Advice on installing a wood burner please

We have a wood burner in the lounge, the chimney on an outer wall, had to have a special lining. We found that the lounge gets really very (too) hot but the heat doesn't percolate through to the rest of the house, so it doesn't work as the only source of heat.

Our neighbour works hard and collect lots of free wood and chops it up and uses it. Their woodburner is on an inner wall, and so warms the whole house more effectively.

You can get a little fan that blows the heat around better. The glass doors can get very black and sooty, especially if you use wood that hasn't been seasoned properly.

Another thing to consider, I thought woodburners are being discouraged due to emissions, new rules are coming in.

There are increasing numbers of reports about high levels of air pollution inside the house from wood burners, causing problems for anyone with asthma. They also cause pollution outside.
I would have loved one but our house is too small.

I have had a multifuel (wood) burner, that is supposed to be able to provide hot water for domestic use and heating, for several years. We have an oil boiler too. The only reason that the woodburner saves us any money is that we get all our wood free, mostly from trees on our own land. I don't know how the price of kiln dried wood compares with gas, but woodburners do consume far, far, more wood in the course of a day than people can imagine!

If I were looking to install from new again I would be looking at a masonry stove, which, if what is written about them is correct, acts as a storage heater, needing less wood and staying hotter for longer than a conventional steel or cast iron wood burner. They can do hot water and central heating, too.

The only people I know with woodburners use them in addition to their usual heating, not instead of.

Like you, we still have a fireplace in the small living room of our 1930s house. When a modern heating system was eventually installed, we insisted on keeping it.
Our main reason was to have a back-up source of heat if the electricity was to be off for any length of time (no gas in our village).
It was invaluable for a couple of months last autumn, when our usual heating system was not working properly. I was gathering logs and fallen branches from the local fields to burn on it.
Normally, though, we use it in much the same way as friends and family use their woodburners - lovely for a homely burst of extra heat in the depths of winter, especially if we have visitors.

I suppose that what I am suggesting is that you might want to give some thought to keeping and using your fireplace, rather than having a woodburner installed. I doubt that they are cheap to run if you have to buy in wood for them.

I’ve had a wood burner for several years, but little used, so I can’t comment on the money saving side - we tended to use it with the central heating. It’s just awkward and dirty to clean out, but I should use it more often. Make sure you get one with a suitable output for your house and factor in the cost of installation. You’ll also need to buy and store logs, preferably hardwood for best results. I know some people say that leaving room doors open, wood burners can heat all the rooms, but we didn’t find that.

I worked in this industry for several years and have a lot of experience. If you want specific advice please feel free to PM me.