Log burning stoves - hints tips & advice
Discussion
CambsBill said:
Don't forget it's the cubic metres you need to measure, not just the floor area. Important that you do the calcs properly or you could end up with something that doesn't heat enough, or even worse you can't sit within 15 feet of 'cause it's too hot . . .
We have a 4KW burner in a room of 57m3 (in an old, non-cavity walled house). It's more than enough.
Exactly this, the majority of log burners I've seen are too powerful for the room.We have a 4KW burner in a room of 57m3 (in an old, non-cavity walled house). It's more than enough.
What's wrong with the ones the last owner put in? If they're just looking a bit tired have you considered refurbing them?
Maybe consider the stuff with a back boiler to do the rads in other rooms if you're going down the route of new burners as a primary heating source? But will the novelty wear off and become a pain in the arse you wished you hadn't spent the money on?
TooMany2cvs said:
Because that's how they're designed to be used...
Close the doors, regulate the air, and be gobsmacked at how much more heat you get from how much less fuel.
Sod the fuel, its visual as well as for heat. Close the doors and dampers a bit when it’s too hot, open them up when its not.Close the doors, regulate the air, and be gobsmacked at how much more heat you get from how much less fuel.
Modern ones seem to be far more awkward than they need to be.
TooMany2cvs said:
Just poorly designed ones. Our Villager's just as big a PITA as your identical one must be...
No trouble at all, load it up, close the doors, and light through the damper holes with blowtorch. 5 minutes its ready for another log.
Missus cleans it, which is the crappy bit.
:Her ladyship likes it too.
Edited by Eddieslofart on Wednesday 31st January 18:58
Knowing very little about them this is the best analogy I have; when buying white goods I generally buy Bosch, not a Miele, but not a Hotpoint either. Is there a stove equivalent to a Bosch?
As part of the refurb the central heatings going to be extended so it won’t be the main source of heating.
As part of the refurb the central heatings going to be extended so it won’t be the main source of heating.
acme said:
Knowing very little about them this is the best analogy I have; when buying white goods I generally buy Bosch, not a Miele, but not a Hotpoint either. Is there a stove equivalent to a Bosch?
The issue will be there’s plenty. Have a look at a style you like and what will fit in with the scheme you have at home. Some are very traditional, some very modern. They’ll come in either cast iron or steel, pros and cons for either.Have a look here - https://www.whatstove.co.uk/
We have a clearview vision 500, it’s been in 10 winters, just works, lights easily, glass only needs a clean a couple of times over 5/6 months due to the airwash system. We did want an Hwam, although due to the chimney, we couldn’t make it work.
Eddieslofart said:
Old cast iron villager, £200 new glass and rope seal included.
Lob some wood and coal on, doors open always ( why do people always have the doors closed ?) job jobbed. First 600mm of flue single skin, twin after. Draw is excellent.
I've got the same stove but with the doors open, whilst it's nice to see the fire, you will rip through the wood - the efficiency will be close to that of an open fire (20%). Each to his own of course, it's not just about heat, it's about the 'theatre' of it as well. Lob some wood and coal on, doors open always ( why do people always have the doors closed ?) job jobbed. First 600mm of flue single skin, twin after. Draw is excellent.
From my experience it's all vents open initially and then almost fully closing the bottom two vents once the fire is up and running. Use the top two to regulate the burn rate thereafter.
I found the genuine Villager glass seals to be made of candle wax so I buy mine in lengths from the web.
CambsBill said:
Don't forget it's the cubic metres you need to measure, not just the floor area. Important that you do the calcs properly or you could end up with something that doesn't heat enough, or even worse you can't sit within 15 feet of 'cause it's too hot . . .
We have a 4KW burner in a room of 57m3 (in an old, non-cavity walled house). It's more than enough.
Very true. Ours is in a nearly similar sized room, albeit 8kw. However, we rarely shut either of the 2 doors the room has, so the excess heat trickles out, and kicks off the CH. Also, in general you’re only running at around 60% nominal heat so we’ve never had an issue, and the wife is always cold..We have a 4KW burner in a room of 57m3 (in an old, non-cavity walled house). It's more than enough.
Just installed a 6,5 firestorm and it’s magical. Logs and peat from logstore and burn a charm
Simply excellent
Lounge in dire state with a plasterer due this weekend. Wish we had put one in the old house. Had to open the chimney and remove a old back boiler but worth it all
Edited by HARTLEYHARE1 on Wednesday 31st January 20:37
Clearview are great but you pay for it. We went for a charnwood that was about a grand cheaper, only real difference is it doesn't clean itself so well which means a wet kitchen roll dipped in the ash and rubbed on the glass once a week or so.
Stove fans are great, pushes the heat around the house rather than hot spot. We put in right sized stove for our front room but without the fan it gets way too hot, if anything we should have gone smaller, guessing the sizing guide is based on a non insulated house!
Stove fans are great, pushes the heat around the house rather than hot spot. We put in right sized stove for our front room but without the fan it gets way too hot, if anything we should have gone smaller, guessing the sizing guide is based on a non insulated house!
MrHappy said:
Eddieslofart said:
Old cast iron villager, £200 new glass and rope seal included.
Lob some wood and coal on, doors open always ( why do people always have the doors closed ?) job jobbed. First 600mm of flue single skin, twin after. Draw is excellent.
I've got the same stove but with the doors open, whilst it's nice to see the fire, you will rip through the wood - the efficiency will be close to that of an open fire (20%). Each to his own of course, it's not just about heat, it's about the 'theatre' of it as well. Lob some wood and coal on, doors open always ( why do people always have the doors closed ?) job jobbed. First 600mm of flue single skin, twin after. Draw is excellent.
From my experience it's all vents open initially and then almost fully closing the bottom two vents once the fire is up and running. Use the top two to regulate the burn rate thereafter.
I found the genuine Villager glass seals to be made of candle wax so I buy mine in lengths from the web.
It would look a bit odd to me really, and defeats the object of the vents. Each to their own though.
TooMany2cvs said:
Eddieslofart said:
doors open always ( why do people always have the doors closed ?)
Because that's how they're designed to be used...Close the doors, regulate the air, and be gobsmacked at how much more heat you get from how much less fuel.
We have a esse stove which I have had problems with for a few seasons, smoking into our room when refuelling. Dispite my almost 40years experience with stoves it was a problem caused by my wood fuel being not dry enough! Our previous stoves had not been as efficient as the esse but it demands wood fuel to be less than a 25% moisture content. To feel a right tit
about sums up my feelings over my previous rants and questions about the stove.
Edited by crankedup on Saturday 3rd February 12:53
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