Wood burners

[public school boy]

Suggestions on good ones please. Is it better to have an open fire?

 

[jevs]

Open firen for me...i like to see the flames and hear the crackles

 

[thealbionfan]

Definitely an open fire

 

[Skint Gull]

Miles, miles, miles more efficient than an open fire, if, and a big IF, its installed properly. In most cases its much more major a job than people realise and i'm sure Bry will be able to advise of a few horror stories to advise against an illegal DIY bodge job.

Anything decent will cost upwards of £1500 installed, pm me for more info if anyone's interested, we'd offer 10% off to Albion fans.

 

[jamie1972]

Open fire - you don't have to scrub soot off the glass doors and it's easier to throw things into (paper etc, not witches etc).

 

[Skaville]

The Australian ones go all night and you can shove your wood up their chimney

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Woodburners are superb. They are way more efficient than an open fire. Just half a dozen logs will belt out the heat all evening. Open fires are nice but much of the heat goes up the chimney.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

The Australian ones go all night and you can shove your wood up their chimney

 

[jamie1972]

I've been told it's all in the logs. I've had a wood burner for years and I virtually have to climb inside the bleeding thing before I feel any heat.

Anyone recommend a decent log?

 

[Arthritic Toe]

I've been told it's all in the logs. I've had a wood burner for years and I virtually have to climb inside the bleeding thing before I feel any heat.

Anyone recommend a decent log?

There's more to it than just putting logs in it, you have to set fire to them as well.

 

[Skint Gull]

I've been told it's all in the logs. I've had a wood burner for years and I virtually have to climb inside the bleeding thing before I feel any heat.

Anyone recommend a decent log?

Have you got a flue liner? What temperature does the flue get up to?

And yes, it normally is the wood. You should never burn anything more than 20% moisture content wood on a stove, the shit you pick up in a garage is about 40% and something you cut down in the past few weeks will be more than that

 

[marvin]

Open fire - you don't have to scrub soot off the glass doors and it's easier to throw things into (paper etc, not witches etc).

You don't need to scrub, kitchen roll dipped in warm water and then dipped in a little soot dust works a treat and no scrubbing just gentle rubbing in circles.

Wish I could have one here but alasno chiminy

 

[Anais Nin]

Wood or multi-fuel burners are more efficient than open fires. Having said that, we have a multi-fuel stove in the kitchen/diner and an open fire in the front lounge as we also enjoy the crackle etc.

Ideally, you should not get too much 'soot' on your stove windows if the wood is burning at the correct temperature. Whilst I cannot speak for it's effectiveness, you can obtain a flue pipe thermometer for a modest cost here:

Magnetic Flue Pipe Thermometer, discount prices online

Other than that, try keeping the air vents open fully for 20 mins when you start up the stove to allow it to heat up as much as possible before you regulate the air flow.

The logs are of great importance also as they must be well seasoned, preferably a good 12 months outside in the elements, but not somewhere where they will be permanently wet! I get my logs delivered already seasoned which helps. If you are not sure about how seasoned they are, the weight is a very good indicator!

Incidentally, we heat our modest 3 bed semi with our stove. It runs 24/7 during the 'Winter'. We RARELY use the central heating, even during the snowy spell we had earlier this year.

Trust I have not bored everyone and hope I don't get flamed ; but it is a pet subject of mine and I do believe that you can always learn more as time goes on. A few quick internet searches can reveal a wealth of tips and info.

Hope that helps.

Cheers.

 

[LeicesterGull]

Multi-Fuel burner every time, 70% more efficient than an open fire and easier to maintain. Charnwood are well recognised as providing good stoves, you can get some modern looking ones if that's what suits the style of house Wood burning, multifuel, gas and electric stove ranges - Charnwood Stoves UK

 

[Monkey Man]

Thinking of installing a wood burner in a new extension, with a flat roof. Are there any planning considerations regarding the chimney/flue?

 

[Skint Gull]

Yes, flue must be a minimum of 4.5m long and if it is close to the building may need to go above the pitch of the roof on the building itself. See Doc J for more info, although it is a bit of a read!

Planning Portal - Approved Document J

In terms of high efficiency feature fires more often than not the best alternative for this situation are some incredibly realistic gas fires and stoves. Often miles cheaper up front, just as hot and more efficient. See links below and PM for more info

Barbas
Bellfires