Woodburners, nice or nasty?

Loved them until few days ago when I read something about lung cancer and particles possibly from these wood burning stoves.

SilverFoxette75

We just had one installed. After going through no heat or electricity for two weeks after that storm earlier in the year, we decided we needed another heat source. The guy went through everything we can burn in it and how to maintain it, and we’ll definitely be sticking to those guidelines

This is why we will be installing a wood burner in the house we have recently moved to. We had a fortnight without gas some years ago and were able to keep the house reasonably warm through out because as well as the direct heater from the stove, the burner heats up the brickwork of the chimney so that the brickwork of he chimeny acts like a storage radiator, absorbing heat when the fire is lit and giving off heat after the burner has died down for the evening.

We are renewing the heating in our recent acquisition and I am insisting that inrooms the chimneys go through the radiators should be on the chimney wall to get that double dose of heat from the warmed brickwork.

We have a very cold, old house and had an open fire here initially but found it only heated the area around the fire, sitting a few feet away. there was no benefit.
Our woodburner heats the whole room, and if it gets a bit too hot we open the door and it drifts around and warms the whole place. It makes a huge difference.

We just had one installed. After going through no heat or electricity for two weeks after that storm earlier in the year, we decided we needed another heat source. The guy went through everything we can burn in it and how to maintain it, and we’ll definitely be sticking to those guidelines

We have a Woodburner which was already here when we bought the house. Husband loves it and we have it lit in the winter. I prefer an open fire like we had in our last house. My dad always said open fires were healthier than central heating as they change the air in the room several times an hour. With double glazing, loft insulation and cavity wall insulation I think he might have been right.

Neighbours have one, makes me wheeze ! Really want them banned.

I have to add (controversially) some people who have them do so more for “status/vanity” reasons or like me liked the “idea” of the cosy fire, and now have them and need to defend the purchase, they know there are neighbours are affected… but hey ho! We live in a world of “have & have nots” and it seems “cares and cares not” and that has to be bad for the environment!

This is a topic that will divide peoples opinion, those that have them, or desire them will defend them. I love the look, and the cosy ambience they offer… but actually detest it when neighbours put there’s on as others have said, acrid smell filters into our homes, affects washing, and even how my dog is affected as he lazes in the garden on a dry but cold day, he’s a big dog and loves outdoors no matter the weather. My husband has lung issues caused by asbestos in his youth (unaware) so it badly affects him, so we don’t even do BBQs. Here’s the thing, forget all my points “against” them, but they are in fact HARMFUL TO HEALTH & THE ENVIRONMENT… no matter how clean you think your fuel is.

I have asthma and bronchiectasis and am unable to tolerate woodburners.

I really did not want to cause argument over this, especially between other people. My opinion is a personal one expressing how it affects me. Woodburners/ log burners are allowed by law, so people use them. I do hope people can understand a little where I'm coming from.

Rosie51

ViceVersa

If they are allowed, then how is it inconsiderate?

Seriously? Everything that is allowed is considerate?

If they are allowed and people are not breaking any laws, rules or regulations, then I don't see the problem, no. As I said, without using our wood burner as a source of free heat, we would really be struggling. Our main consideration has to be our own welfare. There are many others around us who have woodburners or coal fires.

Love both of mine! Though they are MF stoves, one has a back boiler and I put my cast iron pots on them in winter to cook on.

I burn smokeless coal and kiln dried logs.

I was raised with open fires and a draughty house! The fires are now stoves and the draughts can still be felt!

When mum had the boiler stove fitted in 1997, it was to replace an ugly gas fire, mums words were "I'm not spending the rest of my life looking at that thing!"

Yes, we are gas CH but our dual fuel bill is over £200 a month, it would be more with the heating on longer.

The Stoves are a different, comforting heat, we WOULDN'T be without them.

25 years ago we put in a wood burner in our large sitting room rather than have an open fire. We only use it in cold weather when we have guests staying as we have a smaller snug with good central heating and the tv. We've got a huge supply of of own wood which is well seasoned and we're rural so tbh I don't worry about using it and because it's in the centre of the house it helps to heat upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms which we use for visitors. One of my neighbours still uses a coal fired range for cooking, I can smell that.

We have a woodburner in the kitchen, the hub of our 17th century farmhouse. We live on a farm down a long drive in the middle of the country & have no close neighbours. We burn our own seasoned wood - fallen timber on the farm is a nuisance so we got the woodburner primarily as a way of disposing of it. It may sound like it's free fuel but there's a lot of time and effort involved in cutting it up in situ, lugging it, storing it then cutting when it's dry. However, we love it but I can't imagine why people in more built up areas would want one & I know the cost of logs is very expensive

We have a wood-burner, but only rarely use it, if it gets really cold. The wood is from our trees, pruned/lopped over time, dried for a couple of years, and mostly it's apple wood. If the stove is going, the smoke doesn't have a special aroma.

What DOES light up (!!) the local F'book is if people light bonfires on a summer evening, you can smell THEM from several roads away, and the immediate neighbours go ballistic!

ViceVersa

If they are allowed, then how is it inconsiderate?

Seriously? Everything that is allowed is considerate?

Vice Versa, just because something is allowed does not necessarily mean it does not affect other people in a negative way. I just feel woodburners are more suited to rural areas. They are allowed in my area, I'm asthmatic, they affect me badly. They are allowed, nothing I can do to stop them. I cannot complain as nothing can be done. People do not think how the particles affect other people, but then consideration for others in today's society really does not exist very much.

25Avalon

Steam engines run on coal so maybe you can still get coal for domestic fuel?

Yes, you can certainly still get coal - at least around here. I have a few neighbours who regularly get it delivered.

Steam engines run on coal so maybe you can still get coal for domestic fuel?

They are not environmentally friendly as their
owners claim and should be banned in built up towns and cities.
Real irritant to people with breathing problems like myself.

Might be OK for rural areas.

Also agree about BBQ's smelling the place out. Bonfire night competitive. Real fire hazard.

Was fascinated to hear from OO that one of their neighbours still uses coal.

I thought that coal went out with the Clean Air Act in the 1960s. Smokeless fuel including anthracite then North Sea Gas took over.

My father was a Miner so l remember this well.

👎🦹🔥🌋

Nice and cosy.

If they are allowed, then how is it inconsiderate?

I may complain about woodburning stoves and I know a poster on here wasn't happy about the complaint. Unfortunately, asthma is not a condition I chose to have. Hopefully you will never have to find out what it's like. Just as an aside, I don't fly or travel abroad. Woodburners are fine in rural areas, but in built up areas it's very inconsiderate. However they are allowed, so people have them.

I'm sure I put a post on here but it seems to have disappeared??

Love mine, but we do live in the far northern Highlands in a freezing old cottage that would cost a small fortune to keep the oil boiler going all day during the very long cold winters. Our wood is seasoned (dried) for at least two years prior to use at we don't have any close neighbours. But I totally get that with close properties all burning wood and other items the problems begin. Definitely need to be pretty isolated to use them.