Wood burners. Any good?
Discussion
The astronomical cost of our gas heating during the winter quarter is just hitting home and as you can imagine I have to take the blame for this assault the domestic budget although I am not quite sure why!!
My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
Thanks Alex, I was thinking of sticking a 5" flue liner up the chimney then putting a home made sealing plate above the fireplace so the 'burner is free standing.
Does wood have to be entirely paint and nail free?
Do you have to service the thing every time you use it or will it stay lit overnight and smoulder overnight?
will try something simple and cheap to start with then leave the existing heating, with some new thermostatic valves, to provide a timed background warmth.
Does wood have to be entirely paint and nail free?
Do you have to service the thing every time you use it or will it stay lit overnight and smoulder overnight?
will try something simple and cheap to start with then leave the existing heating, with some new thermostatic valves, to provide a timed background warmth.
Nails are certainly not a problem and paint doesn't seem to be. My dad runs his wood burner on old pallets from the build of his house. Assuming its got doors then there's no problem leaving it over night, just kick it down to 'low' and put some more wood on in the morning.
One handy money saving tip, don't buy anything to clean the glass with. Just wet some newspaper, dip it into the ash and use that. It forms a very fine grinding paste that takes off any soot with ease...
One handy money saving tip, don't buy anything to clean the glass with. Just wet some newspaper, dip it into the ash and use that. It forms a very fine grinding paste that takes off any soot with ease...
52classic said:
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
We had one in our last place. I spoke to our local skip company, who filled a skip with wood, and dropped it off at our house for us to burn. They aren't allowed to burn it themselves.
Cutting it up could sometimes be a pain if it was full of nails, but not too much of a headache. It was free heating. We were going to upgrade to a back burner boiler and do the water and heating as well, but have since moved.
It saved us a fortune.
Cutting it up could sometimes be a pain if it was full of nails, but not too much of a headache. It was free heating. We were going to upgrade to a back burner boiler and do the water and heating as well, but have since moved.
It saved us a fortune.
52classic said:
The astronomical cost of our gas heating during the winter quarter is just hitting home and as you can imagine I have to take the blame for this assault the domestic budget although I am not quite sure why!!
My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
Buying horrible cheap Chinese imports from ebay is not recommended. You get what you pay for when you buy a stove.My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
DIYing is not recommended if you don't know what you are doing. It's also illegal unless you get it signed off by the council. The alternative is to use a HETAS (http://www.hetas.co.uk/) registered installer, who can self certify.
Just noticed you are from Cardiff. Fantastic. PLEASE take a trip to http://www.topstakchimneys.co.uk in Cowbridge, before you do anything else.
Topstak is owned and run by Christian Pederson. He is a THOROUGHLY nice bloke and is one of the foremost fonts of stove knowledge in the country. He pioneered the use of flexible liner in the UK in the early 80's and has forgotten more about stoves than most will ever know.
Their website isn't anything special, but their showroom is amazing, and so is their knowledge. They are not rip off merchants to boot (unlike another shop in the Cardiff area).
If you haven't got a clue about prices of decent stoves/equipment/installation, hold your breath when you about to be told.
To answer your other questions, nails are fine but pallets are sometimes not recommended as they may have been chemically treated, which can damage your liner.
Multifuel generally means you can burn coal and wood.
Edited by benjdr on Thursday 28th May 13:54
52classic said:
The astronomical cost of our gas heating during the winter quarter is just hitting home and as you can imagine I have to take the blame for this assault the domestic budget although I am not quite sure why!!
My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
They are very effective but they are not a DIY fit job. They are currently subject to planning regs and you need to get a HETAS registered fitter to come and install it. The chimney liners arent cheap and for a full installation you could be looking at around £1000. On top of the price of a descent log burner thats £1500! My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
Road2Ruin said:
52classic said:
The astronomical cost of our gas heating during the winter quarter is just hitting home and as you can imagine I have to take the blame for this assault the domestic budget although I am not quite sure why!!
My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
They are very effective but they are not a DIY fit job. They are currently subject to planning regs and you need to get a HETAS registered fitter to come and install it. The chimney liners arent cheap and for a full installation you could be looking at around £1000. On top of the price of a descent log burner thats £1500! My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
Mobile Chicane said:
What wood have you got?
I've learned the hard way which types are worth bothering with and which are not: my blog
Here you go: http://www.newhousefarm.tv/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1...I've learned the hard way which types are worth bothering with and which are not: my blog
benjdr said:
Road2Ruin said:
52classic said:
The astronomical cost of our gas heating during the winter quarter is just hitting home and as you can imagine I have to take the blame for this assault the domestic budget although I am not quite sure why!!
My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
They are very effective but they are not a DIY fit job. They are currently subject to planning regs and you need to get a HETAS registered fitter to come and install it. The chimney liners arent cheap and for a full installation you could be looking at around £1000. On top of the price of a descent log burner thats £1500! My answer? A wood burner in the hearth! Seem quite cheap on fleabay, we already have a chimney in our house and a plentiful supply of wood. I am already predicting that we will be gathered around a warm hearth next winter.
So what could go wrong? Do any PHers already have one of these? Is the installation a DIY proposition? Does 'Multifuel' mean that you can burn anything?
Dear All,
do it once, do it properly.
I had a Clearview and it was excellent if expensive, you gets what you pays for.
May I offer an alternative (IMH) opinion to Paddy n Murphy however on the oversized idea:
Unless you plan to need a higher output in the future, say for a back boiler or room enlargements, it is better to run a stove nearer to rather than further from its rated output. The burning will be more efficient - higher temperatures, there'll be less tar in the chimney and especially with a clean burn stove will keep the glass cleaner,
regards,
Jet
do it once, do it properly.
I had a Clearview and it was excellent if expensive, you gets what you pays for.
May I offer an alternative (IMH) opinion to Paddy n Murphy however on the oversized idea:
Unless you plan to need a higher output in the future, say for a back boiler or room enlargements, it is better to run a stove nearer to rather than further from its rated output. The burning will be more efficient - higher temperatures, there'll be less tar in the chimney and especially with a clean burn stove will keep the glass cleaner,
regards,
Jet
Thanks for the words lads. I think that Christian at Cowbridge will be my next stop.
Dissapointed that cheap stoves don't hold much favour with you - that was the temptation really - but good that all your comments are favourable.... Except the Biker and I will hereafter avoid burning shoes of any description!!
The certifiaction lark is offputting but it's been there for years honest. Says a lot for a secondhand one.
As for wood, there are always non returnable pallets to be had in work and we're always building something to provide timber offcuts.
Mixed feelings then, but I'll let you know what happens.
Dissapointed that cheap stoves don't hold much favour with you - that was the temptation really - but good that all your comments are favourable.... Except the Biker and I will hereafter avoid burning shoes of any description!!
The certifiaction lark is offputting but it's been there for years honest. Says a lot for a secondhand one.
As for wood, there are always non returnable pallets to be had in work and we're always building something to provide timber offcuts.
Mixed feelings then, but I'll let you know what happens.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff