Stove as main heat source

[Dazza95]

 

Just wondering if anyone here uses a wood burning stove as their main source of heating? 

 

We live in a poorly insulated barn conversion and have oil central heating, it’s OK but not a very well designed system and with the insulation not being to modern standards, you start feeling cold moments after the thermostat clicks off. However, it’s useful to take the chill off in the morning when there’s no time to light a fire. We tend to leave the stat set to 15c which stops the house getting too cold when we’re out working all day.

 

The stove in the living room is much better for comfort and also keeps the hall and bedrooms leading off it upstairs at a nice temperature. I’m sure if the house was better insulated it would reach other areas too. Cost isn’t an issue as I don’t buy in seasoned wood.

 

If you do use your stove for all of the heating, how do you find it works around your routine? Just curious if folk who heat with wood exclusively have a fire going all day if they’re not home. We burn round the clock in cold weather if we’re home but I can’t do it if we’re both out working. 

 

I’m not really looking to change anything as we will probably be moving in a couple of years and the current arrangement works fine most of the time. 

 

I’m self-isolating and bored so thought it would be an interesting discussion.

 

Cheers all ?

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Dazza95
Grammar

[htb]

Rayburn nouvelle for the central heating, linked via a H2 panel to a Oil boiler for when we are working or not here.

Morso panther in sitting room and a Morso squirrel in another room. We burn a lot of wood seasoned for at lest 3 yrs in shed.

[Peasgood]

Had a La Nordica range cooker, only source of heating, only source of hot water and only way of cooking food. In a big old non insulated farmhouse.

Moved to new place fitted stud walls and insulation on all outside walls, insulated loft, fitted double glazing and have oil boiler for heat in the morning. Main heating will be from a new La Nordica range cooker and with a bit of luck there will be enough heat in the new thermal store to mean the oil doesn't get used much.

Missus decided she wanted TWO! hide and slide ovens but I will still be using the range cooker. Not sure why she wanted two because she can't cook beyond mash potatoes and they are crap.

 

Anyway, range cooker linked to radiators is plenty good enough but does depend on someone lighting and stoking the fire. Mine stay in for 3 hours at best on a full load.

[trigger_andy]

We live in an old stone farmhouse that currently hand single glazing and no insulation in the walls or attic. We've lived here for close to 6 years but bought the place in July so starting to make the needed upgrades. 

 

First upgrade was to open the fireplace in the Livingroom and install an 11kw Wood burning stove. We've exposed the original stone wall behind the fireplace and intend to carry this on to the whole wall this winter. 

 

 

Second upgrade was removing the old Oil Fired Rayburn from the kitchen and knock the bricked up fireplace in and install another 11kw Stove/Range that will do our cooking in the kitchen, heat the kitchen, run a single radiator and do the hotwater.

 

Third upgrade is on-going and thats a 26-35kw Outdoor Oil Fired Condensing Boiler. This will be used to keep the chill off and as the new 280 liter Hot Water Cylinder is a dual indirect coil will kick in if the Kitchen Stove is not on. 

 

Fourth upgrade is Double Glazing in January.

 

Fifth is start throwing as much insulation into the loft as I can. [emoji3] 

 

 

But currently as its not insulated, or has double glazing and the Oil is not plumbed in yet we're burning a 1.25 cubic meter bag of wood every 3 days. Thats feeding both the living room and the kitchen from about 07:00 to 22:00 and then filled and slumbered all night till 07:00 the next day when the fun starts all over. [emoji3] 

 

Later this winter we'll be adding a Stove to my 17 year old Daughters bedroom and eventually ours as well. We have 6 chimney pots in the house and intend to open them all back up for use. [emoji3] 

 

I best start chopping and seasoning more logs. [emoji50] 

 

 

[Nopedigree]

While I'm all for real fires for heat surely getting some insulation in the loft is a quick, cost effective hit to make the vast amount of wood you are currently getting through ( and it ain't cold yet) go further??

 

regards,

 

NoPedigree 

[trigger_andy]

While I'm all for real fires for heat surely getting some insulation in the loft is a quick, cost effective hit to make the vast amount of wood you are currently getting through ( and it ain't cold yet) go further??
 
regards,
 
NoPedigree 

Yip, but I’m working away from home and it will have to wait till I get home. Plus my Brother-in-law is in the loft plumbing the new heating system and wanted me to wait with the insulation till when he was finished. Another 4 weeks and we’ll have it done.

[neiln]

heated just with 2x 5kW wood stoves for the last 4 years.  despite being on mains gas with a modern c/h system. I am weird. i just enjoy 'saws, axes, scrounging the wood, being incredibly warm and being tight.

Wife would occasionally put the heating on as house was too cold during the winter afternoons, but generally I came in from work, lit the stove, ran it 5-6 hours hard, get the house hot, cools loads over night and a bit more during the day but a couple of sweaters and all ok normally...repeat.  weekend, if in, stoe rsn 12-15 hours each day.  1930s semi with poor insulation.

 

I love the stoves....BUT  I they have taught me to appreciate gas c/h immensely.  By about late Jan I am getting pretty worn of fetching wood in!

[Dazza95]

Interesting replies. I feel that the heat from a stove is just so much nicer than central heating and it’s possible to get the house to temperatures I could only dream of with CH. It’s also nice not having to rely on energy suppliers too much, although we’ve been a bit more lavish with oil this year as it’s half of what is was last year.

[pancakedan]

I run three stoves as my main source of heating. I do have c/h but my system is rubbish and only heats the kids rooms which works well as the stoves heat the rest of the house. Week days, I normally light them in the afternoon, weekends, light them when we’re cold.

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, pancakedan said:

I light them when we’re cold.

Who told you about that ?  Its a great idea ! ?