Multi burner stove

Poppycat

We got someone coming next Wed to access our house to see whether we can have a multi burner (rather have one that burns logs, coal) than just one fuel.

We have a fireplace in dining room that appears to connect with other fireplace in the loff (other fireplace is a coal fire which is going as its useless and its a modern fire)

Anyhow my concerns are, one old fireplace is just boxed up and left open with some painted wood, that needs to go as apparently the burners need to be standing on something that what combust and buckle with heat.

We are planing on getting some oak dining table/chairs but the present table is only about 1.5 feet away from the edge of the skirting which is attached to the edge of the fireplace., I am concerned this may degraid the furniture or worse.

They told me these fires can kick out a lot of heat and are very efficient more so than standard gas fires, coal fires etc.

My house is never warm, yes it has poor insulation (we just moved in, in Feb) so I wont use to have a warm house for next winter as our fuel bill are 4 times more now than in our old house and we are a lot colder.

We do have gas CH but its too expensive for us. I would rather pay now and have cheap heating and a warm house

Snow_Dog

It would be very unusual for two fireplaces to connect with each other, rather you will probably find its all part of the same chimney breast.

Easiest way to check is to count how many chimney pots you have, there should be one for each fireplace.

Wood/multifuel burners do need to be stood on something that can suitably support them as well as taking the heat. Stone or tile usually, it depends on how DIY oriented you are, its relatively easy to lay a hearth. Depends on which one you get they really do pump out the heat, ours will heat the entire house on its own.

They can be quite expensive to buy (there are also cheap nasty chinese imports) but they are brilliant, and a lovely focal point in the winter.

Another advantage is you can bank them up at night and they are still going the following day.

Poppycat

Thanks snow dog. We looked in loft and we can see a gap between what we think is to chimneys merging on the loft. Upstairs they in the two bedrooms that have the chimney breast going through are two air vents, both have the plastic grills in that you can shut up

I realise it might be a high cost to have a stove compared with a gas fire but we wont to retain both so to keep our options open as the long term I think fuel prices will go up and I like the idea of paying for fuel (logs) before you use it and from what I hear its very efficient and cheap to run

debbie42

I've had mine fitted this week. We've four chimneys: one for each room that would have had a fireplace in a previous life, I guess, though the only evidence of this in the two bedrooms are air vents in the chimney breast.

When we were looking, the cost of the fires weren't that different to the gas ones we liked. What pushed the cost up for us was the need for the liner and chimney pot.

I'd certainly recommend the fitters we had to anyone who needs one. They did a brilliant job.

Poppycat

We had one quote the other week but I am worried about the extras like lining.

Anyhow we are getting another quote tomorrow from another guy who does the work for shops, he seemed very helpful on phone

Snow_Dog

If you look in the yellow pges you should find a place that specialises in selling fireplaces and stoves etc (we've got a couple round here), they are very knowledgable usually, they will also be able to put you in touch with chimney sweeps etc.

As for the chimneys joining up, I think that the flues joining is very unlikely. The actual chimney breasts will probably join up in the loft to make one large stack through the roof but there should be seperate flues for each fireplace.

If there are vents in the bedrooms they probably originally had fireplaces that were subsequently blocked up, the vents allow air movement to stop damp problems.


We tend to burn all sorts in the woodburner, if you have access to a circular saw and some wooden pallets you can rip through them in a couple of minutes leaving 9 blocks (with bits of plank attached) that burn for ages and the short lengths of plank can then be split with a hatchet for kindling.

Mixing coal and wood you can get a real nice fire going most of the night, best trick is to get a nice bed of coal after about 1/2 hour and then just feed it with logs occasionally the rest of the evening.

In the worst of the winter we had the heating on a couple of hours upstairs twice a day, the rest of the house was heated by the woodburner, and it aint a small house.

Poppycat

We ordered a stove yesterday and the fitter is coming by the end of July. We have to pay extra to have a stainless steel liner installed, although it does have a aluminium liner already, he said it was better to have stainless steel as its easier to clean and for some reason it makes a more efficient burn and more heat, the guy in the shop also confirm this.

I just hope this works out it such a lot of money and was want it to be a long term investment.

peat

Ensure that you only burn seasoned (dried) timber, you will get much more heat energy as you do not waste energy boiling water out of the wood. Burning wet wood can also cause tarry deposits in the flue which in the longer term can corrode even stainless steel.

Ken68

Hi Poppy, I would want a third opinion on the need for another chimney lining. The fitter and shopkeeper are biased, and don't forget the cost of chimney sweeping/certificate each year.

Poppycat

Thanks for your advice. I did speak to the shop about this, I got to know the owner quite well, I trust his advice as he really did seem genuine etc, even knocked some money off as he said he would a few months back when we were looking.

I knew about seasoned timber, I just really hope that this heats the house up, a 3 bedroom terraced with kitchen/diner (thats where the stove is going to go) I need my daughter warm as she feels the cold hence why I am spending this and getting house insulated for Winter.

What do you guys do about timber? I was thinking of ordering a large load as we have a outside garage just for storage, I assume its much cheaper to buy in bulk.

beer2006

This is a good resourse for all things wood and stove related, very knowledgeable folks on there.
http://www.itsnoteasybeinggreen.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=34

Don't go with the cheapest installer unless you also think he is the best. Timber you buy in at about 1 metre cubed a time normally, unless you can find a source yourself. Costs vary.

I would wait until you can feel how much heat it kicks out before you buy your new furniture, they get very hot.

If you've discussed with your installer the size of the space you want to heat, he should have suggested a certain size of stove, what KW rating did you get?
The stove will heat the room it is in effectively, but I've found to heat the rest of the house, it needs doors open and some sort of airflow. Just someone walking round actually does the job, but I plan to experiment with a small fan next winter.

I've only had my stove for one year and I bought in one load of timber for £75 I think, but have collected alot extra from everywhere and its now seasoning in the garden.