Are stoves Rocket Science?

Posted on July 2, 2015July 2, 2015 by Dermot Fitzgerald

I was recently at an event where somebody said to me that stoves weren’t rocket science and he knew he could build one himself because it was just a black box with some fire in it. Needless to say things got fairly heated (pardon the pun). Surprisingly as it happens, there are lots of crossovers between rocket science and quality stove manufacturing. The number one crossover is combustion, to create lift a rocket needs thrust which is created using the combustion of rocket fuel. We all remember the disastrous consequences of not having the shuttle insulated correctly when it came back into the earth’s atmosphere. To shorten the story we insulate the firebox of our stoves which in turn creates more combustion because of the increased temperature of the firebox. We then introduce super-heated air into the firebox which re-ignites the gas created from burning the fuel in the first place, thus creating more heat from gas that would have otherwise went up the chimney. This would be similar to an afterburner on a jet. Burning wood in a high efficiency stove is carbon neutral so it is only releasing the same amount of CO₂ into the atmosphere that the tree took in over the course of its life. Responsible forestry companies will ensure that there is an infinite supply of wood by replanting forests. Each piece of wood that is burned has a calorific value which is dependent on its moisture content and whether it is a hard wood or a soft wood.

This is a simple graph to show the output in kW per KG of wood. If you are burning wood that is too wet you are wasting the potential heat output and will have to burn up to twice the amount of fuel to get the same heat output as dry wood. GJ/tonne = 19.2 – (0.2164*MC), where MC is the moisture content as a percentage of the total weight. A moisture meter is a great way to test the moisture in wood. A moisture meter uses two prongs inserted into the wood to test the conductivity. The wetter the log then the more conductivity there is in it.

So getting back to our space mission, all stoves nowadays have to go through rigorous testing using various scientific calculations for heat output, fuel input, water heating, efficiency, emissions and safety tests including CO₂ levels. Here at Boru Stoves we have our own test laboratory where we carry out all of these tests before we send them for certification in Europe. To conclude, yes in a showroom a Boru Stove may look like a black box with some fire in it, and it may not have any resemblance to a rocket, but just remember that there is a lot more science involved.

When is the best time to install a stove?

Posted on June 17, 2015June 17, 2015 by Dermot Fitzgerald

When asked this question most people will say late autumn or early winter. Why do they say that? It’s very easy, the evenings are closing in, the temperatures are dropping and we all set about going into hibernation in front of the fire with a glass of red and a creamy Irish stew. There is never a bad time to install a stove but I would say that it is a lot easier to have it installed in the summer, these are some of the reasons why:

The weather is better so there will not be as much dirt brought in from outside during installation.
Temperatures are higher so you will not need to use another form of heat during installation. This especially comes into play when installing a boiler model stove.
Prices are generally cheaper in the summer time as demand is not as high as in autumn.
Companies normally discount stoves in summer to make way for new models being introduced in the imminent stove season. I have seen prices reduced by 10-15%.
Stock is readily available in the summer time whereas there could be lengthy lead times in the autumn.
You will be very familiar with the operation of your stove before the winter sets in.
Installation could potentially be tied in with your summer vacation meaning you are not even there through installation.

There are no signs of reductions in energy costs so you will start to save money the moment you install the stove even if you don’t light it! Just think of the amount of heat escaping through the chimney in the room. When a stove is installed this heat loss is dramatically reduced thus making it cheaper and easier to heat the house. You wouldn’t be happy if there was a hole in the middle of your front door sucking the heat and energy from the house so why do it with a chimney?

Beware The Dangers of Cheap Imported Stoves

Posted on May 11, 2015June 20, 2016 by Dermot Fitzgerald

Do you really care where a product comes from when you make the decision to spend the money that you have worked so hard for? In the boom times I know I for one was guilty of not caring once the price was right. Thankfully I never got caught up in the property bubble and was not worth 400 million Euros by owning five two bedroom apartments on an expensive part of the monopoly board. This being said I was guilty of lots of other things such as when my TV broke I never called a repair man. I went to my local electrical shop and bought another one. Subconsciously I thought getting a repairman was hassle and he would probably charge more for a part than the TV was worth.

What’s changed?

As a consumer I now want a product that will last. I work too hard every week to just throw money away replacing products around my house at the drop of a hat. I now want extended warranties, the availability of spare parts and most of all if something does goes wrong I want to be able to speak to somebody at the end of a phone that can discuss my problem and send out a serviceman if needs be.

Do I buy products from the Far East?

Of course we all buy products from the Far East. Take out your phone and have a look at the back of it. I have just done that and it says “Designed in California and assembled in China” This is one of the world’s largest brands. Now would you buy a fake version of that phone and if not why? Firstly if you break the screen can you replace it? Probably not. If my family die from Co poisoning because of a badly made stove can I replace them? Definitely not!

Fake vs Real

There are lots of high end branded stoves manufactured in the Far East that have implemented European standards in their factories which ensure workers have safe working conditions. I have no problem with these kinds of factories as they are probably the backbone of small villages and do genuinely supply good product.
On the other hand when you see the fake or copied products they are more than likely being made in a sweat shop with no standards or safety practises. These factories generally jump on the band wagon when a product becomes “popular” so unscrupulous distributor’s ship in the best-selling products/brands in their country and get them copied.
I have had the benefit of looking and dissecting these “fake stoves” that claim to be the same as the real thing. I have yet to come across a saleable copy “fake” imported stove and this is why:

The raw material used (steel, cast-iron) used is lighter and less robust
Stoves are not independently certified so the outputs on the brochures cannot be verified
There are usually no safety tests carried out on the stoves
When dealers import a container they generally will not include spares in it because spares cost money and that comes off the bottom line
Ash-pans, frames and other auxiliary items are not welded but just folded tightly which leads to warping and over-firing

Any reputable brand manufacturing in the Far East will verify our findings as they would have spent years developing product. Reputable companies don’t copy! Remember you get what you pay for.

Why Ireland? Why Boru Stoves?

Spare parts can be generally delivered next day (no waiting on slow boats from China)
The product is certified to EN13240 and EN13229
The stoves are safety tested using an independent test house with ratings verified
Dedicated customer service department
Dedicated mobile service engineer

Conclusion

When everything is taken into account fitting a stove is probably one of the biggest decisions you will make in your house but not the most expensive. Here are some questions you should ask yourself when choosing the correct stove for you:

If I change the décor of my room will the stove still match? (A black stove will generally suit)
In five years’ time where will I purchase replacement parts for my stove? Will they be still available?
Do I want a stove that I will have to replace in two years’ time?
How will the warranty procedure work (Boru Stoves offer a five or six year optional extended warranty)
Do I want the output of the stove to be what it says on the box? Do I want the results verified?

By all means purchase product from the Far East but ensure that you are buying from a reputable dealer and manufacturer that you know will provide a backup service. Personally I buy Irish whenever I can.
If you are in a showroom and the sales person says to you “I don’t have that brand but I have this one which is exactly the same” Run!!

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Author: Dermot Fitzgerald