Anyone know about wood burners?

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  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 18385
    Had fires in houses all my life, so I learned how to light them, how to get them up to optimal running conditions & how to maintain them.  It might appear to be simple, but it isn't easy or intuitive.
    I now live in a rural area & have had a big old Coalbrookdale Severn multi fuel stove with back boiler for 25+ years.
    Running, it takes over the heating of the house as it is also plumbed into the gas central heating system.
    Several of my recently moved in neighbours, have had stoves installed & haven't the foggiest idea how to use them, thus causing all manner of local pollution & stinking the place out trying to burn random unsuitable stuff.
    Anyone trying to burn wood (apart from Ash) that isn't properly seasoned to below 20% total moisture (split & the inside checked with a moisture meter) is an idiot, as it will not burn properly, cause creosoting & sooting up of the chimney leading to all kinds of fun problems down the line. I buy seasoned hardwood & then stack it & keep it for a year to be sure its ready.
    This requires planning, space & suitable storage,something most people do not factor in to the ownership equation.
    Seriously, if you don't know what you are doing, don't do it, as you'll screw it up for everyone else that is doing just fine.
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  • gordijigordiji Frets: 782
    Clearview are excellent, the glass stays clean for a few days use if used correctly. Their site has some good info on wood also which should be properly seasoned. I'm obsessed with mine. 
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  • NiteflyNitefly Frets: 4902
    Roland said:
    Here’s a news item about the banning of house coal and restrictions on sales of wet wood:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55636395
    Wow, that sounds like the Welsh government doing something for the good of the Welsh people to me...  :#

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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    I’ve been checking the prices on the quote one of the guys gave us. I can buy everything online at 25% or more less than he’s priced up. Presumably he can get it all at trade prices too, so he’s definitely taking the piss. 

    I think I might have found a cheaper way of getting the fire sorted too, it’ll be replacing a large open fire and it looks like an inset wood burner would fit straight in. No need to chop out brickwork, put in a lintel and do other mods if it does. I didn’t even realise these things existed, I’ve only seen the freestanding type of wood burner before. 
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    The government are banning the installation of gas boilers in new homes soon too, makes you wonder what actually is safe to heat our homes? Heat pumps or solar energy I guess, but both can be either inefficient or expensive to install and/or run. 
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  • gordijigordiji Frets: 782
    boogieman said:

    I think I might have found a cheaper way of getting the fire sorted too, it’ll be replacing a large open fire and it looks like an inset wood burner would fit straight in. No need to chop out brickwork, put in a lintel and do other mods if it does. I didn’t even realise these things existed, I’ve only seen the freestanding type of wood burner before. 
    A freestanding woodburner will give more heat into the room , especially if it's not completely recessed. I've got an insert in an upstairs lounge but i'm going to replace it with a little 'clearview' model as not only does it look crap but it has to be roaring before it emits any heat.


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  • rsvmarkrsvmark Frets: 1374
    It’s in the householders interest to use dry wood. Burning is more efficient and gives off more heat, therefore less wood is required for the same heat output. Wet fuel results in a creosote build up in the liner, increasing the risk of a chimney fire. 

    Traditional coal is a pain. It’s dusty, and when it burns gives off a lot of soot. A better option is smokeless fuel which are a bit like bbq briquettes- these burn very hot but quite slow. While you need a proper multi fuel burner, I like a mix. Seasoned wood helps get the burn going, and then throttle back and top up with smokeless coal. 

    I have a cheap moisture meter which easily checks moisture content in different stashes of logs and also a laser thermometer thingy so I check I get up to 350 degrees on the flue initially before throttling back. The high temperature initially helps burn off any residual build up on the flue from the previous burn. 
    An official Foo liked guitarist since 2024
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  • BarneyBarney Frets: 614
    edited January 2021
    Make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors in the room of the the fire and any other room the chimney runs through 
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  • KoaKoa Frets: 120
    @rsvmark thats an interesting point about creosote build up. I’ve been cutting my own logs for a few years now and dry/season  outdoors initially the bring indoors to the log basket where they seem to dry out reasonably well. This year for the first time I’ve had a real creosote problem so far I seem to have helped it by applying a fair amount of Stovax Protector. Does anyone else use it, any downsides? I’ve now bought some dried logs and a bit wary about cutting  my own again.
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3615
    @Koa using your own logs should be fine, you just need to make sure that they are really dry. I found that in my previous house they needed at least 2 years to dry properly. But, as suggested earlier, get a moisture meter. 
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  • rsvmarkrsvmark Frets: 1374
    drofluf said:
    @Koa using your own logs should be fine, you just need to make sure that they are really dry. I found that in my previous house they needed at least 2 years to dry properly. But, as suggested earlier, get a moisture meter. 
    This. I have 3 stashes. One stacked against the garage but can get rained on. They get moved from there to the next. This is under some outside stairs, then they go to one under cover in a log store. Only then do they get to the log basket. 
    An official Foo liked guitarist since 2024
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    edited January 2021
    gordiji said:
    boogieman said:

    I think I might have found a cheaper way of getting the fire sorted too, it’ll be replacing a large open fire and it looks like an inset wood burner would fit straight in. No need to chop out brickwork, put in a lintel and do other mods if it does. I didn’t even realise these things existed, I’ve only seen the freestanding type of wood burner before. 
    A freestanding woodburner will give more heat into the room , especially if it's not completely recessed. I've got an insert in an upstairs lounge but i'm going to replace it with a little 'clearview' model as not only does it look crap but it has to be roaring before it emits any heat.


    Mine is freestanding but enclosed in a brick fireplace.  Needs to be lit for ages before it has any real impact on room temp.

    The bricks do retain some heat after the fire has gone out but not enough to make it worthwhile.
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  • JCA2550JCA2550 Frets: 431
    We're getting a Heta Inspire 40 log burner installed in a few weeks time after dithering for a couple of years. Can't comment properly until it's in but things to consider so far are.

    We're in N London so, properly seasoned wood as fuel only is permitted on new installations.
    We chose the Heta 40 stove as they seem efficient, smart modern design, 4.5 to 5k, well reviewed, built in Denmark designed in the UK and we didn't want anything too large.
    Shop around for installers, costs vary hugely, especially here in Lunduninnit. We've ended up going with a specialist installer that are coming up from Somerset who seem brilliant and are supplying the stove, flu lining, CO1 detector, fittings, HETAS accredited installation in fact everything apart from opening up and preparing the fireplace which we're getting done by a local builder.
    Envirostoves have quoted about £2.5k including the stove. I'll check this though.
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  • underdogunderdog Frets: 8334
    RedRabbit said:
    gordiji said:
    boogieman said:

    I think I might have found a cheaper way of getting the fire sorted too, it’ll be replacing a large open fire and it looks like an inset wood burner would fit straight in. No need to chop out brickwork, put in a lintel and do other mods if it does. I didn’t even realise these things existed, I’ve only seen the freestanding type of wood burner before. 
    A freestanding woodburner will give more heat into the room , especially if it's not completely recessed. I've got an insert in an upstairs lounge but i'm going to replace it with a little 'clearview' model as not only does it look crap but it has to be roaring before it emits any heat.


    Mine is freestanding but enclosed in a brick fireplace.  Needs to be lit for ages before it has any real impact on room temp.

    The bricks do retain some heat after the fire has gone out but not enough to make it worthwhile.

    The fans to go on top (driven by the heat) are really good at solving this problem for inset fires, Aldi usually have them in a couple of times a year.
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8591
    ... or you can buy them online
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • underdogunderdog Frets: 8334
    Roland said:
    ... or you can buy them online

    Of course, but I mention aldi as they are cheaper, better quality and have a 3 year guarantee, and it's the time of year they usually have them in around now.
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  • StuckfastStuckfast Frets: 2393
    My parents tried to heat a large house with a woodburning stove when I was a kid. It basically meant there was a zone of about two metres where it's too hot to comfortably stand while the rest of the house is freezing. And I had terrible asthma all through my childhood -- never really considered the link at the time but I'd bet the stove had something to do with it.

    So, not a fan.
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    underdog said:
    RedRabbit said:
    gordiji said:
    boogieman said:

    I think I might have found a cheaper way of getting the fire sorted too, it’ll be replacing a large open fire and it looks like an inset wood burner would fit straight in. No need to chop out brickwork, put in a lintel and do other mods if it does. I didn’t even realise these things existed, I’ve only seen the freestanding type of wood burner before. 
    A freestanding woodburner will give more heat into the room , especially if it's not completely recessed. I've got an insert in an upstairs lounge but i'm going to replace it with a little 'clearview' model as not only does it look crap but it has to be roaring before it emits any heat.


    Mine is freestanding but enclosed in a brick fireplace.  Needs to be lit for ages before it has any real impact on room temp.

    The bricks do retain some heat after the fire has gone out but not enough to make it worthwhile.

    The fans to go on top (driven by the heat) are really good at solving this problem for inset fires, Aldi usually have them in a couple of times a year.
    Never knew these were a thing.  I'm not sure there's room on top of my log burner but I'll certainly be measuring up and getting on if it fits.
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  • sinbaadisinbaadi Frets: 1297
    They're a faff and feel very very old fashioned.  Dirty, dusty, smelly, slow, high maintenance.

    I'll probably never have one in a home again, but I do quite like it if a holiday home has one.  Perhaps because everything is a bit slower, and I don't have to worry about getting it swept or cleaning it!

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