multifuel stoves - conflicting advice

[deniseann]

Hello
I recently got some help from here so am trying again
Having had a couple of quotes from firms to install a multifuel stove with boiler I've been given conflicting advice and would be grateful if anyone could help.
The stove is required to heat the room (11ft x 18ft x 8ft high) heat the water and 4 radiators. Eventually I hope to add another 3 rads but can't do that now.
HETAS confirmed that I need an output of 2.8 kW for my room size.
Firm 1 recommended a Hunter Herald 8 for the job and Firm 2 the Arrow Stratford Eco-boiler SEB 20.
Now the problem... according to the technical blurb the Herald 8 supplies 8.5kW to the water(29000 BTU) and 2.5kW to the room.
The eco seb20 supplies 12kW to the water(41100 BTU) and initially 8kW to the room. The blurb advises that once a certain temp is reached it then goes to slumber mode and will give around 2kW to the room so they recommend that a radiator is also installed into the room.
Firm 1 says the eco boiler is far too big for my needs Firm 2 say it's perfect and I don't need the additional radiator. Neither Hetas or Arrow could advise.

Can anyone give me any advice please? Don't want to fork out for the wrong one.

Thanks

D

 

[Agile]

"4 rads" can mean anything!

You need to work out the whole house heat requirements, only then can you decide which boiler power output you need.

Most smaller houses need about 10-12kW for a three bed semi for example.

Without the heat needs of your house then no one can give any advice!

That solution is way more expensive than a cooker and seperate boiler od course. You are then often tied to just one or two over priced service firms.

Tony

 

[deniseann]

Thanks for your reply
I think you've misunderstood - or maybe I wasn't clear enough. This is a multifuel stove with an incorporated boiler that I'm talking about - nothing to do with the cooker. It's going in the place of the open fire in the living room. Not having gas it's also the cheapest option for me to run the system as connecting an oil fired boiler to the existing sytem attracted quotes of between 6-8K. The current open fire and back boiler system is too inefficient.
According to the blurb both stoves will run up to 8 radiators and none of the 4 plumbers , two stove supply/installation firms , solid fuel association or HETAS who have advised and quoted for the work have mentioned working out heating requirements of the house.
Are they all wrong?
Surely the idea of getting professionals in means that I shouldn't be having to work out the technical issues?
Any thoughts?

Denise

 

[Agile]

Sorry, I thought it was a range cooker called multifuel because they have gas and electric hotplates and some have built in gas/oil/wood CH boilers.

OK, so this is what I would call a wood stove ( which can burn coal too! ).

Exactly the same applies to what I have said though.

You need to have two calculations, the whole house heat loss AND the heat outputs of the fitted and proposed rads. Hopefully the rad output will match or exceed the heat loss of the house.

Only then can you see what heat output you need.

I will also say that with my limited experience operating/removing/fitting them for my ex BBC colleague in France, to get the maximum heat output you have to reload the wood every 20 minutes or so and spend 30 minutes cutting up the logs each day to fuel the stove during the evening.

Tony

 

[big-all]

Surely the idea of getting professionals in means that I shouldn't be having to work out the technical issues?
Any thoughts?

Denise

are you paying them to supply
desighn the system
and install

or just instal!!!

each is a different component with cost involved

 

[deniseann]

Thanks again Tony

Will search the site to find out how to work out the heat requirements.
I'm advised that the multifuel stove will stay lit up to 12hrs on a slow burn once I've worked out how to use it. Hmmm time will tel I guess!

D

 

[deniseann]

Big all

They are supplying the stove, removing the existing fire and back boiler and installing the stove and connecting it to the existing system.

D

Both firms came out to survey the existing set up and advise appropriate alternative

 

[Agile]

Thanks again Tony

Will search the site to find out how to work out the heat requirements.

I'm advised that the multifuel stove will stay lit up to 12hrs on a slow burn once I've worked out how to use it. Hmmm time will tel I guess!

D

Heat loss is probably in the FAQs.

Be aware that many of these firms only deal with one or a limited range of stoves.

A slow burn is convenient for overnight but is not a mode that gives out much heat at all.

My friends goes out in 30 min if not reloaded when on or near maximum output. I am seeing him for an engineers lunch in three weeks so will ask him how its going now its getting cooler. At least he now has the two rads I fittted in the lounge to augment the direct convection from the stove.

Tony

 

[ajstoneservices]

Firm 2 has given you the better advice. If you run them on wood the output will be lower than those stated as they tend to rate multifuel's using solid fuel.

The SEB's a nicer looking stove too IMHO.

 

[Agile]

Good point about the heat output being lower than stated when running on wood.

Still needs the heat loss to be calculated. Its possibile that neither is adequate.

Tony

 

[big-all]

Big all

They are supplying the stove, removing the existing fire and back boiler and installing the stove and connecting it to the existing system.

D

Both firms came out to survey the existing set up and advise appropriate alternative

yep you should expect the full package then