Woodstoves

[Watch-keeper]

I witnessed a masonry stove being deconstructed in a very basic (2 room) eastern European house a few years ago. It was a very simple construction, it must have worked reasonably well as it had been there long enough for the hinges to be almost worn out.
It was just a large brick-wall container with the burner boxes and oven set in to the sides and then the rest of the space filled with rocks sand and dirt. The brick shell was around 2.5 x 3 x 4 feet in size. It had 2 burner boxes one below the oven and one below the hotplate and the flues ran through the rest of the construction. It was clearly a home made device and I would hazard a guess the burner boxes and oven may have been home made too. I only have a picture after most of it was removed but you can see the filling on the floor and in the wheelbarrow and the bricks used for the exterior.

 

[GreyCat]

I would also worry what the house insurance companies would think of one. I do find the mainstream companies don't like anything nonstandard.

It's that and the building Regs that made my mind up, as well as the cost.

Same money as one Masonry stoves gets me a refurbished Rayburn Royale plus 3 other modern high efficiency multifuel stoves.

The chimneys for 3 of then run through inside the house and the other is in a thick wall 1 metre or so), so getting a similar benefit but in more rooms.......

GC

 

[Falstaff]

It's that and the building Regs that made my mind up, as well as the cost.

Same money as one Masonry stoves gets me a refurbished Rayburn Royale plus 3 other modern high efficiency multifuel stoves.

The chimneys for 3 of then run through inside the house and the other is in a thick wall 1 metre or so), so getting a similar benefit but in more rooms.......

GC

I have certified, swept/serviced 3 masonry stoves that came from Bulgaria and were installed in the UK. They are very clever at routing the "exhaust" through various channels within the masonry. It takes time to heat up the masonry, which, in a sole heat source for the building in the depths of winter is what you want.
I was only able to certify it to HETAS because it was a tested and manufactured design. It would be very difficult to design and make your own to pass Regs, but not impossible. However, modern stoves to Clearskies Design are now so good that I wouldn't bother.

@British Red/others - I'm curious, as your sole heat source, how much wood do you burn per year, and where do you get it from?
There is some data around that suggests a Cord and a half (Cord=8'x4'x4' high) per year, and area of woodland required to self sustain that. ( think it was 17 acres but might be wrong)

 

[Broch]

@British Red/others - I'm curious, as your sole heat source, how much wood do you burn per year, and where do you get it from?
There is some data around that suggests a Cord and a half (Cord=8'x4'x4' high) per year, and area of woodland required to self sustain that. ( think it was 17 acres but might be wrong)

I don't think our burner uses that but our hot water is on oil and the burner is our only heating during the main part of the day and evening. I suspect a modern log burner would burn less than 2/3rds the cord and a half (so around a cord ) based on how much more efficient our new log burner is compared with the old Villager.

I have around 20 acres of woodland but only use windfall and thinning at the moment. We have plenty of ash coming down so I don't need to fell healthy trees for now.

 

[British Red]

@British Red/others - I'm curious, as your sole heat source, how much wood do you burn per year, and where do you get it from?
There is some data around that suggests a Cord and a half (Cord=8'x4'x4' high) per year, and area of woodland required to self sustain that. ( think it was 17 acres but might be wrong)

Hi,

Amount of wood varies tremendously by type - I have always thought that weight would be a better measure than volume. we generally season our wood in wooden veg crates that hold about 2 cubic metres of wood. we burn pretty much anything. Pine and spruce needs really good seasoning, elder is very light when dry, ash, oak and especially holly are super dense and burn for a long time. Assuming a mix of wood types, all seasoned to below 20% moisture, 5 bins is average so 2 to 3 cords. Our wood is waste wood from tree surgeon friends - prunings, dead and diseased trees etc. It's now illegal to sell firewood unseasoned under 2 cubic metres but we can easily take large loads and season ourselves which is fine. We have capacity for 60 cubic metres which gives at least 3 years cover ( we give some away to older neighbours & people who can't physically process their own)