when you stick a new log on to get it to flame up.

mrtom

whodafunk wrote: »

Hi All,

I recently purchased a Stanley Cara insert stove. According to the instructions it's 6.5KW output. I used it to mainly burn peat briquettes and wood (good quality). To be honest even after playing about with the controls I don't find that it throws out huge amount of heat - primary air supply open (for max heat) and secondary air supply (open) and spin valve fully open - to give best heat output but also burns quicker. Any ideas am I doing anything wrong? Should I be burning stove coal for better heat output or is it just a case this it a low output stove? Really hoping this is not the case.

Thank you

There is a mysterious art to mastering air controls for the best heat & combustion. Though I follow the basics, after years with my tripple air supply stove I'm never sure if I'v got the subtly just right!
Any tips out there...

Purgative

Gruffalux wrote: »

In early Spring. It was fairly clean he said anyway. I have hardly used any coal this year either except in December.

So what fuel do you use, or have you just not had the stove on?

Thanks for reply. The big difference is the stove clean, the fire out for unusual time (12 hours) and the very low temps outside.

Humm meh, that saying about correlation and causation. Did you take that reflector plate (not the correct name) and did it go back correctly?

Gruffalux wrote: »

My instinct is cold air has got into chimney and is stopping draw...?

No expert - but I'm not a fan of that theory. It does sound to me as if you are not getting enough of a draw from the chimney. Does the chimney have a cowl? Is it accessible / frequented by birds?

I tell you why I don't like your cold chimney thing. We used to heat entirely with solid fuel but then about 5 years ago got an A2W pump. So now the stove goes on whenever we feel like it or not. Spring and Autumn its 4 days off 2 days on. Never a problem lighting it.

Gruffalux

Purgative wrote: »

So what fuel do you use, or have you just not had the stove on?

Humm meh, that saying about correlation and causation. Did you take that reflector plate (not the correct name) and did it go back correctly?

No expert - but I'm not a fan of that theory. It does sound to me as if you are not getting enough of a draw from the chimney. Does the chimney have a cowl? Is it accessible / frequented by birds?

I tell you why I don't like your cold chimney thing. We used to heat entirely with solid fuel but then about 5 years ago got an A2W pump. So now the stove goes on whenever we feel like it or not. Spring and Autumn its 4 days off 2 days on. Never a problem lighting it.

Thanks for reply.
Most of year is mix of seasoned hard and soft wood.
In colder times I add briquettes. In coldest times I add smokeless coal. It is never not used as it is heat, water, rads and cooking. It dies down overnight except in winter where there will be embers to start on (i cannot bear too warm sleeping). It has never given me this trouble. I have a damn headache now with trying to fix it. I am afraid also I might have banged off some part inside while cleaning it that has changed the draw - thats my other theory. I dont think it is dirty chimney as up to yesterday and the cleaning/cooling completely.. it was perfect.

Purgative

Gruffalux wrote: »

Thanks for reply.
Most of year is mix of seasoned hard and soft wood.
In colder times I add briquettes. In coldest times I add smokeless coal. It is never not used as it is heat, water, rads and cooking. It dies down overnight except in winter where there will be embers to start on (i cannot bear too warm sleeping). It has never given me this trouble. I have a damn headache now with trying to fix it. I am afraid also I might have banged off some part inside while cleaning it that has changed the draw - thats my other theory. I dont think it is dirty chimney as up to yesterday and the cleaning/cooling completely.. it was perfect.

I like that theory better than the other one.

No I don't think its a dirty chimney but I think you have ended up with something restricting the draw. Does yours resemble the picture in MrToms post?

If all was well with the chimney you should be able light a sheet of newspaper, shut the door and trot outside to see a wisp of smoke.

Gruffalux

Purgative wrote: »

I like that theory better than the other one.

No I don't think its a dirty chimney but I think you have ended up with something restricting the draw. Does yours resemble the picture in MrToms post?

If all was well with the chimney you should be able light a sheet of newspaper, shut the door and trot outside to see a wisp of smoke.

Thanks Purgative. There are small signs I might be winning. I can leave damper closed for longer without smoke or with less smoke, fire burns a bit better, still leaky but leakiness lessening. The chimney might be warming. I will be handing over the beasts reigns in a hour - I will try battle again tomorrow!

Gruffalux

To conclude the story of my travails, my husband discovered I had dislodged and then missed clearing a clump of soot and ashes and thus blocked the proper movement of smoke around the oven and out the chimney. He fixed it in a few minutes of carefulness. He has been quite good not to gloat too much about my 2 day stove fiasco, though I owe him, apparently. Mixed emotions. Am very glad to be warm again and yet sad to be proved incompetent.
Thanks to Purgative for help.

limnam

Mickeroo wrote: »

Dip a wet cloth in the ash and wipe the glass to get it off, handiest way I find and no faffing about with sprays or anything.

Also when you have the fire lit and going well try closing the bottom air vent altogether, you should get better heat from wood by doing this as it burns better when the air is coming from above. You should be able control how strong it's burning with the top vent for the most part, though you may occasionally need to open the bottom briefly when you stick a new log on to get it to flame up.

I've heard wiping with ash can cause small scratches that make the glass weaker over time.

Must look into it a bit more as it is a handy way of cleaning it

vicwatson

limnam wrote: »

I've heard wiping with ash can cause small scratches that make the glass weaker over time.

Must look into it a bit more as it is a handy way of cleaning it

Ash from wood or briquettes is perfectly fine.

Wouldn’t go scraping the glass with bits of left over coal that might not have burned off.

Joe-Bloggs

If this isn't the right place to post this let me know.

I have a Hunter Herald 14 solid fuel stove that was put in 10 years ago and I'm looking into possibly changing it. I looked at heat pump systems but they're too expensive at the moment. Someone told me there could be a possibility to change it to a wood pellet stove, is that correct? And could anyone point me in the right direction or suggest where to get more information? Thanks

[Deleted User]

HG stove glass cleaner is animal stuff.
Spray ,wait and wipe.
No scrubbing at all.
I

CHOPS01

Joe-Bloggs wrote: »

If this isn't the right place to post this let me know.

I have a Hunter Herald 14 solid fuel stove that was put in 10 years ago and I'm looking into possibly changing it. I looked at heat pump systems but they're too expensive at the moment. Someone told me there could be a possibility to change it to a wood pellet stove, is that correct? And could anyone point me in the right direction or suggest where to get more information? Thanks

Pretty straight forward swap over. Only issue you might have is space. Wood pellet boiler will be quiet a bit taller than your solid fuel stove. Also you will most likely need additional depth due to the tee and plug required on the back.

Bass Reeves

Joe-Bloggs wrote: »

If this isn't the right place to post this let me know.

I have a Hunter Herald 14 solid fuel stove that was put in 10 years ago and I'm looking into possibly changing it. I looked at heat pump systems but they're too expensive at the moment. Someone told me there could be a possibility to change it to a wood pellet stove, is that correct? And could anyone point me in the right direction or suggest where to get more information? Thanks

Why are you getting rid of the stove. Is it not heating the house

Joe-Bloggs

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Why are you getting rid of the stove. Is it not heating the house

It heats the house fine, just looking for options at the moment. I'm getting tired of the mess and work it causes with the ash dust, dirt from wood and turf and having to get the turf to the house ðŸ€£. Looking for something simpler as I get older

Odyssey 2005

Joe-Bloggs wrote: »

It heats the house fine, just looking for options at the moment. I'm getting tired of the mess and work it causes with the ash dust, dirt from wood and turf and having to get the turf to the house ðŸ€£. Looking for something simpler as I get older

Turf is the dirtiest fuel of all.