Zebra
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:lol: :lol: :lol:plasticpigeon said:
- Thread starter plasticpigeon
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xxx
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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Before I spend money, our downstairs is open plan and the directly heated space would be 150m3. It has radiators but I'm keen to suppliment them with a woodburner. Would the Clearview 500 with 8kw output seem mad in any way apart from the price?
What does everyone else do with the requirement for vents? Our chimney is internal with doors either side so a direct cold air feed is inconvenient. There is a convincing vent in the ceiling at the moment but I am hoping to get rid of that at some point.
What does everyone else do with the requirement for vents? Our chimney is internal with doors either side so a direct cold air feed is inconvenient. There is a convincing vent in the ceiling at the moment but I am hoping to get rid of that at some point.
Flyfisher
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We have a 5kW multifuel stove in a poorly insulated 81m3 bedroom and it keeps it toasty warm with no other form of supplementary heating, so 8kW for 150m3 with supplementary radiators seems sensible. There are many variables involved though.
For appliances over 5kW, the HETAS rules will require an air vent of a suitable size (I can't remember the precise rules but the vent area calcs are online somewhere and specify ??mm2 for each kW over 5kW). For our downstairs stoves it was deemed acceptable to put vents in the suspended floor. If your open floorplan includes a kitchen then there may be a conflict with the cooker extractor fan and the air vent size may need to be increased to meet the regulations. Basically, you should discuss your plans with your chosen HETAS installer as they are the ones who will have to certify the installation.
For appliances over 5kW, the HETAS rules will require an air vent of a suitable size (I can't remember the precise rules but the vent area calcs are online somewhere and specify ??mm2 for each kW over 5kW). For our downstairs stoves it was deemed acceptable to put vents in the suspended floor. If your open floorplan includes a kitchen then there may be a conflict with the cooker extractor fan and the air vent size may need to be increased to meet the regulations. Basically, you should discuss your plans with your chosen HETAS installer as they are the ones who will have to certify the installation.
88v8
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- Glorious Gloucs
We bought both of our Clearviews second-hand on eBay. One was ex-showroom, the other was seller refurbished. Slightly dodgy, buying a used stove as it may have been owned by a muppet who ran it with no thermometer and overheated it, but we got lucky.
They look rather daft on the standard 2" legs, imho, and hard to clean underneath, so for both of them we bought the optional 4" legs, one set on eBay, the other set we had to buy new.
150 foreign things is bigger than our whole house. Each room where we have a stove is about 50 cubic yards, so I can't say how it would cope with your much larger space. To an extent, how well the hot air will travel around the floor depends on internal room-to-room air flow.
One thing I will say about the Clearview, it doesn't have any of this DEFRA smoke-control nonsense that sabotaged the controllability of the Esse which I discarded. So it can be run with just a couple of logs in and it will tick over for long periods.
Air vent - one square inch per kw over 5kw, so per the Regs it needs 3 sq in. However, if the house is 'leaky' as a period house should be, you can block up the vent after the engineer has gone and not worry. We have no vents in our rooms, and the dining room is linked to the kitchen + extractor, in that it's adjacent with no door, but we have no problems. Also depends how well your chimney draws.
One of ours draws rather vigorously, so I added a barometric damper, which after a lot of hunting I got from Direct Flues.
This ensures no 'flare' in windy conditions.
http://www.directflues.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=1476&category_id=58&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=7
Can't speak too highly of Direct Flues. They even made me a stainless adaptor to fit the tee to the stove. I see they also stock black stainless pipe, which could be useful for a period installation, although of course one can always spray it black.
Ivor
They look rather daft on the standard 2" legs, imho, and hard to clean underneath, so for both of them we bought the optional 4" legs, one set on eBay, the other set we had to buy new.
150 foreign things is bigger than our whole house. Each room where we have a stove is about 50 cubic yards, so I can't say how it would cope with your much larger space. To an extent, how well the hot air will travel around the floor depends on internal room-to-room air flow.
One thing I will say about the Clearview, it doesn't have any of this DEFRA smoke-control nonsense that sabotaged the controllability of the Esse which I discarded. So it can be run with just a couple of logs in and it will tick over for long periods.
Air vent - one square inch per kw over 5kw, so per the Regs it needs 3 sq in. However, if the house is 'leaky' as a period house should be, you can block up the vent after the engineer has gone and not worry. We have no vents in our rooms, and the dining room is linked to the kitchen + extractor, in that it's adjacent with no door, but we have no problems. Also depends how well your chimney draws.
One of ours draws rather vigorously, so I added a barometric damper, which after a lot of hunting I got from Direct Flues.
This ensures no 'flare' in windy conditions.
http://www.directflues.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=1476&category_id=58&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=7
Can't speak too highly of Direct Flues. They even made me a stainless adaptor to fit the tee to the stove. I see they also stock black stainless pipe, which could be useful for a period installation, although of course one can always spray it black.
Ivor
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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I think the sensible size of wood burner for us will be dictated by the fireplace opening (a square yard in period units) and how much wood I can be bothered to lug around. I popped in to a shop to look at the Clearview wood burner this morning. They had two 500s, one on a display shelf and one installed in a fireplace as a working demo. The one in the fireplace looked twice the size. I'm thinking about going for the taller legs.
I've asked some installers to visit and hopefully they will have ideas about where to put the vents. The only close by external wall is the front facade with (mostly) fine brickwork in front of an ancient and non rotten timber frame with original wattle and daub infill so I'm not going through that. I might run a pipe through the back of the chimney and through the ladies part of the 1950s flat roof toilet block instead.
I've asked some installers to visit and hopefully they will have ideas about where to put the vents. The only close by external wall is the front facade with (mostly) fine brickwork in front of an ancient and non rotten timber frame with original wattle and daub infill so I'm not going through that. I might run a pipe through the back of the chimney and through the ladies part of the 1950s flat roof toilet block instead.
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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Of course I'll make sure there aren't any ladies in there first. Not just going to wander in with the core drill saying "don't mind me madam".
I'm guessing installing the smallest required air feed near ground level and close to the chimney will be sensible and then let the rest of the air come from ventilating the house. That ought to be better for occupants than connecting the vent to the fire and would save £250. The vent in the roof might be useful for summer but probably not so much in winter so ought to be a closeable vent if I can't find the bricks to get rid of it.
I'm guessing installing the smallest required air feed near ground level and close to the chimney will be sensible and then let the rest of the air come from ventilating the house. That ought to be better for occupants than connecting the vent to the fire and would save £250. The vent in the roof might be useful for summer but probably not so much in winter so ought to be a closeable vent if I can't find the bricks to get rid of it.
livias
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Air vent is required by building regs unless the stove is tiny. Air vents are pointless in drafty old houses.
I wouldn't dream of ticking the BR box by putting an air vent behind a curtain where it will never be seen. And then bunging it up with a wodge of insulation ...
I wouldn't dream of ticking the BR box by putting an air vent behind a curtain where it will never be seen. And then bunging it up with a wodge of insulation ...
Flyfisher
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. . . or putting a vent in a suspended floor and then covering it over with a rug :wink:
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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Thanks for the advice and recommendations. Our stove was installed yesterday (a damp and slightly chilly day so the heat from playing with it was appreciated). It is much easier to light and control than the previous open fire. The installer accepted a disconnected extractor fan as the additional vent so no new holes were necessary.
I still need to build the wood store and rearrange the furniture to move the living area closer to the fire.
I still need to build the wood store and rearrange the furniture to move the living area closer to the fire.
jocelyn plummer
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Very nice! What model? Ours is due in 3 weeks-Clearview Pioneer. Oddly enough, just as I looking at your lovely picture with the stove glowing away a wonderful smell of wood smoke drifted into the room from our neighbours who have just lit theirs!
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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Ours is a Clearview 500 Vision on 4 inch legs - all as recommended by Ivor. Internet suggests Clearview are a good choice. I don't know if this is an especially cold summer but the other half lit it again this evening. I was sweating after spending the day in the loft building a little wall but fortunately the heat didn't spread as far as my desk.
jocelyn plummer
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Yes, Clearview does seem to come out well in reviews ! Ours is the 400 on 4 in legs and is deemed to be suitable for our room which is approx. 18ft x8ft with a window at each end. We hope that it will obviate the need for the 2 radiators which are on our LPG heating system. Hellishly expensive to run so we plan to get rid of the whole lot next year and go to all electric, hence the woodburner now. I have an Aga city 60 keeping the kitchen and conservatory very snug.
I always found Bedfordshire somewhat damp and chilly at times, so I sympathise with your Missus lighting the fire now--however you wont feel the benefit when you really need it if it's lit too soon!!!!!!
You say you are glad the heat did not reach your desk--how big is the room? Is the output going to be enough?
I always found Bedfordshire somewhat damp and chilly at times, so I sympathise with your Missus lighting the fire now--however you wont feel the benefit when you really need it if it's lit too soon!!!!!!
You say you are glad the heat did not reach your desk--how big is the room? Is the output going to be enough?
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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The downstairs is quite open plan and might be around 70m2 so our stove won't heat the whole area by itself. I think the benefit will be the radiated heat from the stove which makes the room feel much warmer than it is. Combined with oodles of insulation it should make the place cosy and cheap to run.
I think yours will be toasty.
The other half is very enthusiastic about the stove. She split and stacked a cubic metre of wood yesterday using our new electric log splitter. I think she might use it up before winter.
I think yours will be toasty.
The other half is very enthusiastic about the stove. She split and stacked a cubic metre of wood yesterday using our new electric log splitter. I think she might use it up before winter.
Lindyboo
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Our nearest neighbours have 2 Clearview multi-fuels, both of which require anthracite but do burn logs. One winter’s evening in their drawing room it was getting a bit chilly so Mr Neighbour simply turned a dial on the side of the burner and out came heat, even quicker than turning up a gas fire. When warmed up, he turned it down again. We were mighty impressed.
Being paupers ourselves we couldn’t budget for such luxury and opted for a Dunsley Highlander 5 for the lounge, which will keep the chill off almost the whole ground floor if required (small cottage). In the sitting room we had to opt for an Aarow Acorn, it being the only type that would fit into the tiny fireplace in there. It’s not much cop though. Burns coal better than logs but requires more attention than a baby to keep it lively. The Dunsley however is pretty good and if it’s carefully laid and the vents set low before bedtime it will still have plenty of go in the morning. It also has a flat top which has been helpful for heating water or even cooking on during the frequent power cuts we get in this area.
Being paupers ourselves we couldn’t budget for such luxury and opted for a Dunsley Highlander 5 for the lounge, which will keep the chill off almost the whole ground floor if required (small cottage). In the sitting room we had to opt for an Aarow Acorn, it being the only type that would fit into the tiny fireplace in there. It’s not much cop though. Burns coal better than logs but requires more attention than a baby to keep it lively. The Dunsley however is pretty good and if it’s carefully laid and the vents set low before bedtime it will still have plenty of go in the morning. It also has a flat top which has been helpful for heating water or even cooking on during the frequent power cuts we get in this area.