Advantages / disadvantages of turning off the gas and heating the home by open fire?

IJB_2

With all of the rises in feul costs I'm seriously considering turning off my gas heating this winter, clearing my chimney and using an open fire to warm my home. Has anybody got any tips or has anybody else done this and if so what savings did you make??? (I'm sick of working hard to line others pockets)!

tubbee2

Get your chimney cleaned properly and get the sweep to check it's okay for use. Don't forget that open fires pull draughts in from everywhere else in the house (they have to in order to burn properly) so make sure your windows are draught proofed, and you have some way of blocking draughts across the bottom of doors. Good luck.

Waynes_World

We ripped out our gas fire and re-opened the coal fire about 4 years ago (just as gas was starting to rocket).

As tubbee2 says, get the chimney swept and looked at (a good sweep will probably charge somewhere in the region of £40-£50 for that).

It's not efficent, with around 80% of the heat going up the chimney, but since we burn logs which we get for free, that's not really an issue . Also check that you can use an open fire (i.e. local smoke controls) and if there's any restriction on the fuel you can use.

We're in the situation now where our gas boiler has gone bang. We've used the electric to heat the DHW through the summer, and it's been cheaper than gas. We're now considering putting in a log burning stove (around 80-90% efficient) and removing gas altogether (as a rule, we only run the GCH for about an hour at night anyway while the fire is getting started).

Heating wise, we've found that the heat going up the chimney heats the bedrooms, although that's going to depend on the layout of your house.

It's messier, more dangerous and can be more expensive to use an open fire (especially if you have to use coal). All that said - sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold and frosty evening is fantastic :dance: :dance:

trader_girl

As a non smoker i can tell you that it makes everything smell of smoke. a friend over the road from us has opened up their chimney.. their house is spotless but it now smells of smoke. She is thinking of blocking it up again because of this. however i do agree it is lovely to sit by in the evening (ithink it brings out the cavemen in us).

Jules22

IJB wrote: »

With all of the rises in feul costs I'm seriously considering turning off my gas heating this winter, clearing my chimney and using an open fire to warm my home. Has anybody got any tips or has anybody else done this and if so what savings did you make??? (I'm sick of working hard to line others pockets)!

I've done the same thing. i get free wood from the coal yard and only put the heating on for 1-2 hours per evening.

i used to have the gas heating on for 8 hours daily so it will be a huge saving.

i'd rather smell of smoke than be cold or worry how to pay the fat cats.

Cardew

tubbee2 wrote: »

Get your chimney cleaned properly and get the sweep to check it's okay for use. Don't forget that open fires pull draughts in from everywhere else in the house (they have to in order to burn properly) so make sure your windows are draught proofed, and you have some way of blocking draughts across the bottom of doors. Good luck.

Be careful you don't get the house too hermetically sealed. Don't forget the fire needs oxygen - and so do you!!

ness_w

We are in the process of converting from an open fire to a stove. The reasons for this are- the dirt, the smoky smell, the constant freezing draft across the floorboards, the inefficiency, the fact that when the fire isn't lit heat is escaping up the chimney. A stove will heat the whole room whereas with a fire you have a hot spot near the fire and cold areas in corners. With a stove you need to line and insulate the chimney, though, so you won't get the warming effect upstairs. Having said that, our existing stove already heats most of the downstairs all by itself. However, if you live in an urban area a cheap supply of logs may be hard to come by. The initial expense of a stove will be recouped pretty quickly with the price of gas these days.

Millburn_farm

We have a wood-burning stove, it's supposed to last up to 12 hours when full, it doesn't, it's hard work keeping it full; it makes dust, then there's all the dust and chips of the logs as you carry them through the house; and sadly it has never run all the radiators it's mean't too; oh and on a freezing cold morning you've to get it emptied; cleaned and then lit before you have any heat

Even though we get all the wood we want, we will be having a different heating source for the new house we hope to build

slippalong

I have been using a multi fuel burner for several years.I always burn phurnacite and if I fill it up at 10-00 in the evening it will tick away over until I get home from work the next day and keeps the house very cosy.

ness_w

My stove ticks over quite happily at night, I do get up before everyone else to stoke it up for the morning though, and I find it much cleaner than the open fire and I have to say I'm used to 'doing the logs'. An open fire (coal) is probably less labour intensive though. Hardly environmentally sound, but I'm not sure that's an issue for you.

Rabiddog_2

I used to live in a house with a coal fire and an unexpeted benefit is that its great for people with asthma.. possibly because there is constantly refreshed air. Agree it can be hard work, but is much nicer than a gas fire. Also more dangerous, check with your home insurance that you are allowed to have a coal fire.In london you need to have attended an open fire safety awareness class before you are allowed to have a coal fire.