Getting the most from my stove using smokeless

John_the_Boy

I have a Stovax Stockton 7 inset and have just started using smokeless fuel rather than wood. I am using Homefire smokeless and find it easy enough to light but I am struggling to get the stove up to a reasonable temperature. With wood I can get the stove up to about 400-450F but with smokeless I struggle to get over 300F.


Hoping someone can tell me where I am going wrong....

I lay about 10 pieces of kindling over a couple of pieces of fire lighter and put about 10 pieces of coal on and then light the fire lighters.

I leave the fire to take hold for about 15 minutes before adding the rest of the fuel for the evening, probably about another 12/15 pieces of fuel. This is about half a 10kg bag of Homefire in total for the evening.

I leave the vents fully open for about another 30 to 40 minutes until the coals are glowing and then I start to reduce the air from the lower air vent to no more than half way. I leave the airwash fully open otherwise the glass starts to get quite mucky.

Some nights the fire peaks at 300F, the best I have managed so far is 330F.

What should I be doing to get a better temp out of my stove? Am I using enough fuel or am I using the vents incorrectly?

firefox1956

Well I don't use smokeless coal but you start the fire with 10 pieces of coal then add another 12 to 15 pieces ??
Sounds to me that you are not using enough coal to be honest.

John_the_Boy

Was thinking that myself, however I am using half a 10KG bag and smokeless hexagons are quite big so I get a decent amont of smokeless on my grate.

Read on one of the posts on this sub-forum that someone used 3kg for an evening hence why I was assuming 5kg should be enough for me as we start the fire at 17:30 and have finished in the room by 21:30 so only really need the fire for about 4 hours.

Will try some more smokeless on tonight to see if that makes a difference.

Thanks

Swipe

If you are only using the room for 4 hours, i'd stick with wood. You'll heat up much faster and you won't be wasting fuel when it's not required.

A._Badger

I wouldn't pay so much attention to your thermometer. What matters is whether the room is sufficiently warm, not some theoretical figure. If it isn't, then your fire is almost certainly too small, given the relatively higher thermal output of smokeless compared with wood.

John_the_Boy

Thanks for your replies. Wood would be my first choice but just not an option at the moment. Will try some wood briquettes as a comparison and will also try more smokeless to see if a bigger fire gets a better stove temp.

grumpyoldgal

John the Boy


I am having exactly the same issues with my stove - and keep on experimenting but getting to the stage where I have had the heating on the last 3 nights instead of trying the stove because I am fed up of being cold!! :mad:


I'd be really interested to see how you get on so please do post the outcomes!


Good luck!

wrightk

have used smokeless for a number of years now. I find the trick is to use plenty of kindling, wait for it to catch, add thin layer of smokeless, use maximum draft and keep door ajar, when that is caught add more smokeless. close the door when the temperature is rising rapidly. Once you have desired temp you can then reduce the draft

suki1964

Your fire is too small

Smokeless burns long and slow. It is possible to use a smaller amount of fuel over a period of time compared to say coal, but you still need a fair bit of it to get the stove hot to start with.

I lit the stove today at 11. I've just banked it up with anthracite and it won't need any more attention until hubby gets in tonight. Then he will probably use logs for the rest of the evening as the room will be toasty and we are short on smokeless till Thursday

John_the_Boy

Hi Suki - last night I tried with about 7kg of coal on and had a lovely looking fire burning but it never really got really hot, stove thermometer showed 310F (wood would be 450F).

Most of a 10KG bag of homefire smokeless should be enough to get a good temp shouldn't it?

Spoke to Stovax today & they think it might be because there isn't enough air getting to the coals so suggested leaving the door ajar whilst burning to see if that makes a difference - just seemed to make it worse. The other option they have suggested is that there is too much draw on the flue and the heat is going uo the flue.

Looks like I will have to get the shop who fitted it out to test the flue draw.

What a pain this is turning out to be! Almost tempted to go back to central heating all the time.

A._Badger

Frankly, if you are getting more heat out of wood, something, somewhere, is badly wrong. I think the decision to call out the firm that fitted it is the best thing you can possibly do.