Stovax Stockton 7 help needed

[Stringman]

Hi all,

We have just installed a MK stovax stockton 7 in the living room. It has replaced an Olymberyl Palladin.

The olymberyl was a joy to use and easy to start and control.

We seem to be really struggling to keep the flames going on the stockton. when I left for work tonight the primary air was half open and the secondary was almost fully open and there was a nice flame. But the flame drops dramatically if you shut down the primary.

To make matters worse we have a mk 2 stockton 8 downstairs  and, although it needs lots of wood, it chucks out loads of heat and is easy to control.

 

The wood is the same for both fires, the only thing i can think of is that when we had the Olymberyl there was a hole ( about 10mm) in the fireplace to the outside and this has now been covered up with fireboard.

We only got the stockton as we wanted a bigger fire with bigger window and the 8 was so nice to use!

 

Does anyone have any ideas? 

 

Thanks in advance

 

[BARNSLEY BOB]

Double glazing.?
Plastic doors.?
May be short of air.

[Stringman]

Bob,

Thanks for the reply. We do have double glazing, but wooden doors. The house is 1865 so old and drafty ( the kitchen massively so)  I was thinking the same thing though. Maybe  will try putting a fan near the stove to see if that makes a difference.

[Stubby]

Re instate the original hole .

[Stringman]

Well I think it should have an air brick to be fair.

Before i go to the (major) faff of doing that I want to check if there are any other issues it could be?

 

[openspaceman]

Sounds like a draught problem as the one downstairs has a longer chimney. Are they both running at the same time?

 

Are both flues lined and insulated?

Edited November 16, 2020 by openspaceman

[Stringman]

Openspace

I did wonder that but the 1st fire we had had no problem at all.

The house is very tall ( about 35ft tall from bottom to chimney top)  with the problematic fire only being 8 ft higher than the bottom.

No both fires arent on at the same time. If it is a draw problem would that magnify the problem or reduce it.

Both chimneys are lined but not insulated.

I need to get an Hetas sign off so will ask the guy if he has any thoughts.

The chimney hasnt been swept for a while so I will do that as well.

[woody paul]

That's probably the trouble ares gets blocked right at the top and it will not draw. 

19 minutes ago, Stringman said:

The chimney hasnt been swept for a while so I will do that as well.

 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Stringman said:

No both fires arent on at the same time. If it is a draw problem would that magnify the problem or reduce it.

Both chimneys are lined but not insulated.

I have known a house where a newly installed aga or rayburn would not pass the draw test for the chimney, it was not lined and the flue exhausted directly to a 9" brick chimney. The house was centrally heated and there was an open fireplace in the sitting room and that chimney was some metres taller than the aga one in the kitchen extension. I surmised that the heat from the aga was not sufficient to overcome the cold air in the chimney exacerbated by the  warm air exiting via the sitting room actually causing a downdraught at the aga. I never did get told the final outcome

[Stringman]

Interesting.

But if there was no such problem on the old Olymberyl which was only a 5k as opposed to a 7k would that not have had the worse problem?

 

I am inclined to think it may not be getting enough air. So when we next light it I will put a small usb fan pointing into the fire place ( but not at the vents directly) and see if that changes anything.

 

Thanks so much for all the thoughts and ideas.