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[I_want_an_Omega]

Hi,

Does anyone have one and if so any advice on purchasing one as there is a huge variation in price.

Am particularly interested in knowing about the chimney and what needs to be done about sweeping/how often etc.

Thanks - Rob

[tidla]

there are some good brands out there along with the cheepo machine mart specials,

the beeter ones have nicer more acuarate castings and less likely to crack.

you get a better draw with a stainless steel flue liner fitted and swept once a year depending on what you burn.

door size and design (top loading) is a consideration.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Apparently you have to be very careful what you burn in them.  My neighbour has one and only burns very dry/untreated wood, and won't even burn certain types of wood...... Maybe he's abit anal about it 

If I had one, the idea would be to chuck anything that burns (within reason) in it to save cash!!!   

[zirk]

A friend of mine has one and He swears by it, fairly big with 2 stove hot plates, the chimney bit goes up at an angle and He has some sort of cooper tank attached which is pumped in to the Immersion tank which pretty much supplies all his hot water in the cold months.

Most of the work He did himself but I know the Stove wasn't cheap, always nice and cosy in His house, think he pretty much burns everything in it.

No idea about the chimney cleaning bit though, just wish I could have one but my house just ins't designed for one.

Chris.

[Taxi_Driver]

Apparently you have to be very careful what you burn in them.  My neighbour has one and only burns very dry/untreated wood, and won't even burn certain types of wood...... Maybe he's abit anal about it 

If I had one, the idea would be to chuck anything that burns (within reason) in it to save cash!!!   

Your neighbour is correct to a point.....depending on the stove you have.....some of them are wood only....I assume its because wood burning generates less heat then, say, burning coal. Burning coal in a wood only stove may cause it crack with extra heat involved.
But if its a stove that can burn coal....then, yes, i would say it can burn just about anything you care to throw in it 

Burning dry untreated would stop the 'bangs' and 'hissing' that treated wood can produce 

[DaveA]

I have one, we have a small two bed bungalow and I fitted a multi fuel stove that would normally be fitted to a narrow boat. Burning well seasoned timber I open all the doors and it will heat the whole bungalow I fitted a twin skin fully insulated stainless steel chimney, not cheep but easy to fit.
      Google Hotline chimneys and they will give you all the information you need, type ect.,
   I bought my fire from firesonline, try them.
  My fire cost me £399 and is 4kw if needed it will run hot water, but the choice of how much
 you want to spend is yours, I had to build my chimney from scratch, had to check with the council, it turned out to be permitted development, then they signed it off when I had finished, as per building reg's.
 
   

[DaveA]

 Been trying to upload a photo, how do you do it

[Sir Tigger KC]

Apparently you have to be very careful what you burn in them.  My neighbour has one and only burns very dry/untreated wood, and won't even burn certain types of wood...... Maybe he's abit anal about it 

If I had one, the idea would be to chuck anything that burns (within reason) in it to save cash!!!   

Your neighbour is correct to a point.....depending on the stove you have.....some of them are wood only....I assume its because wood burning generates less heat then, say, burning coal. Burning coal in a wood only stove may cause it crack with extra heat involved.
But if its a stove that can burn coal....then, yes, i would say it can burn just about anything you care to throw in it 

Burning dry untreated would stop the 'bangs' and 'hissing' that treated wood can produce 

I think its to do with the amount of tar that certain fuels produce.  :-/ Wood burners are more prone to chimney fires than open fires as they burn hotter? So getting your chimney swept regularly is very important...

As woodburners have become more popular recently, there's been more chimney fires and some nasty ones around here with thatched properties!    Put a smoke alarm in the attic! 

[Taxi_Driver]

Been trying to upload a photo, how do you do it

Host it on photobucket or the like and then use the insert image button when you make a post 

[Abiton]

We put one in a couple of winters back.

Spent as much on the insulated stainless chimney liner, top fitting and register plate (including installation) as on the stove. Had to as the chimney was about 2' square internally, way too big.

We get ours swept twice a year, 'cos we use it as the main heat-source for the house (no gas in village). Plenty of online info about why the chimney/flue arrangements are important. 

Don't underestimate the time, effort and space involved in acquiring, cutting and storing wood.  Well seasoned wood is important if it's to be anything more than decorative, as 'green' wood absorbs its own heat of burning in evaporating the water content, so won't really heat anything.



 

[DaveA]

We put one in a couple of winters back.

Spent as much on the insulated stainless chimney liner, top fitting and register plate (including installation) as on the stove. Had to as the chimney was about 2' square internally, way too big.

We get ours swept twice a year, 'cos we use it as the main heat-source for the house (no gas in village). Plenty of online info about why the chimney/flue arrangements are important. 

Don't underestimate the time, effort and space involved in acquiring, cutting and storing wood.  Well seasoned wood is important if it's to be anything more than decorative, as 'green' wood absorbs its own heat of burning in evaporating the water content, so won't really heat anything.



 

   Now that's a fire, sitting down in front of that and roasting your toes, minus ten outside, nothing better

[I_want_an_Omega]

great replies guys - many thanks.

what about burning wood that's been painted - like old window frames?

Ours wont be used a huge amount if I'm honest  - but I want a heat source that's independant of mains gas/electric in case of shortages.

Whats a good source of wood? I've been quoted £35 for a cubin metre of cut up pallets - is that a good price?

[Olympia5776]

I bought and fitted two of these three years ago now.
http://www.naturalheating.co.uk/cathedral-cast-iron-multifuel-stove-12kw-p-498.html
Bought from this company via E bay .The owner is very knowledgeable and helpful and aware of regulations required.
As described it can be fuelled with either smokless coal using the grate  or timber on a sand bed.
I also bought the insulated flue system from them and fitted it all myself with no problems.
Best money I have ever spent and sitting here just now with the remnants of Hurricane Katie about to pass over us I'm toasting........
I burn well seasoned beech that I get for € 200 a tractor trailor load ,don't burn wet or green wood because it'll never give off heat but worse it'll coat the flue with flammable resin.
I fitted mine in two rooms that didn't have a chimney so ran the flue vertically up into the attic space and then out of the roof, this gives a lot more heat as the flue itself within the room transmits a great deal of heat too.
I have oil fired central heating too but use these as the primary heating now using the oil to heat water only.In winter they can be running for weeks on end and as the floor and walls heat up act like a large storage heater cutting down the fuel used.
Definatly the way to heat a house with the rising cost of gas/oil nowadays.

[Rods2]

I have had a wood burning stove with a double skinned stainless steel flue for about 15 years. I use it as a supplement to my central heating when the weather is cold, so my gas bill stays quite small.

My stove is dual fuel, quite small about 400m (w) x 350mm (d) and 550mm (h) but it easily heats my lounge-dining room which is about 26' by 13'.

Its cost me about £300 and about £400 for the flue including fitting, but this was 15 years ago and was by a good friend, who did everything at discounted prices. So I didn't have to get planning permission, I kept the top of the flue below the ridge of the roof, which is not ideal as north-east winds cause problems with a cold stove and flue not drawing properly, even though I have fitted a rotating aspirator.

The chimney should be swept every year although you can do this yourself if you invest in a flue brush and rods.

Last winter as the winter was so cold it was used it almost every day and I used more wood than I've ever used before.

I've always managed to get wood off friends and neighbours, so in this time I've never had to buy any wood. 

I have extended my garden shed to make an open ended wood store, with a kindling wood cupboard. It is best to season any green wood for at least a year before burning,. Hardwood (oak, elm etc) burns for a lot longer and gives off much more heat then softwood (pine).

If you live in a smokeless zone, you should only burn smokeless coal or wood from approved suppliers, You can find this information at:

http://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/

I have my own chain saw, large axe, chopping block, wedges and home made saw horse, for preparing the wood. When chopping wood look for natural splits and chop along these as they are the weakest points in the wood. If you prepare and burn you own timber, it warms you twice the first time when you cut it and the second time when you burn it. 

Invest in a toasting fork and collect sweet chestnuts as you can't beat cooking those over a wood fire. 

Having a real fire like this is absolutely brilliant, but it does take time to prepare the wood, make the fire and keep topped it up with wood and emptying the ash and cleaning the glass every morning. The floor will need cleaning in front of the fire every day from dirt and dust dropped by the wood as load it into the fire. If you have a fitted carpet, put a rug in front of the stove as Murphy's law says at some point when you are topping up the fire some hot ash will drop out and burn it.  I have tiles in front of mine so it is not a problem.

[Varche]

We have two log burners and they provide our primary source of heat. Don't be fooled by the location. We had minus 14 deg C the first winter we were here.

We only burn seasoned wood (we have access to vast quantities of olive wood ). Unseasoned and unsuitable woodstuffs just gunge the chimney up. Each autumn we burn a special "stick" from the shops that cleans the flue which is 15 cm in diameter. We get very little soot or tar in any case.

One regret was not getting one that also heated water or even a few radiators. They just aren't available here and shipping would have been hard at the time.

They come in different heat capacities and you really need to do a heat calculation to get the right one though for occasional use or as a back up against power outages, not so important. With the rising cost of fuel it is a way of jkeeping your energy bill down. There is plenty of free timber about- you just need to know how and where. My brother doesn't buy any wood for his.

Couple of downsides. Maintenance (laying a fire, cleaning out a bucket of ash each day) and anticipating when you need heat and how much. Not quite as easy as twiddling a thermostat.  Upsides plenty. Buy one with an oven and put your meals in there to cook,...........