# Help needed fitting fire in Greece.



## monk kalamata (Aug 21, 2016)

Hello to you all, first post. I have been searching the internet looking for advice on fitting a wood burning cast fire and found this site and very interesting reading it has been.

So my story I am a Brit living in southern Greece and yes the temp is far different to the -40c some of you talk of. But from end of October it does get cool in the evenings till end of March maybe even down to 0c for a while.

Recently I bought a wood burning fire in Greece from a supposedly respected shop along with 6” diameter single skin pipe that goes up an internal concrete chimney for about 16ft.

Fitted a registry plate at the top of hearth to block of chimney with hole cut allowing the pipe to drop through then 90 degree elbow with 2ft pipe into rear of fire.

Now the story starts.

The fire is solid cast iron around 350 pounds in weight but on delivery found inner parts were missing. No instruction book, no rear baffle although 2 bolts either side of flue opening shows one should be fitted No inner side plates.

Back in touch with supplier who says company no longer makes this model no parts available. Asked for a refund and he just laughed.

Greeks aren’t big on customer service!!

So the bottom line is I am stuck with this fire and need to get the best out of it. I need advice on a baffle size and just about everything else really.

Will add a couple of pictures with dimensions hoping you can help.

You must wonder why I don’t seek advice here, to be honest people have wood burners none of which seem to work well and as I have found to my cost no one really seems to know what they are doing.


Internal measurements. Width 23” Height 20” Depth 12”

thank you.
Monk kalamata


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## begreen (Aug 21, 2016)

Odd configuration, it looks more like a coal stove. There should be a manufacture's label. What is the make and model? Did it come with a manual?


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## monk kalamata (Aug 22, 2016)

begreen said:


> Odd configuration, it looks more like a coal stove. There should be a manufacture's label. What is the make and model? Did it come with a manual?





begreen said:


> Odd configuration, it looks more like a coal stove. There should be a manufacture's label. What is the make and model? Did it come with a manual?



Hi and thanks for the reply. bought it as a wood fire, that is what is burnt in this area, no manual, no manufacture label tried getting the information from supplier but not interested. you can see why i need your help.


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## begreen (Aug 22, 2016)

I say it appears to be a coal stove based on the design. It has a riddling grate that has the air supplied under the coal bed and no baffle. It may be an English or Irish stove designed to burn peat or lignite coal, but that is just a guess. If burning wood the ash pan looks like it would be full after an hour or two.


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## monk kalamata (Aug 22, 2016)

begreen said:


> I say it appears to be a coal stove based on the design. It has a riddling grate that has the air supplied under the coal bed and no baffle. It may be an English or Irish stove designed to burn peat or lignite coal, but that is just a guess. If burning wood the ash pan looks like it would be full after an hour or two.



i don't doubt what you say. they sell fires called multi fuel here so guess the riddling grate could be for coal, could this be taken out? as for the baffle, level with the bottom of the flue hole about 3" either side are bolts that fit into the back of the fire. Guess these were to hold a baffle in place, you can just about see them in te internal view of the fire.
what would you recommend to turn this into a useable wood burner?


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## begreen (Aug 22, 2016)

Need a make and model to know the options. The stove will burn wood, but I would guess it will burn up wood quickly and inefficiently. Personally I would sell it and buy stove designed for wood burning exclusively.

PS: Not sure if this helps but the stove's controls look similar to some Lilyking models.


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## monk kalamata (Aug 23, 2016)

Looked on the Lilyking website and you are right they do look similar.
Going to see if i can get the make /model but it was made in Greece, paid about $ 650 for this thing, this is a small community here if i tried selling it on i would get Lynched so need help to get the best out of it.


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## begreen (Aug 23, 2016)

Might be a Chinese knockoff. Sell it back to the dealer to get credit on a proper woodstove. If the community is small then let the word get out if he won't exchange. Or maybe exchange for a pellet stove? Wood is scarce in Greece and getting more so.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-heating-idUSTRE7AM25S20111123
http://www.ekathimerini.com/147932/...crisis-greeks-turn-to-wood-burning--and-choke


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## monk kalamata (Aug 24, 2016)

Been to see the guy today after a 3 hour round trip and 1/2 hour of talking the best he is prepared to do is exchange the fire for one similar design. This one has no inner lining/ bricks etc. and the baffle is an L shape metal plate that fills the back wall and comes over the  top with about 1/2" space around the edge with a gap between the outer casing so air etc. is supposed to be drawn in this void and up the chimney. Have you come across this design before and is it any good?

You say buy stove designed for wood burning exclusively.
Well this is the only thing available around here steel with fire brick inner and are made in Bulgaria much cheaper than the cast type i bought.

http://www.prity-bg.com/prity.php?lang=en&section=standard


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## begreen (Aug 24, 2016)

That's great that you can exchange. We don't see any Bulgarian stoves here, so it's hard to comment. FWIW, I believe Jotuls are sold in Greece. Thermiki are made in Greece, but I don't know anything about them either, but am a little leery of the 3mm thick construction. 
http://www.xanthakos.gr/en/1/xylosompes-energeiakes-aerothermes-thermiki-tsalikis-c91.html


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## Lake Girl (Aug 24, 2016)

monk kalamata said:


> ... exchange the fire for one similar design. This one has no inner lining/ bricks etc. and the baffle is an L shape metal plate that fills the back wall and comes over the  top with about 1/2" space around the edge with a gap between the outer casing so air etc. is supposed to be drawn in this void and up the chimney. Have you come across this design before and is it any good?
> ...



Any maker information on that stove?


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## monk kalamata (Aug 24, 2016)

Lake Girl said:


> Any maker information on that stove?


Sadly no name, did ask but all i got was a manufacturer in Thessaloniki.
i really have tried to get as much information but as i said in previous posts the guys here are not much on custoer service/care.
begreen has tried to help me out but not come back with any information on the type of baffle i mentioned in my last post


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## monk kalamata (Aug 24, 2016)

begreen said:


> That's great that you can exchange. We don't see any Bulgarian stoves here, so it's hard to comment. FWIW, I believe Jotuls are sold in Greece. Thermiki are made in Greece, but I don't know anything about them either, but am a little leery of the 3mm thick construction.
> http://www.xanthakos.gr/en/1/xylosompes-energeiakes-aerothermes-thermiki-tsalikis-c91.html


Have you come across the type of baffle i mentioned in my last post? if so is it a decent design? i'm running out of options. checked out Jotul they don't seem to be available here.


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## begreen (Aug 24, 2016)

It sounds like a simple old style baffle. Without pictures or a make/model it's hard to say more.


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## Lake Girl (Aug 25, 2016)

Must be a reseller from one of these companies but there are no manufacturers:  http://www.europages.co.uk/companies/Greece/fireplaces.html

PS  Did find this!  http://www.xanthakos.gr/en/1/xylosompes-energeiakes-aerothermes-thermiki-tsalikis-c91.html
https://www.gmdu.net/corp-323499.html


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## monk kalamata (Aug 30, 2016)

begreen said:


> It sounds like a simple old style baffle. Without pictures or a make/model it's hard to say more.



OK.

After some internet trawling and working out who supplied the guy I bought from I can confirm this is a Chinese fire, it is not discontinued as I was told.

This link is not from the shop I bought from and yes it is €100 cheaper than I paid.  http://www.varelas-shop.gr/home/90-mt-116s-am02b-14k.html

When i first looked at a stove I used the formula to work out what size KW fire I needed and it came out at 9KW. I told the shop what size I needed and he said this one was a 10KW, as you can see it is advertised at nearly 14KW. The other fire he wanted me to swap with is rated the same.

I have read that bigger isn’t better as the fire will not run at its optimum efficiency.

Luckily I bought it with my UK credit card and if there is a dispute the C-card company are equally liable as the seller so I am going to let them sort it out.

I am going down the log burning stove route now not multi fuel

Thanks for your help,


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## begreen (Aug 30, 2016)

I appreciate the challenge you must have. It looks like Czech stove company ABX are sold there. I know nothing about these stove other than the specs on their webpage. http://www.abx.cz/gb/wood-burning-fireplace-stoves. This Greek stove company sells them: http://www.syrios.gr/en/category/greek-and-imported-products/cast-iron-wood-burning-stoves-2/

Also saw this mention for Jotul. Not sure what they actually stock.


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## Lake Girl (Sep 1, 2016)

Honesty in advertising??  Good luck in your search and keep us posted on how you make out.  Always a fascination on what types of stoves are available in different locations!


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## monk kalamata (Sep 17, 2016)

Finally got refund on credit card.I will look around again using the information you have given me.

thanks again.
monk.


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## Lake Girl (Sep 17, 2016)

Great that you got your money back.  Good luck on your search ... let us know what you come up with.


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