WhatStove?

Review of Hunter Herald 8 stove

If your stove with back boiler not heating as expected then read this!

Polly H 9 years ago

We bought the Herald 8 with wrap around boiler for our old cottage to replace expensive LPG. The stove was installed to spec and connected up to our existing (modern) radiators. Like many of the reviews we were initially very disappointed - the stove didn't get very hot (we could hold a hand on it) and the radiators barely warm. Customer services at Hunter could have been more helpful when contacted by our installer they suggested we may have a chimney problem or we were using the wrong fuel (we had tried every combination of wood and various anthracites). However, we called in our plumber who had installed the wet side. He adjusted the thermometers (the spec says that the lower temp should be set at 45 and the higher at 90) in addition the pump was working at its highest speed. What this meant was that the water was going around the system fast and the lower setting did not switch the pump off until the water was warm. Consequently the water in the system and the boiler were not able to achieve an optimum hot temperature. He adjusted the lower temperature to 60 and left the higher at 90 and put the pump on a slower speed. Hey presto!!! we're toasty warm with lashings of hot water, a hot stove that heats the room and heats the radiators as hot as they were with the previous LPG. The water is now travelling around the system slow enough to heat and maintain a constantly high temperature. We're assuming that the spec is based upon a modern house whereas it must need adjusting depending upon the property.

We're finding no real difference between the types of fuel - wood or the anthracite variations - they all produce the same results, the stove stays on overnight when filled and shut down - we open it when we get up and by the time the kettle has boiled there is a glow and we restock it with fuel.

I really hope this help folks who are disappointed and feeling the cold! (We were there and thought we'd made a big and expensive mistake!!)

Overall rating:

3.5 flames

Build Quality 3 flames (avg 3.6)
Quality of finish 4 flames (avg 3.9)
Value for money 3 flames (avg 3.6)
Ease of use 4 flames (avg 4)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4)
Firebox size 3 flames (avg 3.9)
How well does the airwash work 4 flames (avg 3.6)
Controllability 4 flames (avg 3.4)
Handle operation 3 flames (avg 3.1)
How likely are you to buy it again? 3 flames (avg 3.3)
What is your overall satisfaction? 4 flames (avg 3.5)