What are Clearview stoves made from?
Clearview stoves stoves are made from high quality steel. This has the advantage over cast iron as it can be welded, providing a very strong and air tight construction. A heavy and well made steel stove is likely to hold and give as much heat as a poorly made cast iron one. We feel strongly that the advantages of steel in both manufacture and day to day use heavily out weight those of cast iron.

Are Clearview stoves multi-fuel stoves or wood burning stoves?
All Clearview stoves have a multi fuel capacity. However should you want a stove that is a joy to watch, very clean burning and environmentally sound then wood should be your fuel of choice. In terms of performance a Clearview stove will perform equally well with both solid fuel and wood, however solid fuel is likely to leave more residue in the firebox and this may affect the glass and your flue. Where storage space is an issue, we would advise all our customers to use natural solid fuel such as anthracite and to always use a stove thermometer.

What hearth do I need?
Almost all our the 5KW and 8KW stoves in our range require only a minimum hearth of 12mm, and are passed for use on such a hearth. To reduce the risk of damage due to weight however we would recommend all hearths were 25mm deep. Our larger stoves, the 650 and 750, require a constructional hearth of at least 5 inches. Our stoves are classed as closed appliances and so require an absolute minimum of 225mm of hearth in front of the stove body. However the arc of the door will reach beyond this and we would encourage all our customers to build sufficient hearth to cover this.

What is the combustion air requirement for a wood burning stove?
The Clearview Pioneer, Solution 400 and Inset stoves are all classed as 5kw stoves, and as such do not have a specific requirement for the provision of external air. All the other stoves in our range are classed as over 5KW and so provision does need to be made for there to be a permanent feed of external air into the room. The amount of air depends on the output of the stove and is worked out as 550 sq mm for every kilowatt over 5KW. For example a 650 12KW stove would require the equivalent of 3850 sq mm of external air (550 x 7 = 3850)

Our preferred method of providing external air is to fit the stove with an external air box. This can be fitted to all the stoves in our range with the exception of the inset, and provides a three inch diameter direct air feed into the stove. Ducting can then be used and this prevents any drafts into the rooms as well as making for a much tidier installation.

It should be noted that the actual requirement is for the stove to have adequate air for combustion. Logically therefore even a 5KW stove may require external air should there be the risk of reduced air in the room. Extremely high levels of insulation and a close proximity to extraction fans may be an example of such a situation where a 5kw stove would benefit from external air.

Can I have a boiler in a Clearview stove to heat water and central heating?
All Clearview stoves can be fitted and retro fitted with boilers. Where this is a possible option the following consideration should be taken into account:

• Boilers will reduce the combustion temperature in the firebox. Some extra sooting up of the class, the firebox and the flue is to be expected
• Boiler stoves may require twice the amount of wood, their reload time will be much more frequent and the quality of the wood more important. Boiler stoves are less forgiving of poor quality fuel. Are you organised to accommodate this?
• Boiler systems can quickly become complicated and will need servicing. You should carefully weight up the cost of buying and fitting a boiler stove with the likely savings. You may find a dry stove will more effectively heat your house than a boiler stove, and it will be easier and cheaper to run.
• Does a boiler stove suit your lifestyle? Is somebody at home all day to stoke up the fire?

For more information on boilers in Clearview stoves, please feel free to contact Bell Stoves Ireland.

Can I use a wood burning stove in a smoke control area?
Most of the Clearview range have been passed for use in smoke control area (U.K). This means that you can burn wood and maintain sufficient clean burn to pass legislation. You cannot have a boiler in a smoke control stove.

Can I use any wood on my stove?
As long as the wood is dry and seasoned any wood can be burnt on our stoves. Hardwoods are better as they generally have a higher calorific value. You would probably not buy softwood, however if you have a free source of soft wood then this would be fine to use. Wood is a very big subject, but as a rule our stoves are much more forgiving of poorly seasoned wood. Clearview stoves will burn very well with fuel most stoves would struggle on, however you should try to make the seasoning your wood a year in advance a habit.

I do not have a chimney, can I still have a wood burning stove?
Yes. The most widely used option is to erect an exposed flue system. These flue systems can be built both internally and externally, but our preference is to build internally. The flue is better insulated against adverse weather conditions and the heat given off by the flue itself can be used to heat any rooms through which it is fitted. Another advantage is that in most cases the system will involve less bends if it is running directly through the house. Understandably some people are reluctant to create too much disruption in the house, but it is worth remembering that when installing a relatively costly flue onto the stove you would wish to get as much benefit from the stove as possible and an exposed flue could potential add considerable heat to house and reduce your heating bill proportionately.

It is vitally important that there is sufficient draw on the stove and for this the chimney needs to be well positioned. On the whole the termination of the flue needs to be above ridge height, although in the case of single storey extensions or conservatories exceptions can be made. We are able to advise on the installation of this system and have all the parts required in stock and ready for collection or shipping immediately. At first glance it may seem a rather expensive option, but over time a well positioned stove with a insulated and efficient flue will reduce your yearly heating bills and before long will have paid for the initial costs many times over. Another option is build a masonry flue system, for advice on this see question below.

My chimney is sound or has class 1 clay liner, it is necessary for me to reline and insulate?
To get the best performance from your stove and to maintain a clean and efficient flue it is very important to have a narrow, warm and smooth environment for the flue gases. The warmer the flue the quicker hot air will rise through the flue and the less air will be required to maintain efficient combustion. A lined and insulated chimney will provide a smooth and warm environment for the flue gases. It will make the installation very safe and considerably reduce the risk of a chimney fire and condensation. It will also be very easy to sweep.

Even the best wood is between 20-25% moisture content. An average user will burn around 4-5 tonnes of wood a year, in which case over a tonne of moisture will be sent up your chimney. In an ideal scenario smoke would exit the top of the flue over 100 C, taking with it the moisture in the flue gases. A poor flue will more than likely allow the flue gases to drop below 100 C, at which stage water will condense on the inside of the chimney. This mixes with soot causing tar, and should there be any chemicals in your soot then it may start to corrode your chimney.

Clay pot liners are not ideal as it a cold and damp material, often built incorrectly, and likely to increase the chance of condensation in your flue.

I am building new house, what should I use to build my chimney?
In this situation we would strongly recommend that an Isokern Pumice Chimney system was used. This is a chimney system made from volcanic rock. It is lighter than concrete and much better insulated than clay. There are two options, either the liner system which involves 600mm lengths of flue around which pumice insulation is then used to fill the gap, or the double modular system which incorporates both the stack and the liner. Both allow you to match the external chimney with your existing walls whether it be brick, stone or render. Its insulating qualities make it the ideal choice for external chimney systems, although it can be used to reline existing old stacks. It is also very cost effective and is easy to assemble. It can be erected anywhere on the house but for obvious reasons is better suited to a gable end. There needs to be the space outside to accommodate the stack, and adequate foundations need to be created.