Multi-fuel burners

[Haze]

HI

I wondered whether anyone had been looking at these things recently? We are thinking of getting one within the year, hopefully, but wondered whether it could be integrated to a pre-existing central heating system... anyone tried it....?

[yawner]

We have a free-standing multi-fuel stove which burns wood and/or smokeless OVALS. Pretty when burning the wood, but if you don't want to "baby-sit" the fire all night long throw some ovals in - they last for hours.

As for powering a pre-exhisting CH system, possibly, I'm not sure. If you already have gas, I'd count your blessings and stick with that. </country bumpkin>

[Shirker]

We used to have two such jobbies when we lived in Snowdonia. We now have gas central heating and a gas fire and would never go back to a stove again, with its dust, takes ages to get warm when you light it, and your indoor supply of wood/coal/ovals, etc always runs out just as it starts pissing it down outside.

[Haze]

We have oil heating and it costs a fortune now. Friends have their own stove company and are willing to sell us one at cost, so that's a wnner. I think it is possible to install and patch into an existing CH system but it all means getting a hot water tank in again. But as we were relieved to get rid of ours, I think we'll probably forget that option. We have friends who are going the whole Hog and almost becoming energy bill free.... lucky folks....

[Shirker]

When we were looking at stoves they had one in the shop which was remote control. Sadly, that turned out to be opening and closing the air vents only - I had a picture of it magically going outside to get more coal or logs, cleaning the ash out by itself or merely just lighting itself.

Mrs S asked if they had one where the glass door was a touch-screen web browser

[yawner]

And don`t get me started on Chimney Sweeps.

At my insistence, we hired the services of a "proper" chimney sweep (you know from the paper with an approved crest and all that). First signs were good - he was fully booked for 3 weeks, so must be very good. Eventually he turns up. Starts grumbling that our stove pipe doesn`t have a little "door" for his brush. I tell him, no there's a removable panel in the horizontal steel liner which blocks off the bottom of the chimney (IYSWIM) - he can put his brush though that. He's not happy. Starts trying to remove bolts in the removable panel with (wait for it) mole grips. Unsurprisingly he struggles. I quickly fetch my sockets, but can`t find the required 17mm. Humm Hahh. Grumble Grumble. I find a 17mm ring spanner. Great! No. He really doesn`t seem to know how to use a ring spanner, and anyway "Even when I get this panel off, all we'll see is the solid pipe running into the chimney, so there's no point, " then "No - I've run out of time, have to go". So he sods off, leaving a half un-bolted panel and charging us £20 call-out. Parting shot "find a way for me to access the chimney and I should be able to fit you in before xmas".

To be fair, he was sporting a lovely "Guild of Chimney Sweeps" sweater.

5 minutes later I found my 17mm socket. Unbolted panel. And there was the void between top of stove pipe, and bottom of chimney - where he could have inserted his brush.

Needless to say, he won`t be coming back, as I have thought of a much better place to insert his brush.

[Chris H]

Sounds like a lucky escape methinks.

For him. Could've been off work for a while.

[yawner]

Sounds like a lucky escape methinks.

For him. Could've been off work for a while.

..but his "chimney" would be as clean as a whistle 

[Shirker]

Get one of those drain-rod sets which has a chimney attachment from Screwfix and do it yourself Mr. Y.

[yawner]

Get one of those drain-rod sets which has a chimney attachment from Screwfix and do it yourself Mr. Y.

Our window cleaner does a spot of chimney sweeping so we got him in at 24hrs notice. He was brilliant.

(as mrs y said he would be before this whole caper started - bah)

[net-curtains]

I grew up in a house powered by a multi-fuel heating system and found the whole thing a freezing ordeal, and going out to bring in logs every night didn't help. Despite the mass of fuel we fed it the heat just didn't power the whole place.

Then a few years back we had a cottage with open fire in the living room, and a wood burning AGA in the kitchen. As a result I spent at least an hour a day searching for logs. I ended up built like a lumberjack but we were still cold most of the time.

Best option was once I had a little stand alone wood burner in the living room which was just used for cosy-ing up purposes. The top was flat so there was usually a kettle or big pot of hippy stew on the go. All backed up by full, proper gas central heating.

I think you can now get more efficient burners and systems, but they cost a bomb.

Top tip: don't burn pine - it'll coat your chimney in tar and eventually catch fire.

[Haze]

We were quoted £2.5K or thereabouts just for the installation... so we're going to reconsider, maybe. Call me tight but we'll stay with the open fire for the moment. We still have to get the oven on top of that. Although that has only been one installer so far. It'll be after Xmas anyway, so got to start collecting the "ginger boatles".