We hesitate to say “All” stoves! We do have access to a huge section of the market, and display those that we have personal experience of. If in doubt, ask!

What is best, cast iron or steel?

There is a cliché answer to this one! “Have a good steel rather than a poor cast, or a good cast before a poor steel”

Let us guide you. There are examples of all four in the market.

How do I know how big a stove to buy?

Start with one of the many central heating calculators on the net. These will allow you to calculate an output requirement for your room.

Some manufacturers also give you access to a calculator

(see www.villager.co.uk for one we like)

Back to Questions

Can you send me a brochure?

Unfortunately not. See above “What stoves do you sell?”

Our current brochure shelf holds two hundred different catalogues. Where to start? Most manufacturers will accept a request for their brochure and forward one to you. See our Manufacturers web page

Do I need to line my chimney?

Depends! Condition of the flue and what you intend to put at the bottom of it all play a part. It must be said that all stoves will have their performance enhanced by flue lining, and consequently the risk of chimney fires is reduced, but it is not a pre-requisite to install a stove.

Can I link a stove / boiler in to my central heating system?

Yes, but this concept is fraught with difficulties. This is so often asked, and can be done so badly and dangerously that we have devoted an entire page to it. See our Link ins page.

What is more efficient, a radiant or convector stove?

See our factsheet, “Stove Efficiency” . Efficiency is a measure of how much of the potential heat in any given volume of fuel ends up in the room. It is NOT dependent on the method of heat delivery. (Some purists and pedants may debate this, but few of my clients want to delve in to pure science!)

Back to Questions

Can I have a coloured stove?

Yes. In one of two ways. Either, enamel on cast Iron, or a paint finish on cast or steel. Heatproof stove paint is now available in around twenty different colours, and even if a manufacturer doesn’t offer your colour choice, you may talk us into painting a stove for you!

( See website www.calfire.com )

Remember, enameled cast iron is essentially a glass finish on top of the black iron base and you will be waving a poker around in front of it so chipping and cracking of the finish is possible! But, if you want one, we won’t stop you! (Besides it generally adds £200-300 to the price!)

I have no chimney, can I add one to my house?

Yes. Please see our special page on building a chimney if your house has no chimney. In Scotland ALL flues require, at least, a building warrant, unless you are told otherwise, in writing, by your local authority.

Why are stoves cheaper on the internet?

Why is anything cheaper on the internet?

Answer. No overheads. Little things like, advice, qualification, service, showrooms, all cost money! So does after sales backup!

If you wish to buy a stove from a company in the south of England and have it delivered to you in Scotland, so be it. But don’t be surprised if they won’t, or can’t, send an engineer to service the warranty on it!

Bear in mind that current consumer legislation in the UK places responsibility for the product firmly in the lap of the retailer for the first year. Manufacturers are perfectly within their rights to send you back to the stove retailer for service. Most will!

See this question below.

Back to Questions

Why are some stoves so much cheaper than others?

Quality. It seems odd to me that we are so often asked this. Do people expect that all cars, fridges, televisions, computers, sofas, (we could go on!) should all cost the same? There are quality differences in every market. Generally you get what you pay for.

Chinese stoves?

This is often more a statement with a question mark than a full question! We generally find that Chinese produced product is a mixed bag. A vast amount of Chinese stoves are being shipped to a hungry British market and are often epitomized by low prices, poor finish and low quality castings.

We also often have suspicions with regard to technical requirements. (Not unusual to see a huge stove with a very small flue outlet)

Information with regard to qualification and suitability is hard to come by and many of the claims made by suppliers are unsubstantiated.

Here are a few things to watch out for:

• a 30kw stove, no larger than most British produced 15kw appliances. How do they do that?

• “Made in Britain” when the supplier really means “Assembled”.

• “Manufacturer” when the site doesn’t tell you where.

• Claims of CE or EN approval that may not be substantiated. ( Try this link for info http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/WARNING-FAKE-CE-APPROVED-SOLID-FUEL-CAST-IRON-STOVES) ALWAYS ASK

A reputable supplier will have no qualms about supplying a legal document showing CE and EN qualification.

• stove “Specialists” who also turn out to be “Specialists” in garden furniture, or antiquarian books! And there’s more..

• the claim that pure mined ore is better than recycled scrap. Tell that to the newspaper and environmental industries! We have been fortunate enough to tour many western European foundries and seen the exactness that is applied to ensuring the production of a quality cast iron from scrap metals.

Let’s show you…

The best of these foundries employ computer systems that would be the envy of NASA! Jotul are renowned as the worlds’ foremost quality stove producer, and are proud to tell you that they recycle material in one of the worlds’ cleanest, most environmentally sound factories. Just look here….at this link on the Jotul Website http://jotul.com/uk/guides/the-reason-why-jotul-chooses-cast-iron

Here’s more about Chinese stoves…

Go to the following link and put “cast iron stoves” in the search box. (Click the Company links and allow yourself a couple of hours, there’s thousands of them!) http://www.made-in-china.com

We’re sure that there are some good products coming out of China. But if a supplier isn’t telling your their products originate in China…..what have they got to hide?

If I buy a stove off the internet will you fit it for me?

No. Just think about that for a minute. We should make no profit on the stove but take all the responsibility? Tell you what. we WILL fit your stove but WILL up our fitting charges to cover ourselves. You’d have been better off buying from us in the first place!

Back to Questions

Can you send me a stove to…(a town three hundred miles away)?

Sorry. No! See above and our Internet Policy.

What’s the BEST stove?

How long is a piece of string? The BEST stove is the one for the job. Be guided by a responsible retailer. It is in his / her best interest that your stove does what you wanted it to do and does it well, so that you become a salesman for him / her.

I’m in a smoke control area can I have a stove?

Yes. See the link below to visit, but bear a few things in mind.

1. To be smoke exempt, it is in the nature of it that these appliances are exceptionally efficient. They WILL be very demanding of their flues. In most probability you will be lining the chimney to suit

2. The list is regionalized. Choose your country.

3. There are pure Woodburning stoves and Multifuel stoves on the list. If you are choosing to burn a solid fuel it will require to be an approved smokeless fuel.

4. ANY stove can be used in a smoke control area (As an open fire can) if it is ONLY burning an approved smokeless fuel.

5. Generally, the smoke exempt version of an appliance will be more expensive than its non exempt equivalent. (Who did you think was going to pay for the testing?)

See out page on DEFRA approved stoves for smoke control areas

Go to www.smokecontrolareas.co.uk to see the up to date list.

Back to Questions

I don’t want a hearth!

You must have a hearth! We are playing with fire here! Building regulations stipulate minimum hearth requirements. We will often encourage clients to exceed the minimum. Think about your floor.

What does “Airwash” mean?

Exactly what it says. An air inlet to the stove is engineered to bring a “Curtain” of air across the glass, pushing the smoke away, and as a result helping to keep the glass cleaner. A “Hot” airwash is even more effective, since if it can be made hot enough, it may burn tar deposits off the glass doors.

What does “Cleanburn” mean?

Who knows?! Never has a term been so abused. We like to believe it should only be applied to those appliances where a manufacturer has made a serious attempt to ignite and burn off the flue gases.

Primarily this is done by injecting hot air in to the path of the smoke, but not exclusively.

Some of the best “Cleanburn” appliances are “Downburning” with no evident “Tertiary” air injection. ( See www.euroheat.co.uk technical downloads, if you really want to delve into this)

Can I read any of your customer testimonials?

Yes. Click the link below. We will be adding more as the weeks go by.

Testimonials

Logs and Firewood

Wood Logs Scotland

20% or less moisture seasoned firewood and Kiln Dried logs
Stonehouse, Lanarkshire
Delivery only
Wood Logs Delivery Scotland

Services

Chimney Sweep, Central Scotland
Ablesweep
http://www.ablesweep.cp.uk

Plumber & Gas Fitter
Mercer Gas Fitter

Links to sites with useful technical stove data.

Isokern (Flues-technical)
Green Energy
www.logpile.co.uk
Solid Fuel Association
Jotul
HETAS

Soliftec
The Solid Fuel Technology Institute
www.soliftec.com

Stove Experience Contact Form and Directions to Showroom Tel. 01501 823006

Areas we cover:- Glasgow, Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian, Stirling, Perth, Fife, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Borders

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