Thinking of getting a log burner. Anyone have some advice?
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I have 2 working chimneys, one has a wood burner in and one hasn't
We are rural so wood is easy to get and cheap too, but it is messy so be prepared to have to keep it clean.
I wouldn't be without one though as in the winter it's just so lovely to have but probably wouldn't go to the expense if no chimneys available0 -
We were sceptical about fitting wood burning stoves at the rural cottage we purchased two years ago because we'd previously experienced the (16kw!) model fitted by a previous owner of our last-but-one house and found it inefficient in the extreme. However that was a very old stove so we decided to give them another try......
The two we had fitted here (in the large kitchen and smallish snug, where there were existing chimneys) are superb and we wouldn't be without them. We rarely put our (oil) central heating on at all - twice this winter so far - and then only upstairs as the ground floor gets toasty very quickly.
We're fortunate in having our own supply of logs - we have our own small wooded area (and are surrounded by woodland) plus the recent storms have given us a 60' fallen beech tree which once seasoned/dried/chopped will last us some time
It is hard work though - and by that I mean the chopping/humping of barrow loads of logs, although it keeps us fit, lol!
We are actually considering putting a third one in an extension with no chimney, but haven't looked into the costings yet.....Mortgage-free for fourteen years!
Over £40,000 mis-sold PPI reclaimed0 -
My gas bill is just over £100 annually, but there's a fair bit of faff in getting, processing and storing wood which is my other source of heat. I actually like the exercise and I haven't paid for any yet, just buy a few easy to store briquettes to balance the burn and for when it's been really wet.
I have a fairly high tolerance for untidyness and mess, so listen to those above who are less tolerant to it and make your own decision! Wouldn't be without my woodburner.0 -
I love my woodburner, and have it on most evenings. It's hardly a faff to roll up some sheets of newspaper, put in some kindling and get it going - must take all of 5 mins. Empty the ash about once a week, it's good for the garden so that's where it goes.
I live in a rural area so logs are fairly easy to get hold of and can be cheap, might not be so if you live in town.
I had an existing chimney and just had to get it lined, total cost including the 5kW burner was about £2.5k about 10 years ago.For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.0 -
If you live in Plymouth, Ross, you don't need a wood burner, because you have gas. Plenty of good stove companies make gas-fired equivalents these days, identical to their other models, and the penalty for not being 'real' is more than balanced by their convenience and probably fuel costs too.
Wood burners are for swede-bashers in the countryside, like me.
And beware of cheap imitations like the Dimplex Optimyst series, at least until you've Googled, because some owners have had problems with them.0 -
Do your neighbourhood a favour and don't bother. At least two of our neighbours have them and they stink. The "chinese takeaway" chimney look isn't great, either.
The UK is not a third-world country and it's not 1820; this is no place for burning wood and the sooner they're banned, the better.0 -
They don't smell if the wood's properly seasoned, but it rarely is, and of course the Chinese take-away chimney is optional.Do your neighbourhood a favour and don't bother. At least two of our neighbours have them and they stink. The "chinese takeaway" chimney look isn't great, either.
The UK is not a third-world country and it's not 1820; this is no place for burning wood and the sooner they're banned, the better.
My neighbour burns house coal and that's far worse than even badly seasoned wood.
You have a point about the controls which ought to be in place in towns, but no government has dared legislate fully, and even if they did, enforcement would be nigh impossible. It's easier to change their image. They've probably already peaked.0 -
As Dave says there not burning the fuel right they used wet wood and wood that has paint or other crap on it. Proper seasoned logs or even better wood briquettes emit very little smoke and certainly dont smell
The price for fuel though has now got so expensive past few years that I for one that used mine for 11 years now rarely use it, its far cheaper using gas unless of course you can burn rubbish or get free or very cheap woodDo your neighbourhood a favour and don't bother. At least two of our neighbours have them and they stink. The "chinese takeaway" chimney look isn't great, either.
The UK is not a third-world country and it's not 1820; this is no place for burning wood and the sooner they're banned, the better.0 -
They are expensive to install and wood is expensive unless you get it free. They are require work to get started and maintain. I have one and I don't regret it. I don't use it much, but it is nice when I do use it, and it gives me a backup heating system if for some reason the gas boiler fails e.g. a power cut, which helps prevent frozen pipes in freezing weather. I also think it looks nice as part of the sitting room. Installation prices vary massively. This is/was a trendy item, and many places cater for well heeled people. The person who came round from the local place was very unpleasant. A local plasterer told me that is because I am small fry, with a modest bungalow and one stove to install. They normally deal with big houses and rich people. Another company quoted far less and did a brilliant job.0
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In the 1960s, every morning my mum had to come downstairs to a cold room and check the fire'd gone out... then collect all the ashes from the bottom, then sweep round inside the bottom area for stray ashes, then give the stove a "rootle" to release more ashes and clinker..... then give it all another sweep round and take the ashes outside.
Back inside, the fire had to be built from scratch again.
And that was with regular coal in a big coal shed.... no need for sourcing seasoned wood and storing it.
I'd not touch one with a barge pole.
Additionally, increasingly they're being pointed at as "bad for the planet", not sure why as I'll never have one, but they're on the hit list.
Not for me.
I like a simple, clean, switch. On/off.0
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