WhatStove?

Review of Stovax Stockton 7 Inset Convector stove

Open fire replacement

Trevor Wainwright 11 years ago

Decided to have a stove fitted to make it safer and stop the carpet from being burned. Was told that the inset was the only one that would fit and went ahead with it just over a year ago. Worked out a lot more expensive than I thought. Once completed I followed the instructions but found that the stove didn't give out any heat at all and that was with a cushion covering the new 5 inch diameter hole in the wall (I've already got a eight inch square one for the oil boiler). I spoke to Stovax and the supplier and I was weighing wood as I burned it to get a feel for how much heat I was burning and getting. In theory I should be getting a unit of heat for less than 3p when my oil costs 7p. With having the stove burning as fast as I could, it hardley warmed the lounge at all and it's supposed to be 7kW.

Eventually I realised that there was no insulation around the stove and I had the supplier come and have a look at it. After he believed me the installer returned and filled the cavity with vermiculite (I removed all the rubble). This has improved matters a bit but I don't think that the stove is much more efficient than the open fire as it takes hours to increase the lounge temperature by one degree centigrade. The installer said it would be sufficient to heat the lounge and the conservatory. I thought that I would be leaving the lounge door open to heat the rest of the house but I certainly can't get the lounge up to 21C with the doors shut. I've burned a 'loose ton' of wood on the fire (measured during my efficiency tests to be less than 400 kg) and more besides and am disappointed to find that it doesn't appear to have saved me any oil at all. What surprises me is that when you open the door to put more fuel in, the heat will burn your face off but there is little heat with the door closed. Where is all the heat going? I've burned 10 kg of wood and failed to heat the room and that should be giving me 30 kW of heat. That would be 3 kW/hr over ten hours, which should be plenty. If I run a 3 kW fan heater for an hour you'd have to have all the doors and windows open. With the cost of wood, assuming it is efficient, it would cost 11p/unit and if the efficiency is what I think, you'd be better off with on peak electricity. Then there is all the messing, which I do find theraputic but not when I think I'm wasting my time. Don't know what's wrong with, even with an electric fan blowing underneath it, the heat output is low and yet up close it is really hot. Tried all sorts and found the upper baffle was the wrong way round, put that right but didn't make much difference. Leave the door cracked open to cause a real draught and get it really burning. The air coming out of the vents gets hot enough to burn your hand and the top is that hot anyway but the air is only coming out slowly, that's why I have the fan. Perhaps there's not enough vermiculte!

Stove expert replied: Has the chimney been lined? If the stove is working hard and not producing much heat then quite possibly the heat is going up the chimney or into the void that has been filled (may not be filled enough though). Further investigation recommended.

Overall rating:

3.5 flames

Build Quality 4 flames (avg 4)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 3.9)
Value for money 3 flames (avg 3.5)
Ease of use 4 flames (avg 3.5)
Ease of lighting 4 flames (avg 4)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 3.6)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 3.6)
Controllability 3 flames (avg 3.3)
Handle operation 4 flames (avg 3.4)
How likely are you to buy it again? 3 flames (avg 2.9)
What is your overall satisfaction? 3 flames (avg 3.3)