Living with a multifuel stove

They say a picture can say a thousand words. I'll set the scene, raining, dark, cold, central heating turned off.

Sounds miserable? Indeed it does.

Unless you have a multifuel or woodburning stove!

I'm lucky enough to have the fantastic Firebelly FB1 multifuel stove installed from our range of stoves. I installed it with my engineers (check out http://www.hwood.co.uk/).

I light it every night when I come in from work (5 ish), once lit and working (after 1/2hr ish) the living room is lovely and warm.

Our heating does not need to be on after that point... so for the rest of the evening the warmth from the stove permeates around my ground floor (some 720 square feet), it trickles upstairs ... the flue (chimney) naturally passes through my eldest daugthers room, this naturally warms the room.

So ... for the past four week since installing this stove I have not used my gas heating (high efficiency band A boiler) at all during the evenings.

We burn seasoned timber from managed sources and now ... well now, we have just found a fantastic supplier of biofuel logs form from the remenants of rapeseed oil production.

More about the biofuel in the next post.

The enclosed picture is untouched, enjoy :-)

Using wood for heating - Climate Change bill highlights this!

On the 14th November 2007, the House of Lords introduced the CLIMATE CHANGE BILL. This ensures that the Secretary of State has a duty to reduce the NET carbon emissions of the UK in 2050 to 60% of the "targeted" greenhouses gases measured in 1990.

PHEW!!!! Why, oh why, can't they use simple English?

Logically, it is now seen that wood based fuels (biomass, natural timbers) and hence wood burning appliances can be a major part of the reduction process.

Think of it this way, in an existing dwelling, usually pre 1950, you can normally find a traditional brick built chimney.

This chimney is sometimes utilised for an existing open flued, highly inefficient gas or smokeless fuel (solid fuel) appliance (PRIMARY HEATING). Upgrading this appliance to a NEW higher efficiency wood or wood pellet HEATING stove will both lower NETT carbon emissions, it is usually the EASIEST way to introduce RENEWABLE energy sources to the home and, with few exceptions, the picture from the firebox (flames) are a real heart warming sight!

If the chimney is utilised for a gas fire (SECONDARY HEATING), then testing and altering the installation to suit a wood or wood pellet NON HEATING stove can both aethestically improve the looks of the room in which it is situated and also, naturally lower the NETT carbon emission of the property.

Wood and timber is easily sourced for the majority of us. There are also a vast array of online suppliers of suitable fuels, should easy access to a local source not be available.. However, local sources are sometimes FREE, thus overall heating costs are also reduced.

Thus if wood or wood products are used, ALONGSIDE high efficiency gas (or oil) boilers and even possibly with other renewables such as AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS or SOLAR, the carbon footprint of the house can be dramatically reduced.

Our company specialises in SOLID FUEL, GAS and RENEWABLE installations. Just email me -

phil@ hwood.co.uk

I'll help wherever I can.

As a note I have an AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP (ASHP) fitted at home, in tandem with a BAND A high efficiency gas boiler. I am also fitting a FIREBELLY wood burning stove to suppliment my heating. A further blog will be coming regarding the ASHP; it's installation and full running details.