alcazar

iTrader: (2)

We are looking at replacing an ageing gas fire with a nice little wood-burner.

I'd be interested in anyone's experiences, be they good and bad.

I've also found these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-4-Blad...-/141447267077

They look like they might do a decent job too?

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

I've an open wood burner in my living room, and I love it.

Gives out plenty of heat, and also looks fantastic once going.

dpb

I don't quite see how the fan works

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

I have, my only recommendation is that you opt for one with heat absorbing stones as opposed to just metal, because they store and radiate the heat better.

Oh and make sure when you get it going you put a good mix as well as brim it, make sure it's going to catch and burn as you don't want to be opening the door while there is a flame or just smoke as it will smoke you out and you'll have to open the windows and doors, which kind of defeats the object.

Blue by You

iTrader: (23)

I've got a wood burner. Excellent bit of kit. As said make sure you get a good flame going on start up or there's a chance you'll get smoke blown back into the room.

Have a read http://www.stoveland.co.uk/fjw/Ecofantec.html

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I wondered about the smoke blowback.
Had that happen twice in France. I'd got the stove going, went into the kitchen to make tea, then thought, "I can smell smoke," and couldn't SEE across the living room.
Not a happy bunny.

dpb

My mother's got one those inset fireplace jobs with stainless chimney in her new extension , this is in France .
Isn't it to do with getting flue hot enough , to make it draw

hodgy0_2

I have one, as above brilliant bit of kit
Ours gives out 9kw, in cold weather I keep it going 24/7

Saves me about 700 a year in oil

PaulC72

We have one in Spain, and want one here in England...just check you are or are not in a smokeless area as the type you can install differs (I believe the smokeless ones are a little more expensive) and it'll save you getting any trouble.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yes to the flue being hot.

And someone is coming next week to tell me what size and discuss what we can, and can't have.
I may have to redesign the fireplace, which I built from brick twenty-five years ago.

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Dont buy a cheap ebay job.... Chinese ones a crap and badly casted.

We have a couple of morso panthers and they have been brilliant...

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Pioneer vision 400 or is it Vision pioneer 400 - anyway, fantastic unit, wish I had taken it with me when we moved house. Keep planning to install one in the current house, but way too many other things to do first.

sweden

iTrader: (2)

What we heat the main cabin and the guest cabin with matey, main thing as advised is the flow, make sure to have the door almost closed to start with so that it has to really draw air through and out the chimney once it's up and running properly then there shouldn't be a problem, we run about 20-21 inside temp in the winter even when it's -25/30 outside.


P.s we burn about 8 cubic meter during the winter

njkmrs

Franco Belge for us and it works a treat.
Good flue ,good draw ,no smokey back in living room.!!!
Last year gas usage was down about 45 % due to not having the gas heating on as much.
Leave doors into other rooms open to share the heat from fire.
Use a fan on top of burner to move the air about. Works off convection.

thenewgalaxy

Watch out for the baffle plates going on the newer models.

We've got a Yeoman exe being installed in a fortnight, just in time for the beginning of December when it gets really grim.

hodgy0_2

We have a yeoman exe, good bit of kit

Sad Weevil

iTrader: (1)

I've got a 5kw Stovax with an Ecofan http://www.ecofan.co.uk and it heats the whole house. Total cost about a grand including slate hearth, flue liner and installation. Love it.

scoobyJim2

My friend has a log burner in his front room and he has it burning with the door open and it doesn't fill room with smoke at all. Just pops and spits sometimes lol. He's flu goes about 2ft up the chimney.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

If you leave the door open it will go through a hell of a lot of wood, more air = faster burn.

Mine has 2 doors the main one were you load it from with a glass window and one underneath it where it has a vent slider and a removable tray for the ashes, I leave this door open for 5 mins when I light it to get it going properly and it roars while it's open, then have the vent fully open for another 10/15mins after that I slide it to about half way otherwise the house will end up being 28 degrees and i'm in my pants sweating like a pig mine is a 10kw and will heat in the region of 120 square metres.

When it gets really cold, more wind chill than actual temperature, I have some big stumps I put on the red coals and they burn all night on minimum air slide setting and the place is still 22/24 degrees in the morning, toasty.

300gnspitzer

I was advised to get a smallish fire that I could keep going fairly well, rather than a larger one that heated the place too much and was constantly shut down, as said earlier, its about keeping the flu hot. I've had mine for 5-6 years now, it also heats the water, saves me one fill up per year, about £7-800. I wouldn't be without one now. If I had to buy the fuel I would burn coal. You need lots of wood to keep a fire going 24/7

JackClark

This is mine and where I bought it a couple of years ago, it's fantastic, but not cheap.

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_b...One-Stove.html

JackClark

If you want a fan you need this one. Who doesn't want a Stirling Engine in the living room.

http://www.stirlingengine.co.uk/d.as...VULCANSTOVEFAN

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Yes it happened to me a few times in the beginning as I was a total novice and didn't get it going properly, use to lighting fires outside where smoke isn't a problem. once it's hot it's not a problem it's just the getting it going bit where the room can fill with smoke and that can happen with all wood burners, hence me saying just make sure you get it right first time.

I use a couple of Lidl fire lighters and some nice dry wood I get from the local wood yard down the road, the rest is logs from my small bit of woodland or I buy 10 cubic metres off a mate for £250 which will last me about 2 winters, should be getting a delivery soon.

scoobyJim2

Maybe it does use more being open,but no smoke in room. He's dad saves the wood up though the year until needed

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I shall have to buy wood, we have no ready made supply, unlike in France, where I can't burn it fast enough.

Well definitely need a new hearth, and MAYBE the fireplace enlarged again.

Plus the house thermostat will need moving into the hall....I reckon I'll go wireless.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Have a chat with some local tree surgeons.

daddyscoob

This all sounds too hot for my liking. We did a self build about 6 years ago. Don't even have a chimney. Open fires etc no thanks.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Yeah gas is Much better,

Free heating for me for the last 6yrs and I can still get wood free if I go and give my mate a hand felling and logging, but it's hard graft where he's working on a steep hill side just now, I have a dodgy ankle at the minute so just going to buy some off him, £250 for 2yrs heating is bloody cheap, it will also do my hot water and 11 radiators in the winter when I finish my new system.

dpb

Apart emptying the ash / keeping it full, sounds great.



Guy at the end here. ( terraced early 70's... ) , apparently heats /does everything with wood burner

-but he's does appear to do little else than collect firewood

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Ash is good for the garden and you get to play with chainsaws and axes.