Keni Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Happy New Year, first of all.So, the story so far is this - we have an old place, usual thing, doing it up (sloowly). In the kitchen is a Rossieres? Oil burner cooker thingy. bearing in mind it has not been used for a few years, and appears to have pipes coming out of it to what we believe is a water tank in the loft, does anyone know anything about these oil-burners? Is is oil only, or can it burn wood. Supposing it is connected to the water system, because of these pipes, how does it work - does anyone know anything about where to get an instruction manual? The condition of it seems ok - just unused, there is a left door (small) with controls, plus when you life up one of the plates on top there is a huge hole, so does this mean we can put wood in it? Any answers, we would be grateful - before we chuck it out. Keni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 This sounds rather like the heater a friend of mine has in his moblile home: it's about 2' 6" high, a little less wide, and about 18" deep, stove enamel brown, with a flue on the back.If it is the same...There is a top panel on the lh side with a wheel tap. His takes paraffin and you turn the wheel, then leave it for 30 " or so, then lift the big plate thingy and drop a lighted spill or twist of paper into the big hole. the paraffin will light and you put the lid back on. The smoky yellow flame eventually turns blue as the heat gradient and the consequent vortex establishes itself in the inside of the big tube (this is pure guess-work, you understand, based on watching him light it and then peering through the tiny hole on the lid!). Although his has no pipes attached (other than the flue) I can see no reason why there shouldn't be a water jacket version of this.paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cacknanty Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 We have a Rosieres cooker at our maison secondaire, on buying the place we thought it would have to go. However after using it for a few of the cooler weeks have found it to be brilliant.Ours is not plumbed in, either for oil supply or water heating. It has it's own oil tank, guage is rear left of the heater plates. Filler is the largish pipe with a tin cover behind the small door. We use a plastic watering can to fill it from the tank in a barn.The chimney vent (open it to light the beast) is accessed by opening the oven door and is top right. Pull it out. Turn on the oil tap, behind the small door at the bottom and turn the control knob (numbered 1 - 6 or more) to 3 to max. Oil should now drip/flow into the boiler. Take the cover off the lighting/inspection hole (possibly has a chain so it doesn't get lost) put in a splint/cotton bud etc to soak up some oil, light it and put it back into the boiler. Let the oil get hot (approx 5 mins) and cover the inspection hole and close the chimney vent thing. Depending on how cold it is 10 litres lasts about 2 days. Our place is a one up one down with a farmhouse to be renovated. We have not burnt anything other than oil in it. If you don't want your Rosieres we will be happy to take it off your hands for our farmhouse project !Hope this helps, cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabman Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 We too have a Rosieres and I sought and found useful advice from this very forum - thank you Cacknanty!If you have the same, it's oil only, not wood and I'd certainly check it out before you consider dumping it.Ours has an oil pump but it's the same thing (rear tank is in situ, but not used) and although primitive sounding, it was installed by the previous owner, only about 3 years ago.We light it by removing the front top hotplate, opening the flue vent, turn on tap to 3rd mark, waiting until the base of the burner is wet with oil and simply toss a small piece of ignited screwed up paper into the oil!With ours, we also do need to shine a torch into the hotplate recess to spot if the oil is slowly flowing in.Close the flue vent after about 30 minutes or so.We have no water pipes connected. It heats the kichen and the heat radiates throughout the house.As an aside, did you ever cook anything in the oven Cacknanty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keni Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 Many thanks to you all for thoughts so far. I think we're on the right track.This item in question is white with a rose flower motif thing (I'm good at things), by the name. The smaller left hand door definitely hides what appears to be a glass bowl (for want of a description) and I would say the controls. There a two small plates on the left, with as I said the front one opening onto a large hole - does this all fill with oil or flame? There was only a small oil drum in the Sous-sol, so that is why we thought it was a joint oil and wood fired burner - there seems to be no direct oil filler though. There does seem to be a huge exhaust running through the building so I presume that gives off heat as well.Thank you to all. Keni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cacknanty Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Yes we have cooked in the oven, it's superb for baked potatoes, Pizzas and anything else that you might normally put in an oven.We have also cooked on the top and have bought a stove kettle. Around the chminey stack is a collar with rods that can stick out to hang washing on to dry. Very stylish !Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cacknanty Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Sorry Keni, I've not answered your supplementary question, the glass plate (bowl), if it's not covered in black soot, allows you to see the warm glow of the fire, ahhhh. However it soon soots up and all you can see is black, booo !When you take off the small left front plate, that is the boiler, you definately do not want that full of oil. Oil flows into the bottom of the boiler where it is burnt. So it should be full of flame. You need a good seal around the plates, as smoke can escape around the joins. Ours has a sort of rope seal.The oil filler (if it's the same) is a pipe which opens up to a wider neck (about 1") with a tin cover. Located abover the controls just below the glass plate.Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keni Posted January 19, 2005 Author Share Posted January 19, 2005 Just a thank your to all - especially Cacknanty, for all the help - by the way Cacknanty are you anywhere near Limoges? Just a thought you seem like someone I could do with for help (Keni by the way is female!). I have printed off all the information, when I'm next over there we'll certainly be looking at firing up the old thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabman Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 The glass inspection plate easily wipes clean from the inside with a piece of damp rag.Before I actually sussed the French boiler out, I had planned to contact a local independent oil supplier for advice. They often know who's who.We had a similar problem with an ancient and unfamiliar oil boiler in our house in the UK.The oil supplier came up with suggestions as to who could help locally and we found someone.As it turned out, I managed okay by myself in France, but it was just a thought that might help if you were really stuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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