Open fires

[Harold_Shand]

I live in an old house and I took out the gas fire and surrounding crap and opened it up, it has a nice sandstone lintel and looks very Laura Ashley. I had been thinking about getting a multi fuel stove as I had one in my narrowboat days, but I wouldn't compromise on the quality and a good one was £800, add to this fitting a flue liner and pipe, you're looking at a grand. I can get free logs, but it would take years and years to make this worthwhile, but they do look the business.

The other alternative is an open fire in a fire basket, this is £65 and away you go. What bothers me with this is the risk of chimney fires, cracking logs spitting embers out, carbon dioxide... all the stuff people were pleased to see the back of when central heating came about. Looks nice and free but with risks to the family.

Other alternative is an electric stove, which has a flame effect but is just a glorified fan heater for £120 but completley misses the point if you know what I mean.

Or... as I am currently leaning... fill the fireplace with dried flowers or something, put a jumper on and just try not to use the central heating as much.
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Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

[Pete.]

You can't beat an open fire for sheer therapeutic properties. I would have one in a moment if I didn't live in a smokeless zone - my house has seven boarded-up fireplaces.

Have the chimnea swept and get a fireguard and small rug. Don't leave the fire unattended until all of the wood/coal is glowing and no longer spits.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Marmalade]

I've got an open fire. It is THE heating in our place.
I've bought a chimney sweeping kit and give it a good brush out every now and then.
Also have a fine mesh fire guard to put in front of it to stop the popping embers torching the carpet.

It is really nice to sit with the fire crackling away and the heat coming off of it.
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[Deckx]

Open fires sound good but in reality....

- come back to a freezing house
- go out to the backyard in the pissing rain and fill a bucket of coal from a filthy wet bag
-clean out ashes from previous day
- fuck around with sticks, newspaper & firelighters and attempt to get the fire going
- if successful wait another 20 minutes before you actually get any heat.

I remember, years back i shared a house and i was normally the first one home as i worked closeby.... had to go through that shit everyday.. in the end i used to go for a couple pints after work and then come back to a nice warm house

[Raffles]

The way that fuel prices are rising it may not take you very long at all to recoup your outlay if you have access to a free supply of logs. The style of fire is all down to personal preference though I think that the stove types are cleaner, safer and more efficient.
I wouldn't worry too much about the carbon dioxide
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[Cunnington]

We're due to get a multifuel stove fitted in the next couple of weeks. going to cost a grand for the stove (posh one) and a grand for the fitting (chimney breast is getting opened up - new lintel and plasterwork, hearth / chimney pot / cowl etc).

The guidance we got is that if it is less than 5kW, there is no requirement to install specific ventilation. We will still have a carbon monoxide alarm though.
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[Dragonfly]

I cant live without an open fire. Smell of wood burning which some is rather sweetly scented not sure what kind that is. Lovely warm glow of a fire and relaxing by it. Ahhhh. And so nice on a cold night.
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Muzza on Binge:
He's too busy beating the everloving shit out of Lizzie to notice this thread has taken a turn down Drama Avenue and stopped off at the popcorn shop.

[Paxovasa]

I would go for a wood burning stove.
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[mistergixer]

[effit]

https://www.stovax.com/builtintothewallfires/builtinfires/built_in_woodburning_only.aspx

What about something like the above? A built in wood burning stove, they look pretty good!

[Clanger]

This was topic of discussion on Saturday night... one of my mates has put solar panels on his south facing roof, has a wood burning stove which heats the water and his radiators run from the electricity created by the solar panels and the rest of the house's electricity. The only thing he has gas for is his gas hob.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[colin1]

[G]

It's more likely he 'sells' the excess electricity to the grid and uses grid electricity when it's dark etc - makes much more sense if you're in an already connected area than getting your own storage system.

You end up paying very little or even getting paid at the end of the year.

[Clanger]