WhatStove?

Review of Merlin Slimline stove

excellent stove

John Guncill 8 years ago

I bought this slimline as part of a deal with a standard from a stove shop. I have now fitted the slimline in the master bedroom of my Italian farm house. My friend and I undertook the fitting last September the work was given the once over by a builder who fits stoves and was given the all clear. I used a large peace of polished granite as a hearth. (I used the size in our building regs as a guide.) This was laid on top of the wooden upstairs sub floor. I was fortunate that passing behind one of the bedroom walls was a long disused chimney from the centre cooking fire place in the kitchen. I used a flexible stainless steel flue liner that I purchased online - a bargain! To line the chimney, was very easy once the capping stone was removed, I used a standard English chimney cowl to suspend the liner in the chimney and cap off the top of the chimney in one go. We drilled through the bedroom wall and through the chimney wall and knocked through a round hole to pass a solid flue pipe through insulating the brick with a larger pipe filled with glass rope seal. Once we had connected it to the back of the stove, a simple job as this stove has an ingenious top/back coupling just two bolts and you're away. I have used this type of stove in a bungalow before with excellent results.(see other report on this site) The same goes for this installation, gives out plenty of heat for a fair size room, the room its fitted in has insulated pitched ceiling, but no other insulation. Heats up the space quickly no fuss, will burn over night without issue, and still re-lights next morning if needed with a little chopped wood. May seem an extravagance but the farm has no heating other than the merlin standard in the downstairs hall/dinning room. No mains gas! I wont be cold! PS I have carbon monoxide detectors in the rooms where the stoves are as a safeguard. Does not register on the scale. Also a room temp display, hottest so far was 26 deg when it was -8 outside! Merlins keep you warm....

Stove expert replied: Please note that when using a rear flue there should be no more than a 150mm horizontal run as the flue gases need to rise away from the stove.

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.6)
Value for money 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.9)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 3.9)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 3.5)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4.2)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.4)