Frequently Asked Questions

Can you send me a brochure?
Unfortunately not. See above "What stoves do you sell?"

Our current brochure shelf holds two hundred different catalogues. Where to start? Most manufacturers will accept a request for their brochure and forward one to you. See our Manufacturers web page

Can I link a stove / boiler in to my central heating system?
Yes, but this concept is fraught with difficulties. This is so often asked, and can be done so badly and dangerously that we have devoted an entire page to it.  See our Link ins page.

Can I have a coloured stove?
Yes. In one of two ways. Either, enamel on cast Iron, or a paint finish on cast or steel. Heatproof stove paint is now available in around twenty different colours, and even if a manufacturer doesn’t offer your colour choice, you may talk us into painting a stove for you!
( See website www.calfire.com )

Remember, enameled cast iron is essentially a glass finish on top of the black iron base and you will be waving a poker around in front of it so chipping and cracking of the finish is possible! But, if you want one, we won’t stop you! (Besides it generally adds £200-300 to the price!)

Why are stoves cheaper on the internet?

Why is anything cheaper on the internet?

Answer. No overheads. Little things like, advice, qualification, service, showrooms, all cost money! So does after sales backup!

If you wish to buy a stove from a company in the south of England and have it delivered to you in Scotland, so be it. But don’t be surprised if they won’t, or can’t, send an engineer to service the warranty on it!

Bear in mind that current consumer legislation in the UK places responsibility for the product firmly in the lap of the retailer for the first year. Manufacturers are perfectly within their rights to send you back to the stove retailer for service. Most will!

See this question below.

Chinese stoves?
This is often more a statement with a question mark than a full question! We generally find that Chinese produced product is a mixed bag. A vast amount of Chinese stoves are being shipped to a hungry British market and are often epitomized by low prices, poor finish and low quality castings.

We also often have suspicions with regard to technical requirements. (Not unusual to see a huge stove with a very small flue outlet)
Information with regard to qualification and suitability is hard to come by and many of the claims made by suppliers are unsubstantiated.

Here are a few things to watch out for:

• a 30kw stove, no larger than most British produced 15kw appliances. How do they do that?
  
• “Made in Britain” when the supplier really means “Assembled”.
  
• “Manufacturer” when the site doesn’t tell you where.
  
• Claims of CE or EN approval that may not be substantiated. ( Try this link for info http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/WARNING-FAKE-CE-APPROVED-SOLID-FUEL-CAST-IRON-STOVES) ALWAYS ASK

A reputable supplier will have no qualms about supplying a legal document showing CE and EN qualification.

• stove “Specialists” who also turn out to be “Specialists” in garden furniture, or antiquarian books! And there's more..
  
• the claim that pure mined ore is better than recycled scrap. Tell that to the newspaper and environmental industries! We have been fortunate enough to tour many western European foundries and seen the exactness that is applied to ensuring the production of a quality cast iron from scrap metals.
  
  Let's show you...

The best of these foundries employ computer systems that would be the envy of NASA!  Jotul are renowned as the worlds’ foremost quality stove producer, and are proud to tell you that they recycle material in one of the worlds’ cleanest, most environmentally sound factories. Just look here....at this link on the Jotul Website http://www.jotul.com/wwwjotulukcom/Main-Menu/Questions/Clean-Burn

Here's more about Chinese stoves...

Go to the following link and put "cast iron stoves" in the search box. (Click the Compnay links and allow yourself a couple of hours, there’s thousands of them!) www.made-in-china.com
We're sure that there are some good products coming out of China. But if a supplier isn’t telling your their products originate in China.....what have they got to hide?

I’m in a smoke control area can I have a stove?
Yes. See the link below to visit, but bear a few things in mind.

1. To be smoke exempt, it is in the nature of it that these appliances are exceptionally efficient. They WILL be very demanding of their flues. In most probability you will be lining the chimney to suit
   
2. The list is regionalized. Choose your country.
   
3. There are pure Woodburning stoves and Multifuel stoves on the list. If you are choosing to burn a solid fuel it will require to be an approved smokeless fuel.
   
4. ANY stove can be used in a smoke control area (As an open fire can) if it is ONLY burning an approved smokeless fuel.
   
5. Generally, the smoke exempt version of an appliance will be more expensive than its non exempt equivalent. (Who did you think was going to pay for the testing?)
   
   Go to www.smokecontrolareas.co.uk to see the up to date list.

What does “Cleanburn” mean?
Who knows?! Never has a term been so abused. We like to believe it should only be applied to those appliances where a manufacturer has made a serious attempt to ignite and burn off the flue gases.

Primarily this is done by injecting hot air in to the path of the smoke, but not exclusively.

Some of the best “Cleanburn” appliances are “Downburning” with no evident “Tertiary” air injection. ( See www.euroheat.co.uk technical downloads, if you really want to delve into this)

Can I read any of your customer testimonials?
Yes. Click the link below. We will be adding more as the weeks go by.
http://www.stove-experience.co.uk/testimonials.html