WhatStove?

Review of Dunsley Yorkshire stove

Cracking!

Robin 14 years ago

Bought our model, with back boiler, a couple of years ago. We have piggy-backed it, using a Dunsley-Baker neutraliser (simple, but pricey for what it is), and some extra pumps, with our gas boiler so that when there is a demand for heat (from rads or hot water tank) it takes over when it is lit. If it is lit and the heat demand goes off (or there's a power cut!), the excess heat is dumped ("thermosyphoned") to a 1.5kw rad in the loft, else the water boils (scary!). The Yorkie has a thermostatically-controlled air control, which restricts the air intake when the water in the back boiler approaches its set temperature. Dunsley have a range of possible plumbing and wiring schematics on their website but I visited the factory in Holmfirth before purchase and spoke to the Managing Director who looked over my custom schematics and was very helpful. I'm not a professional installer but, if you can join pipes and manage basic wiring, it's not beyond the remit of the competent DIYer.\n\nThe back boiler can heat all the rads in our moderately-sized house (although the ramp-up is a little slow), puts out up to 5kw directly into our small living room (phew!) and can heat a tank of hot water in about 1.5 hours. Lots of space on the top for cooking on too - Dunsley also supply a griddle pan as an optional extra too. We had chestnuts on ours last night - yum!\n\nIt's a big lad of a stove but it still fits into the inglenook cut into the chimney breast of our small 3-bed former council house with all the necessary clearances (just!). The chimney is lined with a flexible stainless steel flue liner. How durable this will be with a 17kw solid fuel appliance only time will tell! \n\nWe feed it scrap timber and broken up pallets and since installation (and also of solar HW heating panels) we have knocked 90% 0ff of our gas bill. I haven't fed it any logs yet but, after pursuing my chainsaw certificate, it's a plan for the future! The ash pan only needs emptying about once per week.\n\nThe stove is very cleanburning, once hot enough, but doesn't slumber down well with a lot of fuel in and so isn't really appropriate for overnight burning as \n(a) it will get smokey and (b) would be a waste of fuel, with most of the heat going to your heat dump! If you loaded it last thing with your CH on, and only a few rads, I doubt there would be any fuel/fire left in the morning.\n\nMy only real gripe with it is that, possibly as a result of burning very dry scrap timber, the front fuel retainer bar can get too hot and can start to bend inwards due to differential expansion. I go through a new one roughly once every year. I suspect that this wouldn't happen with logs, though.\n\nAll said and done, this is an absolutely cracking piece of kit, solid, innovative and British made. I wholeheartedly recommend it!\n\n

Overall rating:

4.5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.9)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Value for money 3 flames (avg 4.7)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.9)
Ease of lighting 4 flames (avg 4.6)
Firebox size 3 flames (avg 4.3)
How well does the airwash work 4 flames (avg 4.4)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 4.6)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4.9)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.8)