woodburning stoves

[Tomswan]

I thought I would ask here since members usually give more thought to these things than is generally the case. My old wood burner doesn't seem to be very efficient. It is also big. Friends have a Morso Squirrel which seems to blast out three times the heat mine does, despite being much smaller.

I know about burning dry wood, and I have picked up more info from talking to someone in the industry, but I would appreciate any anecdotal reflections on the merits of a few of the brands out there, if possible.
My thinking is to go for a smaller firebox so I am not having to burn half a forest to bring the thing up to temperature.

 

[StephenStephen]

Some amateur suggestions:
- Buy a copy of The Log Book - I use a lot less firewood since I read it.
-If you can have a single skin (rather than double skin) flue then do so.
- My personal experience is that the Squirrel is great, as is a Woodwarm or a Clearview.
-Get an ecofan, and a moisture probe
-My experience is that I need a woodburner which is rated half or one kW less than the online calculator recommend
-If you can provide an airfeed close to the stove it will cut down on draughts
-Don't use a stove for woodturning - use a lathe for that!

 

[foxhole]

How is it inefficient ?

 

[Burnerman]

Tom, is the large steel baffle in place or are the flames going straight up the chimney?
If you are considering renewing the stove and the installation allows it, there are stoves that get their combustion air from outside - which prevents internal draught.
Unfortunately the Squirrel doesn't have this facility.
Any stove over a 5kW rating require an external vent.
John

 

[Tomswan]

Some amateur suggestions:
- Buy a copy of The Log Book - I use a lot less firewood since I read it.
-If you can have a single skin (rather than double skin) flue then do so.
- My personal experience is that the Squirrel is great, as is a Woodwarm or a Clearview.
-Get an ecofan, and a moisture probe
-My experience is that I need a woodburner which is rated half or one kW less than the online calculator recommend
-If you can provide an airfeed close to the stove it will cut down on draughts
-Don't use a stove for woodturning - use a lathe for that!

First of all, I don't have a lathe, so I have to use the stove.
Thanks for the recommendations - I shall get a copy of that book. It also means I can look at alternatives to the Morso.

 

[Tomswan]

How is it inefficient ?

It seems to take a lot to get it up to temperature. It's a big stove with a large firebox, and I think it is too big for the space. It also has the single baffle as opposed to the newer multiple baffle arrangements of modern stoves. I believe that too much heat just disappears straight up the chimney and heats the sky. I would like to find out that is rubbish, since if I am doing something wrong it means not needing a new stove.

 

[Tomswan]

Tom, is the large steel baffle in place or are the flames going straight up the chimney?
If you are considering renewing the stove and the installation allows it, there are stoves that get their combustion air from outside - which prevents internal draught.
Unfortunately the Squirrel doesn't have this facility.
Any stove over a 5kW rating require an external vent.
John

The baffle is in place. I read about that getting air from outside. I suppose there's no reason a hole can't be knocked in the chimney stack to get that. The stack is on the outside of the house.

It's an old, leaky house and a total bastard to heat. I suppose then what happens is the fire creates convection currents, which means drawing in cold air from outside via all the gaps, which means cold air entering the house and mixing with the warm air before it gets to the stove. Whereas drawing directly from outside into the stove avoids that. makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Burnerman]

Do you have a flue pipe temperature gauge Tom?
Maybe you are over firing the stove and wasting fuel that way.
John

 

[JohnD]

I used to have a Morso multifuel, it was cleaner burning and probably more efficient than a simple wood burner.

What does your stove look like?

 

[JohnD]

If you have a wooden floor, you could perhaps put a brass grille in the floor in front of the stove for air entry from the void.

 

[Tomswan]

Do you have a flue pipe temperature gauge Tom?
Maybe you are over firing the stove and wasting fuel that way.
John

No. Its only list to get though. I don't think I am over firing, but then again I'm not discounting anything.

 

[Tomswan]

I used to have a Morso multifuel, it was cleaner burning and probably more efficient than a simple wood burner.

What does your stove look like?

Pretty basic with no ornamentation. My guess is pressed steel and budget. No brand name I can find.

 

[Tomswan]

If you have a wooden floor, you could perhaps put a brass grille in the floor in front of the stove for air entry from the void.

That's a very interesting idea. Have you seen this done? I do have a wooden floor and the cellar even in high summer is cool.

 

[JohnD]

I have seen it done in grand houses with baronial fireplaces (I suspect a Victorian addition) with a lever to shut the grille when not required.

I believe they had a duct concealed in the floor leading to an airbrick in the external wall.

I should think it could also ventilate the underfloor void.

 

[Tomswan]

I have seen it done in grand houses with baronial fireplaces (I suspect a Victorian addition) with a lever to shut the grille when not required.

I believe they had a duct concealed in the floor leading to an airbrick in the external wall.

I should think it could also ventilate the underfloor void.

Very interesting, thanks..