Stoves v Fires

[Penners]

I must say that I don't find a woodburner any less emotionally satisfying than an open fire. In fact I reckon it has all of the benefits with few of the drawbacks. Efficient use of heat, controllability, an attractive focal point to the room (provided it has nice glass panels that you keep clean!), and no black singe marks on the hearth rug!

 

[masochists-r-us]

We went through the same dilemma and like many others before us conceded that stoves are the sensible choice, although like you our hearts hankered after open fires. It sounds to me like you've received pretty good advice, now you just need to make your own minds up. We have the Clearview 750 with a high canopy in our 9ft wide inglenook and have been very happy with it.As you'll see from photo it is work in progress as we still have to plaster the sides and repair the stone jambs which were smashed in the 60's when the inglenook was walled up and a modern fireplace added. We have another fireplace just like in our kitchen which suffered a similar fate.

 

[JoceAndChris]

To my eye stoves are very plain and functional looking with a lowly, simple, cottagey, rather hobbity, appearance, though I'm prepared to believe they're easier work than open fires. The craftsmanship of a modern stove does not compare to the exquisite workmanship and beauty of the fireplaces of the great houses ( like Sonya's), where even the basket, fire dogs or engraved back of the fire would have called for immense skill in design and construction, ( and antique survivors of these are worth a small fortune) not to mention the elaborate chimney pieces and surrounds that were used. I'd say stoves are wrong for Sonya's G2* Jacobean mansion, but I know she isn't interested in a recreation of how it would have been, and the house is lucky to survive at all.

 

[Penners]

To my eye stoves are very plain and functional looking with a lowly, simple, cottagey, rather hobbity, appearance.

I hope you've got your appetite back after your op, Joce, because you're going to have eat your words.

Have a browse around this website: http://www.stufecollizzolli.it/lang/EN/pagine/dettaglio/4/11.html

 

[Flyfisher]

Interesting link Penners, and it reminded me of a very ornate heating thingummy that I saw once somewhere in the former East Germany many years ago. Brandenburg I think. I don't have any digital pics but I'll dig out the old photo albums later and see if I can find the photos.

 

[Flyfisher]

OK, found it. But according to the scribbled note on the rear of the photo it was actually in Salzburg, not Brandenburg. The only other clue was 'Fortress' so I'm thinking it was probably this place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohensalzburg_Castle

Isn't t dreadful how the memory fades - it was only in 1985.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Eek. All looking like the designer imbibed heartily of too much strong wine...

I think I prefer the black dumpy little things.

 

[Flyfisher]

Yes, it's a bit overpowering isn't it, although it looks slightly better in the context of the whole room. I found this example on the web. Apparently it's the 'Golden Chamber' within the aforementioned castle. I imagine those big old castle rooms took a fair bit of heating, hence the size of the contraption.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hohensalzburg_Castle_39.jpg

 

[Penners]

it reminded me of a very ornate heating thingummy that I saw once somewhere in the former East Germany many years ago.

I believe huge tiled stoves were/are quite common in northern Europe. I gather they were usually positioned in a corner in the centre of the house, and were very efficient at heating the whole house.

 

[Keith Bowman]

it reminded me of a very ornate heating thingummy that I saw once somewhere in the former East Germany many years ago.

I believe huge tiled stoves were/are quite common in northern Europe. I gather they were usually positioned in a corner in the centre of the house, and were very efficient at heating the whole house.

My son and his family live in Estonia and the only heating in their house (they live out in the forest) is a massive brick built wood burning stove in the centre. The flue sort of zig-zags around inside the stack. They stuff the grate part full of logs, light it, close the door, then leave it to burn out. That one burst of heat usually keeps the whole house warm for two days, even with outside temperatures of -20C. They also cook on a wood fired cast iron range, which shares the same flue, but that is only briefly lit for the actual cooking, not for heating.

Nevertheless, I still think Sonya's house needs a big open fire burning tree trunks

 

[CliffordPope]

Give it a go, youv'e nothing to lose. It needs to be a real bonfire though, not a few sticks.

One point where the big open fire does score is that you can burn big pieces of timber or wood salvage without having to cut them up. Weigh up the time and costs of chainsawing wood down to logs that will go in the stove, and compare that with just feeding in a whole branch.

The point about an open fire is you are not bothered about heating the room - it's the radiant heat you want, from sitting close to it, and moving back gradually as you get too hot. Ask any cat.

 

[Zebra]

Isn't it cold at the moment? Is anyone else struggling to keep warm enough with only wood fires and no central heating? I don't light the stove during the day because I end up standing right in front of it and getting nothing done. Last night I was sat as close to the stove as I could possibly get, and was still not warm. I'm burning seasoned oak, but struggle to get enough heat out of it. Permanently got thermals on, two fleeces and puffer jacket indoors. Maybe I just need to grow a thicker coat.....

 

[88v8]

Isn't it cold at the moment? Is anyone else struggling to keep warm enough with only wood fires and no central heating?

I'm sure we'd struggle. We have storage heaters in most rooms, notable omission being the kitchen where there's no room, they're set on about 65% atm and as I write at 1445h it's really only warm (ie above 60F) in two rooms, warm that is with two pairs of socks, t-shirt, thick shirt, wooly. Neither of those rooms is the one where the computer lives, which does at least have the benefit of limiting my screen time.
We light our two stoves about 1830h, I think if that were the only form of heating we'd be frozen solid by then.

Here's something for you...
http://www.blazewear.com/

Ivor

 

[LadyArowana]

Isn't it cold at the moment? Is anyone else struggling to keep warm enough with only wood fires and no central heating?

Here's something for you...
http://www.blazewear.com/

Ivor

They seem to have the perfect thing, they say it's for horses, but I can't see any reason it wouldn't be brilliant for a zebra.
http://www.blazewear.com/heated-rug.html

 

[Zebra]

You're right Lady A. That heated horse rug would do very nicely. Does it run off batteries I wonder, or do I have to drag around an extension lead? :lol:

 

[Sonyaclegg]

We have three areas with underfloor heating and on Monday a third of the radiators were turned on. It's on 24 hrs at the moment to help dry the house out. Over the last 27 hours, we have consumed £45 worth of gas and we are not fully operational. The boiler is working 20 rads and the three underfloor heating zones and its eating through 99 units a day! We will have to check this with the heating engineer as it seems an awful lot to go through in 24 hrs. I think we had better get all 19 chimneys operational with fires/stoves and grow a wood out at the back of the house and get used to wearing all sorts of layers. I'm very spoilt in a lovely cosy bungalow at the moment. I think we may winter here and holiday for the summer in the bigger house!

 

[Zebra]

That heated horse rug would do very nicely.

Have discovered the cheap alternative. Hot water bottle strapped to back, works nicely.

 

[LadyArowana]

Sonya be thankful that you don't live in Norway, they take their wood stacking and burning issues very very seriously!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/w...irewood-elicits-passions.html?ref=europe&_r=0

Have discovered the cheap alternative. Hot water bottle strapped to back, works nicely.

and if you put it in one of these nobody will even know you are wearing it :lol:

 

[JoceAndChris]

I think it might be cheaper for Sonya to live elsewhere in winter than heat the house! Think Chateau Sonya is 4x the size of Chateau Joce, this costs 3k a year to keep it a fresh 12 degrees in winter, so...

Yes, Zebra, totally t*tted off with winter now, I've tried to be patient and good and haven't complained but I've had it now. I'm plugging in all the fan heaters, keep pressing the one more hour of heat button on the Rayburn timer, got the fire going - hang the expense. If I could move about, get painting, get floor polishing, I'd be OK with no heating on, but that's still a fair way off - though I am much much more mobile and pain free

Good news is that next week it looks like it might be going up to 12

 

[Sonyaclegg]

We have had a timer fitted to the boiler so it's not rampaging on 24 hrs a day. 2 hrs in the am and 2 in the pm just so the contractors on site are comfortable. The house seems to be quite good at retaining the heat; perhaps because the walls are so thick. I feel much better now that its down to £8 a day. We are having the heating placed on 6 different zones and we will be able to program it so the heat follows us around the house with our daily routines.

Joce, you are wise to keep warm whilst you are recovering. All your energy needs to go towards getting you back to full fitness, not trying to keep you warm.