wood burner recommendations.

Latest Articles

wood burner recommendations.
Page 1, 2, 3 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Energy Efficiency and Construction/Major Projects

Author

Message

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 11 2:40 pm Post subject: wood burner recommendations.

I am in the process of smashing out an old, horrible fire place surround and clearing the hole up ready to install a wood burner.

Ive looked at the room size and think I'll need a 4.5KW model.

There are so many brands/types of burner. I was looking at a traditional type that would stand in my fireplace which is 92 x 72 x 42 cm. We intend to burn the fallen wood from our field which is seasoning away nicely. the chimney was swept a month ago and the bloke says its fine so we can push on and get a liner fitted.

Does anyone have any advice on what brands are good, what is reasonable and what to avoid.

Im not sure if I can buy a bigger KW model which would help to heat the rest of the house? ( typically this is chimney is right at the end of our 'long' house. Can I put the burner in the hole or do i need to keep it 18inches away from the brickwork?

many thanks

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45432
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 11 3:02 pm Post subject:
https://www.whatstove.co.uk/

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 11 3:09 pm Post subject:
I have a Clearview Pioneer in the parlour. It's wonderful. Also have an Esse Ironheart in the itchen, but that's more for cooking and hot water: also excellent.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 11 3:12 pm Post subject:
Another Clearview here. It is brilliant. Expensive, but it's a one off purchase. We did a whole winter with no CH a couple of years ago and it warmed the whole house (though having a tall thin house probably helps with that). If you install a burner significantly larger than the room needs you'll just end up unable to sit in the room.

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 11 6:24 pm Post subject:

many thanks.

i have been having a search this afternoon and am considering a change of plan.

If i knock a bit of wall out of the Kitchen I think we may be able to fit a woodburner/oven/boiler in. this would mean the unit is almost central in the house and there's a handy storage cupboard right next to the area which we could use for pipe work etc.

i know the cost is much higher but it could be quite useful.

So, more questions;

Do you just have to roast whilst in the kitchen during the summer?
Can you really heat 10-12 radiators and still have enough water for 2/3 showers a day?

I wouldnt buy an Aga on principle of it being an upper class 'accessory' but cant find much else that seems man enough for the job. Any ideas?

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 11 6:47 pm Post subject:

Agas don't run rads; just hot water and cooking, and they heat the kitchen/room they are in.

Rayburn stoves (now taken over by Aga) will run rads, heat water and provide cooking facilities. Mine is well-insulated, so the kitchen is always cold unless the cooker lids are up - I reckon you'd need a kitchen rad as well. I run 11 rads off my Rayburn, but I do think that is too many and 7-8 is more like it.

Not sure what woodburning stoves Rayburn do - mine runs on oil. The woodburning version may be less powerful. Check their website.

Older models of Rayburn are not insulated, so will heat a kitchen.
One solution is to have a normal gas or electric cooker as well, for summer use.

kirstyfern

Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 1574
Location: Great Dunmow, Essex

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 11 9:21 pm Post subject:
www.colnestoves.com

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 11 8:34 am Post subject:

We have a woodwarm with backboiler - this does hot water and 4 rads - its very good and Im glad we swapped our old Arrow out and into the shed....
I find its more effecient and also we get the HW for free (as it were). Its so efficient we have removed the radiator(which is run on LPG - we have 2 systems) in the living room now as the room was too hot!
Our LPG bill has dropped from £2200 PA to £400 and our wood bill (we burn 7 tons PA )- is less than £200.
Its a more even, gentle gradual heat, which we have found has improved the condensation problem we previously had in the kids rooms at the end of our long bungalow.

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 11 8:56 am Post subject:
Lorraine, For your long bungalow, is the burner centrally situated?

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 11 10:01 am Post subject:

No....
Our bungalow is over 100ft long with the louge and kitchen at the one end and the bedrooms at the other...so when we decided to do the new woodburner, John sited the largest rads in the kids room at the furthest end, then a smaller one in ours and the smallest in the bathroom - so all the bedrooms and bathroom now have 2 rads - one run off LPG, one from the woodburner.
We also have a heat sink rad in the kitchen (which is thru the wall from the woodburner - we needed this for safety in case everything gets too hot.
We have a third tap at the kitchen sink for HW, and plan to do the same at the bath.
When it turns chilly - like it is at the mo we can burn a few logs just to get rid of the damp feeling and the heat goes right through the house, and I can do the dishes, put a wash on without using LPG.
In the winter we use the LPG to kick in early hrs and when the kids get up for school - the woodburner is on nearly all day and evening so the house is toastie.

County4x4

Joined: 18 Dec 2008
Posts: 80
Location: Carnforth, Lancashire

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 11 2:29 pm Post subject:

Crikey Lorraine - that's seriously cheap wood - you'd be very lucky to buy it green at roadside for that in most areas!

As far as the stove goes - it's generally better to burn a smaller stove hard than keep a big one ticking over - much less in the way of chimney problems.

If you're going for a cooker instead - our friends are pleased with their Esse. HOWEVER - do make sure the installer knows what they're doing with wet systems - as a lot don't! They had dreadful problems to start with, with the flueways blocking up completely within days, and then a little later with liquid tar pooling on the floor of the lower oven!! The installer insisted it was down to wet wood - and I knew damn well it wasn't as I supplied most of it, and most of that was briquettes at under 9% MC. In the end, an installer mate of mine advised them to turn up the return stat by 5 degrees - installer at this end said it would make no difference - but it completely transformed the stove and now it does exactly what it should. It does go through a lot of wood in the winter though, and does make the kitchen pretty hot - they have an electric hob to use when it's hot weather.

Hope that helps!

Andy

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 11 3:16 pm Post subject:
Most of the wood is free - joiners offcuts, reclaimed timber from house demolition (we have a joiner next door and a friendly builders nearby) This was one of the considerations of changing the woodburner.

ninat

Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Posts: 606
Location: Scotland

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 11 4:47 pm Post subject:
we have one of these and love it! https://www.dunsleyheat.co.uk/highland5.htm

tarabella

Joined: 04 Nov 2009
Posts: 141
Location: Southam, Warwickshire

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 11 9:08 am Post subject:
It's gotta be Clearview - none others come close!

giveitago

Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 151
Location: surrey

Posted: Sun Jul 24, 11 7:18 am Post subject:
Went to a great shop yesterday and am thinking of the euroheat, stanford 23. Any thoughts?

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Energy Efficiency and Construction/Major Projects	All times are GMT Page 1, 2, 3 Next
Page 1 of 3

View Latest Posts