WhatStove?

Review of Westfire 21 standard stove

Conservatory fit

Colin Rossiter 14 years ago

There is a definite skill to lighting the stove. It is easy once you know and burns beautifully when the chimney is hot. This is the secret:-

1. Make sure all windows upstairs are closed if in a 2 or more story house.

2. If you have a fire place elsewhere in the house and the chimney is higher than the stove chimney then block it with a bag (we found a tesco bag full of newspaper works very well).

3. You must allow the stove to get plenty of air, therefore an air brick close to the stove is essential. Ours is about 2" diameter about 200mm from fire.

4. Our flue is only 2 and a bit meters high, because we did not want it much higher then the roof of the conservatory. The only problem with this is getting the flue hot enough quickly. i.e. plenty of kindling so it starts off blazing.

5.I use two fire lighters, then stack kindling in a criss cross pattern on top. Place one log on top of this, it is essential that this is a dry log, then light it and sit back.

6. The door of the stove has to be slightly open during the ignition phase (do you like that) but once you hear the flue roaring, which ours does you can put another log on and close the door.

7. Before we fitted the stove we used to use a 2Kw heater to keep the conservatory warm in the winter. This had to be on all the time. With the stove it is so warm even the dogs move out to the hallway.

8. If we light up at about 5 pm and retire at about 10 pm we use about 4 to 5 logs, even during the snow in feb. I sat watching the telly in shirt sleeves.

9.The only addition I am going to do is a whirly thing on top of the flue as We live on top of a hill in wide open country side. It can really blow some days and on rare occasions we get a puff of smoke down the chimney.

10. Remember this is a wood burning stove and part of the pleasure is the smell of a wood fire. Plus you do get a bit of dust but all fires do this.

11. We love our stove and now I can light it easily and quickly.

12. Remember it is ESSENTIAL that you use properly DRY logs.

Overall rating:

4 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Value for money 4 flames (avg 4.3)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4)
Ease of lighting 4 flames (avg 3.8)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 3.7)
How well does the airwash work 4 flames (avg 3.5)
Controllability 3 flames (avg 3.8)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 4.7)
How likely are you to buy it again? 4 flames (avg 4)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.3)