Wood burning stoves tested to destruction

[Jacob]

Just ordering our third Dowling stove following another house move. Every woodworker should have one. Spotted these entertaining vids on their website
https://dowlingstoves.com/stove-tv.html

 

[Cabinetman]

Just for a second there Jacob I thought you meant you were on your 3rd because they kept going wrong lol.
Well you must be impressed, and they certainly don’t look like any other stove. ( including the prototypes) . What is it in particular about them that impresses you?
Which is your go to, the Sumo?

 

[Spectric]

I must say that I would have though @Jacob would have gone for something more traditional, never heard of Dowelling stoves before but then they are very different to what else is on the market.

 

[Jacob]

Just for a second there Jacob I thought you meant you were on your 3rd because they kept going wrong lol.
Well you must be impressed, and they certainly don’t look like any other stove. ( including the prototypes) . What is it in particular about them that impresses you?
Which is your go to, the Sumo?

Had the Firebug in the chapel basement when we lived in it during conversions.
Had the big Sumo in the living room later.
Now going for the Hybrid5 which should fit nicely in the fireplace of our 60s house.
They are maintenance free - nothing goes wrong although you can break the glass by accident, bin there dunnit careless log handling. No firebricks, baffles, cast iron,
Also multi fuel if necessary.
Also burns any old rubbish, cardboard etc and all wood waste from the workshop including saw dust and shavings. It's the pyramid shape which does the sawdust & PT shavings - you pack it full as you can but there's always enough air over the top of the heap to get it burning. It's unstoppable but controllable, with the damper you can turn it up and down like a gas fire.
Also if you load with a small amount of small stuff it will go like a rocket stove and heat a room about an hour before the central heating could.
I'll be getting another one for my new workshop sometime next year.
Not a promo I have no financial interest!

 

[NickDReed]

Couldn't help myself, so apologies all.

I shall throw this grenade and casually walk off.

Should proponents of man made climate change be encouraging the burning of wood & " any old rubbish, cardboard etc"?

Has an air of hypocrisy?

 

[Cabinetman]

Hmm no comment!
But that’s a good point about it heating quickly and no firebricks, I’m coming to the conclusion that the bricks take so long to absorb all the heat that I’d rather do away with them, most times I just want the instant gratification of a fire, and I don’t really care about the fire giving off heat for two hours after I’ve gone to bed. I had started to think along theses lines so glad to hear it’s maybe doable.
Looks like your firm have a less hind bound approach to design and function, but I think my Pam prefers a traditional look unfortunately.
Ian

 

[Jacob]

Couldn't help myself, so apologies all.

I shall throw this grenade and casually walk off.

Should proponents of man made climate change be encouraging the burning of wood & " any old rubbish, cardboard etc"?

Has an air of hypocrisy?

A very strange comment!
Burning wood is carbon neutral (if grown from sustainable source), but if it's waste - then wherever it came from.
Ditto cardboard etc.

 

[Tris]

Love a wood burner, but with all the stuff about PM2.5 is it a good idea?

 

[Jacob]

Love a wood burner, but with all the stuff about PM2.5 is it a good idea?

Good question. It's a trade off against net zero CO2 - no fossil fuel involved. Particles not so much an issue in rural or small town environments apparently.
Maybe a touch pessimistic but wood stove gives you heating and cooking facility should we happen to find ourselves off grid, which on the face of it looks likely in years to come, or sooner if price too high!
We all really need cheap electricity from sustainable sources.

 

[NickDReed]

A very strange comment!
Burning wood is carbon neutral (if grown from sustainable source), but if it's waste - then wherever it came from.
Ditto cardboard etc.

But are the 'climate neutral' Jacob?

Your Guardian suggest not.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...wood-fires-bad-for-planet-more-evidence-shows

"Secondly, for the same amount of heat or energy, burning wood releases more carbon dioxide than oil or gas."

Don't get me wrong, love a log burner, have one in the house and one in the garage. And I will defend your right to burn wood, paper, carboard etc in yours!

 

[Jacob]

View attachment 185260

But are the 'climate neutral' Jacob?

Your Guardian suggest not.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...wood-fires-bad-for-planet-more-evidence-shows

"Secondly, for the same amount of heat or energy, burning wood releases more carbon dioxide than oil or gas."

Don't get me wrong, love a log burner, have one in the house and one in the garage. And I will defend your right to burn wood, paper, carboard etc in yours!

That article disregards that waste wood is already out in the environment and destined eventually to rot down somewhere, landfill etc, to produce CO2, methane etc. It might as well go up my chimney instead!
Growing wood to burn is also zero carbon over the lifetime of the tree of origin, as long as there is replanting to maintain the supply.
It's not simple.

 

[Spectric]

Should proponents of man made climate change be encouraging the burning of wood & " any old rubbish, cardboard etc"?

If half the Uk population did this it still would be insignificant when compared to the pollution from the aviation industry, America, India or china. There is no point in going zero carbon if the people have to suffer or freeze in the process.

 

[kinverkid]

Our thirty-year-old cast iron stove heats our hot water and radiators during the cold months in our 1920s house. We don't burn gas so as long as the electricity comes from a carbon-neutral generator then we should be making only a small impact on the environment.

As far as removing fire bricks from a stove - check with the manufacturer first. I know that you can with many of them. But, removing them from certain stoves may warp them.

 

[ScottyT]

Never seen anything like this. I would seriously consider one of these in my upcoming workshop.
Free firewood in unimaginable abundance is one of the best perks of my work. We heat the entire house from the stove and cook on it regularly. Can’t be beaten in my book

 

[Fergie 307]

Couldn't help a wince watching the video. The cast iron one they drop it on is very similar to the one in our front room !
We also have one made from a gas bottle on the patio. Surprisingly effective, and pretty cheap.
Do like the design though, as Jacob says the shape actually makes much more sense that the conventional box.

 

[Jacob]

I went round a showroom showing Jotul, Morso, and others, very pretty but they all had firebricks and or baffles, taking up internal space. Mainly because cast iron is not good material for a stove and needs protection - slower warm up and less thermal shock.
Puzzled as to why they do this but it became clear. First because cast iron is simply traditional and you get all sorts of nice shapes, smart designs, decorative patterns even. Also cheaper. Second they talk of them as "log burners" rather than mere wood burners, with a vague idea of having efficient slow burning logs on the go overnight etc.
Steel fabricated stove much less decorative detail or smooth lines possible but maintenance free - no new bricks, baffles, seals etc. Also the big advantage of fast burn - smaller stuff burns faster, hotter, cleaner (the rocket stove idea) and you can heat a room almost as quickly as a gas fire, with a few bits of cardboard and some scraps of pallet. But you can also do a longer burn with bigger stuff. Best of both worlds AND zero maintenance - but strange looking semi industrial appearance - which you soon get used to.

 

[rob1693]

Might look at one of these when I replace my 12 year old Chinese cast iron one

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Eight years old Little Devil. The only mod. is the rope around the handle.

 

[Jacob]

Might look at one of these when I replace my 12 year old Chinese cast iron one

Just in the process of ordering but I see they are getting one or two bad reviews lately and personnel have changed. Older reviews excellent.
So if interested maybe be cautious.
I'll let you know how I get on!

 

[highwood122]

I went round a showroom showing Jotul, Morso, and others, very pretty but they all had firebricks and or baffles, taking up internal space. Mainly because cast iron is not good material for a stove and needs protection - slower warm up and less thermal shock.
Puzzled as to why they do this but it became clear. First because cast iron is simply traditional and you get all sorts of nice shapes, smart designs, decorative patterns even. Also cheaper. Second they talk of them as "log burners" rather than mere wood burners, with a vague idea of having efficient slow burning logs on the go overnight etc.
Steel fabricated stove much less decorative detail or smooth lines possible but maintenance free - no new bricks, baffles, seals etc. Also the big advantage of fast burn - smaller stuff burns faster, hotter, cleaner (the rocket stove idea) and you can heat a room almost as quickly as a gas fire, with a few bits of cardboard and some scraps of pallet. But you can also do a longer burn with bigger stuff. Best of both worlds AND zero maintenance - but strange looking semi industrial appearance - which you soon get used to.

to say cast iron is not a good material for a stove is poor comment,it is probably the best, apart from inconel, and no seals??

I went round a showroom showing Jotul, Morso, and others, very pretty but they all had firebricks and or baffles, taking up internal space. Mainly because cast iron is not good material for a stove and needs protection - slower warm up and less thermal shock.
Puzzled as to why they do this but it became clear. First because cast iron is simply traditional and you get all sorts of nice shapes, smart designs, decorative patterns even. Also cheaper. Second they talk of them as "log burners" rather than mere wood burners, with a vague idea of having efficient slow burning logs on the go overnight etc.
Steel fabricated stove much less decorative detail or smooth lines possible but maintenance free - no new bricks, baffles, seals etc. Also the big advantage of fast burn - smaller stuff burns faster, hotter, cleaner (the rocket stove idea) and you can heat a room almost as quickly as a gas fire, with a few bits of cardboard and some scraps of pallet. But you can also do a longer burn with bigger stuff. Best of both worlds AND zero maintenance - but strange looking semi industrial appearance - which you soon get used to.