I'm thinking about replacing my gas fire with a wood burner....

Am I mad for doing so? Can anyone on here tell me if there are any drawbacks to having a wood burner for a main living room fire (other than cleaning it out).

Cheers in advance.

 

No you are not mad at all, although I would say that a bi-fuel burner is better than just a wood burner.
Here on the boat we have a bi fuel, means we can use wood/logs or coal/smokeless , The wood gives off plenty of heat but it does need to be attended to more than when we use coal.
Last winter the river where we are moored froze over and you know it was the coldest winter for years, but we were sat inside with the fire going, in just shorts and t-shirts. It was the warmest I have ever been during winter in my life.
Go for it mate, I am sure you will not regret it.

 

Cheers Mark! I had no idea that you lived on a boat. it's something I've often thought about, wouldn't be able to talk my Mrs into it though.

 

A single wood based oven is the only thing i us. Living in norway means that we regularly get temps below minus 10-15 celcius. The single wood burner is more than enough to heat my house. I recommend birchwood as the main eating source.. Pinewood will leave your house and everything else in it smelling of furn!

 

I'm thinking about having one installed, anyone know any reputable places / websites to go and look?

 

Be prepared to spend all your time bunnywooding and to bury your back garden in piles of wood.
A bloke I know had to buy a tractor and trailer, which he parks on his drive, to keep his stove fed. Mind you, he lives in Ryhill, so that's nowt out of the ordinary.
And you might want to buy a chainsaw.

 

you have to check with council before installing as your area may be classed as smoke free and woodburners cant now be installed in these areas mate. BIG fine if they catch you and written permission to install isnt given. £10000 I think plus you have to remove it within 48 hours

 

Me and my better half have spent a fair bit of time holidaying in Norway (and Sweden), absolutely love the place, whereabouts in Norway do you live Westie?

 

I've got one at home in Germany. As others say, you need to spend a lot of time hunting around for wood. You can buy it but that sort of defeats the object. Also you need to let your wood dry out for at least a year, preferably two. If you burn it wet you will eventually damage your stove. Great in the winter as Mark says.

There's a great little shop at Wentworth not far from Tarn http://www.cottagefires.com/

The smoke regulations need to be looked at but some stoves are cleared for use in smokeless zones.

 

I'll have a look at them, thanks.