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wood burning stoves


Dave&Olive
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Hello,

We will be getting the villager AL stove as we dont want to cook on it only use it for heating.

With regard to your stove back boiler, I think you said it was an A range flat top stove for cooking and heating.

If this is the case then your back boiler is only 2.9 Kw or 10,000Btu's and would not heat 3 radiators unless they were only very small.

A 10,000Btu boiler is only meant for heating a hot water cylinder as in the uk or to heat 1 average sized radiator. Regards James.
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Not knowing much about woodburning stoves, I researched a bit on the net, and found many sites giving lots of info., but these in particular appear to give lots of good technical and general information. 

http://www.euroheat.co.uk/Downloads/Installation_Guides.htm

http://www.firesonline.com/acatalog/Villager_AHI_Wood_Stove.html

http://www.backwoodsman-stoves.co.uk/

As winters in Limousin are a "bit on the nippy side", I want to ensure that we keep cosy, so need to do a bit more reseach yet. Also thinking about a separate fire in one of the attached barns just for hot water supply in the summer, we've got plenty of wood on our land, so it seems a shame to pay for electricity for water heating in the summer, when we have free fuel available.

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Never had one until arrived 4yrs .ago in limousin.have large living /dining room +high ceilings'

bought new jotul which i think is the Rollsroyce of stoves.used continuously in winter and use occasional radiater back-up .excellent. stopped using continuously this year as i was running it overnight so low it did not burn off residual bisque causing blocking in chimney flue liner.

easy to light and no expenditure to date on any repairs

 

 

 

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Just to completely hijack this discussion (Apologies) but I couldn't resist with all these experts in one place....

our wood burning stove is great (No name but is about 1 meter across with a single glass door and ash try at the bottom, vent ether side of the tray) my problem is that the glass is looking stained and dirty.

Anyone got any tips as to how to clean it (I've been told Not to use anything that may scratch it as the glass could shatter next time it gets hot ?! - Old wives tale or true ?!)

Paul (dept 24)

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[quote]Just to completely hijack this discussion (Apologies) but I couldn't resist with all these experts in one place.... our wood burning stove is great (No name but is about 1 meter across with a single...[/quote]

Tried a few things to clean our stove doors and then someone said 'damp cloth and wood-ash' - you know what, it works, is free and you don't have to handle some of those really nasty chemical oven door cleaners. It may take a few attempts to get the glass clean the first time but doing it daily will keep it clean. I don't care if the doors are clean or dirty, I just like to be warm and our farmer neighbour came round today and told us that winter was due back next week, as I never got to the market today because of black ice and the state of the roads I am going on a big veg shop this weekend.

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You are quite right, Di - and I hold my head in shame.  The immediate solution to problems/remedies in the uk is a proprietry product.  I should know enough about France by now to realise that there is normally a natural or alternative method or material available.  I have administered my own slapped wrist.

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Don't worry Brian - I'm quite happy using the glass cleaner (nettoyant pour chiminee/barbecue/vitre insert) bought at the brico for next to nothing, sprayed on and then wiped off with kitchen towel. Don't have to do it very often as my super french woodburner has an air clean system which keeps the glass fairly clean. I just go round the edges once a month.

Tried the wood ash method and just made horrible mess. Maybe I didn't do it right but hey, life's too short

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We installed a Villager type A with factory fit boiler about 4 years ago, this stove has an output of about 13kW and performs very well. On the coldest days it will easily keep the house at 22C. We also looked at buying in France but in the end bought from http://www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk/countrystores/locate_a_store.htm in Bridgend, they were by far the cheapest. It is also much nice to look at than most of the alternatives and better constructed than the MM ones. Beware that the sove weighs 136Kg and you need a suitable vehicle to transport it. The manager at Bridgend was very helpful and kept the stove until the morning we took it to France and then loaded it into our Galaxy with a forklift, getting out at the other end is another tale. Countrywide have stores all over the West Midlands/Welsh border.

If you intend leaving the house unoccupied for any length of time in the winter do not forget to use a central heating anti-freeze.

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On the subject of cleaning wood burners. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to get rid of the inevitable tar build-up in the flue liner due to low level overnight burning? The local quincaillerie recommends a special "log" you put in overnight in the empty stove.This seems almost too good to be true.(Regular sweeping is probably the answer, but there's no handy access trap in the pipe, so that's not very easy). 
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[quote]On the subject of cleaning wood burners. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to get rid of the inevitable tar build-up in the flue liner due to low level overnight burning? The local quincaillerie re...[/quote]

There are two types of logs. The first is a log which does an 'intermittent' clean. We have used one and it seemed to work - when we took the baffle plate down there was not much crud in it so we presume there was not much to come down. The next more expensive one cleans the chimney and you need to keep the receipt when bought, as used as instructed it is supposed to satisfy the insurance company that you have had your chimney swept.

On the chimney sweeping subject, we understand you need to have this done once a year (or use the more expensive cleaner) or your house insurance is not valid.

Finally, we also keep a container of 'Fumigéne extinction de feu de cheminée' by our burner. This is what the pompiers are supposed to use to put out chimney fires. Full instructions on canister and it could save you a lot of damage and distress if your chimney catches fire. Being at least 20 mins from nearest large town it could also save our roof if we ever have such an emergency.

All the above info gleaned from the previous archives which are now defunct so I have typed them all in again. Thanks to all who previously posted info

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[quote]You are quite right, Di - and I hold my head in shame. The immediate solution to problems/remedies in the uk is a proprietry product. I should know enough about France by now to realise that there i...[/quote]

Ah Brian, cheer up

I use the cheap and cheerful stuff when possible. We tend to watch the pennies and I am also very allergic to things so I try the 'old methods' before I reach for a can or bottle (unless there is a good slug of alcohol in it - drinkable kind of course).

If you really want to dig a hole, we have a space noted where we want a pond - natural spring fed etc

Take care and don't worry, the more help offered the more this forum works.

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Hi, Have a look around the second hand shops, Brocantes & Trocantes, or antique shops. We bought a quite ornate green enamelled log/coal burner for £175 (around 240 euros) in an antique shop in Brittany. It was actually manufactured by Parkray. The mica on the door had actually broken, but is easily obtainable in the UK from a stove shop such as Opie's in Witham, Essex. We had a blacksmith make a chimney fitment for us, as the outlet was oval although these are still available if the chimney outlet is round. Our total expense was less than £350 fitted in our house in the UK. We subsequently saw the same burner but in a different colour in a Brocante for £50 (approx 70 euros). And we thought that we had a good deal! We have a burner that looks lovely whether it's alight or not. Have a look around, you might be surprised at what you can pick up.

 

Regards

Paul

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I bought 2 "Ardenne Turbo" poeles/stoves in Mr Bricolage for 250 Euro each. they are not very pretty and are designed for heating workshops.(125mm pipe) But are compact, hot and very efficient. I bought 10 cubic m of 33cm wood and still not 1/2 way through yet with both running 24/7. I think they are 16kw. All my Dutch pals in big barn conversions use them too.

They are very easy to control and top loading as well which is a bonus for tall folk who don't bend well.

I cook on mine as well.

I can email a picture if you like.

Highly recommended and good price too.

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Jotul are fantastic stoves, they come in various styles too.  They are dearer than some, but you definitely get what you pay for in this market.  Easy to maintain and clean, and have various options for running rads etc you will never regret buying a Jotul.

regards

Simon

 

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I have been following this topic over the last few days, perhaps you would be interested in my experiece?

We have had and have fitted for others lots of wood burners over the years. My favorite is the Charnwood make, not too expensive, looks good, economical with fuel you can get it with or without a back boiler. Also, it has a clean burn system so the glass does not soot up and less smoke given off easy to light ect ect. The villager type is also popular, but I have noticed that the doors do get dirty. The Clearview make is much more expensive, but very solidly made.It depends on what style you like- fussy, plain, shiny enamel ect.

I don't think I would fit another second hand boiler- you dont know if it is corroded until it leaks filthy water all over belive me I can remember the horrible mess as if it was yesterday.This was a Bosky multi fuel central heating cooker  it was very efficient but remember you will have to light it and keep it full of fuel every time you want to cook any thing [unless you have a gas/ electric cooker as well] and they always go out when you are cooking a meal for your mother- in law!

At the moment we have a Stanley oil fired central heating cooker- brilliant- and a small Charnwood in the dining room. When we redecorate we are having a bigger Charnwood in the sitting room with boiler to link in with the central heating to cut down on oilcosts. We have done this before and it works very well.

Hope all this is helpfull!

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er... am I in France? Why? Advice about stoves is the same where ever you are- it's cold here and there and apart from different styles of stoves, which is a matter of personal taste, the question was about experience of wood burners which we have lots of, both in our own homes and fitted for others professionally. The bosky was in England fitted some years ago when we could not afford a new one, and all stoves, French or English go out if you forget to feed them.

If it matters, I am typing this in Shropshire and will be fitting large Charnwood, with boiler, in Cher region as soon as able to for reasons mentioned in my last post.

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