# Inset Stove - Contemporary Style - Recommendations ?



## Sasol (6 Sep 2012)

Hi, 
I am just looking for a bit of advice/opinion. 

We have built a new house, which we have been living in for the past two years and we are now finishing off the last room - a large sitting room. It measures 8.5M(Length) X 4.5M(Width) X 2.5M(Height). 

We had originally planned to have an open fire in the room and the builder has left a standard opening for this .

What we are looking for is a contempory style inset stove, that will obviously keep the room fairly warm. There are 4 large windows in the room, as well as a set of double doors to an outside patio, so I would guess we would need an inset stove of approx 8kw output. 

We don't have any requirements for the stove to heat rads or water. We want the stove to be able to burn wood/turf/coal. 

I am based in the Clare/Limerick area so I will be purchasing in that area. But if anyone has any advice/suggestions/opinions on the type of stove that may suit, and what would be best value for money,  they would be much appreciated. 

Thanks,
Sasol


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## serotoninsid (6 Sep 2012)

Sasol said:


> There are 4 large windows in the room, as well as a set of double doors to an outside patio, so I would guess we would need an inset stove of approx 8kw output.


Stove Output Requirement Calculator


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## Sasol (6 Sep 2012)

serotoninsid said:


> Stove Output Requirement Calculator


 

Thanks - that is recommending 6.83kw. 

With the 4 windows and external double doors, I think I'll go for approx 8kw. I'd prefer to have a stove with potential to heat a bigger room than what is required and then we have the option to turn it down via air input, rather than have a stove that just isn't capable of comfortabbly heating the room.....if that makes sense


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## Gordanus (27 Sep 2012)

I'd agree with you Sasol.  I got the stove recommended by such calculations, despite me telling them that I really feel the cold.  They (the stove engineer) countered that I'd have to have doors open to reduce the heat.

Well, one year on I'm really sorry I didn't follow my own advice.  Far from keeping doors open, I have it firmly closed and anyone coming in gets yelled at to close it immediately!  I even often have the radiator on too - exactly what I wanted to avoid when buying the stove.

I think the thing is that often you won't be feeding the stove to run at its highest capacity.

It was a Marvik 4.5 kilowatt inset stove.  Looks good though!  The mantlepiece you choose for it will make a huge difference to the look.   A friend got a contemporary looking freestanding stove - made a recess of the fireplace and put it in there, looks very good and very modern.  I think it was a Chinese one, so relatively cheap.


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## Molli (27 Sep 2012)

A guy who sells stoves told me that if the heat output is too high for the room, walls, curtains etc will get discoloured? Is that a fact?


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## ted (28 Sep 2012)

*Insert stove*

I wouldn't go for an insert. They don't throw out nearly as much heat as a free standing stove IMO. I have one of each and there's no comparison between them.


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## Molli (28 Sep 2012)

Ted what type do you have? Is it a boiler one?


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## Sasol (1 Oct 2012)

I spent a while over the weekend visiting different stove centers. 

I am definetly veering towards the Stovax Riva 55. One of the shops had it on display and they had it lighting. There was seroius heat out of it. It is 8KW output, which is a bit above the 6.5KW I was told I would require, but I am going to over and beyond what I need.

A friend of mine has a smaller version of the Riva (Riva 40 I think) and they are really happy with it and it can give out too much heat if anything - this would be fine by me - it is always easy to open adoor and let the heat out into another part of the house. 

I also saw a Kingstar ELM which looked rally good. It was for the same price as the Riva 55, but the sales person was recommending the Riva before the Kingstar.


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## foggym (2 Oct 2012)

I'd agree with a previous poster that a free standing stove gives out more heat - the whole stove heats up and radiates heat from all sides, which is great (I have one vs my boyfriends insert stove and I know whose room is toastier  )

The guy I bought mine from swears by Boru stoves and he seemed to know his stuff.  I didn't buy one as I don't like style of them but if you like the King Star you might like the Boru


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## ted (3 Oct 2012)

No there's no boiler on either insert or freestanding.Insert is a Rais and the freestanding is Nestor Martin


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## Zaldi (30 Nov 2012)

Incidentally, finding a stove is only the first part. You're going to have to get it installed, and the world of chimney sweeps and stove installers seems to be a Wild West, with some wanting to charge you hundreds of euro to put cameras into your chimneys, and a multiplicity of unqualified or semi-qualified operators. 

If anyone can recommend some installers whose price is reasonable for the job, and who know what they're doing, and who don't charge women the ovary tax, it would be a great service.

(The last time I was getting a stove installed, I was looking at a Scandinavian model, and got two of these fine people who were supposed to come along, cameras in hand, and do a survey. They repeatedly didn't bother to turn up, and in the end I got another brand, installed by the dealership, who did a good job, worked fast and professionally and laughed at the idea of the cameras. The original guys were completely shocked when they decided to turn up one Thursday and were told, sorry, got someone else who was punctual and capable. Rocked their world, I did.)

Incidentally, it's a tactic of the more cowboy-like installers to try to frighten potential customers into hiring them by quoting tragic deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning from stoves installed by non-professionals who didn't know what they were doing. If it was the norm for people to reply to this with "Of course I'd sue for immense damages if any such thing happened", it might put a little realism into the process.


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## rayn (30 Nov 2012)

Checkout the Clearview range. I have a freestanding Vision 500 with 8kw output and i am pleased. I agree with previous posters to avoid an insert.


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## Zaldi (30 Nov 2012)

Clearview also make inserts - and the Clearview dealer told me the insert would give as much heat as the freestanding stove. Don't know if that was right or not, though.


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## rayn (30 Nov 2012)

Clearview brochure says Vision 500 freestanding = 8kw and Vision insert = 5kw.


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## Zaldi (30 Nov 2012)

Ah - at the time I was looking at a Clearview Pioneer (which I got), so the output wouldn't have been that stratospheric. Lovely warm cosy toasty homey stove, though!


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## liz64 (30 Nov 2012)

*Stove advise*

I am looking for some advise on what size and make of boiler multifuel stove to install in a room (18 ft x 18ft x 10 ft-Height plus five windows in room) in an 1850 sq ft bungalow with 11 double radiators (1400 x500) and heat the hot water. I have oil heating, running for four or five hours a day which its very expensive to run so I am hoping that a boiler stove would provide more heat and be cheaper to run than the oil!!! 

Or would it be a better solution to put an 8KW non boiler stove in this room and spend the extra money on upgrading the insulation in the attic, thereby reducing the heat loss and the cost of running the oil central heating.

Any advise would be great as I am really unsure what I should do

L


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