Woodburner or open fire.

[Applepress]

Having got the wood shed well stocked I'm looking forward to some evenings by the fire and was chatting to a chap with a wood burner. He felt that open fires were not as good as wood burners and proceeded to lecture on the merits of his chosen heat source.

I readily accept that wood burners are more efficient. Mum has an old Rayburn that provides warmth, hot water and the best cakes around! You can be sure that when it's alight everyone that comes in leans their bum on the rail at the front and warms themselves. I just prefer sitting by an open fire, whether that's at home or a local pub.

Regardless if the merits of either, I wondered what the general consensus on here was so open it up to you all.

Woodburner or open fire?

[JTaylor91]

We’ve always had a stove and one will be going in the new house in a few weeks. Even if we wanted an open fire we couldn’t have one, being in a smokeless zone means wood can only be burnt on a DEFRA exempt stove.

[stu64]

I've been selling woodburners for over 25 years now and in your situation you can have both-sort of.  find a two door stove (new ones are very rare now, mostly single door) you can have the doors open to sit by the stove and shut the doors up when you are not in the room. stoves are about 80% efficient and open fires about 10%, but open fires keep drawing air from the room when its not lit potentially sending nice warm air up the flue. I personally don't think open fires fit with modern life. I grew up with open fires as a kid, hopeless at heating a room effectively.

[mgsontour]

An open fire to me is one of the most amazing places to be after a day outside with a drink in your hand but having said that I've just recently got a multi-fuel stove and the heat generated is more than an open fire and looks pretty good and is somewhat more economical to run, I look at it like burning fivers rather than tenners as use a coal/log combo which gives off way more heat

[harrycatcat1]

We have had both, definitely multi fuel burner👍

[Stonepark]

As noted above the efficiency of a stove is leagues ahead of an open fire.

 

My suggestion would be to get a stove with the largest single glass window on the front and get the visuals of an open fire and the efficiency of a stove.

[samboy]

I bought a multi fuel stove about 8 years ago. 5 minute wonder too much messing about for me.

But then again i am a lazy so and so.

[sandspider]

Wood burner. With an open fire you're mainly warming the sky above your chimney. (Though I do still like a bonfire / open fire - if I'm not relying on it for warmth!)

[Zapp]

I have/have had both in my old house and where I am now.  Whilst I too love an open wood fire with well seasoned logs, the only time I would actually choose an open fire is for burning bituminous coal.  I bought a couple of tons just before the ban on sales came in and once that's gone I'll be fitting an inset stove for wood and smokeless.

If like I did for a few years you need a main source of heat (I had no central heating for a few years), then a multufuel stove is the way to go.  You can also burn sparky wood more safely in a stove making using free wood much easier and more productive if you wish, and multifuel gives you the option of good quality smokeless which makes it possible to keep a fire in for months if needed with no messing about.

[Walker570]

I have two Clearviews. One of the large models in the kitchen  and a smaller one in the lounge.  I am fortunate in having a ready supply of good timber and plenty of room to store and dry it for at least three years prior to burning.  Both of these burners have clear glass fronts so you have the benefit of seeing the fire the same as an open fire, the great thing about them is they have thick steel bodies which radiate the heat through the room. In fact if I put a couple of those fans on top I have no doubt I could direct the heat throughout the house.   They are also MUCH easier to clean out with a simple tray for the gray duest which is all that is left.  The large model is the flat top version and we often cook on that as well.    Definitely a log burner is better all round.  Don't buy CHEAP. I recomend the Clearview Brand. Ours are now 30yrs old and have only required a replacement of door seals in that time. A simple cheap job for the summer.

[miki]

Woodburning/multi-fuel stove with a big window ... this one - Stovax Vogue - for example.
On full chatt you'll be opening windows and reaching for your shorts, the secret is to get a lazy flame gently licking the glass in a myriad of colours.
You'll be amazed how little fuel they need to keep the room/house warm.

Edited November 4, 2021 by miki

[walshie]

2 hours ago, stu64 said:

I've been selling woodburners for over 25 years now and in your situation you can have both-sort of.  find a two door stove (new ones are very rare now, mostly single door) you can have the doors open to sit by the stove and shut the doors up when you are not in the room. stoves are about 80% efficient and open fires about 10%, but open fires keep drawing air from the room when its not lit potentially sending nice warm air up the flue. I personally don't think open fires fit with modern life. I grew up with open fires as a kid, hopeless at heating a room effectively.

This ^^. Best of both worlds.

Edited November 4, 2021 by walshie

[JTaylor91]

1 hour ago, Zapp said:

I have/have had both in my old house and where I am now.  Whilst I too love an open wood fire with well seasoned logs, the only time I would actually choose an open fire is for burning bituminous coal.  I bought a couple of tons just before the ban on sales came in and once that's gone I'll be fitting an inset stove for wood and smokeless.

If like I did for a few years you need a main source of heat (I had no central heating for a few years), then a multufuel stove is the way to go.  You can also burn sparky wood more safely in a stove making using free wood much easier and more productive if you wish, and multifuel gives you the option of good quality smokeless which makes it possible to keep a fire in for months if needed with no messing about.

What inset are you going for? We have just ordered an ACR Tenbury. 

[ShootingEgg]

I have an open fire in our lounge and have an old villager in our extension waiting installation, the villager is a double door so can be an open fire, also have a fitted grill so it won't spit everywhere if the wood is prone to that 

Love an open fire but, the heat goes up and out rather than in to the room

[henry d]

As above, we are going for a stove. Can't have an open fire here anyway, but I know I can heat our bungalow from it and the flat(s) we lived in as kids had open fires and a similar floor plan but were freezing anywhere more than 10 feet from the fire. As above, if you want something to stare at occasionally open the door

[Zapp]

1 hour ago, JTaylor91 said:

What inset are you going for? We have just ordered an ACR Tenbury. 

Not sure yet.  We have quite an ornate brick built fireplace in the lounge which I dont want hacked about, so the decision is going to be led to an extent by that practicality

[GingerCat]

I love open fires but they are no good for heating anything unless you sit close. I've found them smokey also, particularly if someone opens or closes a door. 

Have a look at a multi fuel stove, there's lots about with big windows to watch the flames and you'll burn a lot less wood and get a lot more heat from it. Some are almost entirely glass. 

We've had clear view previously and currently on a westfire, it's done 10 years of regular use  and looks to have a lot more left in it. The 5kw we have heats the entire downstairs quickly and to a lesser degree the stairs and landing. 

[Tonka54]

Back in the 90's the wife and I lived on a residential barge moored at the Meadows marina Leicester. We had a "Little Wenlock" solid fuel burner with a back boiler in the saloon and down in the boatman's cabin we had a solid fuel oven and hob, great for making bread, We found that burning wood full time tended to tar and soot the chimneys, but burning anthracite was much better, this could be stoked and banked up just before bed and with the damper set would burn all night. pics attached

[WalkedUp]

5 hours ago, stu64 said:

I've been selling woodburners for over 25 years now and in your situation you can have both-sort of.  find a two door stove (new ones are very rare now, mostly single door) you can have the doors open to sit by the stove and shut the doors up when you are not in the room. stoves are about 80% efficient and open fires about 10%, but open fires keep drawing air from the room when its not lit potentially sending nice warm air up the flue. I personally don't think open fires fit with modern life. I grew up with open fires as a kid, hopeless at heating a room effectively.

Great point 👍

[JohnfromUK]

I had a woodburner (New England Vermont Castings Vigilant) which could be used open, closed, or in a 'slow combustion' mode.  It worked very well, but didn't fit with my (then pre retirement) daily routine.  When burned open, it looked lovely, but gave out little heat as the draw up the chimney was so strong.  In slow combustion mode, it would go 24 hours between refuels, but the downside was that the complex flue path this arrangement used was difficult to keep clean.  The best modern woodburners are very good and the glass stays nicely clean - but for me the convenience of mains gas won through in the end.

[Walker570]

Opening doors on these woodburners defeats the purpose.  Buy a model with air flow technology and double glazed doors, THEN you have the best of both worlds.

[al4x]

If you want to heat the house get a stove,  ours happily heats one end of the house and stays in overnight without really trying.  Uses far less wood than an open fire and far more controllable 

[39TDS]

I quite like open fires but can't understand anybody having one.

Most of the heat goes straight up the chimney and by doing so draws all the colder air into the room. You end up sitting almost on top of the fire with an icy draught around your back/neck. Wood burner for me.

[JohnfromUK]

3 minutes ago, 39TDS said:

by doing so draws all the colder air into the room.

This is addressed (to some extent anyway) by fires like the Baxi Burnall where cold air is drawn in into a space under the grate from under a suspended floor or outside, the theory being that it doesn't draw air from the room/house.