NaturalHeating.com - Wood Burning & Multi Fuel Stoves

Aspect and Acorn Stoves are BACK !

2010-05-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

We've been waiting on the ever popular Aspect and Acorn stoves coming back into stock. These are now available again from our Attleborough depot for those who wish to collect - or by mail order from http://www.naturalheating.co.uk/ for those who don't !

These wood burning and multi-fuel stoves are ideal for smaller type rooms. They are also VERY popular with customers for static caravans and narrowboats. Offered at unbelievalbly cheap prices (currently under £200) these budget level stoves are highly sought after and stocks run out quickly. For something similar but heavier duty - have a look at the Crofter.

Twin Wall Poujoulat Flue Pipes - FITTING PHOTOS

2010-04-21T08:26:00.001-07:00

Free standing flue systems are commonly fitted to houses without chimneys where a wood burning or multi fuel stove is to be installed. This pipe comes in sions and is quite quick to put together. The twin wall insulated sections (required for exterior use and passing through or near combustable materials) are compression joints. That means that they are dry joints and require no fire cement or similar to seal. In the brand we supply, standard locking bands are supplied with the pipes. Reinforced locking bands are available for a small extra charge where additional support is required.

The picture above shows the fitting of a Poujoulat TI twin wall insulated rafter support bracket. This can be fitted in several ways - either fixed to the roofing material or roof trusses. It can be adjusted to suit to suit various roof angles.

This picture shows the Poujoulat rafter support bracket from the side. You can see how it adjusts by sliding through the arc and tightens using wing nuts. After aligning the system, we like to remove the wing nuts and change to M6 nyloc nuts which guarantees that the system aliggnt can never move.

Lower down, a Poujoulat joist support bracket can be seen - looking through to a ventilated firestop on the other side of the ceiling.

Here you can see from the lower end of the flue system - where vitreous pipe connects to a Poujoulat twin wall insulated flue pipe section using an appliance connector. These are also available as increasing appliance connectors - ie from 5" vitreous pipe connecting to 6" twin wall insulated flue pipe systems.

A Reinforced locking band for the Poujoulat twin wall insulated pipe has been fitted here at the last internal twin wall to twin wall joint. In conjunction with the rafter support bracket, 3 metres of pipe can be supported above this joint without the need for additional support such as guy wires.

Close up view of Poujoulat twin wall TI system joist support and ventilated fire stop plate shown in the loft space of a bungalow. Care should be taken to make sure that no joints fall in areas which are not accessible - such as in joist spaces or between roofing materials

Sarah-Jane Nash - http://www.naturalheating.co.uk/

It's Spring...... NOW is the time...

2010-04-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

To get your chimney checked and swept !

I know it seems early, but leave it until August and any sweep worth his salt will have a large waiting list. It's best to have your chimney swept in (or just after) Spring ready for the forthcoming winter season. Avoid the man in the van from the Free-ads with no qualifications. An accredited sweep such as a member of NACS will give you a certificate to show that your chimney has been properly serviced and is safe to use. If it is not, they will give a report stating condition and attention required. This certificate needs to go in your Home Owners Pack.

Also - if considering fitting a new stove ... it's worth getting someone out to survey and price now. Fitters generally only have a 2 > 4 week waiting time at this time of year. The good ones will be booked right up to Christmas for installations come August ! If you need contact numbers for recommended fitters in East Anglia, do let us know and we can forward these on to you.

Also - service your woodburning / multi fuel stove. Any worn or damaged rope seals, coal grates and liner panels should be replaced now. New cast iron parts will require seasoning burns - so it is a good idea to carry out these burns when your stove is not under heavy use.

Sarah-Jane Nash, http://www.naturalheating.co.uk/ , April 2010

Changing Rope Seals on Stoves (Woodburning / Multi-Fuel)

2010-03-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

There comes a point in time where (as part of general maintenance) you will need to renew the rope seals on the door of your stove behind the glass and where the door meets the stove body.

These ropes are made of glass fibre. Some people - such as myself - may find they have an allergic type reaction to handling the rope and it can make your skin itchy. Wearing gloves is therefore advisable in these cases.

When old rope is coming away it should be replaced with new rope of the same diameter. It is essential not to use too thick a rope as this could put too much pressure on door hinges. It is also important not too use too thin a rope, or you may not get a gas tight seal. If in doubt, ask the original stove supplier which diameter of rope you require for your stove model.... or take in the entire door to a stove shop.

Most stove doors are easily removable. If you can remove the door, it will be much easier to replace the rope if the door is on top of a flat surface. For these photographs, I am replacing the rope behind the glass of my Abbey wood burning and multi-fuel cast iron stove.

I have taken some wire wool and rubbed over the groove that the door sits in. I have also then wiped off any loose soot or deposits from the groove. Apply the stove rope adhesive right round the groove. Carefully lay the new rope into the groove and press in lighly. Do NOT stretch the rope.

If the rope is for under the glass as above, the glass can now be placed on top. Tighten the fixing screws and glass clips back up to hold the glass in place. Take care not to over tighten - you want firm pressure, but not too tight. If you over tighten, the glass may break as the metal expands when you light your stove. Double check that the rope is cushioning the glass from the cast iron. It's very important that the stove glass is not in direct contact with the iron.

For a door seal, allow approx 10 > 15mins for the stove rope to set and then put the door back on the stove. The stove can now be put immediately back into use.

If you have just replaced the rope behind the glass, double check the tension of the screws after the next fire to make sure they are not too loose.

Letter from 5th Feb About Catheral Stove

2010-02-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hi to all the team.

I am writing to inform you of how delighted we are with our Cathedral woodburner.

We bought the stove in November 2009 to take to our holiday home in Brittany for Christmas and I had asked for it to be delivered to a local depot so that they could forklift it on to my trailer. When i checked the stove, after it had been placed onto the trailer, my first impression was of a very beautiful stove - so much better than the image on the website. I decided not to let my wife see it until it was installed !

After a very difficult journey, deepest snow in Brittany for many years, the fire was intalled and the first lighting was on Christmas day ! Not only is this stove beautiful to look at (either lit or not) and enhances the room but it also delivers in the heating department as well. It is also very heavy - it needed three of us my son and wife) to get it off the trailer and on to the hearth. Even my wife agreed that it was a beautiful stove - well she did when she managed to straighten her back and get breath back after the lifting !

After following the instructions on seasoning the cast iron, imagine my surprise when I achieved over-night burning without even really trying - the flue damper and air controls are vey efficient !

The Cathedral burner represents fantastic value when compared to the Huner Herald that we installed in another sitting room last Easter. Not only is it half the price, but it gives out so much more heat. If only I had bought the Cathedral first !!!!

Attached are wo pictures - before and after. In the second picture Oscar (the hot dog) gives the urner his seal of approval.

Regards, Stephen Grimshaw

Benefits of Rear Reversing Type Flue Outlets

2010-02-02T02:53:00.000-08:00

There are huge benefits of the rear reversing flue outlet on stoves to the majority of people wishing to install wood burning / multi fuel stoves.

Properties built from 1966 onwards generally have clay or concrete block system liners within the chimney. Almost all have been (or should be) constructed in this manner if built after 1966.

The vast majority of entries to these block system liners start right at the back wall of the fireplace opening, which makes them awkward to connect to a flue from most stoves.

If it starts a reasonable height up, it may be possible to fit a pair of bends to create an offset to kick the flue pipe backwards and reach the opening. Bends are expensive though, so fitting these will increase installation costs.

The other option is to fit an equally expensive tee piece and soot box and use the rear outlet from the stove - running the flue pipe vertically behind the unit. The downside of doing this (apart from cost) is the distance that installation of these parts will push the stove forward from the rear wall. Typically, there is approx 9" / 220mm from the back of a fitted 6" / 150mm tee piece to the back of a stove body. In the vast majority of cases, this means that the stove is projected forwards by such a great amount that much of it will have to sit forward of the opening on the hearth.

Using a stove with a rear reversing type flue outlet and fluing from the top means that the flue pipe means that the flue pipe can (if required) sit right against non combustable walling inside a fireplace opening. It will also maintain the required minimum distance from the body of the stove to the wall when doing so.

This can therefore save significant cost in parts, makes fitting easier and looks more aesthetically pleasing.

It is also possible to flue from the rear with these outlets (just as you can with a normal stove) as they are reversible. Simply remove and turn it round so it points in the other direction.

Unfortunately, my computer drawing skills aren't up to much - but my side on line drawing should give you the general idea.

We have a small selection of stove models to choose from with this type of outlet.

These include : Ladybird 6kw, Eltham 6kw, Fogo 8kw, Fogo 11kw, Elite 12kw, Modeno 14kw, Ambassador 16kw, Runnymede 16kw, Windsor 16kw

These can all be found on our website at http://www.naturalheating.co.uk/ and are available to view at both our depots - Hamilton / Scotland and Attleborough / Norfolk.

This article has been written and is therefore copyrite of Sarah-Jane Nash, Natural Heating - Feb 2010