Stratford boiler stoves are different from many other central heating stoves in that the boiler is built as part of the stove. In many stoves the boiler is added in to the firebox taking the place of firebricks - almost as an afterthought. In a Stratford stove the boiler is actually part of the stove which means a larger surface area for heat to transfer to the water - this is why Stratford boiler stoves can achieve such high outputs.
Inside the boiler there is a special cold water anti corrosion system - what exactly this is is a trade secret (Stratford stoves would not even tell us what it is), suffice to say there Stratford stoves have been in use for over 15 years with no problems. The life of the boiler obviously depends on the competence of the installation and on what fuels are used and how hard they are burnt.
All Stratford stoves should be correctly sized for the heating needs of your home. Stratford boiler stoves are best burnt relatively hard. Long-term slumbering not only reduces efficiency of the stove but can also reduce the life of the boiler. Make sure that you get a qualified heating engineer to calculate the loading of your heating system before deciding which Stratford boiler stove to go for.
The boiler on a Stratford stove has four tapping points - the idea is you cionnect the grvity fed loop (usually leadfing to the hot water tank) to one set of tappings eithe top left and bottom right or top right and bottom left, and then connect the radiator circuit to the other two tapping points.
A pipe stat must be fitted to the return from the gravity feed pipe and set at 45 degrees. This stat controls the main central heating pump: it only turns on and diverts some of the heat to the radiators once the domestic hot water has reached 45 degrees.
Some tips:
- You should contact a heating engineer to calculate the right BTU output needed for your system.
- Stratford boiler stoves should only be installed in an indirect - open - system. This is where there is a header tank (often in the loft) and where a gas boiler does not have a pressure gauge on it.
- The flue draw or flue pressure should be measured at the time of installation. Overdrawing flues should have measures taken to reduce their draw - ie a baffle fitted. An underdrawing flue will also need to be fixed - usually by adding more height to the chimney.
- A heat leak radiator should be installed that is 10% of the rated output of the boiler.
- Becuase the output to the room is relatively small you mau need a radiator in the room where the stove is installed.
- A pipe stat must be fitted to the return hot water and set at 45°C.
- A rust inhibitor should be added to the heating water once the engineer is happy there are no leaks from the system.
- If using solid fuel ensure only recommended fuels are used, and definitely no Petroleum Based fuels. click here to search for a coal merchant. Please refer to your installation manual for further information.
- If burning wood use only seasoned, dry wood. Unseasoned and wet wood will burn inefficiently and can damage flue and stove. click here to search for a firewood supplier. For every twelve hours alight a period of fast burn should be undertaken for up to 20 minutes to ensure the flue is cleared.
Click here for a typical plumbing diagram of a Stratford boiler stove.
