more testimonials…
It was a pure stroke of luck for us that we decided to have the Ecco Stove installed in Autumn 2009, which was followed by the coldest winter since 1978. Unlike ordinary wood burners, which only keep you warm provided you sit close to the fireplace, the Ecco Stove emits the heat into the room while simultaneously retaining it in its body. This is the ideal heating solution for us, as we live in an old Victorian house with large rooms and high ceilings. When the stove is running we keep the door open to heat the hall and corridor too.
I was initially worried that we would have to use up huge amounts of wood, but that’s not the case. After the inital firing, one can add the odd log from time to time and the Ecco Stove keeps ticking over nicely to find the oven in itself still warm the next morning. It gives out a pleasant flow of warmth long after the oven has been “shut” down. The stove runs so efficiently that hardly any ash is left in the grate either, which is truly astounding and hassle-free. The boys adore sitting in front of the stove watching the flames through the glass window.
We are very pleased indeed with the product. Dave Ashmore and his team are very keen, committed and enthusiastic, so the stove also comes with a superb customer service package. Visitors are always impressed with the good looks of the stove. With its classic design, it is easily at home in a Victorian or more modern home.
Dr B Bryan, Woodbank HD6
Visually, this is a wonderful stove, especially in the grey finish. It looks both traditional and hi-tech all at once, but with softer lines than cast-iron woodburners. The large area of glass in the door looks fabulous when the fire is roaring away, and the heat really pours out from it. Lighting is very easy as the draw is very impressive, especially when slightly warm. That goes for relighting from embers too – opening the ash drawer a couple of centimetres turns a glow into a furnace with flames quickly spiralling throughout the firebox and producing enormous amounts of heat energy. Although the body of the stove takes a while to get to full temperature, heat quickly transmits into the room through the glass. But it’s when the fire dies down that really still amazes us: even after a couple of hours, when most woodburners would be stone cold and unappealing, there is still a surprising amount of comforting warmth radiating off the substantial body of the stove, and that can last long into the evening.
We have installed the burner in our new log cabin and it keeps the living and dining room warm all day, with heat travelling upstairs and warming the bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms too. Other than in the office, which is a way from the stove, we have no need to use the radiators except very first thing before we get up, just to take the chill off.
The Ecco Stove is an excellent piece of heating innovation, using the natural heat capacity of Silicon Carbide to release heat slowly through the day as needed. I think of it like the body using complex carbohydrates to release energy slowly in a more usable way, rather than an instant, ephemeral rush of sugar, which most people agree the need to avoid!
David Cox
We could not have picked a better winter to try out an Ecco Stove, as even in one of the muggy winters we have had in recent years the house is very cold and the central heating on “constant” most of the day, as the house is also where we work.
The Ecco Stove is very easy to use. Getting it ready to light in the morning takes 5 minutes or less, and within minutes it is giving out comforting warmth (especially comforting if for some reason one has to get up at 5am!). It is also very economical to light, one firelighter and some kindling under the logs, open the ash drawer for a draft and off it goes – one could not ask for more, I think.
The difference to the whole house has been marked. The stairs and landing which were always desperately cold have been quite bearable, and in our guest room above the room with the Ecco Stove our visitors remark how warm the beds are. No need to gear oneself up for the cold shock of getting into bed any longer. Altogether the house has been a more comfortable area to live in.
The temperature downstairs is usually between 16 and 18 degrees in the morning, and the stove will have been burned down by midnight.
We are not burning good quality hardwood but rather willow and alder with the occasional nice heavy piece of oak or ash, so I think we probably use quite a lot more wood than might be expected. However we have made a huge reduction on our heating oil bill, as that is used for heating only for a one and a half hour boost at getting up and going to bed time.
Adrian Parsons