Woodburner improvements

[gixer1]

my dad did that and got a 2 sided stove so you can load logs from both sides pretty smart

 

That's what mine is Alex, I would highly recommend it but cleaning the glass is a bit of a pain as it has to be kept really clean cause you can see through. I'm hoping to throw some rowan wood in it next year!

[Punt Gun]

My parents was so hot it was nearly unbearable, then I installed one and the results were not very satisfactory.

 

Then I found my opening everything up when first lighting it and getting a good bed of ambers, then closing it down made a huge difference. It's like a bbq you need a good bed of ambers which burns hotter. Now I find it hard to stay awake it's getting too hot.

[reddan]

could you knock through if there is a room behind? it's not as much work as you think and when i did it to the old back boiler fire that was in my house i was surprised by how easy it was - knock through, install lintalls (spelling?) and bob's your uncle....major amount of heat through the house!

 

 

Nice job mate. Used to have a double in the pub I used to work at, with all vents open you could get flames out the chimney (not clever). Unfortuantly I live in a semi detached house and I am not sure next door would like it, although they have one as well so would save on wood.

 

Dan

[nicelydoesit]

so how long does the fuel last when its burning just i might be considering getting one insalled

[reddan]

Depend what you are burning and how hard you are running it.

 

If I leave my vents open have the fire roaring and put a fair chunk of softwood on it, it will be gone 20mins (guess) later. Hardwood last longer but each wood has pros and cons. That is half the satidsfaction of the fire, matching the wood to the need at the time. Sounds a bit sad I know.

 

Get one they are great but be realistic about how much you will use it and what for. To use one as your sole heating through a winter requires a hell of a lot of wood, if you are buying then it will cost lots, even if you aren't buying it storing it is hard.

 

My aim is to delay switching my heating on during autum and allow it to be switched off earlier in spring. I use it during the winter but my house is mainly heated by storage heaters.

 

Get a multifuel then you can burn coal as well which when you run out of wood is useful.

 

Dan

[gixer1]

Depend what you are burning and how hard you are running it.

 

If I leave my vents open have the fire roaring and put a fair chunk of softwood on it, it will be gone 20mins (guess) later. Hardwood last longer but each wood has pros and cons. That is half the satidsfaction of the fire, matching the wood to the need at the time. Sounds a bit sad I know.

 

Get one they are great but be realistic about how much you will use it and what for. To use one as your sole heating through a winter requires a hell of a lot of wood, if you are buying then it will cost lots, even if you aren't buying it storing it is hard.

 

My aim is to delay switching my heating on during autum and allow it to be switched off earlier in spring. I use it during the winter but my house is mainly heated by storage heaters.

 

Get a multifuel then you can burn coal as well which when you run out of wood is useful.

 

Dan

 

 

Totally agree with you Dan, they are great as a top up for the central heating or for the nights when the snow is falling and you are cosy in the room with the fire roaring but as you say to use one all the time would be a pain and go through some amount of wood - even hardwood can be consumed at an amazing rate, when i close all the vents in mine and stoke it up before going to bed i have only once ever caught it in the morning before it goes out!

 

Regards,

 

Gixer,

[al4x]

have you got a rear damper? thats usually required if you want to keep it in over night

[gixer1]

Alex,

 

no the double sided Hunter i have doesn't have it (although the hole for it in the outlet is there) the sigle sided version has it so i'm not sure if it's something to do with that.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer.

[al4x]

mine has it and I can make it stay in overnight but don't tend to as it can tend to coat the glass with more crud. If the holes are there you can retrofit just by taking the flue out the top and it sort of slots in. I think mine was about £15 but as its in the front room and won't heat the rest of the house I don't tend to worry

[over the hedge]

to coat the glass with more crud.

 

 

A little tip on cleaning glass, throw away your shop bought items and get a damp (not wet) rag. make it into a ball and dab it on the ash in the pan, now wipe that over the Mika, cleans it so easy then with the other side of the rag wipe off the wetness till see through again.

Edited October 19, 2010 by over the hedge

[gixer1]

A little tip on cleaning glass, throw away your shop bought items and get a damp (not wet) rag. make it into a ball and dab it on the ash in the pan, now wipe that over the Mika, cleans it so easy then with the other side of the rag wipe off the wetness till see through again.

 

 

That's basically what i do too! it's a right pain though when the wife or a visitor decides they are going to throw some plastic or something in the fire as i have spent hours trying to get marks off the glass!

Edited October 19, 2010 by gixer1

[reddan]

I use the ash to clean the glass as well. It works well but don't use it if you burn coal.

 

Other way to keep it through the night I have found is to chuck some coal on the top late on in the evening, I do this even without my coal grate in, and it is normally still alight in the morning.

 

Dan

[over the hedge]

im burning oak from a fallen dead tree. cut it this summer burning it now (dry due to being dead) and i just put a large log in ,damp it down and its still in when i get up

[twitchynik]

That's basically what i do too! it's a right pain though when the wife or a visitor decides they are going to throw some plastic or something in the fire as i have spent hours trying to get marks off the glass!

 

 

Or another way is to get a really hot burn going and open up the vents. If it's not too far gone the really hot air will wash over the glass and clear it. Works for me.

 

My little burner (Arrow Acorn) doesn't hold enough wood to dampen over night but I can do it with enough phurnacite or anthracite that's had a good warm up. But wood is soo much nicer to burn

[Diceman]

We have a great big log burner in the front room that runs the central heating and burns almost continually during the winter, it rarely goes out between October and March. You have to learn to play these things like a musical instrument, getting the right combination of vents open to the right degree, picking the right wood for overnight burning, letting it burn right down later in the evening so you can fill it up just before you go to bed, keeping the right amount of ash bed in there...its a real art. We get most of our wood for free, although it is usually still pretty much tree sized and I probably spend the equivalent of 7-10 full days a year logging it all up with chainsaw and hydraulic splitter, but to be honest its not a chore, I love it.

[sapper063]

i get my wood free chainsaw it then use electric 6 ton log splitter, to keep it in overnight i put a shovel of coke on, i have a york midi its fantastic wished id had one with backboiler, so if you are buying a multi fuel stove have a good look whats on offer. in the shop not on internet. i can get 3 medium sized logs on mine which last for an hour. (seasoned pine) there is a list on internet which tells you whats the best to burn

[Laird Lugton]

Got a Morso Squirrel as a back up to the central heating. It only puts out 4.5kw so doesn't require a vent in the wall

 

Burnt four 10 inch logs with a 3-4 inch diameter over a 3 hour period. Absolutely love. I buy my wood in summer and ask for unseasoned wood. Invariably they aren't selling much at that time of year and you get seasoned wood cheap!

[jonno]

A little tip on cleaning glass, throw away your shop bought items and get a damp (not wet) rag. make it into a ball and dab it on the ash in the pan, now wipe that over the Mika, cleans it so easy then with the other side of the rag wipe off the wetness till see through again.

Good grief. I've had a woodburner for about 13 years but never heard of this technique. I didn't think it would actually work but gave it a try - *IT WORKS!*. Many thanks to 'over the hedge'.

[DSPUK]

had woodburners for years then sold up and got bungalow - missed woodburner so much I had to have another - This time I wasn't going to have the cracked plaster or masterboard due to heat so had a metal box made that fitted into fireplace -- also had a plate made that fitted on back part of box - spaced out by 10mm and good 30mm from floor and same gap at top - this acts as a convector and it draws air in under fire and hot comes out top - also stops rear wall behind chimney breast getting too hot to touch

 

 

 

 

You will also find damp newspaper dipped in ash also cleans glass and you just throw it on fire after.

 

 

Dave

[reddan]

had woodburners for years then sold up and got bungalow - missed woodburner so much I had to have another - This time I wasn't going to have the cracked plaster or masterboard due to heat so had a metal box made that fitted into fireplace -- also had a plate made that fitted on back part of box - spaced out by 10mm and good 30mm from floor and same gap at top - this acts as a convector and it draws air in under fire and hot comes out top - also stops rear wall behind chimney breast getting too hot to touch

 

 

You will also find damp newspaper dipped in ash also cleans glass and you just throw it on fire after.

 

Dave

 

Really like the way the metal box looks. The walls round mine aren't quite plumb so it is difficult to get the leading edge to look anything. I might run metal down them to tidy it up.

 

By the look of the size of the fire I suspect you don't have to have a wacking great hole in the wall. As a side note my dog loves the vent he constently sniffs the air, like one would sample a fine wine.

 

As this thread continues I find I am more and more getting to the sad postion of wodburner apprichation. Want to join the club, we have badges?

 

Dan

Edited October 28, 2010 by reddan

[sandspider]

Yes, sign me up for the club! I love my woodburner My girlfriend always wants to use the central heating, but it's just not the same! (Though with the price of wood round here it might be cheaper )

 

So, when do I get my badge?

Edited October 29, 2010 by sandspider

[DSPUK]

reddan

 

I think it's a standard fireplace opening -- as said earlier it would have been better if fire was another 9" out but then didn't have enough height to get a bend in flue--- but it's only a small room so it's suitable. - fire is Hunter 4 --not as good as Clearview I wanted but that was just too big.

 

The front is angle iron - welded on so angle is across front then outer edge goes back - plaster it into walls and it looks fine.

 

This is finished job

 

 

 

 

 

dave

[inshallah]

Got a Morso Squirrel as a back up to the central heating. It only puts out 4.5kw so doesn't require a vent in the wall

 

Burnt four 10 inch logs with a 3-4 inch diameter over a 3 hour period. Absolutely love. I buy my wood in summer and ask for unseasoned wood. Invariably they aren't selling much at that time of year and you get seasoned wood cheap!

 

I have a squirrel too. One of the best small stoves. I live on a narrowboat, and most of my boating neighbours use a woodburner. I plumbed mine into the hot water tank last year, so I get a warm boat and a warm bath on the same (free) logs. They take a bit of work, but I've had mine for 8 years and I love it.

[al4x]

Best get your tissues out woodburner lovers this is my one, currently roaring away a house just isn't the same without one and so much better than an open fire. Have to say no issues with getting mine in just with getting it to kick out enough heat and of course the amount of logs we go through

 

[Dougy]

well being as were showing off our log burners i'll chuck a photo of ours in too.

Runs 4 rads and the hot water