FAQ
Why does every Stokem have a door?
With wood fired stoves there is often coming smoke and sparks from the fire opening. People often do not like this because of the smell that sticks on you for a long time. Stokem has a door with special heat resistant glass which prevents the smoke coming out of the fire opening and directs all smoke to the chimney. The outlet of the chimney is at a height of 235 cm so it never bothers you. But, if you like the open fire when there is a lot of glowing charcoal you can simply open the door en enjoy that direct heat. It is up to you to decide.
How do I manage the fire intensity?
In the door of every Stokem there is a smart air intake, above and below the window. Next to that the stove itself will expand with higher temperatures which also increases the airflow and thus the intensity of the fire. This is just right for a good whirling fire where you can see the flames dance.
But if you are starting up your fire OR you want to go for an intense fire with flames coming out of the chimney, then you need more air. For this purpose we have created the KickStarter mode which opens the door a little bit to create a whirling airflow that boosts every fire!
How can I temper a too fierce fire?
In the chimney there is a valve. Normally it is wide open to make it easy for the smoke to leave the chimney (the grip is then in a vertical position). By shutting the valve a little bit the fire will reduce. Keep the door closed when you are tempering a fire with the valve.
Why is there such a long chimney on the Stokem?
The chimney has a height 2,3 meters. A long chimney ensures a vacuum to create a good airflow. Also you have no bother of the smoke coming out of the chimney at that height.
How do I create a good fire?
A good fire does not show visible smoke coming out of the chimney. The most important thing is to use good dry wood, with a humidity percentage lower than 20%. You can test that with a humidity measuring tool available in our shop.
Always start the fire with 3-4 fire lighters and dry kindling wood. When the fire is really going and the kindling wood is falling apart, then you can add a few thicker pieces of dry wood which you should stack in such a way that air can easily flow through.
Can a Stokem always stay outside?
Yes, all parts are made of robust stainless steel. They will last a very long time, even when always standing outside.
How do I remove the ash residu?
A Stokem has a big ash reservoir. So you do not need to clean it out often. But when you clean it you can use a spade (like in our shop) with which you can easily remove the ashes.
Is the Stokem maintenance free?
Yes, no maintenance is needed. The window will get some dark smoke residu on it, but that will disappear again when lighting up a good fire. If you want you can clean the Stokem on the outside with water and soap.
Rain has poored into my Stokem through the chimney. Now what?
That can not hurt and is no problem. Usually the water will be soaked up by the remaining ashes in the reservoir. When lighting up a new fire, the water will simply evaporate. If there is no ash residu in the reservoir and then rain poors in, you will need to tilt the Stokem and let the water flow out. Top Tip, always leave an ash residu in the reservoir.
There is some rust on the Stokem. How is that possible since it is made from stainless steel?
All metal including bolts and nuts are made out of stainless steel SS 304. SS 304 is rust resistant in most conditions. Never the less, certain environmental influences (salty air, humid weather, fly-rust) can cause surface rust. This does not harm the wood stove in any way.
Fly-rust (surface rust) consists out of rust particles which come from the environment. It often feels rough and gives a brown surface. This can occur in industrialized areas or near railways.
Fly-rust (surface rust) consists out of rust particles which come from the environment. It often feels rough and gives a brown surface. This can occur in industrialized areas or near railways.
The first time we lit up the Stokem Black, smoke came of the stove surface itself?
The black paint on the Stokem is special heat resistant paint from a German brand who is one of the best suppliers in the world. The paint does have the property to smoke the first time it is heated up. This is the proces where the paint really hardens and attaches to the stove. So, completely normal.
Also when you use the spray can from our shop to correct some damages to the paint it will smoke the first time it is used.
Can the Stokem be put under a porch?
Yes, a Stokem can be used under a porch. But then you do need to connect the chimney to a double isolated pipe to go through the roof. You can order these at most specialists for chimneys and wood stoves.
To make it easy to connect the Stokem chimney to one of these double isolated sets we have created an adapter with one of the specialist firms. You can buy this through the following link: Veranda adapterset
With this set you can connect Stokem to a double isolated system with a diameter of 125 mm.