thinking of getting a woodburning stove advice please

[topchippyles]

I have a 7x4m living room and run an 8kw its perfect for my room and its a multi fuel as i like to burn coal sometimes.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, les127 said:

are there any these days that dont create a load of dust in the room

Good question, are there?

 

I guess the times the dust gets out are when you reload, if you disturb the fire when you reload and mostly when you ash out in the morning.

 

I wonder if there is a stove sold in UK that can empty the ash from outside.

[les127]

unsure whether to get multi fuel or just wood burner,decisions,decisions!!!!

 

[Steven P]

So my thoughts and based on my stove.

 

We went multi-fuel, coal is a bit more cost effective for heat output I feel compared to kiln dried hard wood logs (of course, 'free' logs - off cuts beat anything pricewise), and working in the winter we were both out the house all day the coal will burn for longer... house warmer in the evening when we come home.

 

For size, we went 5kw, but this also heats our whole house - if we shut the living room door it gets very warm. Our living room is similar size to yours. Above 5kw you'd need to check air supply into the house... and if the house can support more than that with just air leaking in you need to seal some cracks I reckon, and get an external air supply for the stove. I am not bothered by loosing heat with air losses since the air I lose up the chimney with some heat draws fresh air into the whole house

 

After that our consideration was style and price. I guess you can narrow the search with efficiency but if you are just heating the living room.. not a massive issue I think, your stove will be on low most of the time its running.

 

For dust, as above, not a lot you can do about that, operating to be dust 'free' rather than the stove itself. I reckon getting a separate ash pan door might help and the largest ash pan you can get so you don't need to clean it so often. If you are cleaning the grate of ashes do that when the chimney is hot and drawing air - the dust will go up and not out so much. You can get ash vacuums however I have no experience of them, cannot comment but could be less dust. I did try hoovering a lot of soot (industrial scale coal boiler) and the hoover didn't last very long.. not sure if the ash hoovers are better but probably designed better than a Henry for ash.

 

 

Fuel... yeah, if you have the cash you will find someone to sell you anything, same with wood. So above might be unable to take new customers but there is no shortage of wood out there. Online you might get a wrapped pallet delivered anywhere in the country. What there might be is a shortage of locally grown, felled, processed and dried oak, but if you are OK to take a softwood then (in my experience) I can take a car boot full every night to cut and dry myself... and still have a stash I can help myself to, or get a supplier who isn't so local, similarly able to get loads and if you aren't too fussy will be OK. Always be friendly to your fuel supplier... those once or twice a year when you forget to order on a Thursday, run out on Sunday and need a delivery on Monday when they are working again.....

 

 

 

A bit of an essay but I'd go for the style you live at the price you like, sounds like it is more for aesthetics than heating the whole house so wood burner only is OK, 4 or 5kw will be good for the single room (and allowing heat to spill into the rest of the house too), and don't worry too much about a wood supplier yet.

[Stubby]

I'm gonna go all out and say .....YES .

[Dazza95]

1 hour ago, les127 said:

unsure whether to get multi fuel or just wood burner,decisions,decisions!!!!

 

I’d say yes too. It’s good to have the flexibility. 

[Peasgood]

3 hours ago, les127 said:

thanks peasgood,,would you say 4kw is ample my room is just under 6x4

I would think so, in theory you could have a  5kw and not have it running flat out.

As for multifuel, personally I would stick to log only as I feel they burn wood better than a multi does. That is personal choice and I have no intention of using anything other than wood. I think using my oil boiler more is better than putting solid fuel into a fire in the living room.

[trigger_andy]

Good question, are there?
 
I guess the times the dust gets out are when you reload, if you disturb the fire when you reload and mostly when you ash out in the morning.
 
I wonder if there is a stove sold in UK that can empty the ash from outside.

It’s not like Stoves create dust like an open fire. I’ve not noticed any discernible levels of dust in either of the rooms we run 10/11kw stoves but on the other hand I don’t do the cleaning and my wife does not work 🤣

Currently we are burning “slab/scab” off-cuts. Lots of reloading, lots of ash in the pan but I can’t say I’ve seen an increase in dust in the room.

[les127]

some great info guys,really appreciate the advice given

[les127]

im gonna go with the multi fuel type,so am i correct in thinking i can go from using it to burn dry logs/wood and at times use smokeless coal fuel ? and if so what is the best smokeless fuel to buy,thanx,sorry for so may questions,i just want to make sure im doing my homework before getting it,as said earlier it will really mainly used in winter,thanx again all