FDC 5kw
Overall Rating: based on 6 reviews (View rating breakdown)
The FDC 5kw has an optional multifuel kit. This model will take logs of 300mm in length.
Technical Data
- Height: 525mm
- Width: 365mm
- Depth: 340mm
Most Recent Review
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for the money, you cant really go wrong!
where to start? build quality: probably one of the best I have seen in the price bracket. solid steel plate body, cast door (as they all are). fit and finish: very good, everything lines up as it should and due to this the air sealing of the unit is great. all of the controls are well built and sturdy in use. the main lower air control can sometimes squeak when the turned, but only when the stove is cold. value for money: I paid just under £600 for the stove and fitting kit. after looking at other stoves in the same price bracket (£5-700) this came out on top. my house is fitted with an electric combi boiler and from Oct 2014 until march 2015 it saved me approx £350 on my electricity bill. bear in mind, I have a supply of free wood... ease of use: perfectly easy to use! top and bottom air controls are a decent size and easily manipulated, even with gloves on. getting it going: easy peasy! 5 pieces of scrunched up news paper, good handfull of kindling. open up the lower air control all the way and the top one half way. light the news paper and wait a couple of seconds for it to get going, then shut the door. the fire then roars in to life! once its well caught and the stove is starting to heat up (you'll hear it pinging as it gets warmer) then start to add your wood. this sequence has not failed me yet! size of box: a good size given the compact nature of the unit. i cut my logs to around 12 inches and these fit perfectly. i can usually fit 2 or 3 in lengthways and they burn well. airwash: does exactly what its supposed to, as long as you remember to either A- burn seasoned wood, or B- run the fire very hot to burn off soot. damp wood will blacken the glass on even the most expensive of stoves.... controls when lit: this takes a bit of trial and error at first, but you will soon get to become confident in the way it acts when its burning. different types of wood require different air flow to burn and this stove is more than capable of providing the ability to fine tune that air flow. it also allows you to go from a roaring fire to no flames at all in just a few seconds. (tip, when it gets really hot turn the lower air control all the way to closed and leave the top one open VERY slightly. it will give you an amazing colour in the firebox and providing a slow 'licking' effect with the flames) handle: works well, isnt stiff and the finish has put up with my ruff treatment and still looks like new. if, like me, you like it hot and you run the stove to capacity then expect the handle to get hot. shouldnt be an issue though as FDC supply insulated gauntlets with the fire... buying again: would i buy again? yes! even after 8 months of use its still as good as new. if i ever needed a stove again i wouldnt hesitate in buying another FDC 5.
Most Popular Review
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A super little stove
I wanted a stove to replace the hideous 1970's York stone fire surround and damaged Baxi in our dining room. As I work from home in this room I wanted something that would heat the room during the day in winter so that I didn't have to heat the whole house using the central heating. This does the job nicely. I've used both wood and smokeless fuel and have tended to prefer using the smokeless fuel as it is 'less demanding' (longer burn time - the logs went up quickly, then died away quickly. We actually got the same fire surround shown in the image above for the stove and we're really pleased with it. The tiles are slate effect ceramic tiles (which I didn't realise) but they look super. The mantle is a stone resin compound - it feels cold and smooth to the touch - like a polished stone. It goes really well with the rest of the room - elegant and stylish without being too 'rustic' or too dominant. Just perfect for a 1920's Arts and Crafts style house. In summary, we're really pleased with the overall aesthetic effect and the heating! NB - overnight rating is invalid in this case - we've never had it burning overnight purposefully.Stove expert replied: Fair review, the marks awarded show its strengths and weaknesses.
More reviews for FDC 5kw
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About the best value around
FDC are in my opinion about the best value for money there is. The stoves are simple, robust and efficient (80+%). I fit stoves for a living and I am impressed by FDC for packaging, finish, easy of use, customisation (black handle and stainless air controls) and price. -
Good Little Stove
We had previously used a little Aga Wenlock in a house we rented. Perhaps it was badly set up, but lighting the FDC is much easier and gives out much more heat. I would recommend the FDC - itStove expert replied: Wood should have a moisture content of less that 20% otherwise problems with glass discolouration, heat output and flue deposit building up will occur. A moisture meter is recommended to prevent this.
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Nice attractive stove
The fire is a well made, attractive feature to the room. -
Good 5kw stove
We wanted a 5kw woodburning stove for our medium-sized living room and we are really happy with this stove. We had a dated stone surround and an old gas fire and we have now opened this up into a really big hearth and this stove sits in it beautifully with a good length of stove pipe leading up into the flue. The stove itself looks great with a large glass door and the airwash does a good job of keeping the glass clear. The stove box size is fine for normal sized logs and it can fit 4 logs comfortably. The stove is very easy to light and the controls are good, enabling the fire to be adjusted. We live in a smoke controlled zone and this stove is exempt so it is ideal for us. We have only used seasoned wood and not smokeless coal. I don't think it could burn overnight with logs but I haven't tried it. I think coal lasts longer so it may do al-right overnight with that. I would recommend buying a stove thermometer to get the right temperature. We find that helpful because this is our first stove and we aren't used to optimum temperature. The silver finish on the handle did start to peel before we lit out first fire but the fitters are replacing that for us without charge, so hopefully that problem doesn't reoccur. Also, the door handle is too tight, but again the installers are sorting that for us too. Overall, we are very happy with this stove. It looks good, it was very good value at £450 and it is easy to use. We would recommend it to anyone after a 5kw smokeless zone stove.Stove expert replied: Good feedback and minor problems being resolved well.
