WhatStove?

Review of Villager A

Villager A exported to France

Peter Parkes 10 years ago

We bought our stove in 2012 to use with a new double insulated stainless steel chimney in our house here in France.

It is installed in our dining room where we have an open stairwell. As a result, it very efficiently heats the room and the whole of the upstairs.

Overall, we are delighted with the performance of this stove and, having our own supply of wood, it has significantly reduced our heating costs. It will stay in all night with a sufficiently substantial 'night log'. The slight down-side is that the dribble of air needed to achieve this does rather nullify the airwash capability.

We did buy the optional flue damper and this is a great help in controlling the fire because the long S/S chimney does have quite a strong draw on it.

Stove expert replied: Overnight slow burn can cause problems in a flue system, regular short burst of fast burn should be undertaken as well as regular sweeping to remove debris that is produced when slow burning.

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.4)
Value for money 5 flames (avg 4.6)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 4.8)
How well does the airwash work 4 flames (avg 3.8)
Controllability 4.5 flames (avg 4.2)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 4)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4.5)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.5)