Godin COLONIAL - how rubbish? Petit Godin?

[joidevie]

I've read a few negative things about the Godin Colonial wood burner.. Is it totally useless? It wouldn't be our main fire, just one to fire up in the book/tv room .. We just like the style of the iron front and the fact it feels more like a 'fire' than a 'woodburner'..

And, are the round upright "Petit Godins" any use? We will want 50cm buches.. Room size is average, say 4x5m, region Herault..

I've read the many posts already here and know how good the Jotul gets talked about, but I'm wondering specifically about these two..

Many thanks..

[Framboise]

We have a Godin Colonial - its like a big iron cupboard standing in the hearth and really does a good job considering the size of the room.

Its been no trouble really, but you must ensure to use properly seasoned wood or you will rapidly fill the house with smoke like a peasouper because of course it is open-fronted!

[nectarine]

We have a Colonial - yes it looks lovely but on output it's not as much as other fires of the same size ... 12W I think. If I were changing it I would buy a similar sized fire but with a higher heat output - our room is slightly larger but the heat is very localised (but we have no loft insulation, which may be one of the causes!). Also, the fire makes the glass doors dirty, they need cleaning every day and we are using good wood. Newer fires have an airflow which keeps the glass clean. A small point, but as it is Mr. Nectarine's job to clean the glass doors - and he complains every time - then it's worth taking into account.

But on the plus side - it suits the style of the room beautifully. If you have a back-up style of heating such as central heating, then it really does give the feel of a French country house and there aren't a lot of other fires in that same style.

I hope others can give more constructive advice in terms of heat output, etc. Mine is just based on sitting a few yards away from it !

[joidevie]

Great, thanks. Roughly what I hoped for.. They are designed to work with the iron doors closed I presume?

The ones we like have the full iron doors without the glass.. And I guess smoke could become an issue? Or with decent dry wood are we going to be OK?

Any opinions on the classic "Petit Godin?"

Merci..

[Framboise]

Heres ours, burning nicely on a cold winter's evening. Lovely!

[BIG MAC]

I look forward to fitting my antique Quebb Master. Its the only stove I know off that you can fold the doors away on. There are two 'wings' on the sides which open to receive the fully opened fire doors then the 'wings' close back in to conceal them....pretty clever.

[Will]

Our Colonial is effective enough, particularly with the (glass) doors open. It can smoke, but only if badly loaded or in particularly adverse wind conditions. In which case we shut the doors temporarily. A lot of stoves won't work properly unless the doors are tightly closed.

We have friends who have a very old Colonial stove with folding doors that sound like those described by Big Mac.

[Framboise]

Looks like my photo has'nt come up - even if it was there on preview!!

Ours is old and it has the iron doors that fold right back leaving the entire front open.

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Framboise"]Heres ours, burning nicely on a cold winter's evening. Lovely! [/quote]

[IMG]http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t285/moya011/Photo007.jpg[/IMG]

There you go Framboise.[8-|]

.

[Framboise]

Merci!! I don't know WHY it would'nt appear on the posting but maybe its just me??? Thanks Bugsy

[joidevie]

Great stuff..

I'm still slightly unclear as to whether you leave the doors open (more like an open fireplace) or closed (like a wood burner with a door that you latch closed with an adjustable air vent..)?

Many thanks.

[Will]

The advantage of this particular stove, at least as far as our example is concerned, is that you can do either. Without all the heat going up the chimney, as it did in our open fireplace before we filled it with this particular lump of ironmongery.

[Framboise]

It works with the doors shut but you don't get as much heat out as you do with the doors open. These doors are solid iron with two tiny vents in the bottom for air-flow which means they hold a lot of the heat inside the unit, hence why it chucks out more heat into the room with the doors opened. However we do close the doors at night when we go up to bed, the fire keeps going through til morning when if we are in time with a few bits of kindling we can get it going again. As another owner said, occasionally when the wind is in a certain direction it can be tempermental, but you get used to its funny little ways.

[joidevie]

Thanks all very much.. I think it will be perfect for our new living room , which has little character at the moment. Even if it's not as efficient as some others, the balance of charm and effect has to be considered!

[mint]

[quote user="joidevie"]Thanks all very much.. I think it will be perfect for our new living room , which has little character at the moment. Even if it's not as efficient as some others, the balance of charm and effect has to be considered!
[/quote]

Also, the soot, the fine dust and ash that become a universal film all over your furniture, floor, ceilings, carpets and, I dare say, your lungs!

Sorry to introduce a note of dissent but it's best that these things are said..........

We've already been accused of "fluffiness" on another thread so I like to think that we can be realists as well![:D]

[Framboise]

The Romance Of An Open Fire soon dies a death after the umpteenth time of laundering all the curtains again, alongside removing the ash, sweeping the chimney etc....................

Its still nice though for all that.

[mint]

Framboise, you have said nothing about the wood!

Yes, you have to source it (preferably prêt à bruler if you can't wait a minimum of 18 months), then you might have to saw it to size (to fit your woodburner), split it so that it will burn better, store it (under some protection, preferably), lug it all indoors and pile it all as decoratively (as you are after "effect") as you can in a large pannier or similar.

That's before we mention kindling, firelighters, screwd up balls of paper, pine cones (people swear by different methods)............

As for cleaning the glass so that you can actually SEE the fire, best ask my OH as that's exclusively his department.

Given the choice would I have one of these fires?  Yes, probably, about once a year on Christmas Eve cos the stockings look nice hung on the fireplace!

[Gluestick]

[quote]

As for cleaning the glass so that you can actually SEE the fire, best ask my OH as that's exclusively his department.[/quote]

Easy: use a simple paint scraper where a Stanley blade or similar is held at the end to remove paint on glass.

Gently!

If really sooty and crusty, then simply spray oven cleaner on the glass; leave for ten mins or so and wipe off with a damp rag.

Remember to place newspaper beneath the opened doors to catch the overspray and drips.

Works very well with ours.

[IMG]http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq332/PercyPee/Picture%20Delights/France/HouseinFrance001.jpg[/IMG]

 

[mint]

Your picture's really nice, Gluey.  We also have a HUGE fireplace and massive woodburner.  I guess I'm just an iffy housewife who doesn't like all the dust that is generated.....

Give me clean and convenient any time![:P]

Nice to see you back here, Gluey [kiss]

[Framboise]

You can also by a hand-sprayer thing at the supermarche called Insert Cleaner which removes all manner of gunk. Our neighbour uses it to clean engines!!

My OH and son cut all our wood to fit the Godin, plus the kindling because it arrives in big logs direct from the farmer. Its not ideal for everyone but thats what OHs and sons are for! We have a giant stack of ready stuff in the barn plus a smaller stack (enough for a couple of days) in the porch. Its traditional more than anything else, a way of life and whilst not instant like the central heating, well we like it despite the muck it creates. And please remember that many houses ONLY have burners like this for the entire place.

[mint]

"only have burners like this for the entire place....."

Aaarrggghhhh!  Yes, I know it only too well:  a huge woodburner in the lounge and a bois-charbon oven in the kitchen.

I'm not knocking them as such; just wishing I didn't have to have one!

I guess, now that spring seems to be nearly here, I'd best get out the paint brushes and emulsion and touch up the ceilings and walls where the smoke has stained them.

Also, we do only have the one sejour and I dread to think what the smoke and ash are doing to my beloved piano.

Actually, OH uses the French peasant way of cleaning the glass; ie with a damp rag dipped in the wood ash.

My reason for disliking our woodburner is precisely because poor OH has to do all this work with the wood and the cleaning of the equipment.  Mind you, if he can stay up half the night (like he did last night) playing a table tennis match followed by a 3-course meal, I guess he's still able to look after the fires!

[Gluestick]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

Actually, OH uses the French peasant way of cleaning the glass; ie with a damp rag dipped in the wood ash.

[/quote]

Which needs considerable pressure applied as it works mainly since it is a mild abrasive.

And Heat-Hardened fire-resistant glass has a propensity to crack rather well..............

The reason I tend to use the oven cleaner is because the proprietory cleaner for Inserts etc is much more expensive!

And the oven cleaner does the job just as well ad can be used to clean, well, ovens too!

[Www]

[afraz]

We love ours despite the points raised here.

It looks very solid and beautiful.

I think the ability to run it "open" like a fireplace as opposed to a stove is a major advantage especially if you like to cook - we have done chickens, baked bread, etc. I have cooked whole meals in it which would be harder with many other models.

I also think you get significantly more heat into the room with doors open and this may offset some of the lower heat it allegedly gets. We heat our whole downstairs with it (1 large open space) when the weather is about 0 Celsius.

Cleaning the glass is not a little big deal, just mix a little ash and vinegar and scrub with a paper towel, then rinse with vinegar.