Replaced a very old Belgo Franco stove with a Clearview Vision 500. The difference is just amazing. Less fuel being used but so much more efficient. I no longer need to have the heating on
as it actually provides enough heat to go through the whole house. So easy to regulate the temperature and only needs cleaning out once a week. I am so happy with this, much cleaner, more efficient and beautiful to look at. Would highly recommend.
Installed the Vision 500 about 10 years ago, at that time the airwash was quite a new twist on an old idea. On first installing the stove we had fumes creeping through the joints in the chimney
so the chimney was back filled by a specialist company. If fitting any stove, look at the condition of the chimney first, fumes and smoke hang in the chimney with a stove unlike an open fire where air is drawn through all the time. The stove has always worked very well and heats the 17ft square room to a cosy temperature, if it gets too warm we just open the doors into the next room and the heat makes its way through. Over the 10 years we have used the stove we have always used a Stove thermometer and never run the stove over 500 degrees. The fire bricks have been replaced a couple of times along with the door and flue rope seals, with a good clean the stove still looks and works as well as it did when it was purchased, we lubricate the main air control pull flap with copper grease this helps to keep a good seal and lubricates the mechanism, this appears to be what was used on the stove when it was new. I think these stoves are overpriced in this day and age when there is more competition and products that are just as good or maybe superior, I think some of the Dunsley range could be just as good for far less money. Whenever I have contacted Clearview by email I never received a reply, and when I phoned them to get the diameter of the stove rope for the front door, which the dealer did not know...I was met with quite a snooty attitude by the lady who answered the phone and never did find out, from Clearview, the diameter of the rope, telling me to just buy the Clearview rope kit... which was 2.5 times the price of the rope and glue from a local shop...So all in all a very good stove that has lasted well over the 10 years we have used it. Would I buy the same stove again, not at the price they are now as I believe that other companies have sprung up that make a product which is just as good or better at a more attractive price, and they can even speak to you on the phone in a pleasant manner.
Stove expert replied:
Replacement rope is expensive but important to the working of a stove, think of it as a genuine spare for a car. It is not only the diameter of the rope but the density as well and this is a trade secret to each manufacturer.
We bought our Clearview vision 500 in March 2017. We got the idea from our neighbours who have an identical house to us. I researched every wood stove under the sun to avoid looking like we
were keeping up with the Joneses!!. But unfortunately I couldn't find anything which bettered the Clearview. It came out tops in all the reviews and they were right!We had to have the smoke control (DEFRA) version as we live in a smokeless area. We had it professionally fitted. Our house is a very large modern 5 bed detached house with excellent insulation. The house has 17 radiators. The thing I love the most is that our Gas bills have dropped by £80-£90 p/month!!! We even had a call from the gas company to find out why!! We now only use the central heating to heat our hot water. Other than that we never turn it on. The Clearview heats the whole house, we just leave all the doors open, we burn 16-20hrs a day. This keeps the upstairs at a nice 16-18C and downstairs a tropical 25-30c. Last year we burned 1/2-3/4 ton of wood from early September to early April But due to its efficiency we only get about a shovel full of shoot out of the chimney when it's swept. Lighting the stove is the simplest thing ever. Get the fire going for 10mins and shut the wheel, then once up 400-450F Just push in the vent and watch the temperature rise and it just idles away for hours. Very very easy to do! We get hardly any ash and only need to empty the ashtray 2-3 times a month.....It seems to even burn the ash!We only use dry wood (we get free from a local tree feller) around 10-20%, seasoned for at least a year and the Clearview laps it up. We've tried all types of wood and they all burn in the Clearview some burn for longer / hotter, others burn shorter and not as hot. We tend to burn softer woods in the autumn and spring and harder woods in winter. It really is a Clearview too. The glass never goes black and I only have to clean it about once or twice a month. The only negative is that our dog Angus has completely fallen in love with it and doesn't tend to sit with us when it's on, as he's always laid in front of it!The Clearview sales staff and after sales service are really excellent. Nothing is a problem. Always nice and friendly and their knowledge is second to none.After 3 years the stove still looks fantastic, most people comment how nice it looks when they see it.Without doubt this is one of the best things I've ever bought, it's absolute quality and does it's job superbly!We're moving house shortly but unfortunately we've had to include the stove with the house. We will definitely be having one in our next house.
Stove expert replied:
Great comments, very economical.
The Vision 500 is installed in our Living room and Games room. As an 8Kw stove we have utilised the external air kit, to feed combustion air directly to the stove. If this is something that
is achievable, then it should be utilised to ensure the stoves are able to "breathe" their combustion air from outside the room. All our stoves, even the 5Kw stoves, have the external air systems to help reduce draughts in an old rectory with single glazed windows, and it works a treat. The stoves are able to burn different types of fuel, although they have only been tested with wood. We tend to use Ash and Beech which has been processed and dried in potato boxes in our poly tunnel for about a year, which is a brilliant way to ensure your fuel is ready to burn. As long as the wood is seasoned and the core moisture level, the sap in wood, is less than 20% moisture you should be ready for trouble free use. The double glazed window ensures the inner glass is insulated from the room temperatures which gives an unsurpassed view of the fire...hence their name. Just be sure to burn the stove hot at times to discharge combustion products up through the flue. Ideally a stove should be run between 350-500 degrees F for optimum burn.Stove gloves are provided with the stove to facilitate opening the door and fuelling the stove. Some people feel the handle getting hot to touch is a fault, but far from that, it is a design feature that makes you protect yourself before operating the stove. The gauntlets are flame retardant and heat resistant which helps you bring the burning fuel forward towards the window, and the fresh fuel can be placed across the firebox from left to right, which means that if any core moisture evaporates, it comes out of the end grain and hits the side tiles rather than presenting steam on the window.To sum up, the Vision is a much loved British favourite and should be added to everyone''s shortlist.
Stove expert replied:
2 similar stoves out of 8 in one property, must be really happy with all aspects of this brand. Top marks given by reviewer.
Having had 3 different stoves over the last 15 years, I feel quite well qualified in reviewing the vision 500.The other stoves I have had have been British made and one Danish. All have been
quite good but there was always something just to knock them off the top spot.Things like Dirty glass when burning slowly, Smell of smoke in the room when opening the door to rearrange a log. Well I am glad to say that none of these apply to the Clearview vision. Its slightly more expensive than most stoves but I have tried a few and it just can't be beat. Easy to light,you can have it roaring or burning to a lazy flame or even slumbering (although not recommended). It's glass keeps clean even at slow burning, gives out good heat. All the parts for the stove are readily available and means the stove will last for years. Don't take my word for it, how many other stoves are rated at 4.5 stars with well over 100 reviews.
I have now had this stove for 3 seasons which I fitted myself following research and learning the regs. I then got it approved by a hetas installer. I have read the negative reviews but in
all cases I think there are genuine reasons for them either user error or poor installation. A stove needs to be well looked after and treated with care using only the best fuels. I again only used seasoned wood. I also use paper bricks which I make and pine cones and kindling as starter fuel. I monitor the temp all the time and clean the glass every week even though it does not really need it. I service the stove myself by removing all the bricks and baffle plate so inspecting the box in readiness for the sweeper. The first year it was swepted the sweeper asked if I had used it! I said yes , and he said well what ever you are doing keep on doing it and I do. I need't to sweep it for two years. So two years on I have just had the steel liner swept, dura flue, and once again, very little came out and what did was bone dry, no black residue from ineffective burning. It pays to read up on how to manage your stove well before installing one as I guess some people report problems because they didn't correctly research how to use them and burn the right fuels at the right temperature. Three years on the glass is like new, the box inside is clear no rust, only a light oxidation coating from being used but otherwise solid, no rust or other issues. Fire bricks are good no cracks but then they are easy to replace. The hinges are lubricated every year on the door by me with copper grease spray and the glass removed and cleaned. The fire rope seals are still white and intact. The stove is a smoke controlled one so I had to purchase the extra bit to stop me slumbering the stove , defra approved. I thought this would be a problem in burning too quickly, complete rubbish, you can still turn the rolling flames right down whilst still getting complete combustion once stove is at a high enough temperature. Most errors are because the user is not getting the stove in the sweet zone before they turn it down, when burning timber in a stove you should be burning the gasses being released from the wood and not the wood itself, this only happens when the stove is working as it should, burning all the volatile gases preventing build up of any creosote in the liner I am only an amateur but had read up on using stoves and combustion before buying one and can honestly say if you buy a clearview why would you not want to learn how to use it well since you are paying good money. You would not buy a Mercedes and drive it off road. I'm currently on holiday in Scotland and have a Jotul F250 in the home it's a good stove, cast iron, but has its failings mostly around ash pan size, single glass and no riddling grate , other than that a nice stove belting out the heat if you use it right. But I'll stick with clearview thank you.
Stove expert replied:
Great informative comments, and never a truer word written! If you know how to use a stove correctly you can get wonderful results. Certainly worth finding out about how to operate a stove prior to purchasing one.
I bought this stove after reading some of the positive reviews, I have had the stove approximately three years, I have only ever burnt seasoned wood and approved smokeless fuel, on replacing
a damaged fire brick inside the stove I noticed that the back of the stove had rusted and large pieces of rusted steel were flaking off inside the stove, I contacted clearview and told them of the situation, they told me that I had lost the guarantee on the stove because I had burnt smokeless fuel and the excessive rust was due to the tar the smokeless coal gives off, if I had known that the stove was made of low grade metal that corrodes so easily I would not have spent the extra money on this stove and bought a cheaper one.They don't make it clear to their customers that even though the stove is advertised as multi fuel they play on our ignorance as most people like me would buy coal that is recommended for multi fuel stoves not knowing the risk of damaging the stove.
Stove expert replied:
The manual that is provided with the stove should set out clearly the warranty / guarantee terms and conditions and also what fuel can be used on the appliance. Having looked at a manual it states: " Many manufactured solid fuels now contain oil products, these can be very corrosive, burning such fuels in your Clearview stove will void your warranty, the life of metal flues will be much reduced and glass may become opaque".
It is very important for every customer to read the manual to check what is allowed as this varies with different stoves and can be a costly error should they not be followed and a problem occurs.
I installed my Clearview about 7 years ago after a lot of research and am very pleased with my purchase. I have to heat an open plan ground floor of approximately 40sq meters in a small drafty
Victorian cottage, which is then open to staircases to the next 2 floors.As this is my only source of heat in the house, and I suffer badly in the cold, I find that I have to maintain a temperature of at least 4kw. To achieve this I use a lot of smaller logs to get the stove really hot before inserting normal size logs.As soon as the fire is really glowing (about 5kw) I put on a really large log that virtually fills the grate. When this ignites I close the vents right down and don't have to touch the fire again for at least 2 hours.Brilliant for baked potatoes! Wrap in tin foil and place on the surface of the stove. Turn once or twice and theyare ready in about an hour. Taste great , no pun intended, And they cost nothing to cook!
We built our house in 2012-13, moved in in 2013. Underfloor heating, very efficient windows and insulation up the wazoo. I chose a clearview 500 due to the airwash and the overnighting. We burn
1year old ash, holly oak and beech that''s probably stored out for 2-3 years and this year we''re mixing it up with turfIt''s in a large conservatory 9mx7m with a double height ceiling, opens onto a larger kitchen 14mx9m which in turn opens onto the kids playroom 8mx9mI've never turned the heating on in these three rooms in 4 years. Enough said. It''s the best thing we put into our house.
Our stove was installed 6 years ago in a 2 bed bungalow. When we burn 24/7 during cold spells it warms through the whole building. Very economical on wood, we have 2 seasons burning stored so
nice and dry. Zero problems in 6 years. Well worth the installation costs.
We have had our Clearview 500 for a year now and it is excellent. It gives out lots of heat, very efficient. It is very easy to control with the 2 air vents and the glass has remained clean
so the airwash must be doing it''s job well. Previously in our old house we had a yeoman exe but this is head and shoulders above that for heat output,controllability and clean glass.
