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Basic stove use


Pennie

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By all night I mean about 6 hours around 12ish till 6. I get up early to poke the fire, walk the dog and have a coffee then have another sleep (a morning nap) and get up at a nicer time with the OH as he refuses to do mornings lol

Going to let it go out now, let it cool right down and hope to find someone who can have a look at it to make sure it's working properly and safely as well as work out how to replace the glass (although the two people I've called so far said their availability were 9th and the 17th January)

Going to let it go out now, let it cool right down and hope to find someone who can have a look at it and work out how to replace the glass (although the two people I've called so far said their availability were 9th and the 17th January)

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By all night I mean about 6 hours around 12ish till 6. I get up early to poke the fire, walk the dog and have a coffee then have another sleep (a morning nap) and get up at a nicer time with the OH as he refuses to do mornings lol

Going to let it go out now, let it cool right down and hope to find someone who can have a look at it to make sure it's working properly and safely as well as work out how to replace the glass (although the two people I've called so far said their availability were 9th and the 17th January)

Going to let it go out now, let it cool right down and hope to find someone who can have a look at it and work out how to replace the glass (although the two people I've called so far said their availability were 9th and the 17th January)

To check out that bottom door for air leaks, just close it as much as possible and run around the edges between door and stove body with a thin feeler gauge or even a razor blade to see if it passes between anywhere. You could even empty the ashpan and run a bead of silicon all around the back mating edge face of the bottom door and whack it back on tight, this should seal off any gaps due to warpage, stoke up the fire and see if its more controllable.

Is the stove main door windows, glass or Mica. Mica is thin and can be cut with scissors and stuck in.

Edited by bizzard
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Putting aside the door issue for now, OP says boat is not getting warm. Do you have a good fire going inside the stove all this time?

An air leak will cause the fuel to burn too quickly and need refuelling, but if you keep the fire burning well the boat should get warm.

With a fair bit of coal the stove should be full of coal glowing bright orange. Is it doing this?

How long does a log take to burn?

I would say the likely issues are:.........

Just not putting enough fuel in the stove!

A missing throat plate letting all the heat go straight up the flue? How hot is the flue pipe?

Worse case: You have been sold a boat with useless (or even no) insulation.

 

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

Edited by dmr
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I would say the likely issues are:.........

Just not putting enough fuel in the stove!

A missing throat plate letting all the heat go straight up the flue? How hot is the flue pipe?

Worse case: You have been sold a boat with useless (or even no) insulation.

 

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

....or one without a roof.

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Putting aside the door issue for now, OP says boat is not getting warm. Do you have a good fire going inside the stove all this time?

An air leak will cause the fuel to burn too quickly and need refuelling, but if you keep the fire burning well the boat should get warm.

With a fair bit of coal the stove should be full of coal glowing bright orange. Is it doing this?

How long does a log take to burn?

I would say the likely issues are:.........

Just not putting enough fuel in the stove!

A missing throat plate letting all the heat go straight up the flue? How hot is the flue pipe?

Worse case: You have been sold a boat with useless (or even no) insulation.

 

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

Yep fire been on constantly for nearly 2 weeks temp ranging between 10-17 oC during awake hours

Coal burning creates lovely glow highlighting the kitchen at night with no lights on

A log takes 1-2 hours to burn

throat plate? as in a baffle?

Flue pipe is fairly hot but you can accidentally touch it without burning your fingers, leave them on it and they may melt

Doubt its an insulation problem as it never got unbearably hot in the summer

To check out that bottom door for air leaks, just close it as much as possible and run around the edges between door and stove body with a thin feeler gauge or even a razor blade to see if it passes between anywhere. You could even empty the ashpan and run a bead of silicon all around the back mating edge face of the bottom door and whack it back on tight, this should seal off any gaps due to warpage, stoke up the fire and see if its more controllable.

Is the stove main door windows, glass or Mica. Mica is thin and can be cut with scissors and stuck in.

Bottom door doesn't have as big a gap but a match stick wouldn't be able to be held in place, yet alone a single piece of paper. It seems there is no seal on the ash door or main door at all.

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A main fire door that won't close properly will prevent the fire from drawing properly from below. If I open my squirrel glass door for long enough, it'll begin to die down.

 

Wood likes air from above rather than below, so using wood may be better until you get the door fixed somehow.

 

The most important life-saving issue here is to ensure you have a CO (Carbon Monoxide) detector next to your bed, at pillow height, and preferably another one where you spend most of your time.

 

Our 'Premier' (Ex-'Nipper') doesn't have seals anywhere, but nor does it leak gases into the cabin. A match held close to the stove is always drawn into any gaps, rather than blowing outwards.

 

Make sure your chimney is clean too.

 

Don't underestimate sold fuel stoves - if they're faulty they can be very dodgy.

 

One last reminder - CO ALARM!

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Yep fire been on constantly for nearly 2 weeks temp ranging between 10-17 oC during awake hours

Coal burning creates lovely glow highlighting the kitchen at night with no lights on

A log takes 1-2 hours to burn

throat plate? as in a baffle?

Flue pipe is fairly hot but you can accidentally touch it without burning your fingers, leave them on it and they may melt

Doubt its an insulation problem as it never got unbearably hot in the summer

Bottom door doesn't have as big a gap but a match stick wouldn't be able to be held in place, yet alone a single piece of paper. It seems there is no seal on the ash door or main door at all.

The ashpan door needs to be an airtight fit against the stove body, air adjustment being done by the central knob. If when the door is supposed to be shut fast a matchstick can be passed between it and the stove body is very bad. I'd do the sealing with silicon like I described above, I think you'll be surprised with the result.

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or a typhoon:

 

http://glastonburyburners.co.uk/typhon.html

 

Going down the just wood route rather than multi-fuel, plus we get an oven and a stove top for heating a pan of something or kettle oh and another plus is being able to use an eco-fan as the torglow is touch safe and doesn't get at all hot enough for one currently.

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or a typhoon:

 

http://glastonburyburners.co.uk/typhon.html

 

Going down the just wood route rather than multi-fuel, plus we get an oven and a stove top for heating a pan of something or kettle oh and another plus is being able to use an eco-fan as the torglow is touch safe and doesn't get at all hot enough for one currently.

Now that looks, at least at first sight, like a good piece of equipment at a fair price. Has it had any favourable reviews anywhere?

 

One thing you'll lose with a Typhon is that cosy red-fire glow as it doesn't appear to have windows, but if you don't mind that, I'd say that this stove is well worth investigating. Anyone else on CWF got one?

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I don't mind not seeing the glow, it would be missed but its ok. I was recommended one from a friend who has one in her office in her stable block, she says this one kicks out way too much heat but having the oven bit is amazing as she spends so much time at work she never gets a proper meal down her or its just reheated something in the microwave. She got the suggestion from a company on Facebook that makes homes and holiday homes by converting horse boxes, they chose this guys stoves to fit into their abodes.


The price is fantastic especially with the quality I've seen from them so far, she hasn't had it that long but it seems solid and well crafted


I can hazard a guess at what the Pence will be buying each other for Christmas! A Squirrel maybe, or a Bunny...

Haha just read this, love that nickname - The Pence. Shall share that one the F-book and see what our friends think. Giggles I expect :-)

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I am starting to think its just a useless stove.

Maybe time to spend a lump of money.

Most boaters would have nothing but a Morso Squirrel, but a few of us think a well made welded seel stove is better.

Search this forum, have a look at the Boatman stove, be careful with ecentric hand made stoves, they might be all looks and no heat...its takes a bit of learning and experience to make a good one.

 

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

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That Typhoo stove looks like its welded steel which is good, but it is a wood burner only I think with no ashpan area and door below the grate so would not burn coal or smokeless fuel at all well, if at all which needs air draught to be drawn up from below and through the coals to keep it alight.

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don't mind not using coal. didn't think about it not having a grate for ash to fall through, how does emptying work whilst its lit :-/ ?

You would just gently rake about and draw the ash gently forwards onto a shovel. It becomes a knack.

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Well I'm good at learning :-) Will have a look at some other brands and makes of stoves too.

Its annoying I have a squirrel for sale, that I can't seem to shift despite dropping the price well below the bargain price I bought it for, that I bought it before the boat in anticipation for the "one day" however its far too big size wise and heat output wise for anything smaller than 60ft and/or a wide beam.

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Well I'm good at learning :-) Will have a look at some other brands and makes of stoves too.

 

Its annoying I have a squirrel for sale, that I can't seem to shift despite dropping the price well below the bargain price I bought it for, that I bought it before the boat in anticipation for the "one day" however its far too big size wise and heat output wise for anything smaller than 60ft and/or a wide beam.

 

Squirrel should be happy on a boat less than 60foot, and surely you don't intend to buy/install another stove with inadequate heat output???

I expect Squirell is 4.9kW output, its all a bit of a game really, all stoves are 4.9kW ouput because a whole load of new regulations kick in at 5!

Just put in more or less fuel as required! Squirrel is very big though, particularly deep. Avoid cheap stuff (Boatman excepted).

 

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

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Id put in the morso you have, and feed it with less fuel than it is capable of!!

 

Unless it's just too big to fit the floor space etc!

 

Good fuel stove place in Beeston, near Mecca Bingo. Might be worth asking in there about parts/ repair of current stove.

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In the winter, a Squirrel should be good for almost any boat over 30' long. Ours is 62', and to have heat reaching the back end would require that stove to be so hot as to be unbearable in the saloon.

 

Tonight is the first night, this winter, that our back stove has been lit, enabling us to turn down the Squirrel a bit. A lot, actually!

Edited by Loafer
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Its just too big size wise, I knew it was on the large size when I bought it but its just not appropriate for a boat. Trying to think of an analogy: Like putting Barbie accessories on a Warhammer battle field (lol where that came from I don't know, my mind is so random). Will have a a look at the Beeston place, see what they have, hopefully they have a website :-)

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Ash is left to cool outside. We don't have a cratch. If it gets wet it's binned but we usually have more than enough for the loo if some gets spoilt by the weather

Do you mean you leave the ash to cool in an open well deck? That is not a very good idea. Any CO produced could easily get in through the front doors, especially if they are open. People have died in tents from CO from barbecues left overnight to cool down in the outer porch - this doesn't sound very different.

Edited by David Mack
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