'There's no smoke without fire'

Woah, now that felt hot!!!

Even a fairly small stove can throw out a lot heat and in the cabin; you need to be watchful about the position of anything that can burn, whether it's fixed or can move.

With the stove burning brightly, have you ever sat down on a couch or bunk and felt it really hot to the touch?

Has your nose told you something is getting hot or charring?

Have you seen any discolouration on wood, curtains or soft furnishings close to the stove?

Have you seen wisps of smoke, but it's not coming from the stove?

This is a bad sign and may indicate that pyrolysis is happening.

Don't allow problems to start

Combustible material should be as far away from the stove as practicable on a boat.

Stack logs out of the danger area and keep furniture well clear,

Take about soft furnishings, use tiebacks or rails for curtains or linings at risk.

Don't allow things to get worse, deal with any problem, don't let it ride!

Check on the wooden surfaces and even wooden battens and panels behind tiles close to the stove.

If you find damage or if you want to be better protected, ensure any combustible materials near to the appliance or chimney are properly heat insulated.

Look around your stove, check for problems that could allow heat to escape in the wrong places. Is the back plate in place? Are all the fire bricks in the stove in ggod condition.

Frightening Discovery

Like many new owners of pre-used boats, this one decided to make a few changes. The decision was taken to replace and relocate the solid fuel stove. The tiles surrounding the stove had been laid directly on the cabin’s wood lining. There were no external signs of problems and it was only with the stove and tiles removed, that the problem was discovered.

See advice on heat protection panels on http://www.soliftec.com/Installation.htm