Help with buying/installing a stove

Greenfires

This must be someone who signed up to the highrisklowreturn advice line....

http://www.inloughborough.com/news/098559/Illegal%20DIY%20job%20burns%20Loughborough%20man

shegar

A._Badger wrote: »

Despite being a self-confessed stove fan, I think this makes a lot of sense.

Coal, properly burned, produces a lot more heat than wood, doesn't necessitate liners, three monthly visits from the sweeps, all the nonsense with HETAS and the increasingly overpriced lump of cast iron or steel that is starting to be the 'must have' lifestyle statement of the era.

If you really need a stove and it makes sense on a practical level, or if you have money st spare and just fancy one, that's fine. but, as shegar says, it will take a heck of a long while to amortise the cost of a stove on account of its greater efficiency.

Ive got GCH that I use during the day and its instant, warm/hot, flexible, cheapish......

But late afternoon and evenings I turn the GCH off, and light the fire, it works out very cheap for me , cos I always buy large lumps house coal, I only use couple bits for that day/evening and it keeps going nicely for 3 to 4 hours, so its economical plus warm plus very cheery......

I buy hundred weight bag which lasts 2 weeks @ £16.80, so it works out about £1.00 per night / or 4 hours burn .......Which is cheaper than most forms of heat if I manage to get a bit of free wood I do use it, but I always find coal is the hotest to burn and lasts much longer, with wood your forever throwing it on an its not what you call hot.......Thats my opinion and probaly others would think differently......

It wouldnt make financial sense for me to have a stove...............

highrisklowreturn

That article you posted just proves me point - if he hadn't put the liner in it wouldn't have contacted the timber, thereby avoiding the fire. Evidentally the person didn't use common sense - that's what caused the fire, not failing to pay 5K for installation of something that can be bought and thrown in for under £400.

drdeakin

Thank you everyone.

I live in a conservation area so should be burning smokeless. Does this rule out plain old coal on the open fire as it is?

I don't need a stove, I think I just want one as it would churn out a bit more heat than the fire, and therefore at least make sense out of buying wood as I do now (but lose the heat).

muckybutt

A._Badger wrote: »

Despite being a self-confessed stove fan, I think this makes a lot of sense.

Coal, properly burned, produces a lot more heat than wood, doesn't necessitate liners, three monthly visits from the sweeps, all the nonsense with HETAS and the increasingly overpriced lump of cast iron or steel that is starting to be the 'must have' lifestyle statement of the era.

If you really need a stove and it makes sense on a practical level, or if you have money st spare and just fancy one, that's fine. but, as shegar says, it will take a heck of a long while to amortise the cost of a stove on account of its greater efficiency.

Normally agree with you but not the point I made about 3 monthly sweeps, burning HH coal is incredably dirty even in a clean burning stove, a heck of a lot of soot is produced from coal and when its only in a small 6" flue as opposed to a 16" chimney stack it makes a lot of difference with draw etc.

I dont rip anyone off...never have done but HH coal burnt in a stove with a liner will need sweeping at least 3 times a year pref 4 times - I am not just saying that for the sake of it.

ericonabike

Bought and had installed Stovax 5kw stove for around £1100 [HETAS, no liner needed, minimal work on hearth/surround]. Second winter, has cost zip for fuel as burning pallets that I've sourced for free. Ample heat for downstairs open plan living room/diner/kitchen of 4 bed house. Only use CH for an hour in the mornings to take the chill off upstairs. Would not be without it, although pallets take time, if not money, from you [true what they say about stoves - warm you thrice: once collecting the wood, once cutting it and again burning it!].

A._Badger

muckybutt wrote: »

Normally agree with you but not the point I made about 3 monthly sweeps, burning HH coal is incredably dirty even in a clean burning stove, a heck of a lot of soot is produced from coal and when its only in a small 6" flue as opposed to a 16" chimney stack it makes a lot of difference with draw etc.

I dont rip anyone off...never have done but HH coal burnt in a stove with a liner will need sweeping at least 3 times a year pref 4 times - I am not just saying that for the sake of it.

Sorry Mucky, you have completely misunderstood me. I have posted exactly the same advice about using coal in stoves in the past - not least because I have tried it and found out the hard way!

In other words, I completely agree with you.

What I was saying was that an open fire dispenses with the need for any of the special treatment you have to give a stove and, in terms of the OP's needs, might be a much more cost effective solution.

A._Badger

drdeakin wrote: »

Thank you everyone.

I live in a conservation area so should be burning smokeless. Does this rule out plain old coal on the open fire as it is?

I don't need a stove, I think I just want one as it would churn out a bit more heat than the fire, and therefore at least make sense out of buying wood as I do now (but lose the heat).

Are you sure that it is a smokeless zone? A conservation zone is a different thing. You need to find out for sure and your local council will be able to tell you.

You can still use smokeless fuel on an open fire but you need to buy a type that is designed for open fire use. When I lived in London, I found Blaze very good indeed for open fires.

drdeakin

Yes its a preservation area and smokeless area. Although everyone just burns what they want!

A._Badger

drdeakin wrote: »

Yes its a preservation area and smokeless area. Although everyone just burns what they want!

Yes, that's often the case!

If you don't want to take the risk, try something like Blaze or Coalite perhaps and see how you get on. Both will produce a lot more heat than wood.