WhatStove?

Review of Churchill 8 stove

C Thomson

Chris Thomson 5 years ago

I would agree with the other reviews of this stove. We''ve had ours for nearly four years and it''s probably on it''s last legs. The metal casing split near the door latch after only a year and has been patched up with cement/glue.The upper door pin broke when I first removed the door to clean/replace door roles and I now use a wood screw to keep the door in place. The baffle plate started to warp after the first year and now looks as if it may fall out. This may be due to the fact that it burns very hot. Local stove engineer keeps telling me to throw it out and laughs when I tell him of my woes, and there seems to be no information available about how to service them yourself, so I can''t figure out if there may be a problem with an air intake. Mendip themselves were unhelpful when I first contacted them about the stove burning very hot, shortly after installation - "lots of people buy a stove that''s too big for their needs" - so I haven''t gone back to them for advice. My advice would be, don''t bother.

Stove expert replied: If you had a problem of controlling the stove early on the installer should have been asked to attend to check the flue draw, it appears this was not requested which is unfortunate. The metal splitting should have been taken up with the manufacturer under the 5 year warranty that is provided by the manufacturer as soon as this had happened. It will not be valid if the stove has been over fired though. The problem could be that the flue draw is in excess of that which is recommended by the manufacturer. The installer can do a flue draw test and if this is too great, compared to what is recommended, then a flue damper or stabilizer can be added to the system so that the stove can be controlled. If when the air controls are shut the stove is burning fiercely and does not go back to slumbering, then this is likely to be the reason and you can't blame the stove for failing prematurely, it is being exposed to higher than normal temperatures for prolonged periods. I agree this is a costly experience and if you do change the stove, do make sure that you have control of the rate of burn, as similar can happen again if this is not corrected regardless of which manufacturer you purchase from.

Overall rating:

2.5 flames

Build Quality 1 flames (avg 2)
Quality of finish 2 flames (avg 2.7)
Value for money 2 flames (avg 2)
Ease of use 4 flames (avg 3.3)
Ease of lighting 4 flames (avg 3.7)
Firebox size 4 flames (avg 3.7)
How well does the airwash work 4 flames (avg 2.7)
Controllability 2 flames (avg 2.3)
Handle operation 4 flames (avg 3)
How likely are you to buy it again? 1 flames (avg 1)
What is your overall satisfaction? 1 flames (avg 1.3)