Last year I blocked up my fireplace and started using an electric fire to boost the room temperature when it was cold. My thinking at the time was that it would be cheaper to use the electric fire when needed instead of buying coal/logs etc to build a real fire. I was also conscious that I was losing precious heat up the chimney when a fire wasn't lit (although when the fire is lit much of the heat goes up the chimney anyway!)
So tonight we pulled out the chimney balloon etc and lit a real fire. I think Emma liked it :-)
I had already been pondering on the feasibility of a woodburner as I really miss having one. Several nights this week when I've gone outside to put the chickens to bed I've smelled the lovely smell of my neighbours' woodburner. They really splashed out and installed one that heats 2 rooms. They're also convinced it warms the upstairs bedroom (ie the same one as mine) and that they rarely need the heating on.
I'm going to investigate costs ;-)
I had a wood burner in a previous house and it was effective. I've heard that some people haven't had heating on this mild winter. My view is the house will get damp if the heating isn't on sometime each day over winter.
ReplyDeleteThe woodburner in my last house often made the chimney wall in my bedroom above the sitting room quite warm so I never needed heating in there; there wasn't a trace of damp in the house, but we had the Rayburn too. I've a woodburner here upstairs, will be in use by next winter. Can't beat a real fire for lots of reasons :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I do think a woodburner would be your solution to this. It reverses the 20/80 heat retention in the house of an open fire and yet still warms the entire chimney cavity of the house keeping damp and mould at bay ..... and your dog would still love it ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe even open a cupboard door in the bedroom above the room the wood burner is in as it gets toasty warm in there. With all the interior doors of the house open the wood burner is enough to heat the whole house to a level that we only keep the central heating thermostat to a minimal 17 degrees so that it just kicks in first thing in the morning before the fire is lit.
If the chimney goes through your bedroom, the heat will warm the room.i so miss a real fire, our is an 1930's house without ant chimneys.
ReplyDeleteI loved my woodburner too, and miss it dearly, get a quote and start saving, you know you want to!
ReplyDelete