New Ecodesign Stove - smokes and difficult to light WATCH OUT

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muddy42

Well-Known Member
As per the title, I bought a new stove in the summer, a small Esse 1 with a max output of 5kw. The stove was professionally installed.

Its rubbish! From the start it was difficult to light, sends smoke back into the room, once going it doesn't seem to want to stay a light. There is insufficient air intake and only a tiny gap for the smoke to escape out of and its very close to the door, which doesn't help. The flue is clean, the wood is dry, I have other older Clearview stoves installed in the house (same flue height) that work fine.

I maybe should have done more research about 'Ecodesign' stoves, but effectively they are designed to boost fuel efficiency. They aim to keep smoke in the stove to be reburned and release much less smoke particles into the atmosphere. But what is the point of releasing clean smoke outside, when the indoor air quality is seriously worse? I think it was designed by a university graduate with perfect conditions in mind, not real life or old buildings.

Please buy one of these with your eyes open. I can get the stove going, but it takes a lot of nursing. I have to use a lot of newspaper and kindling to try and get the heat and draft going quickly. I have even resorted to bellows - first time ever for a stove. I have also opened up the air intake and outtake to aid the draft.
 
The Singing Stalker said:
That sounds unusual. Do you have a good draw up the chimney?
Click to expand...
Like a train, I lit an open fire a few times before the stove was installed and after cleaning the chimney to check it was viable. The open fire was fine. This is all the more strange, because in my experience of (non-ecodesign) stoves, a stove normally draws better than an fire.
 
I just looked at the reviews and they seem to be pretty good. so if the door is open a bit does it then work? I’m wondering if maybe it is one that had a manufacturing fault.
I would contact ease and see what they have to say.
 
i have the old Esse , its brilliant but i have changed many parts for better ones i made . the double hob top had two threaded bosses that where totally burned up within 12months , i made better in copper and they are still going fine 12 years on . fire plate over the burn box didnt last two years i have just months ago made my second replacement . glass fire doors i would be on my forth replacement if i didnt spend a few hours fixing and upgrading fasteners .
whatever you do , never buy their electric range its expensive junk
 
Yup
Something wrong there , definitely not how the stove is designed to work.
Poor fitting would be my guess. Or a faulty seal.
 
If your stove was installed correctly they should have done a draw test on the stove .
Is there a small bolt in the flue pipe about 6” above the stove ( sample point ) this is where you take a reading when the stove is lit nom-ally at least 12 pa . But normally more . What is the hight of the flue to the top of the chimney ? You need about 4.5 meters or their abouts for sufficient draw . Is the chimney lined
When the chimney is warmed up does it go better ?
No blockages in the flue . Was it done by a Hetas installer ?
 
iv Got a similar situation as you,just replaced my old stove (12kw not defra approved) with a new 12-14kw double sided defra approved stove,it holds on to the smoke to long and puffs great clouds out every time I open the door ,the top plate is like yours And designed to hang on to the smoke ,I’m thinking of putting my old fire back in, friend of mine has same issues also
 
I find, when I light my Clearview that the draught is slow, as the column of cold air in the liner above the fire tends to drop until the liner is warm and moves everything upward.
The fire normally draws like a train but shifting the cold air in the liner is slow. Have you a 'destruction book' on how to light it ? I would check before referring to the supplier, maybe there is a damper you are not using ?
Just a thought.
 
kes said:
I find, when I light my Clearview that the draught is slow, as the column of cold air in the liner above the fire tends to drop until the liner is warm and moves everything upward.
The fire normally draws like a train but shifting the cold air in the liner is slow. Have you a 'destruction book' on how to light it ? I would check before referring to the supplier, maybe there is a damper you are not using ?
Just a thought.
Click to expand...
It can take up to 20 mins to warm a flue up to temp from cold . That’s why we do draw tests from cold to full temp .
 
Defra approved stoves work better with the light from top system, the flue has to be warmed up to start the draw, before you load with logs, loads of stuff on youtube about it, just fitted an ACR neo woodburner, absolutely superb, no smoke, easy to light, but always light from top
 
Is it just me that thinks the word "eco" attached to any product seems to make that product less effective? There are electric cars, which despite improvements contrive to leave you stranded at some forsaken motorway service area kicking your heels while they charge. There are the new light bulbs that plunge us back into the dark ages and only taunt us by lasting longer and vacuum cleaners that can't now have powerful motors so that they don't work as well as an ancient Dyson with a lead and a plug. Now, even the fires that we light, being men (UG! Me big man, have fire) can't work properly.
 
Not wanting to teach anyone to suck eggs but…… I always start the fire by burning 2-3 double pages of newspaper to remove the cold air from the chimney before lighting from the top method. Have also heard that the newer, more eco friendly burners can be extremely challenging.
 
Are you using the top or rear for the flue
and when lighting do you open both vents
can you put a picture up
also try lighting it with a window open in the same room as some stoves need a vent installed ,by having the window open it will let you know if the room hasn’t enough ventilation
 
I’ve a clear view with the flue running outside, I have filled my living room with smoke a few times when I first got it and initially thought there was a installation problem.
There isn’t, because the flue is external it’s colder than an internal one and the cold air is heavy pushing the heat/smoke back down the flue into the room .
When you light your kindling stack light it from the top as opposed to from the bottom.
Place a fire lighter on the top and light it , as it burns down it heats up the flue and then draws away the smoke, if it buy chance still spills out , open a door or window creating a draw , same thing that makes doors slam.
Like someone else said I’m not trying to teach you to suck eggs, but I thought my stove was broke 🙃
 
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