# Stoves For Home



## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Log burning vs. Multi-fuel ??

Apart from the glaringly obvious advantage of being able to burn multiple types of fuel on a multi burner, (including unwanted trick or treaters, penny for the guy types and carol singers) :wink2: are there any users on the forum that have found benefits of using one type over the other ?

Never having burned solid fuel since my National Coal Board days of free coal, I'm not entirely sure if I would burn anything other than logs on a stove today and I'm undecided on which to have installed.

Ken.


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

We have a small multi fuel stove in a 2 bed bungalow.
A Ford Transit tipper full of cut logs costs £120 and lasts us about a full winter.
It supplements the gas central heating and is lit, when cold, around 6pm each day.....the central heating doesn't come on for the evening.

http://www.stovesareus.co.uk/brands...lager-puffin-multifuel-woodburning-stove.html

PS. Never tried any other fuel as the price and cleanliness of wood is fine.


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## chilly (Apr 20, 2007)

I think most 'wood burners' can easily be converted to 'multifuel' by adding a grate to raise the coal or smokeless fuel off the bottom of the stove.
we've got this little Firefox
http://www.flames.co.uk/wood-burnin...Gn2U82eQwYLYhM5JvQA7Fgter10KZsOJW4hoC5__w_wcB

We live in a smokeless zone so had to get the DEFRA approved version (basically an extra 50 quid to have one of the vents disabled!)

.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Assuming that you mean a fire, as to me a stove is a cooker, that said I too would go for a wood burner, this can heat the main living room without the cost and wastage of the gas heating the rest of the house.The only thing is to remember to order the logs so that you have one load ready for burning and another drying out in the garage/shed.I found very little ash left to sweep up in the mornings.

cabby


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## chilly (Apr 20, 2007)

All the log suppliers round our way only supply 1 year seasoned hardwood logs (about £70 for a 1 cubic metre builders bag).


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks all for your replies so far..... Keep 'em coming 

Cabby, 

It's funny how different regions have different terms for the same things. 

To me in the domestic environment, "a fire" is the opening in a chimney breast, where an open fire would burn, or a gas fire, or an electric fire. A stove is an enclosed fire - a kitchen stove/range is for cooking and can also be used to heat, whereas a log burning stove is for heating, as is a multi-fuel burning stove. 

Fundamentally they are all fires I suppose ?

Ken.


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

When I moved in here in the early 80s, I wanted an open fire which I still love.

One thing I hadn't realised though, was that I'd have to shift the C/H thermostat from the lounge out into the hall, as the heat from the fire shut off the C/H and made the rest of the house cold.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Sadly I have the "wrong" type of flue so cannot fit either BUT if I was able I would go for a multi-fuel every time.

It provides you of more options than "just" a wood burner.

Andy


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Mrplodd said:


> Sadly I have the "wrong" type of flue so cannot fit either BUT if I was able I would go for a multi-fuel every time.
> 
> It provides you of more options than "just" a wood burner.
> 
> Andy


At the moment I haven't got any type of flue, chimney or even a chimney breast Andy :frown2:

I'm looking at a "twin wall" flue installation that will break out through an external wall at a point above the stove and continue above roof level via an external steel flue. It will push the cost up considerably and I'm still considering whether to commit to it, or not,

Ken.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

I have a couple of pals who have multi fuel stoves. 

The only issue I can see is that in order to use one you will require.

1. A decent source of fuel
2. A fair bit of space in which to store it (if just wood it would appear the ideal is space for two years worth of wood, 1 years use and another years worth seasoning as unseasoned wood is no use at all)

Andy


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## bc109 (Sep 17, 2016)

Live in Spain. Believe or not, a wood burning stove/heater/ in the Winter is definitely the way to go. Becoming very popular, because of the wood storage problem are wood pellet stoves, which are semi-automatic feeders and allow folks to store wood in plastic bags.
Type of stove is not so important, allthough upright, cylinder types require small logs, not easily obtained in bulk.
A stove which is in the room, rather than built into a wall will be much more effective.....what I call a bogey stove !
The most important thing about a stove.......it's the chimney. It must be well insulated and able to heat quickly and remain hot.
Otherwise, your stove will be a disappointment.
Never burn pine other than for kindling. It will clog the chimney and is not recommended no matter how dry it is.
There now......my favourite subject exhausted !


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

We have oil fired central heating, we also have a small woodburner in the lounge. The woodburner is ideal to light when we get up (heating goes off after an hour), the fire then keeps the house from getting cold for the remainder of the day until the heating cuts in for a few hours in the evening. The fire is too far away from the oil fired boiler in order to merge the two systems together so it is just used as a secondary heat source. We have loads of room in the garden for log storage and had a lot of trees cut down a couple of years ago so having access to cheap logs is not a problem. 
We use to have a solid fuel aga style oven/back boiler and it was dirty, uneconomical and not very efficient. Had the thing removed and the programmable oil boiler installed...bliss.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

All models . . Make sure the chimney is swept every year, tar build-up happens & if a fire occurs in the chimney it'll cause a right mess ripping floorboards up to get to it


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

I second the chimney sweeping. Here you get a certificate to say it was professionally swept. If you have a fire you are not insured otherwise.
We have open fires and are self sufficient with wood. We did look at a multifuel to provide central heating...but storage was a problem. While we have lots of storage space for wood ( self sufficient ) , if we had it made into pellets then we would need a mountain of the stuff to feed the boiler. So we still burn oil :-(

When we had stoves, we only ever burned wood. You cannot beat the ambiance of a log fire...so a stive with a glass front would be the one for me.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We'd bot love a log burner or multifuel, but nowhere to site a chimley


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

I've just had a site visit and quote from a reputable company, which has come in pretty much where I thought it would. They advised to go for a 5kw output, rather than the 4kw I had estimated for, due to my room size. The false chimney breast needs to be bigger than I had planned, which has also pushed the cost up slightly, but I'm giving it serious consideration.

The bloke that came out said that he preferred the option of being able to burn multi-fuels and he would only ever fit those in his own house, but if I'm happy that I will only ever burn wood, then to go for the wood burner.

Thanks for all your advice so far,

Ken.


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

tugboat said:


> When I moved in here in the early 80s, I wanted an open fire which I still love.
> 
> One thing I hadn't realised though, was that I'd have to shift the C/H thermostat from the lounge out into the hall, as the heat from the fire shut off the C/H and made the rest of the house cold.


Here in the thickly wooded East Sussex, our house came with a wood burning stove. The kiln dried logs cut around here cost us about £95 a delivered load (somewhat more than 1 cu.m).

When we first lit it, we had a similar problem to tuggers. Although our gas fired c/h thermostat is in the hall, the heat generated by the wood burner also shut off our c/h to the rest of the house. We need to close the living room door to keep the whole house warm.

.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We have an open fire in the main lounge 

Burn logs thatAlbert collects, well trees really and coal 

Thinking to replace it with a multi fuel stove

But I'd want it it to fit the space, or maybe change the space


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

Sandra ...... Please tell me that you haven't bunged up your Christmas decorations already? :surprise: :smile2:




.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

No 

I was searching for a a photo of the fire John 

It's a lovely fire, note the fire guard is designed to prevent 10 grandkids combusting , Albert made it , although a few combusting grandkids ....... Forget I said that !!

And the red rug is a winter rug

It's not down yet 

Although given the forecast won't be long 

Yep I change rugs winter summer

How sad is that??

Sandra


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

We do not have CH but do have log burners - one in the kitchen/dining room about 14kw and one in the lounge 9kw. The kitchen one gets lit and burns well now that we have a new flue (the old one was illegal and had two (!) right angle bends so all the soot piled up on the horizontal 2m section - it clogged frequently and was a pain.... it was also made of single skin material and had burned through (fitted by Bodgit and Run, I believe). The new flue is straight up and double walled.

The lounge one has not been lit for 18 months - the kitchen alone is sufficient and we ONLY burn wood, we can buy it delivered at about 55€ a cubic metre, but I go up into our local woods and collect it (with approval) never cutting DOWN trees, bit only cutting them UP (stupid English language!). Mainly oak which is great, but also some plane tree, some birch and even some Scots pine. All is at least 3 years old before burning. Do not go for "pressed steel" versions - they burn through and are often Spanish made, the best one's apparently come from Denmark or Sweden. Our lounge one is an Aduro and that is very easy to light, burns superbly and very rapidly warms the room (<10 minutes from 15 - 28C). It also looks good IMO.

Multi-fuel is a good option BUT if it is for occasional use and you have access to wood, you are unlikely to use the alternatives IMO. The key is the flue and ease of sweeping - too many bends makes that harder.

I am sure that you have come across this poem, there are many similar versions available but it is a good guide;

*The Firewood Poem*

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

Try this as an aid though - VERY good IMO

Characteristics of wood as a fuel

Good luck, I am sure that you will enjoy sitting around it, don't forget to seek out a chestnut roasting pan (with a long handle) so that you can enjoy sharing them fresh from the log burner - delicious.....

Dave


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

And why we love our open fire :smile2:


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The fire is lovely

The mut is priceless 

Shadow is not a fire dog

However Winston my grandsons dog who lives here Mom-fri 

Just loves it

Sandra


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Try this for your logs.................................






Ray.


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## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

I fitted our multi burner fire about 6 years ago, a 5kw version. One of the best investments we have made. Sometimes we burn coal but not very often. Although it throws out more heat than logs it generally leaves a nasty hard to remove film on the glass. Also the grate needs cleaning out more often using coal. I get the chimney sweep in every 2 years and even then not all that much soot etc comes out. From an empty grate to a roaring fire it takes about 10 minutes, including cleaning the glass. Open fires may look nice but around 80% of the heat disappears up the chimney where as with a log/multi fuel burner about 80% of the heat is reflected into the room.

Nick.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Must admit we need to look at a multi stove

Our fire is fantastic

We burn smokeless fuel and wood 

He collects it free, cuts and stores it

Ropes Tuggy in to cut it too when he passes this way

The grandkids are good they trytooutdo their grandad, but fail miserably 

Can't quite get the chop 

And even with his Gammy arm Albert manages

Although having seen the surgeon today he has been referred yet again to the lymphodemic clinic

And he will go on using that arm

It's what he does

And it still keeps on working 

It's important to him at this moment in time

Sandra


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

One tip that we were given which *certainly does work*, to clean the glass inserts on wood burning stoves, use the cheapest baby wipes that you can find - I use them and find it easy to remove abut 80% of the deposits, the remainder may need spraying but for a very quick cleaning tip - try it.....

Ours are about 80€c for 50...... and a packet lasts about 3 months :grin2:

Dave


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Penquin said:


> One tip that we were given which *certainly does work*, to clean the glass inserts on wood burning stoves, use the cheapest baby wipes that you can find - I use them and find it easy to remove abut 80% of the deposits, the remainder may need spraying but for a very quick cleaning tip - try it.....
> 
> Ours are about 80€c for 50...... and a packet lasts about 3 months :grin2:
> 
> Dave


Guy that gave me the quote advised an excellent and cheap method to clean the glass came from his grandmother.... A tight ball of scrunched up newspaper, slightly damp and dipped in the grey ash of the previous burn.

He also advised not to mix coal and logs on the same burn as a reaction causes the glass to fog ?

Ken.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

agree that newspaper is excellent, but sadly the glossy printed stuff used for the _Publicite_ here on a weekly basis is not as good as the old Daily Wail or similar (where your hands gained the print).

The baby-wipes is effortless - hence why I use them, they are really easy to use. But newspaper is slightly abrasive so scrapes off the loose soot. The baby wipes obviously take off by dissolving the tarry residue I suspect.

Dave


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## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

I mix the two options up. Baby wipes dipped in the ash then finish off with a piece of loo paper. Works every time.

Nick.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> We'd bot love a log burner or multifuel, but nowhere to site a chimley


Kev we had no chimneys in our house

We had one built on the outside wall of the lounge, the internal chimney breast is artificial

Sandra


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## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

aldra said:


> Kev we had no chimneys in our house
> 
> We had one built on the outside wall of the lounge, the internal chimney breast is artificial
> 
> Sandra


You can also have the stainless steel flu go up through the floors and out of the roof. Having a perforated guard around the flu is a bonus as it then warms the upstairs room as well. :laugh:

Nick.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Not my house, but I did mention that Liz could have a perforated guard around her flue, it didn't go down well.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Iwouldntwant a chimney going through my bedroom floor either

Ours is completely outside, still got the original plans that were submitted and passed 

Your welcome to a copy of them Kev

Sandra


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## namder (Sep 20, 2006)

Is it Christmas already ?

John


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

:wink2:Not yet John, but very very nearly

Sandra


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