Log fire

victor2

koalakoala said:

They smell. In fact the whole street smells sometimes with one log burner smoking away

Not if you use properly dried logs...

Grenage

victor2 said:

koalakoala said:

They smell. In fact the whole street smells sometimes with one log burner smoking away

Not if you use properly dried logs...

Aye; when we're using ours you can't even see any smoke coming out of the chimney.

ratfig

I've had one for about 20 years, and I love it. I do have an outside log store and a very reasonably priced local suppliier..Make sure your chimney's swept at least once a year. As long as you're burning logs (not wood from building sites etc) the ash is good to add to the garden.
Mine's got a flat top, which I'd recommend - you can use it as an alternative cooking source, or just leave a kettle on it and also means you can get a stove top fan - they're little gadgets which are powered by the heat of the stove. They scoop the radiant heat from the top of the stove and blow it into the room, which I've found makes a huge difference.

Vik91

Lots to think about maybe I might look into getting an electric fireplace as it’s cleaner with less maintanence
just trying to save on bills for the winter

Grenage

Vik91 said:

Lots to think about maybe I might look into getting an electric fireplace as it’s cleaner with less maintanence
just trying to save on bills for the winter

Electric costs a lot more than gas unless you've got solar and battery storage.

Andrewlee1

Installed ours four years ago and it’s very very good.  Bought off eBay for £500 including an external flue. Easy to install and we’ve never regretted it.  We burn Hotmax fuel which is made from stable bedding by products. Kiln dried logs are very good too.  Avoid ‘heat logs’ and seasoned logs. These produce a lot of particulates.  

It’s a 4.7 kw stove which basically gives us all of our heating for about £7.50 a week during the heating season. We have storage for about a month at a time (4/5 20 kg bags). Cheaper fuels produce lots of soot. Hotmax and kiln dried logs produce very little. We’ve good insulation and often the little stove is way too hot for the room so all the doors get opened. 

You’ll need a proper flue - double lined or external. I’ve put them in with and without and with is best.  As other posters have said you do not need a HEATAS installer neither should you need building control.  Check Building control applications for your local area.  NONE in my area and there are other installations in the street.  

Pay attention to the size of the stove and the fireplace. No combustible material less than 300mm from either the stove or flue.  There are plenty of helpful resources out there. 

Cheap to run, very effective, very warm, ours uses clean waste. Crates a fab focal point in the house.  

CheeseDreams

I bought a house with a log stove last Dec. Still not lit it as it seems a faff for just one person!

I know the insulation in my house is excellent (it kept the heat out during the soaring temps) - and, when I questioned the sellers about the log burner she said, "It's great. So efficient! In fact, when it gets going we have to open the back door or it gets too hot!" Which isn't my idea of efficiency at all 🤔

But it does look gorgeous, even in its unused state! 

FreeBear

Andrewlee1 said: You’ll need a proper flue - double lined or external. I’ve put them in with and without and with is best.  As other posters have said you do not need a HEATAS installer neither should you need building control.  Check Building control applications for your local area.

Please refer to Part J of the Building Regulations - Whilst the rules vary depending on where you are in the UK, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are broadly similar. Failure to notify Building Control of the installation of a stove (be it brand new or a second hand one) leaves the homeowner open to enforcement action. It will also cause issues when selling the property as the buyer's solicitor will be asking for copies of certificates.

Building Regulations are in place, not as a money generating vehicle, but as a method of ensuring a stove is installed safely and won't end up killing the occupants. Whilst you do not need to use a HETAS installer, they will do all the paperwork on your behalf and ensure the installation is safe. If you want to save a few ££, getting Building Control involved before embarking on a DIY installation is a sensible move - Notifying them after the event will most likely incur additional fees.

Woolsery

Bendy_House said:

It's a toughie - they are great, a real addition to making a home a 'home'. But...you can't help feeling a bit bad about the (relatively small amount of) pollution they do cause.

'Feel bad?'  I'll feel bad when those who lecture me stop flying around in their private jets to all those very important meetings!

JohnB47

Not sure if this has been mentioned already but I think positioning of the stove is important too. The flue pipe on mine comes out the back of the stove and the stove sits forward of the fireplace void. I believe this allows most of the convection heat to flow up and into the room.

I've seen a lot of stoves tucked right inside an existing fireplace void with the flue pipe coming vertically up from the top of the stove and I think this is less efficient.

Also, bear in mind that it takes a bit of effort to manage a wood burning stove. You do need to get used to it's peculiarities and you'll be back and forth quite often. It's not like central heating where you just push a button and sit back.

I've had one for years and I love it.