EGLU HEAT PROBLEMS

[Rhapsody]

When we moved into the Hovel nearly four years ago about the only thing that we liked and still works is the woodburner in the living room. It heats the whole house if we stoke it up and leave doors open, and it heats the hot water to lava temperature for free.

There was a little 5"X7"plate in the roof of the firebox that lead to the flue, removable for chimney sweeping, this corroded away and crumbled into dust in my sweep's hands. Without it heat and flames were roaring straight up the flue.I took a picture of the stove and the square hole in the firebox to my local stove specialist who identified it as an old Yeoman, and gave me the manufacturer's number. All good.

 

Then I spoke to Yeoman- they told me that this model I had was obsolete, that they had changed the design so that the inspection plate is in the flue pipe now and that they didnt have any of the items I needed, would never supply them ever again and couldnt help me. They told me I would have to buy a new stove at £2000 excl fitting and plumbing of the back boiler I pointed out that if I did would there be any guarantee that they wouldnt change the design again and I would be back to square one? No, there wasn't. I also pointed out that apart from this one piece of metal the stove worked beautifully and to replace it would be wasteful, expensive and criminally ungreen. Yes I agree, said the rep, they really made those old ones to last!!!!

 

I wanted to flag up this story because I know how many folk on here have bought second-hand stoves, to say be very careful that the parent company are still supporting the spare parts for your woodburner, I found Yeoman's stance on this very cynical and it has completely put me off buying a new one from them when our house gets renovated, and we increase our fleet to 3!

 

On a happier note, I trawled e-bay and found 'jslfireplace' making stove spares, after an enquiry sent them a cardboad template and recieved my blanker plate back in under a week for under £30!!!! not hard to do the maths is it? If you end up in my position they come highly recommended.

[chickencam]

It is at times like these that ebay comes into it's own.

 

Elements for fan ovens are much cheaper on ebay like £7 instead of £30 odd and they are often the same make that are sold for vastly inflated prices in electrical shops.

[The Dogmother]

Glad that you got it sorted Rhapsody

 

When I bought my stove, the company I got it from wanted to charge me a couple of hundred quid to make a register plate (with inspection hatches to fit my chimney. My sweep, who fitted the stove for me, has a brother who is a blacksmith - he had one made up for me for a shade less than £50... job done!!!!

 

Now is the time to get those chimneys swept and stoves serviced folks.

[Lesley]

Ours is being swept tomorrow at 8am - we've just lit the fire early so that we can let it die down early.

 

Glad you had a happy ending with the plate for your fire Rhapsody.

[Rhapsody]

My. Good. Grief.

Double the heat tonight with the new blanker plate, according to the stove thermometer

[Olly]

Wow! well done on not taking no for an answer, and finding a replacement. The internet is indeed fabulous for things like spare handles, missing parts etc.

[The Dogmother]

My. Good. Grief.

Double the heat tonight with the new blanker plate, according to the stove thermometer

 

I bet it's toasty chez Rhapsody

[kevtheplumber]

whats everyone paying for a chimney sweep?

[Eggasperated]

We had our original installer come and sweep ours - £40 for the two.

[The Dogmother]

About £25 to sweep the chimney and service the stove.

[Lesley]

Ours was £25 as well.

[ali-s]

My chimney sweep charged £60 for the open fire and the stove to be swept.

[Blackrocksrock]

My chimney sweep charged £60 for the open fire and the stove to be swept.

##Geez thats a lot! - where did he come from! there is a nice wee man in rothes! I will get his name for you if you need it! = the old fashioned blacksmiths were great and could make anything so anyone requiring similar a local smith is a great answer to loads of broken bits!

[The Dogmother]

My sweep's brother is a blacksmith and made the register plate for my chimney, he also made a lovely steel ash 'bucket' with a lid so that I can empty hot ash into it to let it cool before it goes in the chooks' dust bath. It's just the right shape and size to slide the ash pan from the burner in and tip the ash out without making lots of dust

[ali-s]

My chimney sweep charged £60 for the open fire and the stove to be swept.

##Geez thats a lot! - where did he come from! there is a nice wee man in rothes! I will get his name for you if you need it! = the old fashioned blacksmiths were great and could make anything so anyone requiring similar a local smith is a great answer to loads of broken bits!

 

That is who came and swept the chimneys. Father and Son team, name McCleod. The chimneys were swept in the late spring of last year, the stove probably needs doing again but the open fire in the kitchen is still OK as I have only lit that one a few times.

[Blackrocksrock]

Geez he is usually not so expensive - thats the same person - a nice wee man but... maybe its cause he is closer to my friends house and not a lot of travel.

[..lay a little egg for me]

We have a Franco-Belge stove with the same weakness...the back plate buckles and eventually burns through. We have had two replacement plates so far (in 12 years of owning the stove). Luckily Franco-Belge still make the parts but, unluckily, they don't seem to care that this part is so flimsy. Next time we need a new one I think I may contact the spare parts company mentioned as they may be able to make a more sturdy plate!

[CatieB]

Gosh I can't believe how cheap your chimney sweeps are... obviously not much competition in fenland cambrigeshire. The cheapest, who we don't really like and only takes cash (annoyingly -not a tax dodge!!) is £40 per chimney - we have rayburn and stove to do. The nice man who is really helpful is £60!!!!