Log burner novice

[wrped]

Hi

we are hopefully moving into a property with a log burner, ive never used one before and want to try and maximise its use.

In your experience what type of logs are good for burning over a long period?

How many logs do you roughly use per day? If just for an evening or if youre in all day?

Presumably it is better to bulk buy logs?

Thank you in advance

oh is there any way to use the log burners to make a room smell nicer? adding essential oils to logs? probably wishful thinking but thought i'd ask

Get prepared for the onslaught of posts telling you you're single handedly destroying local air quality 😁.

In answer to your questions - you need to burn dry wood. You can generally bulk buy a tonne bag and get them delivered. Do you know anyone else with a burner? You could ask them what local suppliers they use.

I don't buy wood often, I collect and season fallen stuff with permission.

But generally it's cheaper the more you buy, look for good quality hard wood in bulk. Get a proper watertight storage area that has good breathability to keep the logs dry and mould free.

I sometimes burn all day, sometimes evenings only from November to March. I don't add anything to the logs and wouldn't advise you to. You dont get a smell unless opening the door to add logs, any smell goes up the chimeny.

You can get wax melt diffusers that sit on the log burner itself.

I don't have a definitive answer to how many logs as each burner is different (mines is a large 8kw) and it can take a while to understand efficient burning. Lots of helpful videos on YouTube!

well it came with the house so im using it 😂

that is my next step to ask around locally

just wanted to try and any useful info here

yes bulk buy seems to the way to go

Check when the chimney was last swept! And get it swept asap if necessary.
We buy logs in bulk, then top up when we prune down trees. You can google which woods burn best. When buying from a suppler check the dimensions of your burner to make sure the logs will fit! We have a small 5kw stove and have to buy the shorter length logs.

Of an evening, I'm currently burning around 4-5 logs a night. But we have central heating too so it's not heating the whole house.

I love our fire!

We use ours mainly at the weekend, and do a mix of scavenging wood and bulk buying. Anything we collect ourselves gets left in the shed for ages, we're currently burning stuff we found a year ago and it does help save money on wood.

Congratulations on your move.

You are better going for kiln dried logs as they burn better. You can get them delivered in bulk, usually big tonne builder bags of them. You could ask local groups for recommendations of suppliers. In the meantime, you can pick up small bags of logs quite cheaply from Home Bargains, Aldi etc.

We also get some off cuts of wood from a local joiner, which is handy. You might want to buy small bags of kindling to help get the fire going before putting the bigger logs in.

If you collect sticks or wood, they would generally need to be dried out before use as damp wood doesn't burn well. Some people cut their own wood and leave it at least a year to dry out and season before burning.

It may take a bit of getting used to how to burn your logs as burners have controls that affect the air flow which in turn can make the logs burn quicker and hotter or slower and longer burning. This can vary for each burner so maybe take a bit of trial and error to see what works for yours as this will determine how many logs you get through.

You generally can't smell the burning as the smoke goes out the chimney, you do get a smell when you open the door to put more logs in, but that's it.

Some people have a fan on top of their stove to help distribute heat better.

I would also check with the previous owners when the chimney was swept, if unsure, arrange for this to be carried out for safety and insurance purposes.

Good luck!

Sadly I fitted one in my house years ago before I knew how terrible they are for air pollution both in and outside the home. It was pretty upsetting when I realised, but you simply cannot argue with the facts so I've made the sensible decision to not use mine anymore. It's an expensive thing to look at now 😞. That said, I would urge you to do some real research into this before simply saying 'it's there so I'm using it'.

It's incredibly important that we educate ourselves, look at evidence and consider what sort of impact our actions will have on future generations. I know my own lungs are healthier for it, and my children's lungs are too.

I found these articles useful at the time when trying to explain my decision to family members who, like many, think a fire looks pretty so they'll just carry on using their wood burners....

https://www.mumsforlungs.org/our-campaigns/wood-burning

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/27/wood-burning-stove-environment-home-toxins

Is it just a woodburner? Some of them are multifuel. The fan is a good idea - ours has made a great improvement to spreading the stove's heat. Some are really expensive but are just the same as the cheap ones - ours came from Lidl!
The present owners may have an instruction manual they can leave, otherwise if you know the make you might be able to find one online.
When you have the chimney swept the sweep should give you a certificate which you'll probably need for your insurance.

Your room will look and feel so cosy. There can be a knack to lighting it. We use a fan we bought from Amazon that sits on top. Its the heart of the home. I do understand the environmental issues but Its the cheapest way for us to heat our old house, even with double glazing and insulation. We live by the sea in Scotland and its freezing. We're not rich.

This book will walk you through it all, it's a fun read, with bits of obscure history as well as the practical!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Norwegian-Wood-Non-fiction-Book-Year-ebook/dp/B00TOOS2W6/ref=mpssa112?crid=2S006DSL48V94&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KA4QvHmhGSdWaO9COlkFLCoqarmuKoGh9Qyvzwo7f6K3dtfx9SzPzN6oNadAA-oSgvnKYk3ThOU5eD5ZjceOdt4Nsdy4PnK5fyT7XLCvkzmgF5hccemFfONNI8KSQJtnBzTXFFVRxNHVH9EyEGHmbZX7lUb20Y9w-UKNyXIo96OWyPvODL78e-2gcXazKEi7i0ps5wWQmDFceXxtYJg.ziOPEGmahPEdDaXj25JsJwCjeXAGGJhKF1XXX4u3Zs&dibbtag=se&keywords=norwegian+wood&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1736781313&sprefix=norw%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-2

Hi thanks so much for replying, have you tried using seasoned logs? is there much difference compared to kiln dried?

thanks to everyone for your replies

having the chimney sweeped is a good idea, will definitely look into that

just excited to hopefully sit by a comfy cosy log burner during these cold months

Absolutely this. I would LOVE a wood burner but they are so horrifically polluting that I just cannot bring myself to do it.

I'm not saying don't use your log burner, but at least read about the effects on air quality and lung health so that you can make an informed decision - especially if you have children and live in an urban area.

Wood burner doesn’t smell but if you put wax melts in a dish close by it warms them up and they release scent. I buy sawdust logs and also gather in wood from around and about to season

Wouldn’t be without mine. Get fallen logs free and season them in purpose built sheds for 12-18 months. Grew up with an open fire the only heating in our house and have had some form of open fire in every house I’ve lived in. I also do pyrography art as a side hustle. Nothing wrong with my lungs.

I have a multi fuel stove and a multi fuel Rayburn which cooks, does the central heating and hot water.
I get through a lot of wood and one bag of oxbow red a week.
I do notice a difference between the log burner and the Rayburn. The log burner burns the same amount of fuel and is only a space heater but everytime I open the door to refuel it really noticeable increase in air pollution in the room. Sometimes it even sets the smoke alarm off.
The Rayburn is much more economical with fuel and the flue system is so good on it that everything goes up the chimney.
If you use solid fuel on your log burner it will burn for about 6 hours without refuelling but it will be a glow rather than flames. There are also fire logs which you can light the paper and burn on their own or add more wood and they will burn 3-4 hours without refuelling. If you are buying wood to burn and use the log burner a lot it is much more expensive than the central heating. I don’t buy any wood.

Really important to warm up your flue with kindling before chucking on loads of logs.

Hi, we’ve found that kiln dried logs do tend to burn quicker than seasoned logs, as they have a lower moisture content in them and they are much dryer and a lighter white wood. Kiln dried logs also burn a bit cleaner than seasoned logs. Seasoned logs can burn slower and if not seasoned enough (with a higher moisture content), they don’t burn as well. Also if logs aren’t well seasoned, they can cause a lot more smoke and can leave more deposits in the chimney, which can be a hazard if not cleaned.

Our chimney sweep says he can tell by the soot and tar deposits in a chimney what kind of wood has been burnt in the stove.

The logs for sale in the plastic bags in Home Bargains etc are kiln dried and they are easy to pick up and a handy standby to have, whereas the ones we get delivered by the tonne (some places have a minimum order of two tonnes!) are usually seasoned. It can be good to burn a mixture. Sometimes the bulk wood delivered can have a variety of season / moisture content. If there are damper logs / ones with moss etc on them, we will store them longer until they dry out a bit more.

You will need to make sure you have a wood store or shed or somewhere dry to store any bulk logs you order. Stacking the logs when they’re delivered is a good workout!

Your house insurance will probably require an annual proper chimney sweep so ask the vendor for paperwork or get it swept before use.

Ensure that you have a proper log store somewhere handy, under cover so they don’t get wet, we made one from pallets, it doesn’t have to be big and expensive. We get an annual delivery of logs that usually lasts a winter but we don’t use it often during the day- just in the evenings.

There is no logic in your luck.

I also grew up in a house with an open fire and a chain smoking parent puffing away inside next to me. However times have moved on, research has years behind it now. So would smoke in front of my kids, just because I don't have a problem with my lungs - of course not! Because I have information that tells me what a stupid decision that is for children. It's no different for a log burner and all the residents of your locality (babies and kids included)... you're just choosing to ignore those facts because it doesn't suit you.

If your insurance company isn’t aware of the log burner tell them and as a PP said, definitely get the chimney swept and properly certified - annual sweeping is a condition of our insurance.

The sale of wet wood became illegal in May 2021, which may come as a surprise to some. As a result, the only logs burned in any home appliance, excluding open fires, are dry logs or kiln-dried logs. When burning logs, dry logs must have a moisture content of less than 20% and produce very little smoke. For wood-burning stoves, 600mm or deeper, burning logs should not be larger than 30 cm in diameter. Furthermore, the sale of house coal and wet logs for household burning, as well as logs for household burning, has been prohibited since May 2021.

I don’t know what country you live in, but in Scotland, the sale and purchase of coal is certainly not illegal and not all wood supplied in Scotland is kiln dried. Both are freely available to purchase.

No, its not yet in Scotland, although the government has committed to banning it. It has been the case in England since 2021, though, so PP is right if OP is in England.