Pellets and coffee with brandy

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Well, here it is. The Ravelli Olivia Steel. And not without a lot of fuss, adrenaline, bitten nails, and panic telephone calls to dealer and importer.

First thing I saw in the compartment for the pellets is this. Yes, a screw.. Better have that removed.. Screw loose a grid, screw out, grid back in place. (I wonder what would have happened if we had no seen this..)

The Olivia Steel clearly is not a usual model for the installers. Well, it is a complicated beast.

You can have the exhaust connected to the back of the stove, which is the standard way, but also at the right side, or from the top. As we have an "extra duct", a pipe to convey hot air to the first floor, to the living room, we chose an exhaust to the back. That extra duct can only be connected to the back, so the exhaust's connection is naturally from the back, too, in our situation. These stoves are intended to heat the room they are in, and another room on the other side of a wall. Apparently no one needs to heat an upstairs...

Anyway, as the duct is going up, and from the back, the exhaust's natural place is at the back.

We had preferred the extra heat duct from the top or from the left side of the stove, so we could have installed the stove flat against the wall, taking up no more than 25 cm space. The duct at the back takes an extra 15 cm, so that is enough space for the exhaust, too. But, inside the stove only a bit of exhaust points right. So, that needs a bend to connect to an exhaust. There were no bends available that would fit

A bend was shortened, but still it did not fit. They were about to connect it from the right of the stove, which would make the space needed more than we liked, so: no.

To connect a bend the stove was readily taken apart, to our horror, and still the bend would not fit. A little hose on the exhaust inside the stove prevented.. Not totally convinced taking apart an expensive stove was the way to go we called the shop. On their way. Six guys about the house. And not a word non-Spanish. Called the importer, as taking apart a stove cannot be the way to go.. Apparently, if you want to connect the exhaust to the back you need to order a special bend. It was not there. Meanwhile a standard bend had been shortened, and a recess was cut to accommodate the small hose ... and it didn't fit either.

What to do. Throw them out with their stove? Then you have both no stove and a lot of shit. The alternative: connect exhaust right: NO! Alternative 2: inside the stove a T-piece (tee) and connect the exhaust up, through the top. Not our favourite, but feasible as the stove now is in pieces and a tee can be fitted. (else it cannot.)

Assembled the stove again, exhaust up, but now the white panels were not in their right place, but 2 mm down. Is the panel upside down?? (screw screw) No. Screw screw screw, turn around again. Ah, yet a little higher.. (Screw screw)

What is this spare screw? (..)

Now, connect the exhaust to the outside. We had ventilation opening for the toilet, that was supposed to be useable as is. Still, we heard hacking at a certain moment, as the pipe was not going through as intended. These walls are made with natural stones and lime mortar, and if a fat boulder is in the way... you get a hole that is a lot bigger than originally intended, as you can see. The contours of the (rather large) original grill are still visible on the wall.

I kept the boulders, and asked the builder who drops by tomorrow to bring a bag of lime mortar. Else they wold have simply filled this hole with modern cement, which does not fit walls like this. Modern cement is too hard and will crack your walls.

Brilliant idea of mine: put an extra wider pipe around the exhaust. This way repair is a lot easier, and I can mess with cement and stones without touching the actual exhaust.

Remains the tube for the hot air to the living room on the first floor. The stove can distribute it's heat between kitchen on the ground floor and the living upstairs. (Adjustable.)

Would you like coffee? Hombre 1: yes please, with a bit of milk, and (a lot of) sugar. Hombre 2: yes please, with some brandy. Why not. We're in Spain.

Around five o'clock all was done. The others would return to start up and adjust the stove for the first time. And yes, by seven thirty (we're in Spain) the stove was started up. Only for a short time, as a special silicone around the heat duct needed to harden still. We've seen it functioning, and especially: felt it. A lot of heat! Lovely!

Tomorrow a picture with live fire.