wood/solid fuel burning stove

[FrazzledFairyFay]

We are moving at christmas and our new lounge has an open fireplace, which I am assured is not blocked up, although I will get that confirmed by a chimney sweep.

We would like some form of fire, but not an open fire or a gas fire. We were thinking of getting one of those solid-fuel burning or wood burning stoves.

Does anyone have one? Are they very messy? are they expensive to run?

All advice greatly appreciated
thank you

Fabulous - runs my central heating & hot water

I can keep it lit for days - I have to empty the ash every 3 or 4 days

Very little mess - it goes straight on the compost

I buy 4 loads of wood a year (ish) at a cost of £60 a load

Brilliant, thank you. That sounds perfect.

We are lazy & use firelighters as well

We also burn:
Confidential papers
insides of loo rolls
Cardboard boxes
Snotty tissues

we have looked into getting one - whoooaa it's a minefield

no idea which to get as they vary ridiculously in price

am thinking 'clearview' but not sure

we live opposite a wood

I know the feeling about being overwhelmed by the choice

Clearview are spectacular

I have an Aarowe Stratford - which is very good

I had a franco Belge which was OK

But the clearview wouldn't fit into my fireplace Great discussions went on to remove the side walls & install brackets but it was just impossible

oh are clearview oddly sized Katymac

I thnk I'm going to have to get someone to come and look at ours and recommend something, as the fireplace isn't very tall.

No - I just needed a fairly big one to heat the whole house vs a fairly small lounge (17 by 11)

You can make a fireplace taller relatively easily

I din't realise that, thanks. I definitely need to get an expert in to take a look. I just want to be sure that we do want one, before we start spending

We've got 2 franco belge stoves. They are fone, and burn coal and wood. We keep them lit most of the time and rarely have the heating on. We burn everything - leftovers, wrappers, receipts, I even put a wet nappy on once.

You don't need a very big one if your room is small. It will heat the surrounding rooms as well.

i think stocks of stoves v low atm due to fuel prices

we have 2 one for the central heating and hot water and one in my dining room/kitchen, we burn scrap wood, you can heat for next to nothing. We're not so good at keeping it in though and plan to change stoves soon. I have a waterford at the mo but it's old. Have you looked for a local manufacturer? I have one in my next village which is where I intend to purchase.

the one I'm not replacing this is one I have in my kitchen/dining room, very quickly lights and the heats up very quick - it's fab!

it's the squirrel and it fits into a normal fireplace

Thanks for all the advice

Oooh interesing thread. We have open fire in front room, but don't really spend much time in there. Lounge is where we spend our time - and it gets cold in there - radiator at wrong end of room. We have a gas fire currently which we never use.

Thinking of getting gas fire removed (professionally) and a fuel-burning stove put in.

Would love for it to heat water but wouldn't have room to fit the back boiler in!

We'd have to have something small as room not that wide (from fireplace wall to opposite wall).

We also have a gas fire, but are thinking we'd like to replace it with a wood burner,as we have a woodland adjacent so plenty of free wood. Wouldn't want it to heat water. We have a fireplace both sides of the chimney, so are thinking of a dual sided one - probably not freestanding, but maybe a built in one. Does anyone have one of these?

Another question.... does anyone know whether you have to have your chimney lined before having one installed?

We've got a Jotul, just for heating.

It's very good.

A £150 trailer load of wood is more than enough for to keep us going for a year.

Hardly ever need to have central heating on (although we do have an Aga too, which helps.)

I would get it professionally installed rather than DIY and get prof advice about lining our chimney or not. A good stove retailer should be able to advise you.

I like these stoves. My living room has a broken gas fire,not even 7 yrs old,cost £1000

• to install, and I daren't have it repaired due to cost of gas.

But I don't have a chimney - can I still have a stove? The gas fire is professionally installed

what about an antique french deco style stove.

we have a 'godin' one and its rather lovely

I went to a stove shop and it looks like we won't be getting our wood burner. The fireplace opening is too small to fit a stove into and the existing hearth is too narrow to put a wood-burner on, without extending it, which would be hard and expensive as we have wooden floors under the carpet.

We could remodel the chimney, etc but it is going to be long, complicated and very expensive. So, it looks like I'll have to make-do with a fake electric version instead. I am SO disappointed .

You could always ask for a 2nd (or even 3rd) opinion, FFF.