Wood burning stoves>

AGBAGB

RacyRed, A chimney blocked with concrete could be big job. it depends where it blocked and with how much. If its not just at the bottom it might need sections of brickwork taking out of the chimney stack so building work up stairs as well.
To have a proper job done, for a full installation you will need to be thinking around £2K rather than a few hundred. Plus the unblocking and reinstating.

RacyRed

AGBAGB wrote: »

RacyRed, A chimney blocked with concrete could be big job. it depends where it blocked and with how much. If its not just at the bottom it might need sections of brickwork taking out of the chimney stack so building work up stairs as well.
To have a proper job done, for a full installation you will need to be thinking around £2K rather than a few hundred. Plus the unblocking and reinstating.

Many thanks, I knew it could be a big job, maybe even a chimney rebuild, and expected it to be thousands rather than a few hundred, I just had no idea how many thousands.

Your ball park figure is not as bad as I'd feared and gives me something to think about, rather than having no idea at all, thanks so much for that.

Now I just have to consider if I want a fire THAT much

suki1964

RacyRed wrote: »

Many thanks, I knew it could be a big job, maybe even a chimney rebuild, and expected it to be thousands rather than a few hundred, I just had no idea how many thousands.

Your ball park figure is not as bad as I'd feared and gives me something to think about, rather than having no idea at all, thanks so much for that.

Now I just have to consider if I want a fire THAT much

Take note there that AGBAGB suggested 2k just for the stove instillation and that the chimney would be extra

RacyRed

suki1964 wrote: »

Take note there that AGBAGB suggested 2k just for the stove instillation and that the chimney would be extra

Ouch. Not sure I understand why installation would be around £2k if the chimney had been sorted first?

Sounds like a full replacement central heating system is probably going to be a lot cheaper.

What a shame

suki1964

The 2k would be for the supply, instillation and and surround of the stove.

I would suggest getting a recommended builder in to look at the chimney stack and give you a quote. Find one that experienced in house restoration, my hubby does chimneys on nearly every job ( taking them out/ building new ones) so would know more about the work involved then some one who only does garden walls and extensions.

Dont give up completely. If the stack costs too much to reopen, you can depending on room set up, run a flue up the outside wall, many houses here do so

RacyRed

suki1964 wrote: »

The 2k would be for the supply, instillation and and surround of the stove.

I would suggest getting a recommended builder in to look at the chimney stack and give you a quote. Find one that experienced in house restoration, my hubby does chimneys on nearly every job ( taking them out/ building new ones) so would know more about the work involved then some one who only does garden walls and extensions.

Dont give up completely. If the stack costs too much to reopen, you can depending on room set up, run a flue up the outside wall, many houses here do so

Good point - thank you, this house just needs really needs a stove.

AGBAGB

Racyred, You might be interested in reading my analysis of the value of a woodburning stove - (woodburning is it worth it - link now removed) - the link goes to the page about installation costs. I've looked at the running costs as well.

In your situation and, if you are tight for cash then, "money wise" it wont be worth it, by any measure. You will be much better off fixing / upgrading your central heating.

If you can afford it as a purely lifestyle choice, then it could be something to enjoy for many years. (but fix the central heating first).


Appologies if I offended anyone by posting a link to the info, I'm not selling anything, or spamming, the info is there to give a true indication of what it actually costs to run a wood burning stove based on my personal experiance. It's the kind of detail that you'll not find on a site that is trying to sell stoves, it will actually put a lot of people off when they see the potential true costs. If you do want to read it then you'll have to find the my web site via my profile and navigate through from the home page, instead of going via the direct link on the post that was removed. If this mention still offends then please let me know why.

crphillips

Just read your blog again on running a stove. I think your costings are fairly reasonable.

To be honest though all you've got to think is: can someone really import a load of logs from abroad that have been felled and transported to the docks then shipped to England and then transport them to a wood yard, cut them, split them, season them, get them to your house cheaper than a pipe with gas flowing through it? Not likely.

They're more Eco friendly.....they look great.....give you independence from relying on oil companies.

As it happens I save a lot of money from my wood burner mainly because I get my wood delivered for free. I suppose there ain't many that can do that though. Time is money and whether you have to buy it or forage for it, it'll cost you.

Get a wood burner to add unbeatable atmosphere to your property or to satisfy your primal instinct to burn things, be self sufficient and be better to the planet. Don't do it to save money.

Retailers are generally not misleading people. I have never ever told a customer they will save money if installing a stove. We've never even gone near the topic. Solar panels in the other hand.....................

RacyRed

AGBAGB, I've already read your analysis, it is very informative thanks (I've no idea why the link would upset anyone, you are sharng information, not selling anything!).

The central heating is being sorted

I live in an area where there can be unexpected power cuts, especially during hard weather, so the attractions of the stove to me are ambiance, a heat source independent from the electricity supply and the ability to boil a kettle during a power cut.

One day I'll get one, I'll just have to wait a bit. I'd hoped that I might be able to include it with other work being done next year but it will just have to take its turn in the queue

Thanks so much for all the helpful information.

suki1964

RacyRed wrote: »

AGBAGB, I've already read your analysis, it is very informative thanks (I've no idea why the link would upset anyone, you are sharng information, not selling anything!).

The central heating is being sorted

I live in an area where there can be unexpected power cuts, especially during hard weather, so the attractions of the stove to me are ambiance, a heat source independent from the electricity supply and the ability to boil a kettle during a power cut.

One day I'll get one, I'll just have to wait a bit. I'd hoped that I might be able to include it with other work being done next year but it will just have to take its turn in the queue

Thanks so much for all the helpful information.

As for costs, we have a multi fuel stove and believe it or not for us it works out cheaper,

But then we have oil central heating

But it was because we had the oil that we had to put the stove in.

We were 5 days without electricity at Easter, if we hadn't had the stove we would have had to have moved into a hotel.

The temps here at the moment are falling to record lows and already people are reporting the oil in the tank is freezing

Oil prices are going through the roof - oil in now up to 80ppl on the mainland (some areas)

Solid fuel however is the same price as last year and my coal man always seems to get through

If you are on the mains gas then it is hard to justify the cost as gas is still relatively cheap and efficient, but if like us you rely on oil - a stove can be pretty money saving.