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

I would be inclined to ring your local council and see if there is a consumer protection department or building control officer to see what they can do for you. In the North, we have trading standards, which is a government department designed to protect consumers, and I am sure there must be something similar in the South. I have been called in to investigate and produce reports for them before for this very reason. Others will go through solicitors and small claims courts. It would not be the first time your local councillor looking for votes has been called in to help, and you will be surprised how the threat of a local journalist investigating the matter gets a response. Ring the manufacturer of the stove and ask for their advice too, as it can quite often be the case that they can put pressure on the retailer to sort out the problem.

All too often people are being faced with this very issue. There are a lot of rogues out there. My advice is to select a week known brand of stove, preferably British or Irish, and then speak to the manufacturer DIRECTLY and ask them who they recommend. This way you have some come back if all goes wrong. Often the cheap and cheerful stoves are working on volume sales and they don't care who sells them, but the companies such as Charnwood, Hunter, Clearview to name some that I know with a reputation to protect are very selective of who they allow to sell their stoves.

Hope this helps.

LadyLyons wrote: »

Who can you complain to about a faulty stove and damage from installation of a stove when the person you bought from won't take your calls? Thank

angeldaisy wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about!

I'm hoping to replace our open fire with a stove later this year.

We are open plan with high ceilings and have underfloor heating.

I'm wondering if there is any system I could put in that would not only heat the rooms but heat hot water as well.

Is this something that could be done considering we have no radiators ?

Yes you would be looking for a boiler stove. Take the measurement of the room the stove will be in and take the number of rad's and if they are double or single rad's when you go stove shopping. They will advise you from there.

Just remember that if you elect to fit a boiler stove, the stove defaults to heating water first, and radiant heat afterwards. All too often people want a stove to do EVERYTHING for them, but find the stove needs HUGE volumes of fuel to do all the work. As chairman of the Northern Ireland Association of Chimney Sweeps, I have travelled the world to conferences and seminars, and so many countries can't understand why these islands are so wrapped up in boiler stoves. If you read through some of the ever increasing posts on this forum, there is a common theme of people claiming boiler stoves are not performing as well as people were promised. Others will claim the stoves are doing well for them, but the volume of fuel is not always mentioned. Our Clearview stove for instance at home has been lit since September and on average goes through 12 logs a day, and can stay in overnight on two logs. Some people will claim nearly 48hrs burning on a bucket of smokeless coal...compare this with cheaper stoves that tend to over burn due to lack of control, and the fuel usage soars. Slow long burning stoves heat the mass of the house better than blasting fires that go out at the end of the day.

Hope this helps a little. Check out www.whatstove.co.uk for reviews on different stove manufacturers for impartial advice.

David

angeldaisy wrote: »

We have NO radiators though, could we still go for a boiler stove?

You now have the daunting task of selecting a stove...and God bless you with this one. My suggestions would be to buy British or Irish from a tried and tested company. If you want controlled burning, then often a strong steel stove is a better choice, however cast fires can retain heat for longer when they go out. Just be careful that the cast stoves are not import crap made of Pig Iron which is what open fire grates are made of now otherwise you are in for trouble with parts needing replaced, and stoves just burning out completely. The quickest I have seen a chinese import burn out is 18 months. Remember if the joints of these cast stoves are made of fire cement, once it breaks down the stove will such oxygen through the joints and cause over-burning, and you can't control it's consumption of fuel.

Brands to check out in my humble opinion are Charnwood, made in the Isle of Wight, or Clearview made in Shropshire. Both well respected companies that have been around for decades, long before the trendy stove was as popular. Pricey...yes but get brilliant reviews on forums. Other middle of the road stoves are Stovax, Hunter, Stanley etc. Again this is only my opinion as a registered chimney technician for 24 years working with these things. You can also look into the likes of Morso which are Danish and Jotul which are Norweigan, along with Dovre. I have personal reasons why I would never buy so much as a bolt for a Morso, because of how they treated a dedicated stockist of many years here in the North as he came to retirement age, but that is another story. I can't say they are not a good stove, but ethically they leave a lot to be desired from what I can make out.

Look for a stove that has an external air system which is a sought after feature, which means you can bring the air straight onto the stove rather than it taking air from the room. This is important if you are putting anything in bigger than 5KW as you will need to add additional ventilation to a room if a bigger stove is used. Carbon Monoxide is a real risk in situations like this, and all too often neglected to be fitted. Clearview were the first stove company to have such a device fitted to their stove, and were also had the first stove in the world that was passed to burn wood in smoke controlled areas, they are so clean burning and efficient.


We only sell one brand of stove, and thankfully don't have to sell anything else as we are inundated with the work we have at times. Go on to the web site I mentioned and read some reviews on all kinds of stoves though, to get some impartial advice and comments from people who actually own the appliances. I would also suggest to MAKE SURE you see the stove you are looking for working in a showroom somewhere. All these shops and box moving outfits are happy to show you lines and lines of stoves but none of them lit....but that shows you nothing. Google is your friend here, and a stockist that is approved by the manufacturer is approved for a reason.

On another note, just remember that the stoves may well be multi fuel, but that doesn't mean you can burn ANYTHING on them. Another claim that some idiots are claiming in shops that is simply a myth or selling spiel. When it says it is multi fuel, it means you are not limited to burning dry seasoned wood. You will also be able to burn smokeless coal or turf for instance. Ordinary house coal you use on an open fire and slack should not be used on a slumber burning appliance such as a stove. It will clog the chimney up VERY quickly and once a flue is restricted you are in real danger of CO if the gases can't escape. If you have to resort to burning slack on a stove then the stove needs attention. The reason slack is used on an open fire is to help reduce the amount of air and ultimately oxygen going through the bigger coals to reduce the speed in which the coal burns. If you have a good enough stove, then the stove should be able to control the air getting in by way of opening and closing the air supplies.

Oh what fun you are set to have.

If we can be of any help, let me know.

angeldaisy wrote: »

Souty_Soupy thanks for a great and detailed answer.

Think I will just go for a standard stove so.

Any suggestions?

It will probably be lit most evenings during the winter period and possibly during the days at weekends.

I'm looking for the most fuel efficient one, rather than the cheapest one.

In our open fire, we currently get through a large bag of coal a week and probably a wheelbarrow full of blocks.

We aren't limited to smokeless fuel or anything like that. We also intend to redo the fireplace at the same time - so not too worried about getting a stove to fit into a certain sized area.

angeldaisy wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about!

I'm hoping to replace our open fire with a stove later this year.

We are open plan with high ceilings and have underfloor heating.

I'm wondering if there is any system I could put in that would not only heat the rooms but heat hot water as well.

Is this something that could be done considering we have no radiators ?

You would need a heat exchanger if you are looking to connect a stove to your UFH.

Galego wrote: »

Why this Irish obsession for the back boilers? Is there any reason for it?

Heats your entire house as well as your water for a fraction of the cost.

We have a detached bungalow - large open plan kitchen / living area approx 30 feet x 14 feet with two medium radiators, 4 bedrooms approx 15 foot x 13 foot each with medium radiators, second living room with open fire, hallway has two medium radiators, towel rail in bathroom. Oil boiler heats the lot + water. It's a pressurised system. This last year to date we've spent €2,400 on oil.....seems extremely high to me. Would it make econmic sense to get an boiler stove fitted with fire bird heat exchanger/heat genie? Probably burning coal with a bit of turf. What size output would I require to take over the heating using the oil as backup? Many thanks for any suggestions.

celtictiger wrote: »

We have a detached bungalow - large open plan kitchen / living area approx 30 feet x 14 feet with two medium radiators, 4 bedrooms approx 15 foot x 13 foot each with medium radiators, second living room with open fire, hallway has two medium radiators, towel rail in bathroom. Oil boiler heats the lot + water. It's a pressurised system. This last year to date we've spent €2,400 on oil.....seems extremely high to me. Would it make econmic sense to get an boiler stove fitted with fire bird heat exchanger/heat genie? Probably burning coal with a bit of turf. What size output would I require to take over the heating using the oil as backup? Many thanks for any suggestions.

We are in a similiar situation however insulation drylining your exterior facing walls is where I would spend the dosh first and replacing windows if needed. No point fitting back boiler stove spending thousands with the heat lashing out the walls!

Quick for those having an insert stove (maybe free standing applies too):

how many carbon monoxide alarms did you fit in your house?

I've been told to fit 3. 2 downstairs and 1 upstairs in my daughter's room.

Is that too many?

Galego wrote: »

Quick for those having an insert stove (maybe free standing applies too):

how many carbon monoxide alarms did you fit in your house?

I've been told to fit 3. 2 downstairs and 1 upstairs in my daughter's room.

Is that too many?

2 stoves in 2 rooms . Detector and vent in each

vgrainge wrote: »

Looking for recommendations for a free standing enamel black stove approx 8kw.

Any good show rooms I could go to, living in Dublin.

I've another question is a vent necessary in the room with the stove as my builder has not put one in!

Not sure if I'm allowed name businesses here (please remove this if not! ) but Paramount Distributors off Infirmary Road near the Phoenix Park have a good selection on display. I got mine from Antique Fireplaces in Kilternan, found them brilliant to deal with and they had a different large selection on display (some lit) (and they have a gorgeous cat! )

Can't say for definite, but I'd imagine a vent is a must.