Top tip for anyone owning a 650 or 750 Clearview, I recently greased up the door catch, door pins/hinges, both air intake sliders and the ash tray catch with copper grease. It makes such a difference on the door latch - you can now easily get a really tight and snug seal where you might have struggled to close the catch properly before. Vent controls are nice and silky too. Bought the copper grease in Halford’s, get the proper stuff in the tub and not the aerosol type. Copper grease is good up to 1100C!
4 Likes
The engineer turned up today: compressor caput / corroded as a result the fan motors are seized. I had thought all ASHP the same: reverse engineered from air con units. However, it appears that this is not the case.
I await a quote to repair but I suspect it will be wise to get a new unit.
Yes, I thought it was all standard air con tech. What bit isn’t ? Apart from the refrigerant gas which may be different to my R32 and R410a types I have here.
Well some brands reverse engineer, but Vaillant was designed from scratch, but still only has a ten year life. Most brands rely on complex electronics to manage the reverse engineering, whereas Vaillant uses a simple heat exchanger and control circuits.
There is more to this story for me to learn.
The corrosion occurs as a result of condensation so is an inherent problem with all brands.
Update: cost repair and spare parts for the ASHP plus the coolant = £2500. Cost of new unit = £5k-£8k depending on supplier. Vaillant don’t sell to the public or trade so allow same cost again for installation and commissioning.
In addition, one installer said that the system needed a new expansion vessel, but he could not install it where the old one was so recommended a different type of ASHP. Looks like it’s a repair job for now.
A timely thread and something we’re about to do ourselves, we’re in Torbay Devon. We’ve had a quote for approx. 3400 which includes the stove. The stove is a Medip, their Woodland SE m/fuel - are these on anyones radar, they do look good and well made.
1 Like
Mendip stoves? If so they look smart but have never used one.
1 Like
That’s about the going rate these days using a professional fitter, i paid about 4k but my stove cost £1400, and had to dial in the cost of £700 for scaffolding too. The guy that put my stove in was a HETAS engineer and did an excellent job.
It’s important to get someone who knows what they’re doing, it is a specialist job, although £3,400 sounds reassuringly expensive (like someone qualified is going to do it).
3 Likes
Thanks @Alley_Cat and @Debs - we’ve been given a slight discount on the stove as it’s last years models, we still get the full guarantee and it’s being fitted by a HETAS engineer. Having checked the job sheet, we’re to pay an additional 650 to the fitters - so our cost is broadly in line.
1 Like
Don’t forget to take those before and after photos, and show them on here.
Hope it all goes to plan!
Also, have you got a place organised to store the fuel?
1 Like
Ha, will do 
We’ve a couple of places in mind (well I have) though my other half has other ideas - neither of which work too well. The one I’m considering is an old outside loo spot - the toilet is long gone, as has the roof/door and I’m contemplating a wooden/slatted surrounds (on a pallet floor) and a simple roof - hopefully enough air will circulate - let me take and post a piccie…
I’m thinking the ‘loo’ may need some sort of wood slats so as to circulate the air (and a roof), but do think this could work well and there would be lots of room. The second option is to place a ready made wood store in that gap…
Ideally you need some holes in the walls, maybe with airbricks, to allow air circulation……and a roof!!
Many logs come kiln dried these days, and their moisture content will nearly always increase during storage - a massive waste of energy in the general scheme of things.
2 Likes
Many logs come kiln dried these days, and their moisture content will nearly always increase during storage - a massive waste of energy in the general scheme of things.
Agreed, we changed from kiln dried to locally grown/felled air dried logs - not as dry initially, however after a couple of months they are good to go. More environmental friendly (and almost half the price).
5 Likes
So, we’ve got the fitters arriving on Weds and my wife and I are still discussing whether we do away with the fires surround (I want rid) - by all accounts it’s a local stone called Pink Petit Tor which a limestone which is then highly polished. In its place would be the opening and smooth plaster - most likely an oak mantle shelf. Thoughts?
3 Likes
I would concur, it’s a little too fussy for me
1 Like
The surround may get damaged when removed, it will need to be because the (cast iron?) fireplace edges are tucked in behind it. Unless the fitters are very careful 
It’s subjective, personally i think the surround looks okay (but i don’t like the tiled hearth) and if an original fixture and part of the character of the house there is a case for refitting the surround but perhaps changing the hearth to something better (?)
Plus as a non-combustable this surround is good for a stove.
However these old open fireplace surrounds don’t command much currently these days so it will probably need to be scrapped or given away. Too many of us ripping them out to fit stoves and no one wants an open fireplace.
Although this tends to play well in the scheme of it getting damaged on removal, just a case of throwing pieces of the heavy behemoth into the skip 
At least your fire place is the standard size which is less complicated.
Would be a good idea to get ideas of design and aesthetics before they start work. You may like the idea of having tiles in the inset before the stove is plumbed in (and in the way).
If you go for smooth plaster surround a tiled inset adds charm, especially herringbone style brick imo.
This sort of thing:
3 Likes
I’m agreeing with @Hollow it is too fussy (that wallpaper is also coming off) - we’ve only recently moved in and have lots of plans, it’s shame really as the people we bought off spent quite a lot of money decorating!
Thanks @Debs that’s how I envisage it looking (minus) the brickwork, I’m wanting to keep it plain and simple - though it would be shame to scrap/sell it off but I’ve not attachment to it - it looks like a later addition to the hearth, certainly compared to the rest of the fire places and what with the wallpaper, it really hurts my eyes.
For the oak mantle have a look at: Traditional Beams dot com
Very pleased with the one i bought from them (photo below) however bear in mind your insert will be larger than my non-standard size, i think standard size is 3’ x 3’ so your oak mantle can be set just above the opening which looks a lot better.
3 Likes