Preparing for winter III

prepareathome

Frugal wrote: »

but I love my new fire so much I want to light one!!!

I am so jealous, we have a horrible gas fire in the fire place, only used for total emergency so not worth spending out on a new one, its hidden behind a very big picture that I use as a fire screen. I would love to open up the fire place but sadly previous people removed the back boiler and damaged the chimney, had someone out and they said basically would need to completely rebuild the chimney for a fire, its open enough for the gas fire and just to expensive. Have open ones in the bedrooms but they are tucked in a corner so not worth using them as a nice fire, so furniture is in front of them both, with pillows up them, but are available in an emergency.

My dream is a wood/coal burning stove but the cost is likely to keep that a dream. We had a lovely house where all the fireplaces were in use and had the back boiler, to me it was a pleasure setting the fire, but we had to move as area unfortunately became beset with problems. So keep coal in the shed in case its needed and trying to come up with some way I could hang a pot over the fire - very tiny fireplaces upstairs if we did have to use them, that would be after all the gas I have stored for camping hob cookers runs out. Certainly wouldn't give off much heat to warm the bedroom never mind the house but useful for indoor cooking. Been looking at Dutch ovens but so expensive and don't need one for normal cooking so a bit much just to buy for an emergency and would have to be one that went on for months before I actually used the fire for cooking. Keep hoping someone will offer one on freecycle lol, another dream.

Snow shovel on its way, cost a lot £15, but I wanted one that was lightweight as well as strong, same with gardening equipment, on the plus side most of these come with 25years or lifetime guarantee so might pay a bit more but should last me the rest of my lifetime, well that is what I tell myself to justify the cost, but the tools are fine for me, so fingers cross for the snow shovel.:D

Fruball

prepareathome wrote: »

I am so jealous, we have a horrible gas fire in the fire place, only used for total emergency so not worth spending out on a new one, its hidden behind a very big picture that I use as a fire screen. I would love to open up the fire place but sadly previous people removed the back boiler and damaged the chimney, had someone out and they said basically would need to completely rebuild the chimney for a fire, its open enough for the gas fire and just to expensive. Have open ones in the bedrooms but they are tucked in a corner so not worth using them as a nice fire, so furniture is in front of them both, with pillows up them, but are available in an emergency.

My dream is a wood/coal burning stove but the cost is likely to keep that a dream. We had a lovely house where all the fireplaces were in use and had the back boiler, to me it was a pleasure setting the fire, but we had to move as area unfortunately became beset with problems. So keep coal in the shed in case its needed and trying to come up with some way I could hang a pot over the fire - very tiny fireplaces upstairs if we did have to use them, that would be after all the gas I have stored for camping hob cookers runs out. Certainly wouldn't give off much heat to warm the bedroom never mind the house but useful for indoor cooking. Been looking at Dutch ovens but so expensive and don't need one for normal cooking so a bit much just to buy for an emergency and would have to be one that went on for months before I actually used the fire for cooking. Keep hoping someone will offer one on freecycle lol, another dream.

My fireplace was a dream for 11 years Hence the reason I do keep banging on about it! I had an old gas fired back boiler in the fire recess which I couldn't afford to replace until recently, had it re-sited upstairs, opened up the fireplace and thankfully :A the chimney was fine - I don't have a surround or anything, just a neat, plastered, finished hole in the wall but it looks contemporary and kicks out tremendous heat

In all honesty I really didn't need a fire tonight - I was roasting after taking the kids out T or T'ing and the house is still warm from Sat's fire... Its currently 21c and the kitchen and living room windows are open :o:o but I am burning free wood :T

I would strip off :eek: as I am so hot but the curtains fell down in the living room and I haven't gotten around to putting them back up .

I really wanted a stove but the cost.... :eek:
Maybe oneday, like me, you will get your fire

mcjordi

ive just really gotta stock the freezer and buy some candles..

adelight

katie i have the same problem and a moldy pillow too! i've bought a £90 dehumidifier from amazon, it was the cheapest big size one i could find and had very good reviews. i figure it's an investment as i can take it to my next rental property and it's big enough to keep a small flat damp free.

right, dehumidifier, new duvet and pillows, new sheets, fleece bottom sheet and very cheap jumpers have been ordered. also, all the christmas presents are sorted!! well, except OH...
next up on the never ending winter shopping list is stocking up on food, mainly oats, tinned beans, tinned grapefruit and bottled water.

Prudent

I am curious about how you open a fireplace? I had a very elderly baxi back boiler and gas fire. The central heating system was replaced this summer with a new boiler sited in the loft. The gas fire remains in place, but isn't working. I only used it in the event of a power cut or on an odd occaision when I wanted to be extra cosy as I was told they were expensive to run.

The new heating system is great, but wouldn't work in a power cut. I am just trying to weigh up the options and costs of:

1) a new gas fire and surround
2) some kind of stove
3) opening up the fire place for a real fire.

The heating system was expensive, but is so much cheaper to run that I am sure it will pay back (and the house is warm at last!).
I can't decide if its worth putting in a fire or stove. I have considered a calor gas heater for power cuts, but don'y know much about them.

Any help welcome

[Deleted User]

huge snowfalls on 1-2 dec and 14-15 dec

80% certainty

LavenderBees

Hi, All

just a quickie to mention - my mobile phone battery has needed recharging more & more often recently, so I've just invested £3 on Amazon to get a new one. Arrived promptly today, and, after taking a couple of hours to charge up fully, looks like it will extend the life of my 5 yr old phone for quite a while to come. I feel so MSE! :money:

No point in having a mobile phone that conks out when you're stuck in a snow drift metinks...:eek:

Lavvy x

adelight

kittie, is that all over the uk? what site is it that people on here use for the unofficial weather predictions?

Ceirdwyn

I was in Te$co today (large store) and they had basic, but large, wooden handled snow shovels for £3.97, they also had bags of rock salt and sledges but I didn't see how much they were.

suzybloo

oh kittie,thank you for letting us know - it brings it home that we are nearer winter than we think!