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Wood burning stoves.

(15 Posts)
Katek Tue 23-Aug-22 11:49:16

We have been thinking about having one installed in our sunroom to add to heating options and (hopefully) reduce usage of gas/electricity. I’m concerned about environmental impact though - are stoves still less of a pollutant than other forms of heating?

Welshwife Tue 23-Aug-22 12:04:07

We have one here in France and I love it. It is properly installed and the chimney is double lined. It heats the house far better than the central heating really. Carefully managed it stays in overnight and is cast iron so retains the heat. This one is simply a fire but you can get them to heat water or run heating too.
The pellet burners are possibly better but not so pretty as a feature.
For us it is by far the cheapest form of heating.

ExDancer Tue 23-Aug-22 12:10:48

Isn't burning wood damaging the environment?

annsixty Tue 23-Aug-22 12:22:56

That is what the OP is asking and I also would like to know.

Razzamatazz Tue 23-Aug-22 12:33:37

Recent article

hoa.org.uk/2021/11/wood-burning-stove/

Nannarose Tue 23-Aug-22 12:48:05

We have a very efficient wood burning stove, and a mechanical heat recovery pump.
I would look carefully at your 'sunroom', its insulation and ventilation; otherwise you might end up achieving little (ignose if you've already done that!)

Barmeyoldbat Tue 23-Aug-22 15:18:28

We have a wood burner and we only burn dry none contaminated wood, we have a little gadget that we use to tell us if the wood is dry. I have dry eyes and central heating or air conditioning just dries them out more despite the huge amount of drops I use. With a wood burner I don’t get the problem. Will also say our chimney goes up through the middle of the house and there warms the walls upstairs as well. Wouldn’t change it for the world

halfpint1 Tue 23-Aug-22 16:01:38

I had a woodburner for the first 20 years in France and it
was heaven, the whole house felt its warmth somehow. I now
live with gas central heating and a hot water bottle any time
I sit down in winter.
I have read that the small particles which burning logs release
are bad for the lungs, well i'd willingly put a mask on now to
open the door and put another log in.

lindiann Tue 23-Aug-22 16:24:13

What is the best wood Seasoned or Kiln-dried?

Barmeyoldbat Tue 23-Aug-22 16:44:24

All wood needs to be dried, I suppose kiln drying is done quicker. We use a system where we gather wood and then leave it for roughly a year or two, we have a chap who comes in once a year with his chainsaw (Mr B won’t use one) and cuts all the wood up in to the size we want. It is stored inside a wood shed and then each piece is checked for the moisture level before bringing it inside. We also. Wear a mask when cleaning out the burner or sweeping up any dust. At my age I don’t worry to much.

M0nica Tue 23-Aug-22 17:13:10

The problem with wood burning stoves is the particulates (microscopic fragments of wood and ash) emitted into the atmosphere with the flu gases. However modern stoves and flues are designed so that particulate emissions are minmised and the standards for moisture content in fire wood means that all wood sold as fire wood must meet these standards when sold. When delivered firewood should be stored under cover

We have a woodburner in our house in England and our holiday home in France. Both are modern stoves with approved flues to match, one was installed only three months ago and in one case the wood is stored in an open ended barn attached to the house and the other in one end of a big garden shed.

My concern Katek would be about where you want to install your stove. How big is your sunroom and what are the walls and ceilings made from? I would be very wary of installing a wood burning stove in a sunroom where the ceiling or walls were made of plastic or where the room was smaller than about 8 ft x 10ft. Even the smallest stove can have a large heat output and unless the sunroom has a built in brick chimney I would be concerned about the siting of the flu and the danger to a plastic roof.

A wood burning stove does not seem to me to be either a safe nor aappropriate way to heat a sun room.

Analternative is a heater using bottled gas, calor or similar. They are attractive in design, and portable and just require a bottle of gas appliances.calor.co.uk/ and would be more suitable for occasional use in a room of the kind the word 'sunroom' conjures up for me.

J52 Tue 23-Aug-22 17:25:03

I would ask a HETAS qualified installer to come and give you advice on where you want your stove. There are strict regulations, but they might suggest an alternative siting.
We have two wood burning stoves, one is multi fuel and can burn little egg shaped ‘coal’.

Barmeyoldbat Tue 23-Aug-22 17:27:51

We had our flue replaced this May as the other had been in for donkey years, it just seemed a good idea , after all you replace parts on your boiler or replace it. I totally agree about the sun lounge being the wrong place for a wood burner

Lathyrus Tue 23-Aug-22 17:39:47

How close are your neighbours? You might find you have to deal with some complaints and bad feeling. Not everyone likesthe aroma of burning wood pervading their garden and they might resent not being able to open their windows.

A friend of mine ceased to use her wood burning stove because of the effect on the child next door who had asthma.

It’s just something to think about if neighbours are important to you.

sodapop Tue 23-Aug-22 17:42:03

Welshwife

We have one here in France and I love it. It is properly installed and the chimney is double lined. It heats the house far better than the central heating really. Carefully managed it stays in overnight and is cast iron so retains the heat. This one is simply a fire but you can get them to heat water or run heating too.
The pellet burners are possibly better but not so pretty as a feature.
For us it is by far the cheapest form of heating.

Have to disagree Welshwife we replaced our woodburner with a pellet burner and it looks every bit as nice.