WHICH LOG BURNING STOVE

[ANDY597]

hello there

Please can you advise as to which log burning stove that I should purchase, I am swamped for choice and dont know which ones have a good review and which dont.

My room with the stove will be relatively small, 4.5m*4.2m*2.6m, so I roughly estimated that a 4kwh stove would heat it.

I am also limited as I would like one under 400mm wide to fit snugly into my builders opening (ooeer). This rules out the double door stoves, Im looking for something small and snug.

I was looking at the villager puffin which I managed to find for £327 delivered.

However, I then came across another "budget" stove the evergreen larch sto311 for £150 delivered or finally i also noticed the fire fox for £299 delivered.

Can anybody advise if any of these are any good, or whether there is a better one hiding out there.

Im keen to get this ordered as soon as possible, which leads my on nicely to wheres the best place online to purchase it from.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Moo]

Penners is your man for this. He's recently got very technical on another thread about fireplaces.

 

[MDE]

Make sure you get one with a secondary air flow and "clean screen". Also, it's easier to burn a small fire on a big stove than a big fire on a small stove, so get the biggest you can fit in.

 

[skier-hughes]

Cast iron stoves are better than steel.

 

[tom.harrigan]

Just about any stove will be fine for occasional burning, so long as you let it burn hot until you are left with charcoal, at which point you can restrict the air. Airwash systems keep the glass clean, but some stove experts think that introducing cool secondary air to the firebed affects the nature of the volatiles given off by the wood and can cause incomplete combustion. For this reason most secondary air is warmed in some way, though perhaps not enough. To ensure complete combustion, many stoves employ heated tertiary air, often called "cleanburn". Basically more air is introduced to the stove above the firebed, and some turbulence caused in order to ignite the volatiles.

For frequent burning it might be worth spending the extra money to get these features. The small Stovax stoves and several others provide them at a price. I like the Stovax because it is steel which is less likely to crack than cast iron. The Morso Squirrel has an excellent reputation particularly among the narrowboat community. I had a villager puffin on my boat which usually forced a retreat to the stern.

I wouldn't worry too much about the particular stove unless you are going to rely on it for frequent heating. They all work, so pick the one you like the look of and can afford. If you want to impress, then I'd go for the Morso.

My favourite small stove is the Jotul F602.

T

 

[Nemesis]

I have owned two Stovax stoves and can assure you that both have been/are most certainly cast iron, and despite very frequent use as a main source of heating (one in a previous house with back boiler) neither has cracked.

I appreciate that they do steel, but they also do all iron ones too:

http://www.stovesstovesstoves.co.uk/stovax_cast_iron_stoves.html


For anyone wanting a very cheap stove, Machine Mart sells them; also pipes etc. Gervase I know has one installed (pot bellied I recall) as a temporary measure and has posted in the past to say it's good.

There's a whole heap of stove related info on this site:
http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_help_and_advice.html

 

[Nemesis]

PS Here's Andy's posts on another site which also has some useful info, especially regarding lining and carbon monoxide:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=526161


A serious issue worth bearing in mind.

Fitting a register plate:

We made a frame from angle iron and that was bolted to the walls of the flue, on which the register plate sits. All gaps are sealed with Stovax sealing stuff in a tube.

 

[tom.harrigan]

The Stovax brochure quite clearly states that the stove body of their traditional stoves is steel. Their contemporary stoves are all steel as far as I can tell.

Building a stove body out of steel is a good idea as it is less likely to crack.

T

 

[skier-hughes]

I'm no expert, I could ask my brother who may be, but he deals in funny metals making hips, formula 1 bits and plane engines, he's away anyway so I can't.

Our cast iron stove is about 40 years old and doing very well.

When I bought my new one, I bought it from a stove reseller, who has been around for nearly 50 years, according to our neighbour of 84, and he told me cast iron was better than steel.

So, I was just passing that info on.

 

[tom.harrigan]

Steel is tougher than cast iron, and can cope with the stresses of differential heating better. Some steel stoves don't require a protective lining of firebricks. I particularly like these:

http://www.dowlingstoves.com/strongest.htm

T

 

[Nemesis]

Oh I appreciate the steel v cast iron argument, I can even bore for England (indeed am about to for a public inquiry) about the merits of wrought iron over cast as well, but wonder how many disasters there have been with splitting wood burners.

My cast iron stoves haven't any protective layer of firebricks as standard.

Cast iron is a fairly historic material for stoves, as Mr B Franklin could testify, although as he's dead I suppose he won't.

http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/franklin.html

http://fi.edu/franklin/inventor/inventor.html


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I suggest you delve further and will find that Stovax makes all cast stoves as well as steel.

In fact I think I posted a link above.

Stovax Cast Iron Stoves

Every stove in this section is manufactured from cast iron. This is the traditional way of making stoves since cast iron stoves diffuse heat better than steel, moreover, the iron can be cast more thickly in areas where greater strength is needed. It also has sculptural qualities, allowing attractive designs to be cast into the stove panels.

I'd always go for cast iron personally.

 

[tom.harrigan]

Nemesis,

I'm glad you have seen sense about the benefits of steel over cast iron, although in its defense, cast iron is more decorative.

The original poster asked about small log burning stoves. The small wood burning stoves manufactured by Stovax have a steel body, and I like them.

You are right. Stovax do make cast iron stoves, though not of the small dedicated wood burning variety. Though I confess I fail to see the point in what you type.

The fact that many cast iron stoves are in good working order after many years should come as no surprise. The fact that occasionally they crack should come as no surprise either. Again, I fail to see your point.

T

 

[Nemesis]

No you mistake me - I think cast iron is far superior for the purpose of stove manufacture and I wouldn't purchase anythoing but a cast iron stove.

Cast iron had certain problems when supporting buildings, although many columns still do the job admirably and failure was not often, that wasn't connected with heat though.

I have decades of experience of owning them (two Stovax and one Vermont) and have never had anything but entire satisfaction.

I also have and have had cast iron fireplaces which perform wonderfully, even after 200 years of use. Cast iron heats up rapidly and continues to retain the heat when the fire is low, which is a bonus for me.

Steel can rust - it's not perfect either.

I can't see what point you fail to see.

 

[tom.harrigan]

So, I give you a reason why steel might be preferred to cast iron in stove construction and in return your post is characteristically lacking in reason.

T

 

[Nemesis]

Tom - I cannot see that it lacks reason, I have given reasons. I also think you are verging on the silly with your allegations regarding my posts. Do stop there's a good lad, maybe it's all simply over your head as I am starting to feel.

I prefer cast iron, for the reasons given.

I prefer the way it looks too.

Stovax manufacture cast iron stoves as well as steel. If we are starting to discuss size then it depends on what anyone considers small. I'm not sure small has a clear definition. One person's small could be another person's just right.

Given the choice, there are two of us in this house who would always buy a cast iron stove.

We have never had any problems with the material splitting, despite hard use over decades, and been extremely satisfied with our purchases.

If you wish to choose steel, that is of course your choice.

 

[tom.harrigan]

My apologies, I missed the bit where you opined that cast iron diffuses heat better than steel in an earlier post. I'm not quite sure what it means, but I'm convinced by it anyway.

T

 

[Nemesis]

Actually that opining came from the website about Stovax stoves.

But I believe it to be true.

For those with an interest in historic heating systems:

http://www.hevac-heritage.org/homepage.htm

 

[Nemesis]

Vermont stoves has this to say about cast iron, although I appreciate that they would say that wouldn't they I tend to agree:

http://www.stovesstovesstoves.co.uk/vermont_castings.html


Vermont Castings Stoves

Vermont Castings ... Our cast iron stoves are manufactured to endure the coldest winters, maintain their elegant looks and offer outstanding performance for many years. All Vermont Castings stoves are made from cast iron, which diffuses heat better, withstands higher temperatures and generally offers a longer life expectancy to the stove.

The material also enables the stove to contain the intricate patterning which gives the Vermont Stoves their beautiful finish.

 

[tom.harrigan]

More marketing material, now I'm doubly convinced. All I have to do is work out what a "iron diffuses heat better" might mean and I'll be happy. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to exactly what you mean by it?

T

 

[Nemesis]

Marketing material but I consider it may be valid. If you consider it isn't then of course it is open to you to complain to the appropriate advertising standards people.

I suggest you do some research of your own regarding metals and their properties regarding heat transference.

If you prefer steel then of course that is as I said earlier - your choice.

I merely relate my own experience of being very satisfied with cast iron stoves. I have never encountered any cracking.

http://www.countrylife.co.uk/news/article/74026/Wood_burning_stoves.html