Want wood burner but no chimney - where to start?

FreeBear

troffasky wrote: »

There are more efficient designs of wood-burning heater [eg rocket mass heater] but they're a bit more specialist [DIY, I reckon] and less fashionable. I'd quite like to build one, but...

Good luck in getting a rocket mass heater signed off by building control..

tori.k

we have a bio-ethanol fire, surprised us how well it actually heats the room after a few hours as it was only purchased for the aesthetic of a living flame, Its a plug and play bit of kit, fuel is expensive around £2.50 a liter but as its not a everyday used item but the fuel per year works out about the same as our yearly old wood burner service for us.
Downside is I always kept a kettle on our old burner and often used it for cooking dinner but I don't miss the work ( we cut our own wood) or mess involved by owning one.

Maz1963

tori.k wrote: »

we have a bio-ethanol fire, surprised us how well it actually heats the room after a few hours as it was only purchased for the aesthetic of a living flame, Its a plug and play bit of kit, fuel is expensive around £2.50 a liter but as its not a everyday used item but the fuel per year works out about the same as our yearly old wood burner service for us.
Downside is I always kept a kettle on our old burner and often used it for cooking dinner but I don't miss the work ( we cut our own wood) or mess involved by owning one.

I have considered one of these in the past and it would seem to solve all my issues - no need for 'building work', no need for cables and it would be silent and give off heat - perfect! My only concern is handling the liquid fuel and 'ventilation', though I guess that's down to common sense. I have picked up on websites that sell these fires that you should use it in a well aired area, but my house is pretty airy and I never close inner doors. It wouldn't be on all the time anyway, only when very cold, or when there's a power cut (another issue solved!). I could also solve the cold hallway issue AND have a small one inset into the existing fire surround.


Have you come across any downsides with having one, tori.k?

tori.k

Nothing at all, I guess the only issue some may have is you have to wait to it goes out and cools to refuel, the burn time on ours is 3.5 hours a liter fully open and around 4.5 hours half closed did take a couple of hours to really feel the heat ( the point where your stripping off) but im absolutely delighted with it, it wouldn't be economical if it was needed as everyday heating but the cold stormy winter there is nothing more cosy than a living flame fire.

troffasky

FreeBear wrote: »

Good luck in getting a rocket mass heater signed off by building control..

What do you suppose the problem(s) would be?

• A fundamental flaw with the concept that makes them unsafe for indoor use?
• Lack of BC familiarity with the concept leading to reluctance to sign off?
• Inability of an enthusiastic amateur to carry out a build to a safe standard?

bella_m

Maz1963 wrote: »

That's where I need to start - HETAS! Thank you very much. I have found another local supplier/installer via their website and will visit this week. They say they come out do to a survey, so don't know what the person at the other place was on about!
I'm not holding out much hope as the flue would need to go up to the ceiling (possible), but then through a wall, or rather inside the wall, and then up through the roof. But that's what I need the survey for!


Thanks for the help everyone.

@Maz1963 how did you get on? We have our HETAS installer arriving later today to install a multi-fuel burner. The space it is going into is a small chimney breast so we chose a small 5kw stove. We are a bit nervous. Its all a bit new to us.

DH wants us to by lots of accessories to go with it. Do we really need a companion set, thermostat, fire proof gloves etc...

Anyone can tell us what _just_ the essentials are?

Davesnave

bella_m wrote: »

Anyone can tell us what _just_ the essentials are?

I don't have anything except a poker, which my wife insists on having there. I see it as nothing but a hazard to the limestone surround.

I find the riddling mechanism efficient, and as the riddling handle detaches, removes the ashpan and acts as a carrier, the business of running it is pretty streamlined.

You may want a dedicated dustpan & brush. As for the glove, one came with the fire, but I've never felt a need to use it.

andrewf75

As above, you don't really need much at all. Log basket?

Davesnave

andrewf75 wrote: »

As above, you don't really need much at all. Log basket?

Whoops, yes!

Maz1963

I had a chat with the sales guy (more helpful this time!) at the stove centre and when I described my house, he seemed to think, as I do now, that a wood burner flue would be difficult to install. He showed me the aluminium flue in the showroom and it's very wide. I thought it would be narrower! He said it has to be like that, no other option.


I'm still thinking about a bio-ethanol fire but the company I contacted has not bothered to reply. A neighbour has one so I must talk to her about it. Maybe I should hold out for some changes to electric stoves? I said to the guy in the showroom that with the technology that's around now, I'm surprised that the only 'electric wood burners' available are those with a noisy fan. He said that in time something new will be developed, but not available yet. In the lounge I currently use a Dimplex Yeominster - quite old fashioned looking, but the electric bars whack out so much heat and …. it's silent! But none of that helps me when we have a power cut and I'm left with no heat!