Credit Crunch - Heating the home

With the Credit Crunch making us all very aware of the cost of living I have been pondering the idea of getting rid of the gas fire . I am on the card system and have had the heating on for tiny amounts and it is gobbling it`s way through the money . I have even resorted to switching the boiler off when I am not needing hot water . My home has no real heating as such apart from a gas heater in the hallway and a 3 bar gas fire in the living room . The hallway heater keeps my home toasty and warm . I am giving serious thought to ripping out the Gas fire in March and installing a wood burner in there . Has anyone done this recently ?

I have seen that back boilers can be fitted to these as well and can even run central heating off them and hot water from a tank like the good/bad old days . Will one of these on it`s own be able to keep a 3 bedroomed ex local authority home warm ?

[yorkie_chris]

Depends on your current boiler set up.

For us to put stove in with a back boiler, it would have cost a lot as we would have had to install pressurised header tank. Payback time would have been many years.

We have wood burning stove, heat is free except for the odd liter of petrol for the chainsaw!

Basically, ask a plumber what you would need as there's more to it than just plumbing it straight in.

[dizzyblonde]

dunno about most of it, but I have an ex council house too. Red brick and was freezing when I bought it 8 yr ago without the central heating. I don't have it heated in the living room or kitchen(which I regret) theres limited room for rads in them. I was lucky enough to get one of these schemes that does cavity wall insulation and loft insulation for free! IMO its worth getting it looked at. Upstairs is so toasty warm because theres a 10 ft high carpet of loft insulation above it, downstairs ain't too bad without the rads, its very rare I need the gas fire on either. Its certainly less draughty with the cavity wall stuff.

My house is Double Glazed , Loft insulated so much I dont even know where the rafters are and the cavity`s are insulated too . I have a gas boiler on my wall that heats on demand .

[yorkie_chris]

Stoves are excellent, if you get a decent one you can close draft off and it'll burn overnight to give a useful burst of heat in the morning.

Well I get a big fat bonus in March and the plan is to cap off the Gas fire , remove it and the Dodgy 80`s fireplace behind it and see what I have got . I was thinking of getting one that would slot into my chimney ideally so all I had on show would be a glass panel and a nice fire to look at . I have read a little bit about them but you can`t beat some good old fashioned advice from the SVorganisms can ya

YC , I have read about some of these ones that can keep wood smouldering all day or night and then burn when required , that is correct yes ?

[yorkie_chris]

I could build you one like that, but it wouldn't be pretty

Why you want just a panel? Get one that has all its surfaces in the room.

Well I don`t live in a farmhouse do I so was thinking I would have a hidden one , only have a small living room and don`t want it jutting out into the middle of the room

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Basically, ask a plumber what you would need as there's more to it than just plumbing it straight in.

Errr no, basically that's all that is required! Pressurised header tank means a fully pressurised system, why do you need that? This is a specialised solution and most woodburner solutions are defo not specialised!

Woodburners are low tech. Getting one with a boiler fitment is no problem. Getting an inset fire with boiler is no problem. Plumbing in to the CH/DHW system is (generally) no problem.

Badger I have a multi-fuel burner (wood or coal/peat) that runs my 4 bed house heating and hot water no problem. It is linked to a normal vented CH system with indirect DHW cylinder. You are most welcome to take a gander at the set up, feel the heat etc.

Final word about burning wood overnight with dampers closed. The wood needs to be VERY dry. Smouldering green (wet) wood will produce a lot of tar / creosote which will condense on your chimney lining and seep into the brick work joints. Eventually the tar build up will ignite when you have a good fire going, leading to a serious chimney fire that will burn into the mortar joints and cause structural damage to your house. Modern chimney liners make this less of a problem, but beware of what you are burning at low temps.

[yorkie_chris]

Mine's combi boiler, info was got from the stepdad talking to a plumber on a site somewhere