Log burning stoves. Ever regretted yours?

[GalaxyInMyPants]

Our gas fire packed up last winter and I told dh I wanted a log burning stove. He wasnt keen. Was worried about the hassle, mess, dust, etc. he's had a real fire before and says I'll soon get bored of clearing the grate, etc.

We still haven't replaced it. Dh has now come round to the idea. So much so that he's on about getting a bigger one and somehow connecting it up to the central heating system to heat the radiators. Just as an extra.....will still keep normal boiler. He reckons it could save heating bills. I think this sounds like it will be more expensive initally for little benefit.

I've also seen some gas fires which look like very realistic log burners and am wondering if the advantage of flicking a switch beats the crackle of a log burner?

So; gas fire, normal log burner or central heating log burner???

Charnwood are certainly one of the top of the range. And all UK made. If that's important to you!

A quick question for you woodburning types, do chimneys always need lining? Our house is 9 years old so I'm guessing the chimneys are built to some sort of regulations.

How much heat carries through the house? We have two open hearths, one in the kitchen and one in the living room which is immediately above it. Don't think it's likely we can afford two woodburners.

Can you store logs in a loft, provided it's water tight?

IIRC, it depends on the chimney, but lining is a good idea. My house is a victorian terrace and has sash single glazed windows. The log burner is in the back room (our sitting room) and the heat goes up the stairs. There's an open fire in the front room (used as a study/dining room). Ds's room is above the sitting room and the heat travels up the chimney and heats his room a little, it can still get chilly though.

I buy 6 bags of logs at a time and store them in the study, but I have a cellar. I imagine it will be a pain to go into the loft, they are heavy too so I'd worry about damage.

Loft would be a massive pain in the arse for logs. Our chimney is lined and one of the reasons I don't burn coal is because I worry about how good the lining is (was a cheapest flexible liner) and coal might eat it.

I would certainly go for a multifuel rather than a woodburner.

there is more heat in the same amount of solid fuel, and it burns for longer. If you want to run some radiators off it, a multifuel can have a higher output. You can still burn logs in it if you want.

In midwinter, when it is cold and wet, you have run out of logs and are feeling too ill to go out and saw up a tree, you will bless your store of solid fuel.

Thanks for the replies.

The loft isn't quite as weird as it sounds, given that our living room is on the first floor, but that's a good point about how much the wood would weigh.

Don't multi fuel ones need more cleaning?

Absolutely love ours - mu?tifuel; only use coal to keep a fire overnight though.
I never want to live in a house without a stove.

We have a very large open plan layout and have the Hwam Monet with soapstone sides. Its just amazing - would rather sell the children than part with it.
Have oil central heating for a house of 3000 sq ft in a very exposed zone. Spend about £500 a year on 10 tonnes of hardwood logs and about £500 on oil for the radiators and hot water - toasty.
Definitely get chimney lined, unsafe not to. DH did ours himself buying the components online. Got the stove with good discount as shop floor model. Would have chosen Charnwood Cove as backup otherwise.
Get one, you'll not regret it. I even enjoy setting and cleaning it, although the ah box only needs emptying about OK once a fortnight!

Do it! I have a multi fuel stove and love it. Not connected to the boiler - LPG for that. I have to admit I don't save on fuel. But my cottage is over 200 yrs old with stone walls but a modern extension and the living room does get chilly in the winter even with the heating on. And its also has a whopping big original inglenook fireplace. But I do love it. We pay about £70 for a tonne of logs and have some free wood.

Go on. Imagine the snowy evenings getting cosy!

It's wonderful on cold evenings and it means you don't have to have the central heating on, so you're not heating the whole house when you're only using one room. My gas bill for all of the 6 months around Winter (including cooking, gas oven) was £350. I out the central heating on for an hour before bed and half an hour in the morning but use the log burner for the rest of the evening.

Forgot to say mine is a charnwood and 8kw.

I but anthracite in 20k bags for £6 and kindling for £3 a bag which fills a large basket twice over. I buy a lot over summer but its not cheaper than in the winter.

We have the contura 750A and it's great.

In a word no. That's a no I don't regret it, in fact it's one of my best purchases. Much nicer drier heat than central heating and the heat hangs around a lot longer than the warmth from the rads.

I have a clearview pioneer 400p which is a 5 kW in a 10.6x 16 ft living room. Doors open downstairs and open railings to upstairs and that keeps us plenty warm enough, anything bigger would have been too much. That said the house is 70's and has cavity wall insulation.

We don't clean ours out often, burns better with a bed of ash so we just pull out the ash tray and empty once a week or less.

But it is so lovely

Love ours. A multi fuel morso squirrel.

In our old house we had no central heating, only a woodburner (jotul) and that was a pain if you got in late and didn't have any sticks/logs ready. The joy of trekking to the woodshed in the dark and cold soon wore thin. The irony was that by the time you'd chopped sticks and logs you were warm!

In this house the woodburner is the added extra as we have an efficient central heating system as well and I love it.

Think I'm going to go for a morso 1416, billed as a modern squirrel.

Its 4kw not 5kw but sitting room is quite small so should be fine and I like the look of it.

That's lovely.
We inherited our squirrel when we bought the house. I have to admit it wouldn't have been my choice but I've grown perversely fond of the bushy tailed little bugger on the side of the stove.

Ooh, that is lovely OP.

that's lovely and may I say a lot nicer than the other one you were fancying...a classic design that won't date and you will be able to bung a kettle on it!

anyone experienced double sided stove - was thinking about installing between kitchen and lounge?....would it have to be enclosed? - or could you enclose just on one side?

I think that's ours OP. Just plain and simple.

I'm back with more questions.

What size log store would be big enough to store logs in for a winter.

Bearing in mind this will only be a supplementary heat source,so probably used 2-3 evenings a week.