Review of Coalbrookdale Severn stove
Coalbrookdale Severn Stove
We have had a Coalbrookdale Stove happily burning for over 18 years at this stage (started 1992). If I could sum it up in one line, this stove is a mean machine! It is the pride and joy of our home and it is still brought up in conversation amongst relatives, some naming it "The Daddy of stoves"...\n\n---\n\nI'll sum up good and bad similar to Martin's review\n\nGood: We have the model with the boiler and vertical flue which heats 8 radiators and the water with ease. Similar to Richard, we can fill it right up with a bucket of anthracite in the morning and it burns to night. A small top-up or rattle will keep it glowing through-out the night. We once took 9 showers, yes nine hot showers out of the stove (admitted, the stove was running like a furnace).\n\nGood: This stove will burn anthracite, coal, turf (Ireland), various grades of wood and even house-hold rubbish. See FUEL: for a breakdown of the various burning characteristics.\n\nGood: It is obvious this stove is of high build quality and superior materials. The outer faces are solid cast with a attractive rough look and feel (this may be from casting, I don't know). The interior is a solid lump of heavy metal, mostly cast I think. As far as I know, the original boiler is still in our stove after 18 years. We have had to replace the glass (golf-clubs!) and the sealing rope around the door a few times. About ten years ago, the stove was let run full of anthracite, on a very windy day at 8 (fully open damper) for over an hour. It turned the vertical flue red and cracked the walls of the chimney and two rooms. The only damage to the stove was a crack in the small round flue collar.\n\n---\n\nBad: One bad point, possibly our own mistake, is how the stove with the vertical flue is installed. If you can picture this: The stove sits on the floor, the flue slots in the top of the stove and into a curved hood which turns into the chimney liner. This doesn't allow much room for movement...or removal. To replace the flue collar we cracked we would have to dig under the stove, then drop the stove down from the vertical flue. Not a fault of the stove, but keep it in mind.\n\nBad: The damper in this stove is a little gimmicky for the bulk of a stove it is. There is a thermostat attached yet I don't think ours ever worked. The damper is suspended on a long spring-loaded arm which is adjusted by the control knob on the side. The arm is too light a metal and on a windy night the damper will flap at a certain position. The numbers run 1 to 8, eight being fully open, yet we cannot leave it between 5 and 7 as the draft causes it to flap.\n\nBad: On the damper again, the control knob is mounted on the side of the stove. As we learned in the red flue incident, the knob is to easy for young kids to turn, resulting in open dampers unattended. The knob could have a child's lock or be better hidden\n\nBad: Since maybe three years ago, the stove has become a bit harder to control. We live on the Atlantic coastline of Ireland, 100 metres from the raging sea so gale force winds are common. Unfortunately at times, these gales overwhelm the damper, turning the stove into a blazing inferno. The stove can handle it but it does worry me sometimes. Again, it has only started becoming hard to control three years ago so the stove probably needs some TLC, a new flue collar which has been cracked for years and a touch up at the sealing points.\n\nBad: Airwash doesn't work and the glass can get horribly tar coated leaving the panes sticky and stained. A blazing fire will strip the bulk of this away however so low heat burning is normally the cause.\n\nBad: To back-up Martin's point, opening the door when the stove is full will cause the ash to fall down the front and onto the step. This can be annoying as you have to sweep after every opening.\n\nBad: The ash-pan is rather small for the depth of the hearth and usually a lower temperature burning will have you emptying the ash every day or two.\n\n---\n\nDon't let my amount of bad points put you off however. I'm simply being more detailed here on smaller points. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons.\n\n---\n\nFuel: GOOD quality Anthracite is excellent for sustained medium heat burning and low ash output. As of recently, the anthracite in my part of Ireland has been rubbish so we burn a high quality coal. Coal can give a three / four hour blast of intense heat but leaves a fair bit of 'rocks' if burned out at low heat. Surprisingly, wood can ramp the heat of the stove right up however this stove will eat wood as fast as you can put it in! Wood is great for helping light the stove. Rubbish is okay for burning in the stove. Plastics burn well, albeit at high heat and it leaves a mess behind. Paper is a no go as the heat required to completely burn the paper is unsafe, needing open damper. Otherwise, a lump of ash is left smothering your fire.\n\n\n\nOverall, an excellent stove that would make a smouldering paste of the Chinese rubbish coming along these days. They aren't being manufactured any longer AFAIK, but if one became available, I wouldn't have to think twice.\n\n\n\n
Stove expert replied: What a great review, and really focussed on the stove itself too. A load unit would probably help to reduce tarring of the window as it will maintain a good firebox temp. A draught stabiliser would help to reduce extreme draw on these really windy days.