Dowling stoves

[Phil Pascoe]

Anyone bought/fitted one in the last year or so? I've bought a small bungalow that has no central heating or mains gas - both of us are very reluctant to rely on electricity for everything. The water heating is economy 7 but even that is going to be expensive after gas and a stove with a back boiler could be a smart move (especially as I intend to spend a lot of time turning and making furniture ). I like the idea of not having to replace the insides of the stove with monotonous regularity, unlike the Clearview in the house we sold last year. The Dowling Little Devil 12b looks good.

 

[Jacob]

We've had a Dowling Firebug for about 10 years. It's brilliant. Maintenance free (except when we broke the glass our fault) and very effective. An earlier Morso Squirrel needed new bits all the time. Cast iron is not a good material for multi fuel stoves.
About to install a Dowling Sumo. Space heat only. To be efficient a back boiler meant complications such as a huge thermal store. Space heating is where the energy goes and doesn't need to be complicated.
They aren't quite as air tight as some of the cast iron ones so you won't get quite the slow burn over night, but so what - all this does is avoid firelighting in the morning but is very inefficient.
Good for saw dust and shavings - you fill it up to the top and set fire to the top of the heap, let it burn away and start again.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It was your Firebug that prompted my first looking. I'm not sure of the practicalities of the boiler, and it'll probably take a new tank (the existing one isn't very old) but I really don't like the idea of only electric water heating. I bath/shower most days and swmbo and the boy shower/bath twice a day, so the demand on hot water is high.
(There is no possibility of mains gas)