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There's a lot of talk about log burners and the alike. We're just getting a sexy one fitted soon, and it got me wondering what kinds of things other people have, and their logic behind why they got them.

So, go on then, what kind of log burner do you have, and why did you decide to go with that specific kind?

Did you get it plumbed in, freestanding, inset, or what?
my home has always had an open fire of one sort or another ,i moved in 20 yrs ago and it had a newish fire with cast iron front doors with glass windows.
its great it heats 8 rads and provides all my hot water, i burn old kitchens anything found in skips and factory waste wood .
all free just ask.
i asked the guy who looks after them how much to fit the same one about 5/6 k to me a bargin.
how much to heat a home a week £25/35 thats now what will it cost say in 5/10 years time.
it will pay for its self soon enough.
plus i always get wood for fencing , wood stores ,decking , all free the more you go out looking for wood the better you get at it.

draw backs, cleaning them out never a nice job, and the dustman wont take the ash, living room carpets always get burn marks on them, answer cheap car boot rugs ect.

good luck with yours s13
Sunna, if you make sure the rug in front of the fire is pure wool it won't burn like polyester/plastic carpets, it will just smoulder and the mark can be brushed off.
thanks mary , will do...Smile
Put in brand new system around 8 months ago , its a dual system Lpg gas....has become the backup because of costs , the main system for the cottage is the STRATFORD ECOBOILER EB25HE = 125,000 btu s output , ticked all the boxes for our needs and price was good at £2100 .00 for the unit ....this runs 15 rads along with loads of hot water .....it does the job well ....down side it eats wood in cold weather....big time. secondary back up is wood burner only cheap crap off fleabay cost £320 12 Kw but does the job...never buy cheap crap again !!!!!! backup no 3 is fitted in my music room ( double garage ) its a RAYBURN ROYAL old one 60 - 70s this runs 1 rad at moment but adding 2 more lashings of hot water can cook on top plate ( kettle is always on ) main oven plus warming oven very very very cheap to run, easy to get parts....always keep a spare riddling wheel if you have a rayburn....plus spare fire board blocks the 9 inc x 5 inc type ( these cut easy with a tennon saw ) you do not need the fire bricks these are expensive, by FAR the RAYBURN is the best allrounder I paid £300 for it ten years ago BELT AND BRACERS this is the BEST for any prepper/survivalist ......and my pride n joy , backup no 4 barrel stove 8 Kw over the main garage...£100 its sort of ok backup no 5 wood stove I made from empty gas bottle can cook on it .....its alright if I have to bug out sharp, one thing S13 a good supply of dry well seasoned wood is a must for a winter supply you WILL need a min of 4.5 cords of wood ......cord of wood = 8ft long x 4ft wide x 4ft tall, I used 6 cords last winter and 2 tons of coal just for the stratford so when you go tenting....get yourself a trailer to bring home the wood.....you will not be doing much else pal.
Main stove is a Rayburn type affair, large hot plate with various heat levels and built in oven with glass door, thermometer and towel warming rail. Burns wood or coal. connected to a very large thermal heat store, not radiators. This unit heats kitchen, living room and bathroom as well as providing a permanent supply of hot tea.

#2 is a tall thin wood and coal burner with a lidded hot plate on top. This is used to heat the back bedroom

#3 a conventional wood/coal burner, also with a lidded hotplate on top. Currently just sitting in reserve.

#4 Inglenook type affair known locally as a black kitchen. this is built into the main chimney, and comprises of a fire pit and several small ovens. This is the cooking device of last resort

#5 don't know if this really counts, but main chimney also has smoking racks within it to take advantage of exhaust fumes from the main wood burner.
Mine is a very simple cast iron box stove. It lives on the screen porch right now, providing roasted marshmellows and hot dogs, but could be moved inside as needed if I can round up six men and three small boys for the lift.

http://www.atgstores.com/fireplaces/voge...lsrc=aw.ds
Wood-burning Rayburn in the kitchen, providing cooking, some space-heating and feeding a thermal store to run radiators and hot water. Supported by external oil-fed boiler which also feeds the thermal store. Thermal store has a 3kW immersion heater as a back-up.

We run the Rayburn 24/7 from October through April. During the summer hot water is provided from the oil boiler and we cook on an electric oven/hob in the utility room.

The oil boiler and the circulation pump for the radiators need electricity, but the Rayburn doesn't. In a grid-down situation it still provides cooking, some space heating and hot water for baths, showers and the kitchen.
Update for anyone considering a wood-burning stove.

This last week temperatures where we are have been at freezing by day and down to -5 or6 by night.

Last night we dropped to just short of -11C

The house is single storey, approx. 100 sq metres living space and is entirely heated by the main 7 to 12 kw wood burning stove.

All week we have been firing the stove for 4 or 5 hours a night, burning approx. 10Kg of wood per day.

The result is that the house is retaining a 20C+ inside temperature between firing.

The point of the post is to advise anyone who is assessing viability of wood burning stoves, that 7 - 12kw is sufficient for comfortable survival in a normal 3 bed house.

I estimate that we are using nearer to the lower end of that power rating.