Any Experienced Weso Users Out There?

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and have some questions on using the Weso stove. I only burn wood (hope that doesn't offend anyone here). I am looking for advice on the proper way to start a fire in these stoves. Also, my damper appears to be somewhat broken. It will close all of the way and open fairly wide, but it not calibrated to the notch on the door. It appears that when in the "0" position, the damper should closed all of the way and the "0" on the dial should line up the notch on the door. Under this method, mine reads about 2.5 when closed 100%. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would like to try to adjust the calibration on the damper in lieu of buying another.

Thank you,
Mike

Hello Mike, welcome to the forum. The Weso stove is not one I'm familiar with, can you post some photos so we know what it is??

In the 'Favorite topics' forum, [the second one down from the top] there is a thread on starting a coal fire.. That should get you going..

For your air damper,, they are all just for rough refernece.. many stoves just have a threaded knob,, no markings,, the reference for the spinner knobs is for closes.. so 1/4 turn open, or 1/2 turn open etc..

The sliding air vents are harder to be 'precise' with.. but you will soon figure it out.. some people use a table knife like a guage to open the gap the right amount..

Take care,, photos when you can.. Make sure you clean your chimney of old wood creosote..

Greg L.

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Here's a pic

OK, definitely never seen that stove before..
A few questions to determine if the stove can burn anthracite coal.

Does the stove have grates in the bottom of the firebox. If so, are the grates moveable and attached to a handle or mechanism to shake the grates.
Is there an ashpan below the grates for the coal ash to fall into when the grates are shook?

Is there a separate air draft control in the bottom of the stove, providing air into the ashpan area so a fire on the grate is fed air only from below and through the grates..

All the above are needed to burn coal correctly or at all.

Without all the above items,, then the stove is a wood stove only.

Greg L.

I have a Weso that we used fairly exclusively for wood burning when I was growing up. It's been out of commission for quite a while now but I have been replacing seals to get it up and running this season. Its been a couple decades since I had to fire it up so my memory is foggy. I don't remember anything special about it though. I have the manual around here some where. If I can put my hands on it, I'll see what it has to say.

If you do a search in the "Hand fired stove" section on "Weso" you can check out some of the threads I posted about it.

Thanks for the links,

I'm doing the same. I''ve been buying some replacement parts and it's unbelievable how expensive they are. Of course, I know the stove will work great if I get everything fixed. I just wonder how long the company will be around to sell these replacement parts.

From what I can tell, the last EPA certification expired in 1990. So they've been scrounging around with parts for almost 20 years.

I am getting this baby on Sat!!!

I hope it can burn coal! This is the only photo they gave me. They said there is a crack in the glass. Do you think that will interfere?

You can replace the glass if necessary - here's a link to the original importer of the stove. That model is a little different than the one I have, but I do know that you'll need the "inserts" to burn coal. The are sort of triangle shaped pieces that are placed in the fire chamber to allow the coal to funnel down. I'm pretty sure they will have these for sale if your stove doesn't come with them.

Good luck - the Weso's are awesome stoves!

With any luck, I'll have a positive report around Sunday. It's going to be nearly cold enough here so I think I can fire her up!

JPete,

I have all of the instruction manuals for the old model 125 and new model 125s if you weren't able to locate them. If you want them, I can scan them in and send your way.

Good luck firing it up

I grew up with one of those stoves back in the early 80's, same color, too. We burned wood in it and a little bituminous, which it did very well with....our Woodchuck add-on furnace was another matter with coal....

Anyway, the Weso has a thermostatic damper that works very well. It will start out mostly open and close as the stove heats up. It will maintain a pretty consistent stove temp provided the draft is steady. I think it's a fluid-type thermostat rather than a bi-metal type.

For wood, the vent below the main door should be open maybe 1/2 way. For coal, it is to be fully closed. The little holes in it provide the required air for coal.

I recall there was a set of cast iron plates that formed a "basket" inside the stove and these were spaced away from the body of the stove a small amount for air to circulate and keep them from getting too hot (hence no need for firebrick). I also recall the grate had quite small spaces between the bars and only moved in a circular motion - like dancing the "twist", and didn't do well with clinkers as it couldn't grind them up.

I also recall a little "hatch" at the top rear center of the firebox that could be removed to allow access to the flue outlet for cleaning without having to pull the stove or pipe out.

It was a beautiful stove, I wish they were still available. I imagine the current owners of our home either sold it or are using it for a plant stand.......but that was a looong time ago.

Chris

MichaelB
We just put in an older model 125 in our home. It was in here when we bought the house and we took it out to put in new floors. We decided to bring it back inside this year to help with fuel costs, but we don't have a manuel for it. Can you scan something to me for this stove. It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Jfish

Got my WESO up and running, if anyone is interested, check my thread in the Hand Fired forum.

Sorry to barge in but I have a stove like yours (HSK 125C).
I was wondering if anyone knows what it is worth.
It is in good shape and I don’t use it much anymore. I used to heat my wood shop for about six years and it did a heck of a job.
I have a person wanting it; it’s such a good looking stove that I can’t see it setting out there any longer.
Any help would be appreciated.
Mike

It's hard to say what they are really worth. You'll find them on Ebay/Craigslist anywhere from $500 to $2000. I know they were several thousand dollars new (25+ years ago). They are very unique and unlikely to be duplicated in the future so that might add some collector value.