Wood burner stovw

thehorselady

I'm looking seriously at buying a woodburning stove. So here is my situation

I've been offered a great price on a new Varde Aura 11. Now the company selling it tells me that it will take smokeless fuel even though it is sold as a wood burner

Now I do appreciate that salesmen will be salesmen so I contacted another company and asked them will the Varde burn smokeless fuel here is part of their answer

I would imagine there is a lot more than coal burnt in many stoves when perhaps it shouldn’t be! ....Yes you are righ the stove checks all the boxes (primary air, shaker grate and ash pan all present) but it has not been tested for that use. It would also help to use good quality coal to reduce the risk of damage (as with all types of fuel).

Of this company I was only asking advice I made it clear I was buying elsewhere.

My primary source of fuel will be wood, I have a good long term supply but I would like the ability to give the stove a boost every now and again and I'd just like to hear some views. Can you, can't you? Safe, unsafe?

waamo

This was the answer given when someone asked the same question on another thread:

Greenfires wrote: »

I think that stove was discussed here recently. The general opinion (mine included) was that it wouldn't be suitable for smokeless - there's nowehere near enough air supply coming up through the fuel. The shaker grate in this particular stove is just a way of moving a bit of ash down to the pan - and is neither use nor ornament really. A dedicated woodburner doesn't need one, and a multifuel will generally have an open grate the same size as the internal dimensions of the firebox. Proper multifuel stoves often incorporate a shaker grate or riddling bars into the grate itself, but not "just" a shaker in a solid plate.

To my mind - this is just a way of making the stove look a bit more well engineered and complex, and no doubt adding a few quid to the price - while actually being pointless.

kah22

HorseLady, I posted an almost similar question here sometime ago; sorry I can't find the link.

Anyway it was the same stove as you are asking about and I was getting similar responses from people I asked and a similar response that you are getting here. The salesmen saying a little will do no harm, the forum saying the clue is in the name 'wood burner.'

To cut a long story short I bought the stove and have been using the occasional shovel of smokeless fuel if only to give the fire a bit of a body. Personally I don't see what harm it has done and I am of the opinion that a little will do no harm as long as you don't overdo it!.

I think what swung it for me was a part of the warranties which specifically excluded

i
f) Damage or premature wear caused by burning inappropriate fuels such as Bituminous coal, “Petro-Coke” or any other Petroleum based coals. Please visit the HETAS website, https://www.hetas.co.uk, for a full list of approved fuels which are covered by the warranty. Fuels outside of this list are not covered by the warranty.
g) Damage caused by burning material with high creosote content or any other painted/treated timber.

ok I'll grant it doesn't say smokeless is useable but it doesn't specifically rule it out.

The Stove in question has a small grate and an ash pan and air can come in from top and bottom. I do believe the occasional shovel of a good quality smokeless will do no harm

Swipe

Why not just get a multifuel stove designed for both wood and smokeless? That way you can burn away without that worry always in the back of your mind. I've had my esse multifuel stove for nearly 20 years and burn all sorts on it, including a pet-coke mix fuel and my grate bars are as good as the very first day I lit it. That said, a friend of mine burnt through his grate fast burning the same fuel as me.

thehorselady

Swipe wrote: »

Why not just get a multifuel stove designed for both wood and smokeless? That way you can burn away without that worry always in the back of your mind. I've had my esse multifuel stove for nearly 20 years and burn all sorts on it, including a pet-coke mix fuel and my grate bars are as good as the very first day I lit it. That said, a friend of mine burnt through his grate fast burning the same fuel as me.

Call it vanity but if I buy it will be as much for the style as for the heat. In fact I normally use oil. I just like to have a nice fire when I have friends around and on cold night I just wonder if the odd bit of smokeless fuel would be that harmful

Have you had any problems kah22, does smokeless burn well in the stove?

Size66

i have 3 stoves - all multi fuel and there in lies the clue - multi fuel - not only wood, not only smokeless . I sometimes burn wood sometimes 'ovoid's' -- wood is great for pretty looking flames and fierce heat, smokeless fuel ovoid's are great for a long lasting gentler heat that gets through the whole house - one load of smokeless ovoid's can keep me going with heat for 14 hours before a re fill is needed - after a while ovoid's glow rather than flame if its just to look pretty and impress visitors wood is a better spectacle. I have 2 hunter herald stoves and a cleanburn 'skagen' stove which is fab

suzybloo

I am looking at getting one too, as we have access to free wood, although I would get a multi fuel so we can change what we use if we need to. we are semi detached property so the flue needs to go up through the bedroom above so that bedroom will get some residual heat from the chimney. I am hoping to use it to heat all downstairs, and minimise the usage of electricity and gas. I will use it for drying clothing instead of the tumble dryer, have a kettle on top for hot water and a friend does slow cooking on hers, from casseroles to baked potatoes. The outlay is high so I need to utilise it as much as possible!

Chimney_Sweep_3

The original link says wood burner, I recommend wood only if a stainless liner is being fitted makes it all last longer people tend to slumber smokless fuel and it can lead to low flue gas temp which will destroy SS liners, had one last 20months.I have a wood burner they burn wood better than a multifuel, alot of multifuels start off as a wood burner and just have a grate added whic can be removed and extra bricks added for wood only.
We often cook a casserole, stew etc on top kettle goes on there, drying clothes can be a problem leads to condensation inside.