We’ve gas central heating and a gas stove in the sitting room. The plan was when the kids moved out to just light the stove but in practice that never worked out. It’s been there a few years now and if it’s lit two or three times a year max. It’s big and bulky (for a semi detached) and herself is not happy, she wants it gone.
We’ve been looking at a smaller solid fuel stove that will fit into the fireplace but it’s pricey enough. The flue lining in the chimney would need to be changed as well as the fire itself. Also, within the city limits, it seems there isn’t a whole pile that can be burned legally in a solid fuel now. Add the cleaning and fuel storage problems, I can’t see it being used at all.
The alternate is a smaller gas stove that fits into the fireplace, but this also seems a waste as I can’t see it being used more than the current one.
So I’m a bit stumped. There’s a chunk gone out of the stone lentil from the previous install, so an open fire isn’t an option. I couldn’t live with the poor efficiency there either.
Who here knows about this stuff? @Gman or other. Are fireplaces on the way out?
We got a new fireplace and wood burning stove installed after our house move, dried wood and wood briquettes that have the wood sure mark on them are ok to use going forward as they emit little or no CO2. Cost us 2.5k for the new fireplace, stove and installation. Never had one before, brilliant for heat on a cold night.
Fireplaces are on the way out, but not out of existing builds. Coal in city areas is still ok, many towns and citys have smoky coal bans in place but people can still operate perfectly fine. Open fireplaces are a killer on keeping the thermal properties of the house.
With regards to best practices and options etc, @FatChops might be your best bet to give good advice.
We put a wood burning stove in when we built extension few years ago. It was to replace a gas one we never used. Use the wood one 3 or 4 nights a week during winter. It’s one of my favourite things in the house. Burn wood briquettes mainly in it.
Not an expert by any means but investigate whether you need an insulated flu liner as part of this. Stoves can generate serious heat when burning timber which can crack a chimney breast.
The cheaper stoves tend to have poor quality handles and knobs etc when compared to the likes of a stovax or a Nestor Martin. Aside from that I know the firebrick quality within the stove is important.
That’s very cheap we paid €2400 last year for a new fireplace and Henley stove shortly after we moved into the house last year the heat off it is unrale
Start with your needs, ie the room you’re trying to heat. That stove is rated 5kW.
If you’ve the stove sized right and a good install, the branding isn’t overly important. But you do, as ever, get what you pay for… I’d only ever part with that kind of money for something I can see in front of me beforehand.
You’ll be shoveling coal and ash if it’s a decent sized room.
