Hints and tips on managing central heating run by multifuel stove please

elljay

As title really!  I've moved into a house with a Hunter Herald stove which runs heating and hot water and could really do with some hints on the best way of managing the system.  I can light the stove and get it going fine but not sure how to work the primary and secondary controls to best  heat the radiators.  The chimney pipe gets nice and hot but the pipes leading to the tank/rads are never more than warm (with the pump on of course) and the whole lot cools down very quickly.  I've been experimenting with fuel but until I acquire a coal bunker or log store am trying small quantities.  It seems very different to the stove I had previously but that didn't have a back boiler.  It feels like a bit of a pain but probably my fault for not understanding.

Advice gratefully received.  Thanks..  EJ

Ectophile

I think the small quantities of fuel may be the problem. The back of the stove will be full of water, and when you turn on the pump, it will be cold water.

You will need more fuel than a normal stove to keep it going.

tacpot12

You might consider getting a local installer to come and show you how to operate the stove, and to check that there isn't some fault with the heating system. Ultimately you may find that you would benefit from installing a thermal store that can absorb all the heat from the stove when it's lit, and release the heat slowly through the evening and then still have plenty of heat left to warm your house in the morning. 

greyteam1959

Get yourself a stove thermometer & install it on the flue.
Most of them are magnetic.
A few £'s on eBay.
Then run the stove near the maximum temperature.
You are probably going to need some sort of smokeless fuel to get the heat output to heat your radiators though.

elljay

Thank you for the replies.  Sorry I should have been clearer, I meant I was buying small amounts of different fuels, not putting small amounts on the stove.  However that's a good point about the cold water, so if I let the stove get nice and hot before putting on the pump, that might help.  I did have someone round, well two different ones actually as there was a problem with the thermostat but they both gave me different advice about the air controls and both said it's trial and error.  Which is proving expensive.

I'll have a chat to the local friendly coal merchant to get some advice on the best fuel and yes, a thermometer sounds a good idea too.  Thanks all.