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Charnwood SLX45 stove

Overall Rating:

3.5 flames

based on 8 reviews    (View rating breakdown)
Charnwood SLX45 stove
The Charnwood SLX45 is available as either a freestanding or insert stove. The integral boiler is thermostatically controlled and can heat up to 8-9 radiators and domestic hot water.
Technical Data
  • Height: 608mm
  • Width: 548mm
  • Depth: 530mm
  • Flue Diameter: 150mm
  • Fuel: multifuel

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Review Ratings Breakdown

Build Quality 4.5 flames
Quality of finish 5 flames
Value for money 3.5 flames
Ease of use 3 flames
Ease of lighting 4.5 flames
Firebox size 4.5 flames
How well does the airwash work 2 flames
Controllability 3.5 flames
Handle operation 4 flames
How likely are you to buy it again? 3 flames
What is your overall satisfaction? 3.5 flames

Most Recent Review

  • Charnwood slx 45 fs

    Richard Bunting 6 years ago

    We have had this for about 3 or 4 years now which replace our old charnwood stove. The problem with this fire seems to be the design of the throat plate and the air vent. The air enters the
    fire through the vent then circulates to the front of the fire where there is a gap that then directs the fumes above the throat plate to the flue. This fire needs a lot of air flow to work properly or the air flow can work in reverse which means fumes can leak back in to the house especially when opening the doors not good if you want to use a slow burning high heat fuel. Most experts like to blame one thing or another but really air flow is the most important thing but equally the design of the fire is just as important the example being a fire that draws air from the front then leaves the fire from the rear back or top this would help the flow and minimize the risk of fumes in the house. This stove has too much distortion in air flow not like our last charnwood however the fire does heat the house and hot water well after a few adjustments although we still have to be very careful.

    Stove expert replied: The air available for combustion is paramount for any stove and manufacturers design stoves to work efficiently with the various controls that are on the stove, if you are getting back draught when opening the doors then the flue draw would appear to be insufficient for this stove. It may have been fine for the previous model but with the more efficient models now on the market, further air supply into the room may be required. There may also have been modifications to the property increasing insulation etc that will affect a stoves performance which need to be considered.

    Overall rating:

    3.5 flames

Most Popular Review

  • Love our SLX

    R Livingston 14 years ago

    We loved the fact this stove looks contemporary, but fits in with a traditional property well too. Our neighbours on both sides liked it so much they have bought the same model!We went from
    an open fire with back boiler to this stove, so the plusses are many - it stays in well overnight and is infinitely more controllable than the open fire, not to mention cleaner - the dust levels in the house have gone down considerably. It provides ample hot water for our 8 radiators. We had the black version but it comes in several colours and finishes.The only negative I can think of is the size of the ash pan - it can be very heavy to lift and manouvre when full, but I understand it is possible to get a split ash can, this might make life easier. The doors do fog up when the stove is turned down, but burn on a higher setting and they stay clean very well. Overall a great stove.
    Overall rating:

    4.5 flames

More reviews for Charnwood SLX45 stove

  • Charnwood SLX 45

    7 years ago

    Nice to look at.We were told that the heat given by boiler stove wasn't as good as standard stoves but we understood that it would still be warm.The Charnwood stove SLX 45 is fitted in our kitchen
    3 months now and still there's very little heat coming into the room. There's warm water 20 minutes after lighting the stove but I still need to turn on immersion to have a hot shower. The main disappointment is the glass on doors. Within 1 hour of fire lighting the glass is 70% blackout. After 2 hours the glass is completely black, not able to see fire at all. We don't regret installing as it's a slight improvement from the open fire there before. We would change the type of stove if we had to do it again.. will post another review in a year. Hopefully these defects will be corrected.!

    Stove expert replied: Is there an air brick in the room? Do you leave the air controls open? Is the wood being burnt dry and seasoned with a moisture content of less than 20%? What is the flue draw measurement? Further investigation required to alleviate aspects that will directly affect the rate of burn.

    Overall rating:

    3.5 flames

  • no hot water from charnwood LA

    Elaine Giles 10 years ago

    loving the look of my new LA but its not producing hot water, have even tried burning without radiators on all night but that didn't work. can someone tell me if im doing something wrong or
    there is a special knack to it. my previous fire was a parkray and had hot water until I swapped fires

    Stove expert replied: Ask the installer to come back and check the system to insure it matches the instructions from the manufacturer. Does the flow pipe get hot when the stove is on compared to the return pipe? What fuel are you using?

    Overall rating:

    3 flames

  • slx45

    Siobhan McConway 10 years ago

    Purchased this stove last month. Good heat when up and going. The only problem I have is when refilling the fire, when I open the doors the smoke comes out, is there anything i can do to prevent
    this.

    Stove expert replied: Check that you have an air vent in the room, possibly an anti downdraught cowl may be required. Ask the installer back to check the installation complies to the manufacturers specifications, height of flue, if a liner installed and ventilation requirements.

    Overall rating:

    4.5 flames

  • Huge improvment on open fire but with some issues!

    Paul Shelly 12 years ago

    Fitted correctly with a steel flue we have this for a year now replacing an open fire without boiler. We integrated our existing oil system with this unit for a dual system and it works very
    well but find we need to adjust our stats a bit to avoid waste when on oil only as they are usually more open to ensure we lose heat from this unit. We have a 1350 sq ft house with converted garage to heat so not huge and this unit does the business very well, our sitting room is quite small so it is about the best option as it has a 3kw output roughly into the room which means the door stays open regularly! We burn coal and coal briquettes only (no wood to keep the flue clean!)and find a middle size bucket and a half is plenty for a 4pm light till sleep time. I agree that it also heats the chimney breast upstairs so keeps the main bedroom warm easily too. I would say anyone in a smallish/medium house would do well with this. The main problem I have is smoke leaking out of the doors at the top. I had this adjusted a little by the installer but still a problem, next the Rep from has been at it only today so I hope this will resolve the issue as it has been impossible to put a big fire with fuel at the front of the firebox without fumes into the room. They are blaming a poor draft etc but this is not really the issue at all as fumes come out of it even when the door to the room is open. The room itself has a vent and also if you open the doors on the unit it does not smoke and has enough draft. The airwash is not very good, the glass will stay cleaner if you keep it turned up high but I like to get the system up and hot then close it right down so the fire will stay-in for the night, this presents fumes(no more I hope)and black glass. Apart from this I think the unit is superb if a little pricey, if you are used to oil then you may need to allow a lot more time for your system to heat up (water + rads), an hour on oil first while lighting I find does the trick. Hope this review is of help to someone out there!

    Stove expert replied: Honest feedback from customer, is there another chimney in the house? Flues can be problematic but usually these can be overcome - may be worth speaking to a Chimney Expert if the problem persists!!

    Overall rating:

    3.5 flames

  • Jury is out

    Tony Ingram 12 years ago

    We bought our inset boiler earlier this year. Its our first woodburner, so we are learning the ropes! However, the experience to date has not been perfect. Using only logs so far on factory
    settings, control is difficult and unpredictable, and overnight retention more miss than hit. Direct room heating is poor; but the indirect (permanent) radiator good. Hot water output is good too, although we have yet to complete the full radiator installation load.The sense is that we are pleased that we have an oil-fired Aga!Glass cleaning is a chore, and needed every lighting. This spoils the experience.

    Stove expert replied: Leave air wash open and insure fuel dry and seasoned which should help to keep glass clean.

    Overall rating:

    3.5 flames

  • why dont i have an airwash fitted

    Alwyn Ross

    I think this stove is very good, lovely and warm, easy to manage had it fitted about 4 years ago and since then have wished it had an airwash. I thought that was just the way they were until
    now. It seems to me that both the charnwood slx models have an airwash they have just put a rubber bung where it should be on my stove. Now I'm thinking can I fit an air wash to it because if I could I think it would be pretty much perfect or do I have to by another stove. I would defenetly recommend fitting one of these but only if it has the airwash if it doesn't don't fit it or you will be constently cleaning it.

    Stove expert replied: The SLX models do have an airwash control on the top right hand side as you look at it, you pull the control out to operate. See manual page 4 for where the control is and perhaps reading through again will refresh how to get the best from the stove.

    Overall rating:

    3.5 flames