Wood or gas fire

OldFrill

Chocolatelovinggran

Wood is a renewal source of heat, and is not dependent on any other country.
I hope that you enjoy your new stove, Gingster.

A huge amount of wood is imported for woodburners, mainly from Easter Europe, and often cheaper than home grown wood. UK suppliers will falsely say it's British as they bought it in Britain, but from importers.

Our wood is all locally sourced - as we collect it ourselves, and the bonus is that it's all free!

I do think they look lovely, but I’ll be honest and admit that I would tire of having to clean out ashes (however infrequently that is with the modern burners) and go out for logs wherever they happen to be stored. I would also tire of the dust.
I really do like them, my brothers have them, but I will stick with my “look alike” gas and electric fires.
Thinking back to my childhood, we had open fires, and although they were very cosy once lit, the lighting of them could be difficult, particularly on damp days - it would take ages for the sticks to catch. Every day, the ashes had to be emptied, too. So, it was hard work, really.

Gas everytime for us

Jaxjacky

I would have a log burner tomorrow, we’ve had quotes, it would involve a new flu, electric sockets moved and a lot of upheaval.
My hankering to recreate the one we had in our French house doesn’t justify the cost sadly.

I had one in the previous house, loved it. We moved to a newbuild and looked into getting one, sadly its too difficult and expensive but I will always miss having one. So cosy and amazing scent from the burning logs.

Five years ago we replaced our wood burner with a flueless catalyctic gas fire which uses LPG gas, so you don't need mains gas. It is 100 percent efficient, warming the room in about 10 minutes, and we only use about 1 and a half gas cylinders a year. It looks just like a log burner.
It's one of the best moves we have ever made!

Chocolatelovinggran

Wood is a renewal source of heat, and is not dependent on any other country.
I hope that you enjoy your new stove, Gingster.

A huge amount of wood is imported for woodburners, mainly from Easter Europe, and often cheaper than home grown wood. UK suppliers will falsely say it's British as they bought it in Britain, but from importers.

I was sad to lose my wood burner, but as I felt I’d have problems getting logs, carrying them in, storing them, I changed to an electric look-alike. I haven’t had an electricity bill yet, but so far I’m very pleased with my electric stove. It’s exactly the same size as the iron one, I keep some logs next to it for the look, the heat is instant, I can’t hear the fan, nothing to complain about. It hasn’t been very cold here, so I haven’t had to put it above the lowest heat setting, often I just have the flame effect. I loved my wood burner, I also love not worrying about fumes, getting the chimney swept, etc. If we have a power cut, I’ll have to camp next to the gas cooker.

We've lived hee 49 years and have a multi fuel stove with a back boiler.
I loathe it with a passion. Filthy things, loads of work and you need large quantities of logs kept dry.
No gas here. I'd have gas tomorrow if I could.

Wood is a renewal source of heat, and is not dependent on any other country.
I hope that you enjoy your new stove, Gingster.

Yes, our sweep contacts me in April and as I’m a regular, I pay the same as I did four years ago

An annual chimney sweep is essential and many insurance companies insist on it.

Also, burning inappropriate stuff means smoke and does the chimney no good

I think anyone buying a wood burner knows that in the UK a stove must be installed by a HETAS-registered installer, or self-installed with prior notification and inspection by your local Building Control department and that means all the rules relating to flues, ventilation and everything else need to be met.

That done, it is up to the stove owner to burn an approved fuel, and if anyone thinks someone is not doing this they have the option of reporting the stove owner to the local authority.

Installing a log burner may involve more complex work, including flue installation and compliance with local regulations. This sports games az might require hiring professionals, which can add to the cost.

I love my woodburner. I chose for style, rather than size so it heats my sitting room and if I open the floors, the conservatory. I buy kiln dried wood locally, they deliver and stack it for me.
I enjoy the warmth and the light. Cleaning and relaying takes a few minutes.

Good morning and thanks for all your tips and advice.

Yesterday we ordered a real log stove and we’re booked in for installation on 7th November.

So no gas !
I think I would have always hankered after the real one.
Very excited and can’t wait to have a warm, cheery winter around the fire.🪵🔥.
Thanks again ladies

We had a Woodburn installed a couple of years ago. It is a morning chore to get it ready to light later. It was worth having it installed and needs a regular service and chimney sweep. We have a recirculating ventilation system which takes the hot air around the house as well as getting rid of stale air. We no longer have central heating as the log burner is so efficient.
If you don't want to be chopping wood and cleaning it out every day then a gas fire is a nice alternative as long as you have another form of heating to keep the rest of the house warm.

Walk past my place when the logs are burning and you wouldn't know I had a wood burner going. No fumes, no smoke.

Stinking smoke means someone is burning varnished wood, old furniture, preservative treated wood, wood washed up on the beach, damp and unseasoned wood and some burn tyres! The [very stupid] person responsible needs reporting to the council and educating.

andrea67 you need to report this to the Environmental Health department at your council offices.
They can look into it for you and advise your neighbours.
If they are repeat offenders they can be fined.

Andrea67 this shouldn’t happen. Either they are burning treated wood or their flue hasn’t been installed correctly or even had it swept maybe by the right qualified people. We have never had smoke pouring from our roof.

My neighbours have put a log burner in their coservatory with the chimney venting through the roof. They burn allsorts of "wood" and the terrible smoke blows over my property. I cant go outside to the bin without coughing, and cant hang washing out when that fire is in use. They are pleasant people and I have spoken to the husband about the awful stinking smoke but nothing has been done.don't want any upset ,but whats being burnt could be toxic.

We had a wood burner installed overwrite years ago. We keep it well maintained by having it checked over and swept every year. I am 78 with extremely bad inflammatory arthritis but I can still do the fire. Our burner is a multi burner that burns coal and wood and we tend to use a fair bit of smokeless coal. It makes using less logs and gives out a lovely heat. Don’t tend to get much ash so not much of a faff to clean. I would say go for it.

We have a wood burner .love it. Had it put in by a reputable company who also sweep it and clean it regularly. Wood is also important. No old cheap rubbish but well seasoned.

I LOVE our woodburner. There’s nothing like it on a cold winters day. Flames dancing, wood crackling and the warmth like no other.
If you have the physical strength to carry logs and clear the ash etc, then nothing beats it.
But if you are compromised in any way, the ‘flick of a switch’ gas fire will be better……but soulless!

I would have a log burner tomorrow, we’ve had quotes, it would involve a new flu, electric sockets moved and a lot of upheaval.
My hankering to recreate the one we had in our French house doesn’t justify the cost sadly.