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Pick a Stove


tjh82

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Hi all

 

I'm currently renovating an old 56ft narrowboat.

 

After removing the old knackered stove, flue and chimney I'm getting a new set up installed next week.

 

I've picked up an old Petit Godin top loading stove that I always liked the idea of using but now i'm having second thoughts!

 

(Heard they can fill boat with smoke when loading, maybe only when cold though)

 

As this is (hopefully) the one time i'll have to install a new heating set up would i be better off getting a new, modern efficient little black box instead?!

 

I'm torn between the Petit Godin, the ever popular Squirrel and the narrowboat specific 'Portway marine stove'.

 

Any advice/stories/tips and general words of wisdom much appreciated

 

Cheers

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Keep your chimney clean and open the damper up when filling and the smoke goes where it should even with the lid off.

 

I hate squirrels and I've removed several from boats as soon as I've acquired them but this is only a personal view so can be ignored

ditto

 

Peter

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Petit Godins are beautiful. I'm very jealous.

 

A friend of mine installed one and did have problems with smoke when getting it going or when trying to top it up in the mornings. So both when the flue is cool. However when it was going it was lovely. (He did once manage to have flames coming out the top of the stove. No idea how he did that. But considering this is the same man that set fire to his hands with a Reflex stove and nearly killed himself with carbon monoxide from using a generator under a cratch cover, it might just be him)

 

Despite its narrow shape it stuck out into the room quite a bit because of the rear flue. But clever positioning would mean that's not a problem. There's space on top for one small pot or kettle if you want to cook on it. Which is less than a lot of wider boat stoves but unlikely to be a deal breaker. Can't remember if the Petit is wood burning only. If it is have a think about what that might mean for you with chopping logs to the right size and obtaining and storing fuel.

 

I adore Godin stoves. Nearly bought one once as a renovation project. I still look at them longingly on ebay from time to time. If you really like them, go for it. Coz you'll find ways of managing lighting them but will always be swooning over what you could have had if you don't buy one. ;)

Edited by BlueStringPudding
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Suppose it depends on the layout of your boat, as my stove is in the kitchen I fitted a Grey Metal stove, which has an oven on the top, may be a bit big if in the living bit. I used to have a Little Cottager, which was great, my parents have a Squirrel, and it's been really good for 20 years so far. Obviously these black boxes are easier to use and easier to keep in. You need to consider if you'll be living on the boat and leaving it to go to work etc.

Casp'

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Our boat is fitted with an Aarrow 'Becton Bunny' Not that I have that much experience of other makes of Stove, but were very happy with its performance.

 

As carl says keep your flue clean and open the damper to avoid blow back. Also a taller chimney can help, when moored obviously.

We had a Bunny on our last boat, easy to 'drive' and with a back boiler runs central heating fine. Gave us no problems in ten years.

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I had a Villager C multifuel stove with backboiler, on a 55ft trad boat. It worked faultlessly all the time , and stayed in overnight using various makes of smokeless fuels. If I had one again the only change I would make would be getting the model with the flat top, the one on the boat had the slope top, so no cooking or kettles on the top.

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I took an Aarrow out of a boat, it was awful. Prepared to believe they're not all like that though.

 

It wasn't designed to seal fully and was nasty to work on. Yuk.

 

I have a squirrel but if replacing it I'd just go for efficiency, as long as the most efficient stove didn't look ugly or cost a bomb.

 

Availability of spare parts is a squirrel bonus though, despite the inefficiency (by 2014 standards - so I'm told on here)

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Thanks a lot for all the input.

 

I wish i had room for both Dave but unfortunately not.

 

It is going to be a liveaboard...my heart agrees with BlueStringPudding, if this is the one time i fit out a boat i should just go for it!

 

But then come January when the old polystyrene insulation is letting most of the heat sneak out i might regret not getting a more efficient little number!

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Give the Godin a go then! Do the installation such that it can be swapped for a modern steel job if you have to.

Choose fuel carefully and get a CO meter. We lived with a lovely Stratford range for years but the fumes were bad. now have a modern Charnwood that works really well but I still miss the looks of the Stratford (which are not as good as the Godin)

 

Don't worry about polystyrene, we got that and still need to open the front doors some winter days.

 

...........Dave

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If worst comes to the worst, and you can't keep the blighter in overnight, and you keep having to open the windows to let the smoke out, you'll have one nippy winter wearing jumpers in bed, and then can sell the Godin and buy something less pretty but sensible in the Spring. If you buy a second hand Godin for £300-£600 they seem to resell well third-hand around that price. New ones for £1000-£1500 would be harder to retain even 50% of the value. And a second hand one with subtle signs of having had a life before, would look lovely IMHO.

 

Show us some pictures once you've installed it smile.png

Edited by BlueStringPudding
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Our top loading trad stove is only smoky when lighting, once the smokeless is burning well it's fine. Obviously it pays not to open the lid for long and to open the chimney damper beforehand.

The worst smoke we've had has been when we had a slight leak round the chimney collar and tarry water ran onto the stove top. Awful!

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