in the old open fires farmers would put a steel plough disk in the back of the fire to hold the heat but at the end of the day wood fires are a waste of time ...any Australian wood heater , such as coonara , would be a great improvement, wood heating isn't that cheap but an enclosed fire should be far better then the old open fire...

We have both natural gas and wood... if it's a cold weekend we get the wood fire going as it'll heat the entire house... I'll sit around in shorts on freezing day  it gets so warm 

Ignore that.
Look for a good Combustion Heater, they are plentiful and most are very efficient heaters, plus glass-fronted ones are excellent visually and great mood-setters.
It's simple technology and quite cost-effective still. Use Mallee roots or similar hardwoods for best effect, they burn slow and hot. Some Combustion Heaters have cooking tops too, another bonus, great for winter soups and slow-cooking.
Look around, what you get will largely depend on what you're prepared to pay, and in this as in so much else, you really do get what you pay for. Buying cheap can easily be a false economy.
Good luck. 

combustion heaters will shortly be banned for very good reason, dont waste your money.

---

ian wrote on Jul 5^th, 2014 at 9:29pm:


What makes you think that?
Not disputing, but very curious, I haven't heard any such rumour. As far as I was aware such things are local council controlled, but I don't claim any authority on it.
The old farmhouse I raised my brood in had a huge, centrally located wood stove, it served as heater and cooker every winter, and performed brilliantly at both functions, it never went out.Lighting and extinguishing it became annual rituals too, with little ceremonies and privileges for the kinder as they grew, it was great fun and happy memories for them now.
There's an atavistic pleasure in fires, it's a primitive thing, and the one thing that truly separates us from the animal kingdom, it would be a real shame to rob our kids, and ourselves, of that. 

I love nothing better than a wood fire BBQ, it lends a flavour nothing else can match.
I usually build my own, and it once led to an amusing arvo. We were living right opposite the local CFS station, I lit the fire and helpful people driving past saw flames leaping and called the Firies, bless their little black hearts, lol.
Those volunteers arrived in minutes, screeching in and hurriedly suiting up, blocked the traffic in both directions, and drove across the road. By the time this was accomplished the fire was down to coals of course. If even ONE of them had thought to actually WALK over and check a lot of drama could have been avoided! 
Naturally I invited them to stay for the barbie, so a couple of them did, and a great arvo was had by all concerned!
I'll never forget the look on their faces as they stood atop their fire-truck, looming over the fence at the kids and I and a few friends sitting quietly around the barbie, beers in hand and wondering WTF was going on! 
A priceless moment, and memory! 

austranger wrote on Jul 5^th, 2014 at 11:53pm:



those where the days my friend....

my sons house is heritage old as old think it might be one of the first built in ACT...it also has the stove still in the kitchen area.. and they do light that from time to time..but like most of the old fashioned things the real heat goes up the chimney... and the wood burns away so fast..

he has a fire place in the lounge room more wide than deep....so thats where any heater would have to go.. as you can imagine the rooms are real pokey one I have seen would fit [i think]in there but its quite expensive so not too sure...


coal burning is banned but think wood is okay...

austranger wrote on Jul 5^th, 2014 at 9:27pm:




... as long as ... if if if ....

What a load of pre-conditions, 'buts' and 'ifs' to ensure you're not going to force your neighbours to choke on your heating effluent.

The law states that you can use your old inefficient pot-bellied wood-fire heater for as long as it is still usable in your lounge-room, but when and if you buy a new one you then must buy one of the modern double-combusting ones that re-burns the particulates in the flue.

And so ... we who live in the Sydney suburbs will have to wait at least a couple of generations before these old crocks finally go past their Use By date.

Meeeeanwhile we'll just have to keep sucking in the neighbour's carcinogenic toxic fumes ... and there's not a damn thing the law can do about it.

At least it's not as bad as my Italian neighbour's backyard burning bin where before she left for other parts used to burn her granddaughter's disposable nappies and the family's sanitary towels ... with the smell being so disgusting that it could euthanase birds flying over her property.

 

If you can afford it get a Jotul. Norwegian I think they are. They may be the most expensive but they are cast iron and last for ever. You can get them at BBQ Galore these days.

I'm just about to go and chop some wood, so up yours Greens!

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 1:16pm:


Long-lasting shouldn't be the priority. Efficient burners that burn off the floating particulates from the initial burning is the best there is.

In the UK the smell of wood fires was beautiful, but you didn't see your neighbours coming home with box-trailers full of scrounged timbers that were saturated in grease, paint, copper sulphate, and christ-knows-what-else.

Lord Herbert wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 1:37pm:




herb dob them in....that is as far as I know illegal..they are not even allowed to burn that at the dumps.... tell the powers that be you have asthma and will die if they dont do something.

they will send a heating hitler round..it sounds revolting.....we lived next door to Indians in London and they must have lived on cabbage... and they were always burning it...OMG..

Lord Herbert wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 8:18am:

I was under the impression we were discussing the purchase of a new one, so we're both right, in a sense.
Buying wood for a fire is cost-effective for heating, as long as you approach it the same way as any other household purchase. You don't do your regular shopping at deli's and service-stations do you?
There are proper places to buy good firewood and with a little looking around anyone can sort out which is cheaper and/or carries an appropriate supply. I found that it worked out cheaper going into the rural area to buy too, even with the costs of transport included, better wood for lower prices.
If you buy in sufficient quantities most places will deliver too. Chopping up your own wood is also d*mn good exercise, a health plus.
Another tactic that worked for me as an occasional thing, get to know any local tree removalists, they often have wood they're willing to sell cheap, if you have the space to store it as it dries that is, unless it's already well dead and suitable for immediate use, that can and does happen too.
I was lucky with my wood stove, it was a true monster that was installed in the original build and had been set up as the heat source for the whole house from the beginning.
When the house was demolished they had to tear down walls and bring in a crane to remove it! It was shipped to Sydney for auction, I'd love to know what it sold for, people in the supply side suggested it would be several thousand at least! The antique enamel-tin tiling around it was sold at nearly a $thou per square metre, it's a rare antique now! That house also had three beautiful Art-Noveau fireplaces which were sent to auction, in England! 

Lord Herbert wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 5:28pm:

So true, unfortunately, and that sort of problem is getting more widespread every year, courtesy of modern parenting and a ludicrously inadequate education system.

Bike licenses, banning wood heaters....  is there nothing these red tape crazies dont want regulated?

Vic wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 4:21pm:


Correct!

I actually laughed out loud when I saw these piles of small bags with woodfire timber going for $12 each at Bunnings. That's fine for the moneyed elite on the North Shore, but in most of Sydney you couldn't find anyone so insane as to pay that price while at no cost rotting and derelict fences and railway sleepers are only a short distance away in any direction.
 
Vic wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 4:21pm:


For myself, I like heat in winter ~ lots of it ... and not just centred around a small little pot-bellied stove with a mica-windowed gate for filling and stoking. I run a 2.75hp split-system wall heater almost all day long ... because that's why they invented electricity.

*****
Looks good, Buzz!.

When my aunt was growing up in Russia she and the whole family slept in a wide bed that was on top of the cooking-plus-heating stove made of brick.

austranger wrote on Jul 5^th, 2014 at 11:53pm:

A BIG FAT case of ENVY

This sort of bitterness is a standard response from the 'have-nots'

buzzanddidj wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 7:47pm:


Correct!

But not only that, my nutty neighbour with the inefficient wood-burner spends bloody hours of his weekends driving around to bring the shite home to burn ... and then chopping into sizable pieces ... and then the chainsaw ... and then the shovel-and-pan to get the ashes out ... and then the stink of burning treated timbers must be in his own home as well ... and then he has neighbours who hate him because of the smoke and the stink.



He's kidding himself that he's doing something smart.

Dumb ... really dumb.

And then to top it off he's installed large tanks to collect rain-water ... which requires an electrical pump to spray the lawn! 

Dumb ... dumber.

Lord Herbert wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 8:19pm:


maybe he enjoys spending his weekends looking for firewood ?...

and whats wrong with the water tank? he wants a green lawn and wants to save on water, with no tank he'd still spray his lawn but use tap water .. those pumps use bugger all in electricity ...

why are you always so negative?

miketrees wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 8:00pm:



thank for all the input I am more confused than ever......the trouble is its a govy house...which does have electric heaters but the bills come in at $800...no gas connection...open fireplace and he has a mate who has land and hes allowed to collect the wood... I know but what else can he do?, but the open fire burns the wood at a terrific rate  and most heat goes up the chimney...reminds me of England... the winter time here is pretty short when you think of the northern hemisphere....I was hoping I could maybe meet them half way on the cost...I personally love a fire the red glow alone does it for me...BUT there are many BUTS are there not?..I would just want something cheap cheerful and works..LOL..

dont we all?


I remember hot  front freezing back...lol...I also remember toast made on the open fire. delish

ian wrote on Jul 5^th, 2014 at 9:29pm:


fair dinkum, you talk more poo than a dung beetle... 

Lord Herbert wrote on Jul 7^th, 2014 at 7:41am:


Does that emit smellable smoke?

True Blue... wrote on Jul 7^th, 2014 at 5:32pm:




You got that wrong!

Dung beetles walk their poo, not talk it.

You owe Ian an apology. 

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.

austranger wrote on Jul 8^th, 2014 at 12:22am:
Oh, how wonderful and enchanting. all sorts of occassions and moments, I cant contain myself with the absolute delightfulness of it.

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 8^th, 2014 at 10:31am:




people forget..wood has been burning naturally for millions of years...in fact in this country if it wasnt for fire.. we wouldnt have any native flora from what I can make out....

we live in funny times...

suddenly burning of wood is the enemy...yet year in year out we have natural bush fires all over the world America is very very prone....

goodness me to my knowledge it didnt just start with the industrial revolution..

and its a natural culling  and part of evolution....

it wouldnt happen I am sure it it wasnt part of the       bigger scheme

cods wrote on Jul 8^th, 2014 at 11:02am:

It's been quoted...."Fire is a good servant, but a bad master."
And, all things in moderation, there was evidence of natural bushfires in Australia before colonization. But, when we have a lot of logging done, and then in this day and age, with what trees we have left, with accidental or deliberately lit fires to destroy it....that is where it's not at all helpful to any flora, fauna, native animals and people and their loss of homes (eg: we have had some really bad fires in our area and a lot of loss).
This is where it is not a natural balance.
Nothing exceeds like excess, and I mean, the way the trees are being torn down for profit, is where we have gone wrong.
Our property, when any trees die of their own natural causes, we clean it up and utilize it for heating, and we also replant native trees and shrubs. This we consider a balance.

Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2014 at 11:56am:
correct, and we no longer huddle around fires in a damp cave.

ian wrote on Jul 8^th, 2014 at 11:18am:


The bears used the toilets.

bogarde73 wrote on Jul 6^th, 2014 at 3:45pm:


I knew there was a timber I forgot to mention and it came to me today (slow retrieval): she-oak. A beautiful burning wood if you get it before it dies or hasn't been dead too long, otherwise it goes pulpy.
In the old days, so I'm told, bakers used to use it in ovens because it burns so hot.