Real world experiences of log burners.

[HotJambalaya]

So how does freshly cut ash compare to other seasoned woods?

[magooagain]

I'm burning some Jerusalem tree wood. It's been sitting around for two years and it's still About 40% heavier that my oak that's been seasoned about the same length of time.
It burns ok when mixed with oak. It burns longer but not quite the same heat as oak..

I felled about six hazel trees along with a small chestnut yesterday which gave me about a cube of small logs,I hope it doesn't rot too much so I can burn it next winter.

[RizzoTheRat]

captainzep said:

Oak is the one that I've been disappointed by so far. I know it takes an age to season but even when the moisture meter is reading 15-20% it never seems to get going or get really hot.

Where are you seasoning it? I've got a wood store that's made of 4" planks with a 1" gap between plans, so it gets loads of airflow through it. The oak that had spent the summer in there burns really well, and is noticeably better than bits of the same tree that spent most of the summer on a pallet under a tarpaulin down the end of the garden and only got transferred to the wood store later.

[MikeGoodwin]

marcusgrant said:

They're brilliant.

Had one installed last year in my own house after always having one when living at my parents.

If I can, I'll always have one in the lounge.

If you're not getting much heat out of it, somethings up. We've got a 5kw one (cl5 yeoman) that heats up the lounge/dinner and kitchen. Then when it gets too hot we open the lounge door to the rest of the house, mainly just to cool down


edit - to empty the ash you literally just take the tray out and put the ash somewhere (i've got a 'bag for life' on the wall in the cellar). They're so easy.

This

To add... It takes mine about 2 hours to really start pumping out heat and sometimes I leave the door open while its burning just to let heat out or just to sit and listen to it (I like that). But after 3 hours I too end up opening the door to the rest of the house just to cool down.


I think I prefer an open fire.

[RizzoTheRat]

Those who buy wood, how much do you pay? For various reasons I've not been out gathering wood over the last year, and am now at the point I might just have enough to see out the winter. I've been quoted £60 for a "large builders bag" (google suggests they're 0.73 m3), or £10 for a "large wheelbarrow" from seasoned hardwood from a local chap. Is that reasonable? First time Iv'e ever had to buy wood in 6 or 7 years of stove ownership.

[anonymous-user]

We pay €75 per m3.

Honestly, at that price, I cannot see the point of bothering to collect wood, chop it up, season it, blah blah blah.

On occasion if I see a large trunk on the side of the road, I will pick it up and just saw it up in 10 mins but the amount we use it is pointless to rely solely on your work ethic to bother.

[captainzep]

RizzoTheRat said:

Where are you seasoning it? I've got a wood store that's made of 4" planks with a 1" gap between plans, so it gets loads of airflow through it. The oak that had spent the summer in there burns really well, and is noticeably better than bits of the same tree that spent most of the summer on a pallet under a tarpaulin down the end of the garden and only got transferred to the wood store later.

My original store came from a massive old dead oak that was felled and then seasoned in a summer house which got plenty of ventilation (and heat via the sun through the windows). Maybe just individual to that tree (the logs were incredibly dense and hard) but you tended to need the vents more open than you'd normally do for nice dry firewood.

In fairness, a big oak bough that came down from a healthy tree a couple of years ago which I cut up and seasoned outside seems to burn better.

[captainzep]

bulldong said:

We pay €75 per m3.

Honestly, at that price, I cannot see the point of bothering to collect wood, chop it up, season it, blah blah blah.

On occasion if I see a large trunk on the side of the road, I will pick it up and just saw it up in 10 mins but the amount we use it is pointless to rely solely on your work ethic to bother.

I enjoy it, (I'm officebound Monday to Friday) it's good exercise and I'd rather spend the money on something else! If I saw it as a drudgery I'd just have it delivered too. I also might have made a drunken pledge once to my Mum that I'd produce all her firewood for free as well, so I kind of need to keep my promises...

I also like splitting the logs to different sizes (and perfect length for my stove) -some thinner to get the fire going with kindling, some great big lumps to stick on overnight or during the day when you want tick-over.

[Tonsko]

I think we lit one in our end room November time. It's been let out once since. Certainly becomes a chore, especially when coupled with a solidfuel rayburn at the other end of the house, which is also not let out.

[irish boy]

Kiln dried wood is the answer. Very easy to light, great heat in 30 mins and no blackness on the glass to clean.

This is where I get mine.

https://www.harveyfuels.co.uk/index.php?route=info...

[Andrew[MG]]

Anyone tried these? http://www.bio-bean.com/coffee-logs/

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Andrew[MG] said:

Anyone tried these? http://www.bio-bean.com/coffee-logs/

Wouldn't it be cheaper to make paper maché logs using £10 notes? (Can't use fivers any more...)

£8.99 for 6kg is £1500 per tonne.

I buy briquettes made out of pulverised waste wood, and they're not exactly cheap - but those coffee things are ludicrously expensive.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 23 February 07:27

[Andrew[MG]]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

Andrew[MG] said:

Anyone tried these? http://www.bio-bean.com/coffee-logs/

Wouldn't it be cheaper to make paper maché logs using £10 notes? (Can't use fivers any more...)

£8.99 for 6kg is £1500 per tonne.

I buy briquettes made out of pulverised waste wood, and they're not exactly cheap - but those coffee things are ludicrously expensive.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 23 February 07:27

Indeed, they do seem silly expensive! The company was in the Sunday Times and they seem to be doing really well and getting lots of investment so some people must like them.

It's a bit like going round all the chip shops collecting the waste oil for burning in cars/lorries. It's better than just dumping the stuff but how much energy are they using to collect coffee, process it and then send it round the country again?

What we all need is a bean to cup to fire machine....keeps you hot twice.

[Tonsko]

Andrew[MG] said:

What we all need is a bean to cup to fire machine....keeps you hot twice.

3 times, as it would need to dry it with heat!

[CaptainSensib1e]

I had a log burner in my old cottage, where I lived for 4 years. Last summer moved to a newer house without a log burner. Thought I would miss having one, but I honestly haven't.

In truth they just aren't very well suited for modern living. For example, I would get home from work about 6, light it, and it would take best part of an hour to get up to temperature, during which time it would need checking 2/3 times to make sure all was OK. Then once up to temperature it takes the best part of an hour to actually warm the room up. So it's a couple of hours before you get any real benefit from it.

Don't get me wrong the look great and make an excellent focal point for a room, and I'm glad I've had one to see what it's like. I'm not in a rush to get another though.