What size of Wood Burning Stove?
Poll: What size of Wood Burning Stove?
Total Members Polled: 19
Discussion
I'm looking to put in a wood burner that will be operating at full power, be slightly too small for winter but perfect for spring and autumn. It's a 4 bed house but with 2 bedrooms at low heat only, I'm looking at a 7kW (3kW room, 4kW to heating) or a 5 or 7kW room only.
Has anyone experience with this? Ideally I'd like to know how much power for what size residence, and how hard you have to run it on cold (but not artic) like days. Insulation is reasonably good.
So I'm looking for one that is a bit too small, but not ridiculous
Has anyone experience with this? Ideally I'd like to know how much power for what size residence, and how hard you have to run it on cold (but not artic) like days. Insulation is reasonably good.
So I'm looking for one that is a bit too small, but not ridiculous
I'm thinking of using it as a boiler, but looking at a 7kW I'm a bit worried that only 3kW into the room (about 5m by 7m) maybe too little. 7kW looks to fit into the fireplace well though.
I think I need a vent even at 5kW, that's not a problem to put in, it would be building-regs approved anyway.
I think I need a vent even at 5kW, that's not a problem to put in, it would be building-regs approved anyway.
They're only efficient if you run them at close to full power. If you damp them down, the glass (if fitted) will smoke up, the flue will get dirty faster, and they'll use a lot of wood to create less heat. I have 4.9Kw and it heats the downstairs nicely, we open all the doors to let some heat go upstairs too.
ETA: 4 bed detached, approx 130m2 per floor, the old part is a bit breezy, extension is well insulated. The downstairs tends to get very hot, the upstairs doesn't get much warmer. I have no experience of back-boilers.
ETA: 4 bed detached, approx 130m2 per floor, the old part is a bit breezy, extension is well insulated. The downstairs tends to get very hot, the upstairs doesn't get much warmer. I have no experience of back-boilers.
Edited by -Pete- on Friday 10th December 21:32
Thanks -Pete- that's very useful info.
Simpo Two - a smaller stove is cheaper, lighter and fits into my fireplace better so I'm tending towards a plain 5kW or a boiler 7kW stove.
I'd definitely prefer it undersized to oversized - for really freezing days I'd have the gas central heating to back it up.
Simpo Two - a smaller stove is cheaper, lighter and fits into my fireplace better so I'm tending towards a plain 5kW or a boiler 7kW stove.
I'd definitely prefer it undersized to oversized - for really freezing days I'd have the gas central heating to back it up.
How are you going to get the heat out of the room? You will just end up opening windows and forever filling a big stove with wood if you have a very powerful stove. To work effectively the wood gasifies (heats up and gives off gases which burn secondary to the wood burning) and this only happens when the stove is hot, 300 degrees hot. A big stove running flat out will kick off a lot of heat, which won't convect through a door very well.
I would go under 5kw to avoid the air vent, and keep fuel usage lowish. Buying/cutting down wood, shifting it to your storage point, drying it for 2 years if it is green, chopping it, lugging it to the house, getting it indooors, keeping it all clean when you bringing it in, emptying the ash pan, all have to be considered.
You should not really be burning softwoods like chopped up pallets, they burn too fast and hot.
I have a 6kw in a new house, in the lounge, 8m x 5m. Remember even a small stove will bring the mass of the room up to a decent temperature acting as a heat sink. I put a lot of extra breeze block in the void behind the stove so it gets heated, the mass gives off its heat for a good 20 hours after the fire has gone out. If my stove was any bigger it would be too much to be honest, you can't heat the far end of the house from the lounge, and I run MVHR in the house which shifts the heat to some degree.
I would go under 5kw to avoid the air vent, and keep fuel usage lowish. Buying/cutting down wood, shifting it to your storage point, drying it for 2 years if it is green, chopping it, lugging it to the house, getting it indooors, keeping it all clean when you bringing it in, emptying the ash pan, all have to be considered.
You should not really be burning softwoods like chopped up pallets, they burn too fast and hot.
I have a 6kw in a new house, in the lounge, 8m x 5m. Remember even a small stove will bring the mass of the room up to a decent temperature acting as a heat sink. I put a lot of extra breeze block in the void behind the stove so it gets heated, the mass gives off its heat for a good 20 hours after the fire has gone out. If my stove was any bigger it would be too much to be honest, you can't heat the far end of the house from the lounge, and I run MVHR in the house which shifts the heat to some degree.
We have a new build 4 bed house with a 5kW stove. It's positioned well so the heat leaves the lounge and enters the central hall and stairwell (ie house design helps too!).
Does the job well by itself down to about zero degrees outside, below that a little help is needed from the central heating.
Does the job well by itself down to about zero degrees outside, below that a little help is needed from the central heating.
lost in espace said:
I would go under 5kw to avoid the air vent, and keep fuel usage lowish. Buying/cutting down wood, shifting it to your storage point, drying it for 2 years if it is green, chopping it, lugging it to the house, getting it indooors, keeping it all clean when you bringing it in, emptying the ash pan, all have to be considered.
These are very good practical points.I have a 12Kw centrally placed in an "open-plan" old house. If I didn't have free supply of wood and peat,a tractor and trailer and plenty of time to do it I wouldn't bother.
Puggit said:
We have a new build 4 bed house with a 5kW stove. It's positioned well so the heat leaves the lounge and enters the central hall and stairwell (ie house design helps too!).
Does the job well by itself down to about zero degrees outside, below that a little help is needed from the central heating.
This could be arranged in my house too actually, the door from the living room is at the bottom of the stairs so excess heat could easily be redirected into the rest of the house - so maybe a sub-5kW simple woodburner (or multifuel) would be the thing to do, and when the rooms gets hot enough I just open the door and let the heat out into the hallway and stairwell.Does the job well by itself down to about zero degrees outside, below that a little help is needed from the central heating.
Edited by Globs on Saturday 11th December 15:11
Decided to go for a nice simple 5kW stove after all, I can always upgrade but I think this will suit me fine and I can see how the wood/ash budget works out.
I think I'll get a flue thermometer for it too so I can get it burning at the most efficient temperature, hopefully I can get it running before Christmas but I have other work to do on the house too!
I think I'll get a flue thermometer for it too so I can get it burning at the most efficient temperature, hopefully I can get it running before Christmas but I have other work to do on the house too!
Edited by Globs on Saturday 11th December 22:01
brianlewis said:
that looks chinese to me, get a Dunsley Highlander 5. ( made in Yorkshire) fantastic quality.
you can fit a boiler if required in the future and remember you get what you pay for.
Country Kiln say they make them, but of course they may be made in China, I'll have a look when they turn up! It looks a very straightforward stove TBH so it should be fine, just collecting piles of firewood now..you can fit a boiler if required in the future and remember you get what you pay for.
The Dunsley looks good but I ordered the other one yesterday
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