which stove with backbolier for widebeam?

[Gerkin6000]

Hi there,

 

We have an Esse Montrose stove on our widebeam at the moment but as it won't stay lit overnight really need another. Unless theres a problem with the stove? The Flue is clear, not really sure what else would affect its staying power..

 

Anyway we think we need a bigger stove anyway and want a back bolier for 2-3 radiators. We have quite a few big windows. Was wondering what advice anyone might have on the subject. Thinking a Squirrel would be too small but I've read that other widebeams have them and its fine. Our boat interior length is about 56' (its a 68' with cruiser stern).

 

Would be great to get a stove that's at the cheaper end of the scale but dont want to risk the same problem of it not staying in overnight.

 

Thanks for reading

[DeanS]

Hello:)

 

We have a 57ft widebeam.

We bought a cheap Chinese make stove 7kW.

Some on this forum have had similar stoves for 5yrs with no problems.

We can control the burn really well, and if we load it with coal, we can easily get it going through the night.

 

What coal are you currently using.....? If you use the oval type...and put a lot in, and then empty the ash pan...and crack open the air vent just a little....have you tested how long it would last before having to add more coal?

 

Our last boat had a smaller stove, which worked well, but was trickier to regulate...so it does seem that bigger stoves are easier to manage.

 

we have this one.

 

Edited September 26, 2013 by DeanS

[Grace and Favour]

Hi there,

 

We have an Esse Montrose stove on our widebeam at the moment but as it won't stay lit overnight really need another. Unless theres a problem with the stove? The Flue is clear, not really sure what else would affect its staying power..

 

Anyway we think we need a bigger stove anyway and want a back bolier for 2-3 radiators. We have quite a few big windows. Was wondering what advice anyone might have on the subject. Thinking a Squirrel would be too small but I've read that other widebeams have them and its fine. Our boat interior length is about 56' (its a 68' with cruiser stern).

 

Would be great to get a stove that's at the cheaper end of the scale but dont want to risk the same problem of it not staying in overnight.

 

Thanks for reading

What fuel are you using - - you may well find that a different fuel will resolve your problem.

 

(We use a simple Morso Squirrel 1410 - which doesn't have a large fuel capacity - and it's only reated at 4.5Kw - - but we have no problem keeping it in overnight - and it heats our widebeam throughout the winter without difficulty)

 

(we'll light it in October-ish - and will keep it running 24/7 'til Spring is warm enough)

[canals are us?]

_{If I bought a widebeam I would buy a woodwarm fireview 6kw with 20,000 btu backboiler or slender7kw. Not cheap though 1k plus boiler.}

_{https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7MVjL6BWM}

 

_{You need to know what kw is required to heat the 2or3 rads as this figure sizes the backboiler and the backboiler figure takes heat away from the stoves overall output. Most manufacturers should quote boiler output and stove room heat output with boiler installed.}

 

_{Stove room heat left with 20,000btu boiler is 3.7kw}

_{http://www.woodwarmstoves.co.uk/_assets/pdfs/0031ft.pdf}

 

_{http://www.woodwarmstoves.co.uk/}

 

_{Things that affect the staying in is the stove burning too fast as the stove is drawing air in through gaps in door seals, air inlet vents, cast joins etc. Fresh fuel not ignited enough before closing up, incorrect fuel, not seasoned etc, etc. Experiment with different fuel types and air inlet settings etc.}

_{Generally you get what you pay for.}

 

_{I have a woodwarm fireview 4.5kw on my 50ft trad narrowboat heating 2 rads or a 55litre calorifier and it's simply brilliant. I keep it in 24/7 in winter on wildfire coal. Not tried wood overnight yet.}

_{It throws out so much heat and easy on fuel I didn't need the rads. I lit it at 6pm today and only used 3 logs and a small shovel of house coal and the log is still glowing at 23.42.}

 

_{I had a villager Berkley at a house with integral boiler and certainly that was very hard to stay in overnight as the stove seals/vents wasn't great. as the seals/vents let air in even when closed and needed a flue damper to control the burn rate.}

_{This was in Ireland where coal choice wasn't great. The woodwarm is simply a doddle to keep in as it's very well made, very good seals and hence very controllable and doesn't need a flue damper.}

 

_James

Edited September 26, 2013 by canals are us?

[peterboat]

Hi a friend of mine just bought a stove with backboiler it is made in europe and is very well made! it was £499 delivered and rated at 12kw it works well it heats the water well and is cheap to run. It is designed for wood but has a small grate so can do solid fuel although he has not tried it yet. My own cheapcinese stove which has a backboiler also would do it is by saltfire and again does rads plus hot water and is still burning the next morning. But I have to say richards is nicer and looks better made and I would have bought his in preference to my own You pays your money........

Peter

[bizzard]

If your stove has gone out overnight 'what is left on the grate in the morning ?'. If unburnt coals, either the grate was not cleaned properly before charged with the overnights coal, riddling is not usually sufficient, a good rake around with the poker is best, or and it needed a little more bottom air to keep it in.

If burnt out cinders and ash are there in the morning, either not enough coal was put on, or it was getting too much bottom air.

At this time of year when its not very cold I have my little Boatman stoves grate area reduced, lined out with house bricks to reduce the heat output and to save coal. This reduces my grate area to only about 6'' square and it still keeps in quite comfortably overnight.

[Lady Muck]

Agreed, learn to keep stove in overnight, it's a fine art - we couldn't keep a burner in to begin with. If you swop the burner you'll have the same problems. Try different fuels, search this forum for tips n hints.

[Gerkin6000]

Thanks people, all very helpful, much appreciated.

The stove just doesn't get hot enough and the are some not completely burnt bits in the morning. I'll check the bottom vent, I did think it was ok though, and we do clean out all the ash. We've tried different coals some are better than others (i'm not sure what they were).

Will let you know if we succeed!

[blackrose]

If you do go for a Squirrel I would go for the newer 6kw output model on a widebeam rather than the older 4.5kw Squirrel.

 

They aren't cheap though.

Edited September 29, 2013 by blackrose

[fudd]

Hello:)

 

We have a 57ft widebeam.

We bought a cheap Chinese make stove 7kW.

Some on this forum have had similar stoves for 5yrs with no problems.

We can control the burn really well, and if we load it with coal, we can easily get it going through the night.

 

What coal are you currently using.....? If you use the oval type...and put a lot in, and then empty the ash pan...and crack open the air vent just a little....have you tested how long it would last before having to add more coal?

 

Our last boat had a smaller stove, which worked well, but was trickier to regulate...so it does seem that bigger stoves are easier to manage.

 

we have this one.

 

Dean, that hearth is discraceful.

[Grace and Favour]

 

 

 

Dean, that hearth is disgraceful.

That plinth's the beginning of Dean's new wooden boat!

[Charlotte Burnett]

An Esse is a pretty serious bit of kit, yours is similar in size to a Squirrel and if it is anything like other Esse's I have come across, of similar high quality as well. I'm not convinced that the stove is the weak part of this equation. A back boiler might well be available for it too.

 

If you don't know your favourite coal though, you definitely have not built the relationship with your stove that you need to have through a hard winter. FWIW, mine is Excel which you will find certainly on James and Dom's boats and I think Steve sells it too.

 

Can you take us through how you light/control/bank up your stove?