Wood Burners and Fire Logs

kah22

About 18 months back I installed a wood burning stove (VARDE OVNE AURA 11 ) and I'm more than pleased with it. When I first installed it I burned a mixture of household coal, but no more than two small shovels in a day and a mixture of hard and soft wood. Yes, I know, not recommended but I was using up coal and material I had around the house. Anyway that's now history 🤓 I bought myself a builders bag of hardwood from a local timber merchant and I'm now just using that.

However, I'm thinking about the future and while reading this old THREAD I started to think about Heat Logs for the stove. What I've read about them would suggest that in the long run they are more economical than hard wood.

Anybody here in the North use Fire Logs and can you give me a name? I would want to buy a trial bale of them first before committing to buying a pallet load. The ones I've seen locally suggest they are not suitable for a glass fronted fire. I live in the Armagh area

Many thanks for any advice you can offer

Kevin

savemoney

I use to use seasoned logs until 4 years ago. Tried many makes of wood briquettes and found Verdo the best as they give out the most heat. But they do take a while to get going as they quite solid. But very easy to break up.

I tend to use newspaper, kindling and a few bits of verdo logs to get fire going and then use around 4 parts of a verdo log.

You bought mind directly from verdo but H&B sell them singly for £2.89 each which amounts to same price.

wood briquettes burn better than logs and also cleaner burn. They also take up less space, I estimate about at least 1 /2 as much space. However they have to be stored well away from damp.

I have a damp garage at once side of wall so I keep it well away from that wall about a foot and they fine

I see people all time buying them from H&B (home bargains) they keep them outside store on a metal wheeled cage. I get some from there as a top up

kah22

Thanks Savemoney. Where do Verdo operate out off.

rolo1_2

We get or logs from Harvey Fuels. Wood is Kiln dried and top notch -moisture content is very low. Two crates will do me a year, I keep them in garage (I personally like mixing Ash & Oak -but birch is also excellent), and heat output is wonderful
Believe me once you burn proper kiln dried quality wood, such as ash/oak you will look no further.
Its a false economy to mix and match with coal, alleged "seasoned" wood etc.
Harvey's deliver free province wide.

saverbuyer

You can get a few packs from Homer Bargains to try them out. Then order a pallet.


I did previously use woodcall for all my wood but use verdo pretty much exclusively now. Great heat and less space. In my stove a verdo added to a good fire of smokeless will burn for about 2-3 hours. I just add another verdo when needed.


I don't think I'll go back to wood now.

Zola.

Do they give a nice flame?

saverbuyer

Zola. wrote: »

Do they give a nice flame?

Very good flame. Give them a try.

Zola.

Are you sticking one big log in and thats it?

I normally get a 'builder bag' of logs with two bags of kindling, £50, lasts me around 3 months of regular night time burning.

saverbuyer

Zola. wrote: »

Are you sticking one big log in and thats it?

I normally get a 'builder bag' of logs with two bags of kindling, £50, lasts me around 3 months of regular night time burning.

£50 will get you about 18 packs of 6 verdo logs. I've a multi fuel stove so I usually start with a bit of kindling and a couple of shovels of smokeless. Let it heat up for 45 mins then throw a verdo on. Really high heat for a couple of hours then dies down. I only use one an evening. So £50 worth will last 3 months.


For kindling, I usually buy a sack of those cheap logs and chop with an axe. 1 bag will give a few months worth of kindling.


BTW I've tried Hayes and woodcall. Really good wodd, I can't fault them. But the verdo logs are easier. More heat with less space.

kah22

About three months back I bought a builders bag of hardwood from a timber yard I've still have a good two weeks supply left that's part of the reason I was asking about fire logs: I might give them a go next time around