Wood burning fire

Twig

The wood I've been collecting is from the trees that we have been pruning for the last couple of years (we´ve got alot of trees !!!). We'd just chucked it in the garden so it needs collecting up.

We're lucky that everyone round here has wood burning fires and so there is a place we can buy logs from just round the corner, they weight the car empty then again full and you pay for the difference - apparently you can fill a transit high top van (which will last 2 houses for the entire winter) for 180 euros !:j

Greatgimp

Good for you! We were buying roof truss offcuts for £45 for a tractor wagon load. A massive amount that kept us going for most of the year. It was all rubbish pine mainly 6"x2" and 4"x2" and I had to sweep the chimney every year, but the looming recession has put the timber yard out of business. Bad news for us!

nodwah

for th eOP in Spain this will be no use but my DH found out about a grant from Energy Saving Scotland 0800512012. He was told up to £4000 available for the super efficient multi fuel stoves, but you have to prove you have an energy efficient home eg insulation.

We'll be looking into this def!

We're in a smokeless zone but these burners are so efficient there's hardly any smoke and they're allowed here.

nodwah

Greatgimp wrote: »

Do you really think it's viable to collect wood?
Fuel to get there/back
Mess in the boot
Outlay for tools (trailer?)
Drying out of wood (time?)
A really full load to make it viable needs storing.

Your thoughts please

nOw I can't give facts and data, but on the jeremy Vine show the other week they were talking about how it's illegal to collect wood from forests in many places!

Housemansknee

Greatgimp wrote: »

Has anyone worked out which is best in efficiency wood/heat output ratio:
Doors closed, damper flap on smoke outlet closed.
Doors open, Damper obviously open.

Which a) burns faster, b) outputs most heat, c) lets more heat up the chimney?

Sorry for the simplistic question: I am a newbie with an inherited insert wood-burner.

Do I start the fire with the damper flap open then close it when the fire is burning almost smoke-free?

And following that... it would be great to get an answer to your wood usage and efficiency question.

Thanks!