Rayburn/Aga owners - wood usage figures?

[Big J]

We're being given a Rayburn for the house, and I'm trying to figure out what sort of wood consumption to expect. I cannot remember the exact model, but it will heat the hot water and do 5-6 radiators (it's dimensions are 30 inches wide, 19 inches deep and standard height).

 

It would be running from the end of September to end of April minimum (7 months) and would be heating a 3 bed cottage.

 

I already have about 45 cubic meters stacked (though not split - it's all very anally stacked in meter lengths, continental style!). It is, at a guess:

 

* 3 cube larch

* 3 cube willow

* 12 cube sycamore

* 4 cube rhododendron

* 7 cube ash

* 2 cube poplar

* 3 cube elm

* 2 cube oak

* 9 cube cherry

 

Are the Rayburns fairly efficient - how much do you put through yours? Any issues to watch out for? Very excited about getting one, though wanting to do it right as it's going to provide all our heating (bar the oil taking over in winter whilst we're away to stop pipes freezing).

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jonathan

[mendiplogs]

HI BIG J yes mate dad got one with large back boiler with 10/12 rads its good but you need lots of wood the fire boxs is too small but the cooking on them are tops roast spuds are tops thanks jon

[slasherscot]

i read somewhere.........in 6 months oct to march.if ur stove puts out 15 kw u burn 7.5 tons....20 kw 10 tons

 

seems about right to me

[windfall]

My mates is very uneconomical he is always winging about it... sorry

[mendiplogs]

HI slasherscot we have euro heat stove mate it 16kw stove ive had it on 24hr // 7 day aweek from sep we burn beech large oal at night we have used 4 110 tipper loads its 80/85f in the room just the job no gas:thumbdown: here thanks jon :thumbup:

[Justme]

That pile might last you 2 years if you are lucky.

 

We used that much over 2 years & ours did not do the rads just lots & lots of hot water & all the cooking.

 

Kitchen was toasty mind.

[skyhuck]

i read somewhere.........in 6 months oct to march.if ur stove puts out 15 kw u burn 7.5 tons....20 kw 10 tons

 

seems about right to me

 

Mines 150 KW, no wonder I burn a lot of wood!!

[slasherscot]

Mines 150 KW, no wonder I burn a lot of wood!!

 

if its free chuck it in:thumbup1:

[Tom D]

Hi J, if its a modern one it will have a thermostatic air valve, this means that the amount of wood you burn will be related to the number of rads and the insulation of your house. You've seen my house, I have 9 rads and I burn about 0.7 cube of loose logs a week.

 

Give me a ring if you want any tips,fitted mine myself.

[Big J]

Thanks for the responses folks!

 

Lots of interesting points of view and figures to go on.

 

mendiplogs - you aren't the first person to say that the fire box is a little on the small side - designed for coal and anthracite apparently.

 

slasherscot - that's dry tonnes presumably? I would say that there is perhaps 25-30 tonnes in the stack when dry, as there are some very suppressed trees in there. Had one ash I felled the other day at only 14-15 inches diameter (under a large Oak) that was around 100 years old. Weighed a tonne!

 

windfall - might be issues with airtightness on that individual stove perhaps?

 

Justme - two years was what I was gunning for once I'd finished filling the last stand (another 6-7 cube), though that was taking into account occasional use of our existing woodburning stove.

 

skyhuck - a small scale biomass powerplant seems excessive for a house!

 

Tom - it's not a modern one. It's being given to us by a (very kind) friend who has put a bigger one in (their house is larger than ours). It's 1970s I would guess, and matt black. He could well be fitting it too (he's fitted his last two or three) if I can ply him with some sawn oak for renovations! I would be delighted to pick your brain about it though, as I'm very keen to find out other peoples experiences with them. Our friend doesn't use an accumulator tank for instance, meaning a simpler system but without the ability to store the heat.

 

Keep them coming!

 

Jonathan