How much wood do you get through ?

[kev7937]

I sell stoves and firewood. Most of my customers but a stove in the 4 to 5 kw range. Using the stove most evenings and weekends they all go through a cubic meter of softwood in around a month. I would have said a stove with a 7kw max output was a bit big and I suspect that you may be running the stove closed down a bit, this will reduce the flames to a degree and increase soots in the flue.

 

For the size of stove you have I would say your esage is about right.

 

A

 

Thanks very helpful again.

 

You're right I do shut it down once I have it roaring for two reasons, firstly because I have read that some people say the heat goes straight up the chimney if its open all the time and secondly because the flue thermometer I bought tells me to.

 

So even if its running at the correct temp and its about 50% shut down will it still not be burning off the exhaust properly and sooting up my flue ?

[pie eater pete]

Had out Rayburn 355 in about 2 months now and was initially shocked as well by how much wood it eats! We bank it up with coal overnight but rest of the time I can easy use 2 barrow full a day-mind you you could burn yourself on my radiators!

[Cookie]

We tend to use between 1 & 2 barrows a day (depends if the wife's home!) the way I look at it is year on year there's probably no real saving over oil/gas but my house is alway warm (probably to warm) where as if I use the oil boiler the house is only warmed at set times morning/eve and being an old drafty house bloody freezing the rest of the time.

[Alycidon]

Thanks very helpful again.

 

You're right I do shut it down once I have it roaring for two reasons, firstly because I have read that some people say the heat goes straight up the chimney if its open all the time and secondly because the flue thermometer I bought tells me to.

 

So even if its running at the correct temp and its about 50% shut down will it still not be burning off the exhaust properly and sooting up my flue ?

 

If your flue thermometer is indicating that you are burning at "Best Operation" then you will be fine, its only when temps drop into the crerosote zone or close to that problems with tars in the flue and excess soot occur.

 

You will always loose a percentage of your heat into the chimney irrespective of the stoves settings, this is the heat that is inside the flue pipe. You need the flue pipe so this cannot be avoided. The amount of heat lost will depend on the design of the stove, the more expensive stoves are better at retaining heat than the cheaper ones as a rule.

 

Costs comparisons to oil and gas, have a look here

Energy Cost Comparison | Nottingham Energy Partnership

 

Logs = 5.47p per KW, oil = 7.22p per KW, Gas 5.05p per KW.

 

Price of logs is based on an average price of three local coal/fuel merchants,

 

this one

 

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - Ignite Wood Fuels | Buy Wood Pellets, Charcoals, Horse Bedding & More

 

Looks like a cube of hard is about £140, way to go !!!.

 

A

[kev7937]

Blimey Glad I dont pay for my logs at those prices , hopefully the stove will show to be a good long term Investment as I won't be buying gas .

 

Thanks again for the info..

[Marko]

We 'counted' for the first three primarily to ensure that we had enough seasoned wood around for the coming season. 18 m3, 22 m3, 16m3 (it is still written on the garage wall).

 

Mrs loves the fire on full and roaring and as others have said the rooms are far hotter than you would have it if burning gas or oil.

[mendiplogs]

15kw stove with back boiler can do 2 heaped wheel barrow loads in a day if I stay in. I also put a bucket full of smokeless coal on at night. House is nice and warm now but when we moved in mid october it had been empty for 12 months and was at 6 degrees. These old stone houses take some real heating back up!!

 

HI WE have a 16kw euro heat stove its 2 years old now and its very good on beech or oak 2 large wheel barrow loads will keep me going all week thats with no coal thanks all jon

[Sam Thompson]

3 feed bags a day in the Rayburn (on all day) and probably a bag a night when the woodburner is on, which isn't always. House is always warm and pretty big.

[farmer]

14 ton a year 30kw stove heating 22 rads . I will be needing a load later on thish year so if any body has some near me let me know artics not a problem.

P.S HARDWOOD

[bradshaw groundcare]

the burner we have is a german spartherm one. its a large burner and it will go through a large barrow of mixed hard and soft logs most evenings. it warms half of the house.