Best cheap multifuel stoves?

[Horsehorn]

Hi all,

 

Looking to install a new multifuel stove (with back boiler) to my boat, but am on a budget. Wanted to buy a used one from ebay but looks like the supply has dried up (time of year perhaps), so might have to buy a new one instead.

 

Looking for 5kw output, with minimum 2kw from the back boiler for about £500 (optimistic I know).

 

I've heard mixed opinions on whether the 'cheaper' stoves are any good.

 

Can anyone advise?

 

Thanks,

 

Lucy

[GUMPY]

Charnwood country 4 is what I had might exceed your price with a boiler butcan be had for just over 500 without a boiler

One word of warning the multifuel grate is extra

[RLWP]

If you go for a 5Kw stove, in theory you need to check out the ventilation in your boat and improve it if necessary. A 4Kw one falls below the limit for calculations

 

I have found this guide to be helpful: http://www.soliftec.com/Boat%20Stoves%201-page.pdf

 

Richard

[Guest User]

I know its over your stated £500 budget but how about .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/morso-squirrel-stove-with-back-boiler-/180980537373?pt=UK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item2a2347d81d ?

[Dovetail]

Have you looked at the Villager Puffin a bit lower at 4kw but starts at around £400

[GUMPY]

I know its over your stated £500 budget but how about .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/morso-squirrel-stove-with-back-boiler-/180980537373?pt=UK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item2a2347d81d ?

600 for a used stove !

 

Personally I wouldnt touch a morso, 10 years ago yes but there are much better stoves on the market now.

[Horsehorn]

I know its over your stated £500 budget but how about .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/morso-squirrel-stove-with-back-boiler-/180980537373?pt=UK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item2a2347d81d ?

 

Thanks Graham - I missed that. Yes it is over budget but I fear my budget may just have to increase

 

600 for a used stove !

 

Personally I wouldnt touch a morso, 10 years ago yes but there are much better stoves on the market now.

 

600 is quite a lot, as prob only about 850 new.

 

What other makes would you suggest Julian?

[RLWP]

Have you looked at the Villager Puffin a bit lower at 4kw but starts at around £400

 

The puffin is a nice, fully welded stove that can be fitted with a back boiler. I have one in the workshop at the moment

 

Richard

[Horsehorn]

Have you looked at the Villager Puffin a bit lower at 4kw but starts at around £400

 

We're actually installing two stoves (big boat) and are thinking of a Puffin for the secondary stove (but without a boiler) as they're quite small. I'd be concerned that it wouldn't quite cut it for the main stove, perhaps Heron would be enough.

[RLWP]

How big a boat are you fitting out?

 

Richard

[Horsehorn]

If you go for a 5Kw stove, in theory you need to check out the ventilation in your boat and improve it if necessary. A 4Kw one falls below the limit for calculations

 

I have found this guide to be helpful: http://www.soliftec.com/Boat%20Stoves%201-page.pdf

 

Richard

 

Thanks Richard, I've seen that handy diagram before and used it to calculate the size of stove we can have for the hearth. Cheers

 

How big a boat are you fitting out?

 

Richard

 

63ft

[RLWP]

 

63ft

 

63' by ...

 

I think you are in danger of fitting too much stove

 

Richard

[GUMPY]

What other makes would you suggest Julian?

Well after having had a morso on the previous NB, when we changed the stove on the barge from a diesel one we were constrained by depth and the only one that fitted was a charnwood country 4 this proved to be excellent stays in for the best part of 24hrs on phurnicite and is clean burn so all the glass needs is an occasional wipe to keep it clear.

We were so impressed that we now have a country 6 in the cottage, mind you that was only lit for the first time today and we are seriously considering replacing the little wenlock on the NB

 

Other stoves are availble although mostly not from canalside traders

[Rod a mod from Tod]

Midland Chandlers are currently knocking this one out for £300 http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/Heating/SolidFuelStovesRanges/Stoves/HS391.aspx and it looks suspiciously like a rebrand of this http://www.hamletstoves.co.uk/stoves/hardy.html for which there is a back boiler available, but i suggest you investigate further if you are interested.

 

Not sure if you could, but, if you bought the stove on MCs mad Friday you may get the stove for £240. Worth having a butchers!

[matty40s]

Thanks Richard, I've seen that handy diagram before and used it to calculate the size of stove we can have for the hearth.

 

You can get a normal Squirrel (there are a few on ebay at the mo) and convert to back boiler, midland swindlers(20% off 5th october) and others stock the back boilers and I think all the stoves come with the standard rear having lug holes just needing to be removed in order to fit the boiler.

[Horsehorn]

63' by ...

 

I think you are in danger of fitting too much stove

 

Richard

 

Narrowboat.

 

My calculations suggest I need just under 6 kw for the whole boat, but am thinking it's better to have more capacity and have two stoves to distribute heat along the boat.

 

It was freezing last winter. We've got a lot of windows and the insulation is bad (but we can't really fix that as the walls are wood tongue and groove so would be nightmare to uncover). Keen to avoid the same!

[GUMPY]

On a 60ft x 11ft6 barge the county 4 was enough except when the outside temp was below -3 then we lit the second stove, a small diesel one.

[Horsehorn]

You can get a normal Squirrel (there are a few on ebay at the mo) and convert to back boiler, midland swindlers(20% off 5th october) and others stock the back boilers and I think all the stoves come with the standard rear having lug holes just needing to be removed in order to fit the boiler.

 

how is this to do? is it a plumber job?

[bowten]

Evergreen Stove by Northern Fabrication Services is a good choice in the budget class.

[canals are us?]

In the various houses we have owned we have had 3 villager stoves 2 with boilers and have found them very effective at heating the radiators and good value for money. My current villager berkley with 26,000btu boiler has been used for two winters using house coal with no ill effects. All parts still in good condition.

The only thing I will say is the controlability of villagers isn't great and you need to buy the optional flue damper.

 

I would buy another villager but would more likely buy a woodwarm fireview 4.5kw stove for my narrowboat. I would fit the optional boiler. It isn't a budget stove though at £870 for stove and boiler.

 

Have a look at stove reviews by owners.

www.whatstove.co.uk

 

James

[Horsehorn]

All very helpful, thanks.

 

Re: boiler. We have two larger radiators and one small one spread over the length of the boat. I'm thinking we want boiler to produce about 3kw to hear these, but not much more or the system will be too pressurised. Boiler won't be connected to calorifier for domestic use.

 

Does this sound right?

[canals are us?]

All very helpful, thanks.

 

Re: boiler. We have two larger radiators and one small one spread over the length of the boat. I'm thinking we want boiler to produce about 3kw to hear these, but not much more or the system will be too pressurised. Boiler won't be connected to calorifier for domestic use.

 

Does this sound right?

 

What are the size of the rads, presume single, not double?

 

No you wouldn't want a 5kw stove with too big a boiler as the less heat from the stove as the boiler is absorbing it.

 

James

[Robbo]

Chilli Penguin have had a baby!

 

http://www.chillipenguin.co.uk/special-offers-and-news/

 

 

It's around 3Kw which should be enough for a narrowboat of around 50-60ft. I'm hoping they make a larger version thats around 5Kw, as I like the style.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Robbo