The Charnwood Island II stove has double doors with glass panels that are gently shaped matching the shaped legs. The lever on the right of the front of the stove allows the grate to be converted from a wood burning grate to a multifuel grate.
There is a button under the doors at the front of the stove that controls the airflow.
We have always had clear view stoves, our last being the vision 500 which was faultless and threw out loads of heat, although we had quite a small house with this stove. We have since moved
to a large 17th century thatched farmhouse, our living room is now twice the size. We wanted a clear view 650, but started to wane on this slightly when looking into reviews, clear view are very crafty with there kw output info, they state the 650 throws out 12kw, but this is the max it will put out, its actual range is from 2.5kw to 12kw which is a big difference, and you shouldn't have these on full blast all the time. When we got our quote for installation I nearly fell over, the thatch was used as a huge excuse to charge £5400 for the 650 and install, twin wall is not that expensive, so we decided to go for the Island 2 as it seemed a near kw competitor to the 650 having a range from 5kw to 11kw with an average out put of 8kw. Average outputs are something clear view won't tell you, this showroom was not a clear view stockist. Now I'm used to it,( its very easy to compare every stove against a clear view ), I'm really pleased with it, yes there is a massive design fault with the ash that falls out every time you open door, but its heat output is really good, and with the correct logs will burn nearly overnight. Clear view are very good but everyone else has now caught up, there just living on there original reputation. I have no doubt the Island 2 has a way better average kw out put than the 650.
Stove expert replied:
Outputs can be specified by manufacturers in minimum, maximum and or nominal kW's (this is the average), so it depends on what they specify and it can be somewhat confusing. Of-course the output will also depend on the quality of the fuel being used and how hard you are operating the stove, so there are variants that will also apply.
We finally decided to remove our open fire and put a stove in place. We have the stove installed now for six months and it has made such a difference. It is amazing how much more heat is generated
into the house. The stove looks really well and this was one of our worries about replacing the open fire. We thought maybe it would not look as cosy. How wrong we were. The generous glass doors mean you can see the fire burning. It took us a little while to adjust to the right amount of air flow to keep the glass clear but we are now "experts" at keeping the glass clear and the fire glowing. We would recommend this stove to anyone who is considering buying one. Would never return to an open fire. This stove is the business.
Stove expert replied:
Great review and one happy customer!
excellent heat output but if you run at full heat to obtain 8kw rating the throat plate bends and the fire bricks disintigrate within one season and are very expensive to replace. too expensive
to have these faults
Stove expert replied:
No stove should be run on maximum at all times there should only be short periods of fast burn with slumber periods in between. Ideally the short periods of fast burn should be 15 - 20mins max. If you are operating the stove flat out all the time then a bigger stove may have been a better option so that the nominal / average output meets the requirements for the space you are heating rather than relying on the maximum output of the stove.
We installed two Islands--one II in our big living room and a I in the dining. We are self-sufficient in timber having organised a large garden as productive woodland and beds. We season our
timber for at least 2 years and use a moisture meter to test % (20 or less) before burning. All seasoned timber is stored under cover.Both stoves perform well. Running together they will provide heat to the whole house (2,500 sq.ft.). The large stove has however proved to have some flaws. First, the door seals last for no more than one season. Second, however carefully set, it will not burn overnight (our former Esse would). Third, the throat plate while no doubt technically clever imposes restraints on the size of block you can use. If too thick, the throat plate is dislodged. If not triangular in shape, split logs will not fit. But worst of all, the plate is made from thin steel plate which will after a couple of years start to curve downwards until it is too narrow to sit on the pegs where it is supposed to fit. I have discussed this in the past, both with retailers and with Charnwood technical dept. The latter says it happens if the fire is too hot for too long and I should fit a flue thermometer to tell me if it is too hot. I have replaced the throat plate before and was ordering another one today when I thought: why? Surely it would be better to buy a more carefully designed product.Which is what I will do. I'm not sure I understand 'too hot'as this is a stove that is supposed to get hot. We load it lightly, and it spends most of its time with the air-controller fully closed.Pity. It's basically good, English and reasonably good looking. But I'm moving on. Be careful when buying Charnwood Islands.
Stove expert replied:
The internal components of any stove can warp if the stove is not operated within the manufacturers guidelines, so if Charnwood suggest a thermostat it is because they feel that there may be a problem in this area. It is good practise to have one on any stove to ensure that you are using it correctly. Seals can also fail prematurely if a stove is being over-fired or if the flue draw is excessive and these should be checked so that you get the best from your stove.
Looks good with the 2 doors and it is a pleasure to sit in front of... there is a fight with the dogs who gets the best spot. It lights easily I have now had it for about 4 years and use it
all the time.like others I find the ash falls out when you open the door but you get used to that and have a dust pan and brush handy... the back fire bricks need changing about every 2 years. I recommend this model
Hi all,we got this stove 7 years ago and at the beginning we didn't like it ( we didn't know how to use it to :) ) ... but now is a different story, when the stove is on we hardly need any oil
heating in the house and it is not a small house, the temperature is a healthy 17 to 18*C. It's free heating and hot water all winter :) and I burn mainly timber as not recommended (burns to hot for the fire bricks) but couple of coals here and there does no harm but not to much at any one time is ok.
Great looking, solidly built, simple to use and burns well. However, internally I have issues! The fire bricks at the back break easily (replace twice a year and genuine ones are expensive
as have to replace all (found alternative now) and due to support design the middle part slips down. This means that 1. the fancy reburn holes are less than efficient, 2. thus, once cracked this causes them to disintegrate,3. with a design that uses them to support the baffle this means the baffle falls off its perch frequently and all of these together cause me to become 'frustrated! The baffle has bent a bit with the heat so is often caught when putting logs in and a repeat of previous problem. Such a shame as I love it otherwise!
We've been running this stove for almost a year now and this frustrating niggle doesn't seem to go away. The stove works OK, heats the room with great efficiency, glass is OK if you burn the
right material at the correct temperature... BUT every time you open the door it drops ash on the floor! The way the grate is configured means even with a small amount of ash in the grate it deposits some on the floor in front of it. I think this is a design failure would honestly expect more for the price. It's not exactly a bargain-basement priced product, well built etc, etc, but I would warn prospective purchasers that unless they are happy to sit a dustpan and brush next to the stove to be used almost every time you open the doors then maybe have a look at something else less irritating.
Choice! After reading endless info from this site and others we were a bit overloaded with info as to which make and whether to have cast iron or steel. After reading a review on this site which
seemed to make sense we plumped for the Island II. It's quick to heat up, easy to control and throws out a lot of heat. The ash box is a little small although it does turn most things you burn to dust so you can burn for at least a whole day without needing to empty. Whatever anyone tells you the glass will always need cleaning. Over the winter we have used it most days and each morning you will need to take a wet sponge and some fairy and give them a wipe over. You may also need a scoring pad but then it’s as good as new. The doors also just lift off in case you need to give them a real good clean by the sink. This stove is meant to throw out 8kw of heat which it does but we have quite a large room with a door on to our hallway and an open plan area onto the Kitchen so the heat can disappear so just make sure you buy big enough. We have an open fire in the front room and will be looking to replace this shortly with another Charnwood. The speed at which the stove starts to produce heat is so much quicker than a real fire and all the mess is contained inside. Beware though, these things eat wood.
Stove expert replied:
You on;y get out of a stove what you put in so if you are expecting a large amount of heat the fuel needed will have to reflect this. A small fire will produce a small anount of heat and most importantly the quality of the fuel used effects the output, wood should have 20% or less moisture content.
