Open fire/log burner vital heat source or hobby?

[davey_b]

Interesting to read these things. I'm looking to link in a Dunsley Yorkshire into our heating and hot water system in a self build we're just about to start on but quite a lot of companies who do things like ASHP (air source heat pumps) either don't rate connecting up your stove to your hot water tank or think it's too complicated to bother with. Has anyone got that sort of system and if so how do you find it?

[County4x4]

Been considering an Esse wood-fired range, how d'ya find it? Easy to get up to temp for cooking? Use much wood? Cost, ease of installation etc etc...?

Cheers in advance...

 

Friends of ours have had one in for about a year. Big problems to start with as the return stat was set too low by the installer, and the whole stove was coking up all the flueways within about a week of cleaning out. Also filled the lower oven with liquid tar! Turning up the return stat by five degrees helped no end - installer had said it was due to burning wet wood and as they only burn my briquettes and kiln dried stuff I knew damn well that wasn't the problem!

 

Esse build quality isn't great - I have a mate who does their warranty work for them!

 

Pretty big firebox and will eat a fair bit of wood if you're cooking and doing your central heating from it too.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

 

Edited to say they have the model with the water heating boiler

Edited November 6, 2010 by County4x4

[County4x4]

Interesting to read these things. I'm looking to link in a Dunsley Yorkshire into our heating and hot water system in a self build we're just about to start on but quite a lot of companies who do things like ASHP (air source heat pumps) either don't rate connecting up your stove to your hot water tank or think it's too complicated to bother with. Has anyone got that sort of system and if so how do you find it?

 

Whereabouts in the country are you mate?

 

A mate of mine does a lot of work like this - and says a lot of installers find it too complicated so will try and put people off as they can't be bothered. You need someone HETAS registered who is experienced with this type of installation - it's not an uncommon setup by any means - you just need to find the right guy to sort it.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[davey_b]

Whereabouts in the country are you mate?

 

A mate of mine does a lot of work like this - and says a lot of installers find it too complicated so will try and put people off as they can't be bothered. You need someone HETAS registered who is experienced with this type of installation - it's not an uncommon setup by any means - you just need to find the right guy to sort it.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

 

Just south of Glasgow. I think you're right, that's sort of what I've found. I'm tyring to tie it into an ASHP and solar thermal with UFH.

[Taupotreeman]

We have a little Metro wood burner. Heats the water to boiling point and we can get a couple of saucepans on it too so saving on electricity bills in winter. Theres nothing better than getting home after a days work in the cold and wet and smelling the cassrole that's been simmering all day on top and then flopping down feet up warming the plates. Not so keen on collecting and splitting the wood but there's something about a full wood shed and picking through to find a nice big hunk of native to keep the fire in all night. The government here pay some towards insulating older homes and putting in heat pumps but you just can't beat a roaring fire in mid winter.

[blue beastie]

We've recently moved into an old one bedroom stone cottage we're renting. Just one open fire, no central heating - you can imagine the amount of wood we're getting through!

 

Have got a WindySmithy burner out in the shed waiting to go in though - happy days.

[renewablejohn]

Been considering an Esse wood-fired range, how d'ya find it? Easy to get up to temp for cooking? Use much wood? Cost, ease of installation etc etc...?

Cheers in advance...

 

If I was buying again I would get a Wamsler Austrian range rather than Esse as the build quality is so much better. Just google Esse problems for a detailed explanation of why people are disappointed with the Esse.

[raker]

Bit of both really.Saved a bomb on bills. The woods free.Its great to come home to after being out in the cold and wet, with a stew bubbling on top, or a whistling kettle just starting to hiss.

It got me into saws as i had access to wood, but needed to cut it. Now all thats an enjoyable sideline, which is pretty much a hobby to get me out in the fresh air.

[renewablejohn]

Interesting to read these things. I'm looking to link in a Dunsley Yorkshire into our heating and hot water system in a self build we're just about to start on but quite a lot of companies who do things like ASHP (air source heat pumps) either don't rate connecting up your stove to your hot water tank or think it's too complicated to bother with. Has anyone got that sort of system and if so how do you find it?

 

If your self build is heavily insulated to new building regs you may find a Dunsley Yorkshire will be to powerful. We have a listed old stone farmhouse with single glaze everywhere so we can handle the output of the Dunsley. As for ASHP I would use thermal solar and a woodstove instead.

[monkeyboy]

As said by Bolt the woodburner's more entertainment than the telly.

Get the fire going and keep topping up for a chilled out evening.

Only problem is we bought one of those magnetic thermometers that you stick on the top from Clearview in Ludlow and you can't resist checking it every other minute!