any experiances on this stove

[Nathan90]

hi everyone, just a quick question for anyone with experience of the Windy Smithy stoves. a range type like the louis range has a back boiler that generates 6000 btu, is that enough for a couple of showers and bits of washing up throughout the day. just curious as I have researched them and really like them.

heres a link http://www.windysmithy.co.uk/html/louisrangerinfo.pdf

[rjasmith]

hi everyone, just a quick question for anyone with experience of the Windy Smithy stoves. a range type like the louis range has a back boiler that generates 6000 btu, is that enough for a couple of showers and bits of washing up throughout the day. just curious as I have researched them and really like them.

heres a link http://www.windysmithy.co.uk/html/louisrangerinfo.pdf

I'm afraid I don't have any experience of these but just reading the info on the link you gave I thought I'd say something!

 

It does look quite an interesting little range and looks as though it's made in welded mild steel rather than cast iron like the typical ranges that go into boat back cabins (Epping, Premier etc).

 

I have a Premier (but not commisioned yet) and I've used an Epping on two different hire boats.

 

The worry with these little cast ranges is that with the rough and tumble of canal boating they can be liable to cracking so a welded range could be longer lasting (although it's possibly more prone to corrosion than cast iron is)

 

The back boiler output is quoted as 6000BTU whereas the total output is 4Kw. Funny that they mix their units and as Kw is a measure of power (or rate of heat energy production) and BTU is an old imperial measure of a quantity of energy (or a quantity of heat), they've confused that as well!!

 

I think they mean BTU/hr which turns it into an equivalent power output for the back boiler of about 1.75Kw.

 

At home here I have a little multifuel stove of 5.5Kw total o/p with a back boiler rated at 2Kw. Going at a reasonably high level of firing this stove can heat a standard household size calorifier (100ish litres) in about 3 - 4 hours to 60 - 70°C.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Does it have a control to adjust the amount of flue gas that goes round the oven rather than bypass it to give a little bit of control to the oven temp? I can't see one on their picture.

 

Finally, the boring bit! Are you aware of the newish British Standard Code of Practice for the installation of SF Stoves and Cookers on Boats (BS 8511)? I imagine this range won't have been CE marked as it isn't mandatory for stoves in the UK. If you want to comply with BS 8511, a non CE marked stove makes life harder! BS 8511 is not itself mandatory either but probably a good idea to try to follow it if you can.

 

A rough guide to the requirements are here

 

Richard

[PaddingtonBear]

Regardless of the suitability of the stove and RJS is the expert there , your biggest problem is going to be getting a calorifier big enough to supply two showerloads of hot water. On Bakewell we have a 'normal' (for narrowboats) calorifier and it just about supplies sufficient for a quick shower(4 mins or so). Perhaps you should look for second means of heating your water.

[blackrose]

hi everyone, just a quick question for anyone with experience of the Windy Smithy stoves. a range type like the louis range has a back boiler that generates 6000 btu, is that enough for a couple of showers and bits of washing up throughout the day.

 

That really depends on a) how hot you run the stove, b ) how long you run the stove, c) what size hot water storage vessel (calorifier) you have connected to the backboiler, d) whether the backboiler is also used to heat anything else such as radiators, and e) the size & efficiency of the plumbing system.

 

In other words, how long is a piece of string?

Edited February 16, 2012 by blackrose

[onionbargee]

Yuk ! whoever designed these horrors must have a white stick and a guidedog.

 

They don't mention any firebricks, and no seperate primary and secondary air control, they look nasty to me.

 

This is a proper range.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2012 by onionbargee

[Timleech]

 

The back boiler output is quoted as 6000BTU whereas the total output is 4Kw. Funny that they mix their units and as Kw is a measure of power (or rate of heat energy production) and BTU is an old imperial measure of a quantity of energy (or a quantity of heat), they've confused that as well!!

 

I think they mean BTU/hr which turns it into an equivalent power output for the back boiler of about 1.75Kw.

 

 

Richard

 

If you're going to be pedantic, it should be BThU (British Thermal Unit), a BTU was a Board of Trade Unit which if I remember correctly was the same as a kWh.

 

 

 

Tim

[blackrose]

Yuk ! whoever designed these horrors must have a white stick and a guidedog.

 

They don't mention any firebricks, and no seperate primary and secondary air control, they look nasty to me.

 

Without wishing to pour further scorn on someone's stove of choice, I have to agree that they don't look that great. Are they made of cast iron or steel? If it's cast iron then the castings look a bit thin from what I can see in that picture. If it's steel then it might be ok.

[Arthur Brown]

I'm not sure that a 1.75KW back boiler would give you two showers without a long time gap. A home shower is about 10KW AT a guess a 1.75KW heater would raise the next tank of water to shower temperature in about an hour. I would not call that two showers before going to work or going out in the evening.

[Tomska]

Yuk ! whoever designed these horrors must have a white stick and a guidedog. They don't mention any firebricks, and no seperate primary and secondary air control, they look nasty to me.This is a proper range.

 

Whoah! Look at that bad boy!

 

Might have to look into one of those - that is proper tidy.

 

Is it a replica?

Edited February 16, 2012 by Tomska

[Tomska]

Aha. I've found it online. That looks in amazing condition for a Victorian stove. If I had the readies right now I'd be sorely tempted by that...

[micky44]

yes very nice, and here is the link !http://www.salvo.co.uk/powys/chimneypieces-grates/beetonette-cooking-rangestove-x62750x1.html would it pass the BS though? sorry you will have to copy and paste it.

Edited February 16, 2012 by micky44

[Nathan90]

Hi everyone

 

Thank you so much for all your input. You have all given us much stuff to think about. I think we are going to go with a gas boiler for our hot water. I must say I do disagree with you guys not liking the look of the windy smithy I think it is really charming, but I suppose that is down to personal preference!!! The victorian cast iron stove is gorgeous, however we will be doing all our cooking on our final range of choice and I dont know if this is suitable, especially after what I have read from people with experience with the Epping, beautiful as it is. Richard thank you for your really comprehensive answer and I must say I did forget the factor of CE and EN certification so thank you!!!

 

Well to throw another spanner in the works we are also thinking of the range by greymetal stoves. It may not look as charming as the cast iron counterparts however I feel it is more conducive to out needs and I quite like it.

If anyone has anything good or bad to say about these please share. I will be very interested to hear.

 

Thanks again everyone

[Yamanx]

My observations:

 

1/ The sealing looks suspect, from the picture, on the door.

 

2/ Steel plate will distort significantly when its gets very hot.

 

3/ Poor vent adjustment.

 

4/ I wouldn't really fancy pallet wood smoked casarole.

 

Sorry I couldn't find anything positive to say, its not even cheap

[BlueStringPudding]

My Boatman stove is made of steel and it's great. It's been my only source of heating for four winters. And the casing never distorts. So if I was in the market for a stove I wouldn't rule those out because they're steel.

And unlike the cast iron Morso Squirrel stoves, I've never heard of a Boatman stove cracking.

[bizzard]

My Boatman stove is made of steel and it's great. It's been my only source of heating for four winters. And the casing never distorts. So if I was in the market for a stove I wouldn't rule those out because they're steel.

And unlike the cast iron Morso Squirrel stoves, I've never heard of a Boatman stove cracking.

I think he meant the flat steel door would distort,quite true if its not reinforced with some form of bracing which i doubt.

The Boatmans door is cast iron,the rest of the body is welded steel.

[BlueStringPudding]

Very true.