Heating Options - Help!

[Libertyandlivelihood]

Hi,

 

I am looking to change the heating method in my home and would like some options/advice

for the best route to take.

 

The house is a mid-terrace 3 bed, 5 or 6 radiators throughout.

 

Currently it is run on LPG and I am told this is going to be expensive.

 

Is it possible to run your central heating and water from some kind of wood burner that can go in the lounge?

What are your recommended options?

 

Thanks in advance for everyone who helps!

[Blackpowder]

You are quite correct in saying that LPG is one of the most expensive options for home central heating. It is quite feasable depending upon the location of the wood stove site to heat a home through a woodburning stove, which incidently always seems to make a house warm on its own. You would need to run your domestic water flow and return pipes to your hot water cylinder to circulate by gravity to ensure the removal of surplus heat rom the stove in the event of a power cut when the circulating pump would not be carrying heat away from the stove. The main disadvantage of solid fuel appliances is that you do not have the same degree of control over them as in the case of gas and oil. Although I understand that modern solid fuel burners are fast approaching this modern state.

 

Good luck in your search

 

Blackpowder

[Lord Geordie]

I was toying with the idea of using a wood burning stove too but am not sure I would get the go ahead from the local council

 

I always had an incling to get a small place in the country and become almost self sufficient when it came to energy. I was looking into a wood burning stove to do cooking on as well as the heating. Use of solar energy and wind turbines to charge a bank of batteries and keep it 12v there are plenty of 12v lighting options that are ample for domestic use. Also a LOT of TV's are taken from 240v AC down to 12v DC internally so I could thearetically convert the TV to run on 12v though I know there are already 12v TV's they are currently quite small. HiFi is 12v also so a 12v system in the house would suit me to the ground.

 

Also Laptops Mobile Phones etc all charge from 12v too so I could quite happily go 12v

 

The Central Heating Could be powered by a 12v water pump and the rheostat also so again the heating side should pan out fine also.

 

The main Beauty of this is other than the initial lay out for batteries solar panels and turbines (which I can make my own from alternators) the cost element is is very low compared to the cost of grid energy!

 

12v fridge and a small 12v freezer the only stumbling block would be a Washing Machine!!! I am sure there are 12v caravan machines but I have yet to find know a chap who lives in Durham has a 5 bed house running from a lovely log burner in the living room. His is on the 240v though.

 

LG

[al4x]

Ok you could change to wood fired but it is labour intensive and requires a lot of wood. Plus the system means to heat your water in the summer you would need at least one rad still working and the fire on which to me puts it out as being a very good solution.

What you can do which will be far cheaper in the long run would be to insulate as much as possible, and do everything possible to make the house as easy to heat as possible and this could include a log burner but without the rads, this means you have the flexibility of heating and the hot water is simple and with that size of house you shouldn't be using that much gas anyway. If its a conventional hot system you could look at solar panels to top up the system in the summer but its unlikely to save you much

[Ricko]

If you are not in a smoke control zone, then a wood burner stove.

But you must be able to get your hands on the wood for nothing or it is a bit pointless.

Second purchase needs to be a GOOD chainsaw (eg stihl, husqvarna, sachs domar etc)

 

I put mine in 5 years ago (£100 s/hand)

When I have no logs then i burn pallet wood

[harrycatcat1]

I think I agree with the insulation solution, cavity wall and loads of loft inulation and check the draughts around the windows and doors.

 

(edited to say insulation as inulation is a special thing you can only get in Chesterfield )

Edited December 23, 2009 by harrycatcat1

[Yellow Bear]

A biomass burning boiler is an option but using pellet not flake - they come in small domestic sizes and can run auto from a small hopper that you fill by hand every few days.

 

Don't know how small but I picked up a leaflet from these guys during the summer (I normally deal with "slightly bigger" units )

 

https://www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk

[christy]

We have a wood burning stove, takes coal as well. It gets really hot. However that is not poss without coal. Logs need to be well seasoned at least 12 months old and dried indoors. I cut my own but need to be 18 months plus old to get any serious heat. Hard work and takes up lots of time. That's why we add coal. Sure you can buy well seasoned but I've never had much joy.

[Doc Holliday]

The other thing you'll need to consider will be the flue. As far as I'm aware wood burning stoves are still only available in conventional flue models only (ie: it uses a chimney) and not balanced/room sealed. The flue will usually be a twin wall insulated flue and is usually the most expensive component. It can run either internally (subject to suitable fire protection) or it can run externally.

 

You'll also require a "heat sink" of around 2500 watts (don't quote me on that) to dissipate any surplus heat. This is normally a radiator of some sort.

 

Any further info can be found at the HETAS website or another handy one is Soliftec.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Doc Holliday