Masport ‘pot bellies’

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 22

Masport ‘pot bellies’

Firewood, coal, carbonettes, coke and even rolled newspapers or household rubbish — all are acceptable fuels for the new generation of pot belly stoves. Such is the demand for these colonial-styled burners that one of New Zealand’s largest foundries, Masport Foundries, Ltd, of Auckland, has stepped up production considerably to meet the orders it is receiving, .both locally and from overseas. The company’s experience is that there has been a big swing back to solid fuel heating for home use, complementing or replacing electricity, gas, and oil heating. The new generation of pot belly stoves have gained in-

creasing favour for their practicality and efficiency — providing not only home heating, but also water heating, and cooking. As well as filling local orders, Masport is exporting stoves to Australia, and has received many other inquiries from overseas, including the United States, for its range of pot belly stoves — which now includes five different styles. These are the Pittsburgh, capable of heating large rooms or entire open plan, houses; the Fatso, with a* double sized cooking top; the Klondike, a more compact version of the Pittsburgh; and the Yukon,, available With an alternative rear exit : flue that can vent safely into ~

existing open fireplace, chimneys. . 'j l ;.. The latest addition to the Masport family of pot belly stoves is the Oregon — a. smaller, two plate cooking top stove capable of heating, small to medium sized areas. These stoves are all avail,able with heating coils (wet back) for supplementing the household hot water supply. The flat-top hot plates can be used for a variety of cooking and heating purposes — from keeping .a ,jug of coffee percolating to preparing an entire meal, all of which makes a home less reliant on' other energy sources. ' The main reason for the success of the cast iron pot belly in this energy-conscious

age is its efficiency. Many •. New. Zealanders.will remem- : ber -the capability of quite ‘ small pot belly stoves used .’ to heat school classrooms many decades ago. ‘ ?

Masport say studies have shown that a cord of hardwood burned n a sound pot belly stove will deliver as much heat as 166 gallons of oil, 6290, kilowatt/hours of eleetticiiy or 264 therms-of natural gas. .

Although ’ their design dates back to the early 1800 s, Masport claims the efficiency of pot belly stoves compares favourably " with that of ’modern oil burning space heaters.