Servicing a woodburning stove

servicing a woodburning stove

Should a woodburning stove be serviced and what does this entail?

Yes. All stoves work on the system of controling air to the fire allowing the user to use the woodburner to their own requirements. If the stove has door seals that do not fit, sealant (usually fire cement) broken away from collarm glass seal broken or reduced in size and or cracking, warping of body then extra air will come into the stove and you will not be able to control the flame.

The other reasons for servicing your woodburner is for gaurantee of the product, preserving life expectancy of the stove, helping lifespan of the flue and ensuring your safety.

Most stoves have diffferent rope seals and galss seals. Stove rope sizes vary from 5mm to 18mm and some stoves have 2 sizes of rope on their doors.
Just to confuse matters stove rope also comes as soft or hard rope and if you were to fit a 14mm hard rope where a soft rope should be fitted the stove door probably would not shut!!

Rope glue should be used to ensure the gasket sticks to the steel or cast and we would advise the ends of the rope seal have a thermal tape to tidy ends and ensure the rope doesn't fray.

Glass seal is usualy a thermic strip however some companies use a thin rope seal or fine paper like seal strip.

Most service engineers carry the full rope range along with glass seal and firecement but it is wise to check with the manufacturer first to confirm the dimensions are correct.

It is advisable to check the body of the stove and all the joints if a cast unit. The sides, top and bottom of cast should be re-sealed if needed and if a steel stove the body checked for any deterioration.
The collar joint is the most common area for re cementing as flue expands and retracts when hot.

Why Would you get a Heta Stove

Why Install a Heta Stove?

Heta Inspire 45

Heta Inspire 40 and Heta Inspire 45

Whilst looking for new stoves to go in our showroom we came across the new Heta Inspire stoves! We instantly fell for this stove and here is why!

The Heta Inspire 40 has many great features! From the 4 KW output to the massive cast iron door with the large window, witch gives a great view of the fire to the direct air connection and built in reciprocating grate that allows for multi fuel use. This stove uses a single lever control that insures precision air control . As for looks, the Heta Inspire 40 stove is a premium quality stove that has a clean and modern style that will look great in almost any fireplace setting.

The Heta Inspire 45 is similar to the Inspire 40 model with a slightly larger output of 4.9 KW. This multi fuel stove had a large cast iron door and has a separate ash pan compartment, witch believe me is helpful. The Inspire 45's other features include a riddling grate, vermiculite lined fire chamber, tertiary air for clean burn performance and a secondary air wash system for keeping the glass clean without effort! The Inspire 45's design is a modern clean one for such a high quality engineered stove!

The Heta Inspire 45 is shown in the picture at the top of the post.

Both these stoves are being put into our showroom soon!

Thank you for spending your time reading our post's 

sincerely

- The Bradley stoves Team 

Finding free wood for your stove

Finding free wood for your stove

Where are the best places to find free wood?

One of the best places is to pick up fallen branches when out walking as this can be done daily and you can add regularly to your wood supply. There are many varieties of trees, some of which will burn quick and some that slumber well. Beware when taking fallen timber that this may not be seasoned containing 45% moisture (seasoned would be 20-25% moisture content).To identify seasoned wood check the folowing. Seasoned wood is brittle and very light internally. There are generally cracking marks and it sounds quite dull when knocked against other timber.

There are quite a few other places to find free timber such as the following.

freecycle is a good source

tree surgeons (however most now sell their wood on)

woodmanufacturers such as kitchen makers

skips

general builders as burning wood on sites now is not acceptable

friends who are clearing their garden

business who have a lot of pallets

Freecycle is a very good source as there are always people advertising wooden items for free just beware treated timbers as these should not be burnt on a woodburning stove as you would not be able to shut down the stove and it could damage your appliance. There are other websites that are similar which you could search for on your search engine?

Tree surgeons used to be a really good source of wood as the smaller products they will happily leave. Unfortunately most tree surgeons sell or use the wood themsleves so you will have to be lucky or be friends with one to get a good regular supply.

Wood manufacturers such as kitchen makers are still a very good supply of free wood. We often pick up waste products from our local kitchen maker and we used to also source oak from an oak cabinet and table maker. The pieces are scrap to them and they have far more than they can use.

Skips are always a good source if you are happy to ask the owner if you can take away.

General builders and sites may or may not let you as there are many laws now governing waste products and lisences for carrying them. I would advise if you see a site starting work, pop in and see the site foreman and ask him or her and hopefully you will get a years supply!!!

Friends who are clearing their garden are alway good for free wood (if they dont have a woodburner themselves). Last year one of my best friends had 2 dead trees taken down and I went in with a chain saw and took both away for him. He didnt have to pay to remove and I got free wood.

Business that have a lot of pallett deliveries are also a good source because most wont have the storage area and will be happy for you to take a few away. Some sell on their palletts and also be aware of nails and painted or treated surfaces.

When you collect wood try and ensure you can keep this product in a log store area (a covered roof with slatted sides and pallets for base works well). There are lots of purpose made log stores available on the market (please see http://www.woodburners.co.uk/_-Log-Storage-_/product/?pid=96841 ) but it is realtively easy to make one yourself.

There are laws regarding taking fallen timber so please consult your local council for their regulations on this as they will vary from differnet parishes and councils. 

Suggestions for small wood burning stoves

Suggestions for small wood burning stoves

There is a large market for wood burning stoves and multi fuel stove out there nowadays and it is difficult to find the right one to suit your needs. To help you to choose the right model, we have made some reviews about five of the best small wood burning stoves on the market. 


The Charnwood Country 4 -
                        
This is a Charnwood country 4 stove, this stove has a 4 KW output and is the smallest wood stove in the Charnwood country range. This popular wood burning stove has the following features.

• Clean burn "Airwash" system, this is a cool little feature that basically keeps your glass clean.
• Large capacity firebox witch will burn logs up to 330 mm long
• A stay cool wooden handle so there is no glove needed!
• Easy to operate air controls with a spin wheel primary control on the door and a secondary brass air control on the top 
• A single door with a large glass panel for a full view of the fired
• Drop down throat plate so that the chimney can be swept through the stove 

These features have made the Charnwood country 4 one of our all time best sellers.

The Charnwood C-Four -

The Charnwood C-Four is a new 4.9 KW stove from Charnwood. this can be a multi fuel or a wood burning stove and has a single air control for great clean burning and exceptional efficiency. This beautiful wood stove has a higher output than the country 4 and would make a great addition to any home.
The wood stove come in a wide range of colours and can be fitted with a flu boiler, witch can provide heat for hot water  and up to three radiators.


eco-ideal eco 1 -

The eco-ideal eco 1 stove, despite it's small size has a 4.9 KW output. It is eco friendly and DEFRA approved.
The eco 1 can be either a multi fuel or a wood burning stove and a clean burn system, witch is also installed, is used for keeping the glass clear and increases efficiency. The lovely design of this stove will suit a modern or a traditional house and with a depth of 363 mm it can fit into smaller openings enabling your fireplace to become a superb focal point.




Firebelly T1 Wood Stove -



This Stylish Firebelly T1 stove is designed and hand made in the UK. This is the smallest stove in the ever growing Firebelly range. The T1 has a 4 KW output and has stainless steel air controls that incorporate the "air wash" system. The un-fuzzy design and the large glass door, witch complements the fire, make this stove the main focal point, no matter where it is installed.
This stove is approved for use with a 5 mm hearth and is a wood burning stove only.
The Firebelly T1 has 18 different colours to choose from.




Parkray Consort 4 - 

The Parkray Consort 4 is a stylish stove with bold outlines and eco friendly features. It has a 4 KW output so even in a small space it can generate a good amount of heat. This little stove outperforms many of its bigger competitors, it can be used to burn; wood, coal or sustainable fuel.
The "Air wash" system and clean burn technology is used in this stove to keep the glass clean and to ensure that fewer gasses are let into the atmosphere.
The grate can be easily adjusted using a cool touch handle. You can rely on this stove to smoulder overnight so you wont have to relight your fire again in the morning.






all the stove's in this Blog can be found on our website - 
http://www.woodburners.co.uk/






- Bradley Stoves

The Featured Stove of the Week! 06/07/13

The Jetmaster 60f

The Jetmaster 60f has 3 different styles, without legs, short legs and long legs. It also comes in almond.

The 6.9 KW output will keep you warm on a cold day and the "air curtain" will keep the glass clean so that you can get a great view of the fire. Another  great feature is that this stove is carbon efficient, this can save over 180 KG of carbon produce yearly witch reduces your home's carbon footprint significantly.

The size of the Jetmaster 60f is 608x540x335mm This is a medium sized stove made to suit a larger room. 

Henry is on Fire!

Do Hoovers and Wood burning Stoves Mix?

Ash can stay hot for a few days after your fire in the bottom grate of your stove. If you wanted to remove the ash how would you do it? Use a hoover? No. Hoovers and wood burning stoves DO NOT mix. the air flow of a generic household hoover, such as a henry can relight the hot ash from the bottom grate and start a fire inside of it.

The Safest way to remove the ash is to shovel it up with a fireside tool and put the ash into a metal container or a clay pot, a plant pot would work! After you have shovelled up the ash dispose of it safely away from your house.

You could put water over the ash and put it onto a compost pile or if you have chickens the ash can be used as a bath for them (they'll love it). 

Quick Summary - Hoover + Hot ash = Fire inside of Hoover (NOT Safe)

Shovel + Metal container/clay pot + a safe place for disposal = Safe

- Bradley Stoves Team