Since the house has a fireplace I though why not take advantage and use it, I am thinking it would lower my gas bill.
So I am asking for some advice. Where do I start? Well I was told about some law passed in 1956, the Clean Air Act… and apparently all London has some kind of Smoke Control. I called Havering Environmental Section and asked about this and the nice woman on the phone couldn’t really say much except that she can’t see why I couldn’t use my fireplace for heating using normal wood, bonfires are allowed in Havering… to be safe I did e-mail the council asking for a confirmation (if any of you kno anything about this please let me know).
Now the next steps… and the ones I will probably need the most help with:)
Checking the fireplace out, assume I need a sweeper? any recomandations in the Romford and Essex area? Firewood… same, any idea where I can buy a nice truckload in the Essex area? B&Q seels it quite expensive:) I fell for it and got a small bag of (what I can only call decorative wood for £6) to have it in the fireplace so it looks nice.
My shopping list extends to: Fire guard, fire tool set and a fire basket. (if any of you have some you don’t use and feel like donating let me know:P)
Stuff I might need to know and advice is appreciated it: when to buy the wood, where to store it, what kind of wood to get, how to actually light a fire and keep it going, anything else that I missed?
Before you consider lighting a fire check that the chimney pots have not been covered over with clay covers (sometimes called “elephants feet”). Most of them are now. You will just get a room full of smoke if you use the fireplace. They can usually be lifted off.
Aye that’s why I would have it checked out and cleaned first. I had a look at that website and saw Havering apparently has the law… but when I called the council I was told it is OK to use my fireplace. I will wait for an answer from them by e-mail since I rather have it in writing.
Are them eco logs any good Adz? How many do you need for a year or at least the colder months? I see they only have 2 prices 30 bags at £135 and 67 at £252 + £48 PP
When I was a child in the 60s about 80% of homes were heated by an open fire. Now almost none are even though this has meant people investing £1000s in central heating etc. There are plenty of reasons for that. It isn’t cheap unless you have a free supply of fuel, it is a lot of work, and is very messy. By all means do it for cosmetic reasons as an accaisional treat - there is something about siting in front of a real fire, but having grown up with it, and seen the work my parents put into it, I wouldn’t recommend it as a regular method of heating.
Not sure really…never had to use them as a primary source of heat, more as a treat. But they do “throw out” more heat than “normal” wood.
Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but I have never had to use just a fire for heating…as Guiliano said, the traditional methods require a great deal of work.
For more cost effective heating…the Swedish really have the market cornered, but initial outlay would be more costly than just using your existing fireplace.
my grandparents had only wood heating in the house and was very hot, they used ceramic stoves and once they decided to get gas installed they simply put the gas pipes inside the stove no radiators or central heating installed, fire the gas inside the stove like a normal cooker and the ceramic stove heats up nicely.
Can’t remember how much work it was, but I just saw them pick the ash in teh tray and clean it then put more wood on the fire:)
I would only use it for living room and probably instead of switching on the central heating. Downstairs is colder than upstairs and it is a pain to put heating on just to match the upstairs temperature.
When my ex and I moved to a house in Newbury, the only heating was an open fire.I had to get up early every morning to lay the fire, gather up ****-loads of wood, keep a good supply of coal (much better than wood for heat) and then clean it all out every day, too.
And the other rooms were still bloody cold.
It is a pain in the arse, but it’s nice to have a proper fire to sit by - seems to satisfy the savage in a chap
I would certainly get the chimney swept the first time by a pro. But buy a set of drain rods (you can use em and the tools for unblocking your drains as well) and a chimney brush from somewhere like Screwfix Direct or a good builders merchants, and do it yourself. I’ve done this for a number of years. In order to stop the soot flying everywhere cut a piece of old towel to the size of the fireplace. Put a small hole in the middle, gaffertape the towel round the fireplace and rod away. (First having put the brush and first rod through the hole obviously). You can buy little smoke bombs from builders merchants to burn in the fireplace to test it. You can see the smoke coming out of the chimney pot and also if it leaks out through any hole in the stack into areas you do not want smoke. Like a bedroom.
I’ve not come across anyone getting busted for infringing the Clean Air Act.
I am about to have a Scandanavian cast iron dual fuel (Wood/Coal) stove put in that is incredibly effcient and very warm. It has a system that gives a secondary burn to the smoke so you get extra heat for free that would normally be wasted. And is totally legal within the building regs and blah blah blah.
compny i work for based near heathrow sell firewood
open fire … go for thelikes of ash ,sycamore,oak
do not go for any softwood/pine as this will spit embers all over the floor
same as poplar,willow chesnut (horse and sweet )
ash will burn green ( freshly cut) but burns better seasoned
Beechwood fires are bright and clear.
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut’s only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold.
Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E’en the very flames are cold
But Ash green or Ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown. Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter’s cold
But Ash wet or Ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.
wood burners /stove type/enclosed burn any of above and if the glass smokes up etc try burning a bit of poplar as this has been known to clean the glass by itself …
anyway best time to buy is anytime really but make sure its well seasoned if wanting to burn straight away… or if you buy to stock up to burn in about 6-8 months time then unseasoned will be fine …
storage … either build a small lean to and place pallets or similar to keep them off floor and thn stack them on top of each other …in shed ,large pile covered with tarp but again try and get them off the floor somehow.
but i would recommend it that air can circulate around as if any damp it will create mould …
most are about £ 80-120 for a transit tipper load but some will charge more and thats split
dont go for bags if your using a lot its a rip off …
also beware of silver birch if you have any latex based allergies as the sap contains latex similarities …
I am based in Romford but would gladly a trailr to the car just for gathering wood:) So I could come any place around London if it saves some of my gas bill.
we cut down some tree’s a while back, got loads of branches sitting in the garden, no more big logs i think, another member off here took em last year, but i got lots of little stuff your welcome too. gonna be cutting more tree’s soon so ill let ya know if you wanna take some.
open fires make the house colder as they suck in cold air to replace the warm air it uses to burn the logs, and sucks out of the roon with the up draught…better to fit a log burner or mulitfuel stove, with a back boiler, I use two in my house and they heat the place a treat…i still have not switched on the central heating
I burne everything in them, from waaste food to wood, wood chips to everything tha twill burn, ecological concerns considered too…ie no plastic, or similar although the odd yoghurt pot does find tis way in there…
Am in North London with 4 working fireplaces in my flat… get the chimneys swept every year before using them and burn smokeless fuel (cheaper and warmer than wood)… enjoy I do. Don’t forget the rug in front of the fire;) Q
