malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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Mine probably is a little undersized. It does start making the seating area feel cosy after running for an hour. Perhaps I should start it an hour earlier.
- Thread starter Zebra
- Start date
Flyfisher said:
Unfortunately FF, it isn't true.
A good an illustration as any - https://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm has a handy table, the wood you are burning makes a huge difference. I can load up the stove with 3 or 4 large well seasoned oak logs and be warm for an evening. Been burning up some silver birch recently though, equally well seasoned, and been flying through that, 8 or 9 logs an evening.
If you prefer a more wordy explanation: http://www.flamingfires.co.uk/which-wood-burns-best.htm
Flyfisher
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I've no doubt about your experience with those two species but it would be interesting to know the weight of the oak compared to the silver birch. Also the moisture content will be very important and birch is known to have a generally high moisture content.
It makes sense to me that all wood will have broad the same calorific value per unit weight (for a given moisture content) because all wood is made of basically the same stuff even though the density can vary widely. But there are so many variables that it must be quite difficult to really make valid comparisons. Perhaps this is where the 'art' element creeps in as previously mentioned?
This website shows a graph of different wood species showing pretty much the same calorific value by weight:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FC-BEC-InfoSheet-Wood-as-Fuel-TechSupp.pdf/$FILE/FC-BEC-InfoSheet-Wood-as-Fuel-TechSupp.pdf
This website just gives figures for 'wood,not bothering to mentions species
http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=75,20041&_dad=portal
This website clearly states that all wood has the same energy content on a weight-for weight basis, but then gives a list of different woods with some quite different figures, so not sure what to make of all that!
http://www.woodheat.org/firewood.html
I'm probably overthinking the whole subject and should just bung on another log - of anything, but dry - and pour another glass of wine!
It makes sense to me that all wood will have broad the same calorific value per unit weight (for a given moisture content) because all wood is made of basically the same stuff even though the density can vary widely. But there are so many variables that it must be quite difficult to really make valid comparisons. Perhaps this is where the 'art' element creeps in as previously mentioned?
This website shows a graph of different wood species showing pretty much the same calorific value by weight:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FC-BEC-InfoSheet-Wood-as-Fuel-TechSupp.pdf/$FILE/FC-BEC-InfoSheet-Wood-as-Fuel-TechSupp.pdf
This website just gives figures for 'wood,not bothering to mentions species
http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=75,20041&_dad=portal
This website clearly states that all wood has the same energy content on a weight-for weight basis, but then gives a list of different woods with some quite different figures, so not sure what to make of all that!
http://www.woodheat.org/firewood.html
I'm probably overthinking the whole subject and should just bung on another log - of anything, but dry - and pour another glass of wine!
Zebra
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Malcolm, I get the impression, (even without having got around to visiting), that your house is in the sort of situation mine was in two-three years ago. Holes in walls, doors not sealing, no insulation yet, very draughty. In that situation my 5kw stove was barely adequate, and I huddled as close to it as I could in a down jacket and thermals. Now with well fitting doors and a well insulated house, it's toasty! I'd recommend waiting a while before making a drastic decision to take one out and exchange it.malcolm said:
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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Hi Zebra. My house is lovely inside, beautfully presented in finest mock tudor, how dare you. Though true enough I've not really started and it still has all the huge extractor fan holes from when pubs allowed smoking so a fair bit more ventilation than I might need. Buulding regs want me to secondary glaze and insullate to death. You might have a point I should sort out that sort of thing first.
I want to reinstate the double height Edwardian ceiling - still preserved above a false ceiling. That should help if it gets too hot after all that.
I want to reinstate the double height Edwardian ceiling - still preserved above a false ceiling. That should help if it gets too hot after all that.
malcolm said:
I can confirm that our 2700 cubic feet, 18" thick stone walled oldest part of our last house - sandwiched as it was between the 2000 cubic feet 1980s extension (built by a previous owner) and our 7500 cubic feet 2012 extension (double height glazing, vaulted ceilinged and insulated to within an inch of its life due to current building regs :roll: ) - took far longer to heat :wink:
All three spaces had multiple large cast iron rads and timber sash double glazing, but only the Georgian section had an additional heat source - provided by the multi fuel stove.
Mims x
malcolm
& Clementine the cat
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I've messed up with my conversion to imperial units. I thought my place was big but your places sounded like real whoppers. Closer to 10,000 cubic feet of theoretically uninsulated space (but actually reasonably well insulated in places) might be the reason the stove takes a while to heat the room.
It's not that bad really. The stove does make the area around it comfortable in the evenings. There is a lot of messing around to do with the space so I probably ought to do that before thinking about altering stoves.
It's not that bad really. The stove does make the area around it comfortable in the evenings. There is a lot of messing around to do with the space so I probably ought to do that before thinking about altering stoves.