Stove

[floatingphil]

I,m going to fit a stove on the boat. It will be in the corner of the starboard bow and be a villager puffin ( 4kw )me thinks. I intend to sit it on a stone flag, line the walls behind with fire resistant plasterboard and tile over. Question is what is considered the minimum distance from the stove to any combustable materials?... ie, the oak panelling and especially the underside of the gunwale

 

Thanks in advance

 

Phil

[Giggetty]

I,m going to fit a stove on the boat. It will be in the corner of the starboard bow and be a villager puffin ( 4kw )me thinks. I intend to sit it on a stone flag, line the walls behind with fire resistant plasterboard and tile over. Question is what is considered the minimum distance from the stove to any combustable materials?... ie, the oak panelling and especially the underside of the gunwale

 

Thanks in advance

 

Phil

 

Have a look at this: http://s1003.photobucket.com/albums/af152/...HAC03_Stove.jpg

[floatingphil]

Have a look at this: http://s1003.photobucket.com/albums/af152/...HAC03_Stove.jpg

 

 

Excellent diggerty, just what i needed. Many thanks

 

Phil

[Old Son]

What is the reference to the green numbers and the red numbers on your attachment Giggetty?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My spelling is appalling!!

Edited November 24, 2009 by Old Son

[rjasmith]

What is the reference to the green numbers and the red numbers on your attachment Giggetty?

 

I thought I'd seen that stove diagram somewhere before!!!!

 

It was originally drawn for the MAIB report into the Lindy Lou fire and shows what the stove layout was in that tragic boat.

 

Having had another look at the report here (Scroll down to page 17 of the .pdf), I was reminded what the significance of the red and green dimensions were.

 

The green ones were those actually found on the Lindy Lou and the red ones were the recomendations of the stove manufacturer for that particular stove.

 

Giggety, your picture on photobucket is referenced to BSS - is this right? I've had a trawl through the BSS website and I can't see it there. Maybe this is because it is still draft. BSS may be thinking about how to respond to the new BS 8511 Code of Practice due out on 20 Dec. Could this "draft guidance" drawing have something to do with that?

 

It would however seem to me to be rather incautious to install a stove in accordance with a drawing where some of the clearance dimensions are those that relate to a boat that caught fire!!

 

Personally I think I will wait to see what the new reworked version of BS 8511 has to say about clearances even though there was much of the original document I didn't like.

 

It isn't possible to arrive at safe clearances for any stove without taking into account the design and heat output of that particular stove. BS 8511 tried to take this into account and that was one of the few good bits of the first version.

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

I'd advise some caution here.

 

Since we bought our boat she has had a Villager Heron stove, which, for all practical purposes, is the same size, general construction and heat output as the Puffin being discussed.

 

We don't over-fire this stove, and although the boat came with a tiled area with Masterboard behind, I was never happy with how hot much of the surrounding woodwork got. Particularly affected were the area above the tiling hehind the stove, and the side of the cabin steps, although the separation was easily 4" (10 cms) from any of the surroundings, and often a lot more.

 

This is not a great picture, (and sorry for the old folded up fire guard), but this shows the arrangements as they were. Whilst not actually charred, the wood beyond the tiling, and on the step sides was clearly getting hotter than sensible, with some heat staining.

 

 

Below is what we did when we reconstructed the area recently. All tiling, (which is porcelain), has 6mm Masterbard behind, including to the side of the step.

 

Personally I feel that the stove installed in this kind of narrowboat situation needs at least these air gaps, (I wish we could have increased them), and that the tiled area really needs to be as extensive as that shown.

 

I am a lot more confident there are no significant fire hazards with the re-work, and now am now much happier to leave the boat with the fire alkight.

 

Incidentally the stove now sits on 12 mm thick slate, but I did not bother with Masterboard underneath. Ignore anything anyone tells you - these stoves throw very little heat downwards. In fact all heating of cabin panels is really only above fire-bed level, but they do get hot a lot higher above the stove than where many people end their tiling.

 

 

If you needed the actual gaps we now have, I could measure them when next at the boat.

 

If you have not read the "Lindy Lou" tragedy report on the MAIB site then please do so. It's chilling reading, but emphasises the risk of these stoves installed in the confines of a boat, (although my take is that drink and "operator error" had as much to do with that tragedy as the actual way the stove had been installed).

[Giggetty]

I thought I'd seen that stove diagram somewhere before!!!!

 

It was originally drawn for the MAIB report into the Lindy Lou fire and shows what the stove layout was in that tragic boat.

 

Having had another look at the report here (Scroll down to page 17 of the .pdf), I was reminded what the significance of the red and green dimensions were.

 

The green ones were those actually found on the Lindy Lou and the red ones were the recomendations of the stove manufacturer for that particular stove.

 

Giggety, your picture on photobucket is referenced to BSS - is this right? I've had a trawl through the BSS website and I can't see it there. Maybe this is because it is still draft. BSS may be thinking about how to respond to the new BS 8511 Code of Practice due out on 20 Dec. Could this "draft guidance" drawing have something to do with that?

 

It would however seem to me to be rather incautious to install a stove in accordance with a drawing where some of the clearance dimensions are those that relate to a boat that caught fire!!

 

Personally I think I will wait to see what the new reworked version of BS 8511 has to say about clearances even though there was much of the original document I didn't like.

 

It isn't possible to arrive at safe clearances for any stove without taking into account the design and heat output of that particular stove. BS 8511 tried to take this into account and that was one of the few good bits of the first version.

 

Richard

 

What is the reference to the green numbers and the red numbers on your attachment Giggetty?

 

 

My apologies-this actually related to the Lindy Lou report-I haven't been able to trace the BSS draft recommendations yet. However, using the red numbers and relating it to the kW of your intended stove should give you an idea. That is, until the new BSS provisions come into force.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My spelling is appalling!!

[Big COL]

I remember seeing a drawing showing proposed safety dimensions regarding the installation of stoves. There are always the manufacturers recommendations and from memory if these were carried out to the letter there wouldn't be many stoves on boats.

The best solution is to insulate the surrounding area to the upmost possible using the highest rated heat insulation and leave as much free air as possible, the manufacturers instructions will advise you on the minimum. In the absence of any definitive regulations that's the best you can do to sleep easy.

[nb Innisfree]

I fitted our Puffin with 3" space behind then floor tiles on a fireproof board which is spaced approx 18mm off 18mm ply bulkhead. This spacing is also ventilated at the bottom and top. One side is open to the room and the other is 11" from 6mm ply cupboard with no sign of overheating though now we keep our coal buckets there which offers further protection. I think that an air gap is definitely very effective as a heat barrier.

2" gap between chimney and ply mantlepiece, no sign of overheating after 5 years

I apologize for the picture quality, dirty lens I think

 

[floatingphil]

Thanks for your input chaps, makes verysad reading. I will certainly over spec it when i fit it. I guess common sense is the key thing here as with most thing. Cant believe smoke alarms aint mandetry though!!

 

Thanks

 

Phil

[Bill]

Thanks for your input chaps, makes verysad reading. I will certainly over spec it when i fit it. I guess common sense is the key thing here as with most thing. Cant believe smoke alarms aint mandetry though!!

 

Thanks

 

Phil

 

 

Phil,

 

You mentioned fitting in the starboard corner, if you have room it might be better in the port corner. That would mean that in tunnels/bridges and when passing other boats that the stack is furthest from obstructions (i.e. when you pass port to port and get driven in the bushes you are less likely to get the chimney swiped off). Of course if you already have something in the port corner it is rather academic.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bill