Review of Esse 350 stove
Esse 350SE Stainless Steel
We had this stove installed about a month ago - we chose it because we had an existing opening which we didn't want to alter too much, so this was the only stove which fitted that we could see. It seems of reasonable build quality but the glass cracked within 5 days, all the way across the middle from bottom to top and we are STILL waiting for a replacement - Esse are giving our vendors the runaround - after 2 weeks they decided they wanted the serial number and a week after giving them that we have still heard nothing. I e-mailed Esse direct and they didn't even have the courtesy to reply. So this company seems arrogant and not the least interested in customer service so on that basis alone I would steer clear of their products.
It seems to give out a reasonable amount of heat(it might be a touch small for our room) but the glass doesn't stay very clean and as I daren't wipe it because of the crack, we cannot see much of the fire. It lights OK if there is a breeze but is a real pain if it's still outside.I have bought an ash hoover which is the best £50 you will ever spend so I can hoover it all out in about 10 seconds. I wasn't overly impressed with having a 4" hole drilled through my wall which now lets in a freezing gale, which seems to defeat the object of having a fire in the first place ! So, in summary, good stove, crap company.Stove expert replied: Warranty on stoves does not cover glass however, normally after such a short period of time a replacement would be supplied either by the manufacturer or by the supplier perhaps at a reduced rate as a gesture of goodwill. Regarding the problems you are experiencing when lighting on a still day may be due to the flue which should be investigated further as there are ways to improve the draw. Room ventilators are a good option for providing the extra air required for a stove, have you got this or just a vent direct through the wall?