Come on, baby, light my fire!
October 31, 2020 7:12 PM Subscribe
Not in a smoke control zone. 5 kW or under. I have an instinct that buying used is bad, yes? There is lots
Are stoves like this that I’ve never heard of OK? Is it safe to get it off eBay? My husband found this suspiciously photoshopped item. Where do I get the flue, I have a chimney but assume I want a double lined flue snaked up there? I’ll have a competent person install stove and flue (and baffles?) as per statute or have husband install and have building control check. Thanks!
Are stoves like this that I’ve never heard of OK? Is it safe to get it off eBay? My husband found this suspiciously photoshopped item. Where do I get the flue, I have a chimney but assume I want a double lined flue snaked up there? I’ll have a competent person install stove and flue (and baffles?) as per statute or have husband install and have building control check. Thanks!
Response by poster: Also if you have a make and model to recommend I’m super here for it!
posted by The Last Sockpuppet at 7:18 PM on October 31, 2020
posted by The Last Sockpuppet at 7:18 PM on October 31, 2020
That looks like a very simple wood stove. Like I bult these as a kid just not so fancy looking. You have a flue thing that you open and close just like any fireplace. You have a box where you put and burn the fuel (wood/oal?). You have an ash tray on the bottom because there's always ash. And the round thing is for airflow to control the the burning of the fire. The picture looks like a bog standard wood stove that's a bit pretty with the glass window and whatnot but otherwise looks like the wood stoves that I welded together as a kid. IMNSHO the prettier it is the less likely is is to be that perfectly fine ugly stove that's warm and heats your home a bit better than a fireplace. If you want to go up a notch you need something that has a fan and circulates hot air around the room. It's basically a fireplace that you have a little more control over and because it's in a steel box out on the floor you get a bit more heat vs just making a fire in the fireplace.
Within reason, the clunkiest and thickist hunk of metal that you put a fire in is going to be the best thing for heating. Fans are a plus. Your good wood/coal stove is going to be made by local folk out of parts from the hardware store and will last forever. It's just not pretty.
posted by zengargoyle at 9:23 PM on October 31, 2020
Within reason, the clunkiest and thickist hunk of metal that you put a fire in is going to be the best thing for heating. Fans are a plus. Your good wood/coal stove is going to be made by local folk out of parts from the hardware store and will last forever. It's just not pretty.
posted by zengargoyle at 9:23 PM on October 31, 2020
I'm guessing from the fact that the previous owner didn't use the fireplace, that you're not going to be depending on the stove to heat the house, and that you're perhaps not going to be using it all that often or running it that hard. In that case, one of the ubiquitous cheap models may do you fine.
The main things I'd worry about with them are:
(a) the quality of the cast iron parts - badly cast parts from poor quality metal are prone to cracking.
(b) the quality of the assembly - poorly fitting parts can cause leaks and stresses.
(c) availability of spare parts - when something cracks, can you get a replacement of that part?
For a bit of perspective, we have a wood/coal stove that's used daily all winter. It's our only source of heat, and has a back boiler fitted to make hot water and supply radiators. It was made by Franco Belge and cost several times what the one you linked to does, despite not being rated much higher in heat output. But it's done years of continuous service with minimal maintenance and although our model is out of production now, every part is still available from the manufacturer if it breaks.
I wouldn't rely on getting any of that from a cheap stove. But if you're not going to be dependent on the stove for heat and would just like one for a cosy fire sometimes, then you may not care about those things.
If you're looking at the cheap ones I'd suggest looking at Machine Mart. They're pretty good at stocking the better versions of low cost stuff, making sure it's half way decent and carrying spares / providing warranty.
posted by automatronic at 3:50 AM on November 1, 2020
The main things I'd worry about with them are:
(a) the quality of the cast iron parts - badly cast parts from poor quality metal are prone to cracking.
(b) the quality of the assembly - poorly fitting parts can cause leaks and stresses.
(c) availability of spare parts - when something cracks, can you get a replacement of that part?
For a bit of perspective, we have a wood/coal stove that's used daily all winter. It's our only source of heat, and has a back boiler fitted to make hot water and supply radiators. It was made by Franco Belge and cost several times what the one you linked to does, despite not being rated much higher in heat output. But it's done years of continuous service with minimal maintenance and although our model is out of production now, every part is still available from the manufacturer if it breaks.
I wouldn't rely on getting any of that from a cheap stove. But if you're not going to be dependent on the stove for heat and would just like one for a cosy fire sometimes, then you may not care about those things.
If you're looking at the cheap ones I'd suggest looking at Machine Mart. They're pretty good at stocking the better versions of low cost stuff, making sure it's half way decent and carrying spares / providing warranty.
posted by automatronic at 3:50 AM on November 1, 2020
I highly recommend you spend the money on a really good stove. Burley and Chilly Penguin both make excellent 3-5kw stoves.
posted by parmanparman at 4:52 AM on November 1, 2020
posted by parmanparman at 4:52 AM on November 1, 2020
In the US, you'd look for EPA certification, meaning less pollution. My wood stove is designed to have a secondary burn chamber above the main fire. Please look into this level of efficiency to reduce the amount of pollution you generate; it also means you get more heat from your fuel. My stove is Irish, a Waterford, got it on Craigslist. Then you will need someone to make nsure the chimney is in decent shape, and have it installed properly, likely to be relatively expensive; fireplaces are apparently ridiculously high maintenance. This protects you from carbon monoxide and chimney fires, both of vital importance.
Jotul makes excellent wood stoves, and wood stoves turn up used frequently. Sometimes they need new gaskets, but cast iron ages well.
posted by theora55 at 7:47 AM on November 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Jotul makes excellent wood stoves, and wood stoves turn up used frequently. Sometimes they need new gaskets, but cast iron ages well.
posted by theora55 at 7:47 AM on November 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by The Last Sockpuppet at 7:13 PM on October 31, 2020