Wood burners and multi fuel stoves

kah22

I'm in the process of buying a stove. My first thought was multi burner, I suppose because I could burn solid fuel as well as wood

However the more I looked into it the more I began to think that a wood burner on its own could be a serious option if only because I wanted it for the aesthetic as well as for heating

Now most of the reports I've read have come from across the water where, as we all know, fuel is much cheaper.

So here my question has anyone out there a wood burner, or only burns wood? If so what is it going to cost here in the north? My local timber yard was quoting a figure of around £70 for a ton of seasoned hardwood, not kilm dried. From what I've read kilm dried is best, how much does it cost. Anyidea
Aof annual costs.

I have a multi burner at the moment and while the majority of my fuel is doubles I do burn quite a bit of softwood. As a by-the-way the stove I'm looking at is the Varde Aura 11 and I certainly would have bought if it had a been multi fuel but I'm sitting still until I get some idea of effectiveness and running costs

rolo1_2

We have a multi-burner but currently just burn wood and by wood I mean Kiln Dried wood - I highly recommend https://www.harveyfuels.co.uk/
We buy 2 Crates (1 birch and 1 oak or Ash) and that would cover the 6 Autumn/Winter months. It may look expensive but believe me it is bone dry, produces great heat, no smoke and over the long run very cost-effective. We keep the crates in the garage, delivery cheap by the way.

kah22

Rolo1 thanks, £300 give or take 20 quid for 6 months - £12 a week I wouldn't say that's over the top

How do you get them into the garage, there must be some weight in them, do the delivery men have a lift with them?

missbiggles1

Having run a multi fuel in the past, it's much easier to keep a fire in for longer periods if you burn coal whereas keeping a wood burner in overnight can be very difficult.

rolo1_2

kah22 wrote: »

Rolo1 thanks, £300 give or take 20 quid for 6 months - £12 a week I wouldn't say that's over the top

How do you get them into the garage, there must be some weight in them, do the delivery men have a lift with them?

Yes they deliver and move crates into place with a pallet lifter thing -leaves both crates flush against wall. Believe me I have tried all sorts of wood from various suppliers, seasoned (allegedly) but when tested with my moisture meter they were 30-40% water content -took an age to light , and dirty smoke. Kiln dried wood contains around 7-10% water and is like light and day when compared -coal in my experience works out dearer and does not produce the heat that Kiln dried Oak, Birch, and Ash can. Birch by the way lights easier and gives a great flame whereas Oak and Ash burn slightly longer, still easy to light as well. I personally like to mix Birch with Oak.

pepper33

How much does it take to swap a gas fire hanging on a wall to a multi fuel burner, I have been quoted nearly £2000 and that doesn't include the fire

saverbuyer

pepper33 wrote: »

How much does it take to swap a gas fire hanging on a wall to a multi fuel burner, I have been quoted nearly £2000 and that doesn't include the fire

£2000 :eek:

Who quoted you that and what does it actually include?

thetope

pepper33 wrote: »

How much does it take to swap a gas fire hanging on a wall to a multi fuel burner, I have been quoted nearly £2000 and that doesn't include the fire

It really depends on what the chimney and fireplace in your house is like. To ensure safety you may need to have a heatproof hearth (the size of which will depend on the size of the stove) and possibly have your chimney lined and insulated. We could have been killed by a dodgy stove installation in our house before we moved in as it was burning inefficiently and very dangerous. I would recommend you seek advice/quotes from qualified people on a stove installation (I have recommended Maurice Philips a number of times on here as he has installed/made good 3 stoves for our family but there are plenty out there).

CEON44

Have you considered maybe installing a wood pellet stove instead? Most wood pellet boilers are designed for garages etc but you can get stove type too. They are quite expensive a you could pay anything from 5k upwards but big plus is you get grants which will more than cover cost. Check out RHI NORTHERN IRELAND (renewable heat incentive )
It's all about renewable heat and government will pay you to install. After installation you get immediate cash back of 2500 plus you get a payment every year for 7 years. The amount of this payment depends on a few factors like the size and age of your home plus how well it is insulated but you can get up to a max £2500 per year. Well covers costs of purchase and pays for your pellets too. Worth considering