Getting ready for winter.

We are in the gradual process (Its been going on awhile) of altering and fitting out our kitchen.

We were chatting the other day about finishing off the last wall to do which had the old flue from where we moved the boiler from sticking out, when Mrs P remembered her parents had an old wood burner / oven hidden away in their garage.

You have guessed it Mr P's next task / job was planned for him.

We have collected it, re sealed a few of its joints and fitted it temporarily to see how we go through the winter. If it works out well it may well become a permanent feature, we will be getting a better and more nicer looking flue though.

So far we have boiled a kettle, took a little while and done some Beans. Tonight we are going to try for a cottage pie we may be a while!!

Before.
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After.
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Very clever, the kitchen will also be finished one day.

I was a bit envious when I saw the pictures without reading ...... thought that was going in your Dandy

Looking good

Love those we get the chimney swept next Friday then i can refit our solid fuel stove.

mike

Well it took nearly 3 hours but we got there.

No bad side effects today.

YUM YUM

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Helen,

If we were going to put it in Dylan or Phoenix we would definitely have to uprate the suspension units.

I've got my new mini oven that will cook probably half of that pizza at a time

I think the suspension will just about cope

Helen wrote:I've got my new mini oven that will cook probably half of that pizza at a time

I think the suspension will just about cope

Its a cottage pie Helen, by Mr P's own hands. Should have took the photo from a better angle. He will have to do another as that ones gone now.

And that's why I've booked myself in for an eye test on Tuesday

Helen wrote:And that's why I've booked myself in for an eye test on Tuesday

He feels better now you have said that and has stopped sulking quite so much.

It does look like a pizza from that angle though.

I wear glasses for reading but even with them everything's fuzzy ....... annoyed though I went to Asda thinking I'd get an eye test soon but they said I had to wait 10 days so decided to go to the local optitions but still have to wait a few days. I'll take another look at it when I have new glasses

that looks fantastic love the stove you will find that everything that is cooked in there tastes so much better because it's slow more flavour produced well done Mr P on the cottage pie

I am enthralled by solid fuel stoves. Many years ago I worked for the NCB / British Coal and ended up selling bulk domestic solid fuel.
I was first trying to work out what size it was as it looked too small to be within a house. Trying to guess if the tile marks were off standard 6" tiles.
Found a company still trading under the same name but they have no historical references on their page. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Found a posh looking one on a site relating to eBay sales [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Lots of Zebo required to make yours look like that. A a perfunctuary wire brush and Zebo covers a multitude of sins. I don't know if they put the instructions on the tube but just rubbing it on gives a matt black finish. A slight going over with a brush when dry produces a half gloss and going over harshly with a brush and cloth produces a shinier dark grey anthracite finish.
Another one on eBay but in less good condition [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] The first one with not only the size listed but the bars on top gave me a clue as to where these may have been used.

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This is a man I feel you would empathise with.

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Think I got all confused about you saying it went into a slot where a boiler used to stand. Didn't you mean it used to be there and you took it out refurbished it and re installed it? Otherwise it being a "controlled" service you are due all sorts of grief. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Sorry it's a farming area you live in isn't it. Does that loosely translate to Building Regulations don't think we have them here. The site I pulled that PDF from is The Solid Fuel Association loads of useful info there. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Your original statement about it being a wood burner. It all depends on the grate if it's a solid plate its made to burn wood if it has a grate then it's for coal/ solid fuel.

If you get bitten by the bug lots of bigger stoves and ranges crop up from the disillusioned on eBay. I'd say solid fuel is worthwhile if: 1)You find it so attractive that you don't mind the effort. 2) There is someone home all day then as they work best by ticking over all day they do become economic. If you had someone such as an elderly relative living with you who feels the cold they can be ideal.
3) Coal can still be bought relatively cheaply in bulk but manufactured smokeless is expensive, anthracite variable. However if you have access to free or cheap wood and will do a bit of work wood can be very cheap. It's more possible for the working person as it reaches temperature more quickly and as it doesn't idle for as long your not paying for a fire that is burning 4 hours after you went to bed. All woods need more frequent fuelling than coal, softwoods especially so. Though if you have a sawmill, timber merchant or just a joiners shop nearby that is paying to dispose of its waste free wood could power the stove in the evenings for 9 months of the year cutting down on central heating use or if the stove is powering a CH system then coal or manufactured fuel used for 3 months of the year.
As wood is considered carbon neutral you can get grants on wood and multifuel stoves. There are DEFRA approved stoves that burn wood smokelessly for those that live in smoke control zones.

Sometimes you can convert coal burning to wood by replacing the grate with medium thickness fire bricks,depends on the fire box front lip.the reason for this is with no through draft the wood burns slower,and the heat is less likley to damage the stove bottom.
We never burn anthracite or coke as it tends to get too hot for the design of our stove.

mike

We have a early version of this one with more brass on it,had it about 9 years now.

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mike wrote:Sometimes you can convert coal burning to wood by replacing the grate with medium thickness fire bricks,depends on the fire box front lip.the reason for this is with no through draft the wood burns slower,and the heat is less likley to damage the stove bottom.
We never burn anthracite or coke as it tends to get too hot for the design of our stove.

mike

Don't quite understand this. The use of bricks or even just a metal plate 3mm plus isn't so much to protect the fire as to give the wood an ash bed to burn on. Wood requires a draft from underneath but less than coal and more secondary air from above. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

There are some fiercely burning fuels the obvious one being Petcoke too reactive for almost all fires but used to blend into other fuels.
I have a high draught roomheater with various air leaks through age so I wouldn't burn a fuel that could be burnt on an open fire. Of all the fuels Anthracite requires the most draught to burn. If you can get anthracite to burn let alone burn at an overburning rate you must have a massive primary air draught in your stove.

Just had a look at the downloaded brochure. If this fire is set up to burn wood and bituminous coal I'm befuddled as to how it burns anthracite. For the sort of draught you need to burn the anthracite would have a bituminous coal fire beginning to melt the fire. I'm totally lost on this.

Tow Itch wrote:

mike wrote:Sometimes you can convert coal burning to wood by replacing the grate with medium thickness fire bricks,depends on the fire box front lip.the reason for this is with no through draft the wood burns slower,and the heat is less likley to damage the stove bottom.
We never burn anthracite or coke as it tends to get too hot for the design of our stove.

mike

Don't quite understand this. The use of bricks or even just a metal plate 3mm plus isn't so much to protect the fire as to give the wood an ash bed to burn on. Wood requires a draft from underneath but less than coal and more secondary air from above. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

There are some fiercely burning fuels the obvious one being Petcoke too reactive for almost all fires but used to blend into other fuels.
I have a high draught roomheater with various air leaks through age so I wouldn't burn a fuel that could be burnt on an open fire. Of all the fuels Anthracite requires the most draught to burn. If you can get anthracite to burn let alone burn at an overburning rate you must have a massive primary air draught in your stove.

Just had a look at the downloaded brochure. If this fire is set up to burn wood and bituminous coal I'm befuddled as to how it burns anthracite. For the sort of draught you need to burn the anthracite would have a bituminous coal fire beginning to melt the fire. I'm totally lost on this.

Possibly a case of experience against science,many years ago i split a stove through burning coke,and as you correctly say about the draught for burning anthracite,but if by chance you got it going it would be too much,as for a layer of fire bricks it works,my stove still has the original side fire bricks in perfect condition because i put extra ones around the sides it also needs less fuel to fill it.
My brother in-law has a dedicated wood burning stove and has laid fire bricks in the bottom for the last 30 years,think the bottom is the only panel that hasn't split,he also has two stoves that burn anthracite now that does glow when you look in at it

Tow Itch wrote: I am enthralled by solid fuel stoves. Many years ago I worked for the NCB / British Coal and ended up selling bulk domestic solid fuel.
I was first trying to work out what size it was as it looked too small to be within a house. Trying to guess if the tile marks were off standard 6" tiles.
Found a company still trading under the same name but they have no historical references on their page. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Found a posh looking one on a site relating to eBay sales [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Lots of Zebo required to make yours look like that. A a perfunctuary wire brush and Zebo covers a multitude of sins. I don't know if they put the instructions on the tube but just rubbing it on gives a matt black finish. A slight going over with a brush when dry produces a half gloss and going over harshly with a brush and cloth produces a shinier dark grey anthracite finish.
Another one on eBay but in less good condition [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] The first one with not only the size listed but the bars on top gave me a clue as to where these may have been used.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This is a man I feel you would empathise with.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Think I got all confused about you saying it went into a slot where a boiler used to stand. Didn't you mean it used to be there and you took it out refurbished it and re installed it? Otherwise it being a "controlled" service you are due all sorts of grief. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Sorry it's a farming area you live in isn't it. Does that loosely translate to Building Regulations don't think we have them here. The site I pulled that PDF from is The Solid Fuel Association loads of useful info there. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Your original statement about it being a wood burner. It all depends on the grate if it's a solid plate its made to burn wood if it has a grate then it's for coal/ solid fuel.

If you get bitten by the bug lots of bigger stoves and ranges crop up from the disillusioned on eBay. I'd say solid fuel is worthwhile if: 1)You find it so attractive that you don't mind the effort. 2) There is someone home all day then as they work best by ticking over all day they do become economic. If you had someone such as an elderly relative living with you who feels the cold they can be ideal.
3) Coal can still be bought relatively cheaply in bulk but manufactured smokeless is expensive, anthracite variable. However if you have access to free or cheap wood and will do a bit of work wood can be very cheap. It's more possible for the working person as it reaches temperature more quickly and as it doesn't idle for as long your not paying for a fire that is burning 4 hours after you went to bed. All woods need more frequent fuelling than coal, softwoods especially so. Though if you have a sawmill, timber merchant or just a joiners shop nearby that is paying to dispose of its waste free wood could power the stove in the evenings for 9 months of the year cutting down on central heating use or if the stove is powering a CH system then coal or manufactured fuel used for 3 months of the year.
As wood is considered carbon neutral you can get grants on wood and multifuel stoves. There are DEFRA approved stoves that burn wood smokelessly for those that live in smoke control zones.

Mr Itch,

You are right we have just revamped it and reinstalled it.

You are correct it has got a grate so is for coal / solid fuel. We do tend to get the odd pallet or 2 and have taken the odd 1 or 2 trees down, so it will be fed on a mixed diet.

Helen wrote:I was a bit envious when I saw the pictures without reading ...... thought that was going in your Dandy

Looking good

WOW Great Idea that Helen, cheap as chips heating and cooking no gas hik prices, jest burn rubish wood and logs.
May even use the dandy on xmas day then, were can i get 1 lol

Chimney swept,fire hole rebricked,flue fitted stove burning

Warm toes now then.

Toast and roasted chestnuts tonight then.

just had my central heating system replaced combie boiler and all rads now we are sitting in bikini's It's too HOT

Caz1960 wrote: just had my central heating system replaced combie boiler and all rads now we are sitting in bikini's It's too HOT

WOW What a way to enjoy life in warm home with not much on lol husband got a big grin then lol and it will soon be
the heat is makeing for holiday dreams in dandy.

Nice 1 all cosy and warm never mind the storm.
Let it blow let it rain, in here all cosy and hot
who needs a pot of tea, no it is drinkies for me .

Caz1960 wrote: just had my central heating system replaced combie boiler and all rads now we are sitting in bikini's It's too HOT

Come on Caz No's you know we all like pics.

believe me you won't like it oh ok but i'm having a bad hair day











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