John Smith wrote on Jul 7^th, 2014 at 5:44pm:


we used to have bottled gas in our house as kids.. we'd go through two bottles a month...

and since then.. bottled gas is like 10 times the price...

they already have wood and access to it so just go wood... but go more efficient like cods says..

they also belt out 10 times the heat as an open fire..

we rented a house when I first got married waiting for the new house to be built...

it only had an open fire and we were fricken freezing for those three months... 

Aussie wrote on Jul 7^th, 2014 at 5:48pm:


In a field with cow pats.

True Blue... wrote on Jul 7^th, 2014 at 5:49pm:


2 bottles a month? were you using it for cooking and hot water too?

Lord Herbert wrote on Jul 7^th, 2014 at 5:51pm:


Really?  Did it have a name?

miketrees wrote on Jul 7^th, 2014 at 9:15pm:


easy, leave the logs outside and open the door.

cods wrote on Jul 5^th, 2014 at 7:08pm:


Okay, here is what I have learnt from something like 30 years of having a wood burning heater.

Our last place, had an open fireplace, and yep, all the heat went up the chimney, then we found where the Coonara factory was, and measured up so that the sides were extended for a insertable fireplace wood burner. And the best thing about this type of fireplace insert, is you don't have to worry about the extra $ for flue installation. Needs no flue.

And this truly did mark the event for us, it did a fantastic job.

We live in another abode now, (next township, only 5 mins up the road)...and bought a different brand 'free standing' wood heater, with big flue and all.

Well, one thing we found, compared to our other wood heater, this one didn't have an 'ash door with a removable ash draw'.....to clean out the build up of ash.

And the reason that is a problem....because, we have to wait until the fireplace is dead cold before we can clean it out, and have to have other heating on instead of this.

Whereas with the Coonara with the removable ash draw/tray, you can remove the ash whilst the fire is still roaring.

So that's one thing I learnt.

And the next thing, wood ain't wood.

If you are in a woody area with trees naturally dying and falling (where we live on acreage that is what happens)....you need a good strong back, a chain saw, a trailer on tractor to cart it off the property to somewhere where you can store the wood (unless it's been dead and standing for a while)....if the wood is green, you need at least a year before you can burn it.
So then, you do need a good axe to split the wood (we bought a wood splitter that picks up the logs and splits it).
Otherwise, you have to use an axe to split the wood.

Then have somewhere dry to store it.

Of course, if you buy it, around our area, it goes for something like $80 to $100 per cubic metre.

Then there is redgum, and a trifle more expensive, probably about $130-140 square cubic metre.

We have a Rinnai LPG heater as a back up, but LPG is not cheap, so it's only an occasional.

One thing I wish, that this free standing heater had a hotplate on top, to put on the kettle or soup or stew etc.

Re: the slow combustion heaters, they truly are a gem, our friends in the old farm house still have one, and it keeps the place warm, as well as cooking on it, and heats their water up also.

I remember in our last place, the neighbour was a fencing contractor, and he occasionally gave us the old red gum posts that was demolished when the new fence would be put up....gosh, that was the best wood ever!
Some were something like 100 years old...in fact, I sneakly saved some of them, in a big plastic bag, in the back office room because I reckon it's too nice to burn.

Also, we had friends of friends, that have a furniture factory, where they have heaps of wood dust, that they compress together, and make eco logs, but could not rid of it as it was excessive, and a few of us in the area went to pick it all up, and those eco logs, are fantastic...burn clean.

Hey LL, here's a tip re' cleaning out ash that may assist you.
What I always did with my wood stove was allow it to burn down to coals, then use a poker to push those to one side, scrape out the ash from the other side, use the poker to roll the coals back across to the cleaned side and remove the rest of the ash, coals back to the centre, add wood, and away she goes again. This removes the need for other heating entirely, and you get only a little warm while doing it as it doesn't take very long.
Hope that helps. 

Quote:


Oh yes, we have done it whilst some red coals still in there, and we use a steel tin to put in the hot ash to take outside to cool off...but compared to the way the coonara was built, it was a hellova lot better.

Also, have you noticed, when you go to shovel out the ash, it makes a lot of airborn ash dust...so, we have the vacuum suction going to clear that...but to be careful not to suck up any hot ash.....

I still prefer that anyone buying a wood heater, to get the easier way of cleaning, with the removable tray.

Oh, and another thing with the comparisons.....this upmarket version, when you want to put in more wood, have to open the vent, jar the door, and wait for the smoke to settle, but with the wood heaters with draws at the bottom of the fire grid, all you have to do is open that, and the smoke goes upwards, and voila, put your wood in without too much smoke filling the room.