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Post by quadfather on Oct 4, 2022 10:04:59 GMT
Most council areas (usual caveat of living in the promised land so England might be different) operate smoke control areas in suburbs and towns. Generally this boils down to having to use a Defra approved stove and burn max 20% moisture wood. I don't know about mixed fuels such as coal in that as my stove is just for wood. It is great, and although quaddy who has more experience using his as more than a lifestyle accessory up to now has said its all pish, I found the birch logs from Home Bargains to give a very good burn for a *reasonable* price. But this year, the bags are more expensive and not as tightly packed so not good value. My stove is a Morso and they all run the secondary burn thing. The upshot is it burns clean enough that you can't smell it when its roaring inside and you're outside. Never see smoke out the chimney either. On the flipside, the builder across the way uses scraps of kitchen worktop, pine, MDF etc and it stinks when he has it on, the total arsehole. I'll check those birch ones out, nice one!
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Oct 4, 2022 10:08:48 GMT
Most council areas (usual caveat of living in the promised land so England might be different) operate smoke control areas in suburbs and towns. Generally this boils down to having to use a Defra approved stove and burn max 20% moisture wood. I don't know about mixed fuels such as coal in that as my stove is just for wood. It is great, and although quaddy who has more experience using his as more than a lifestyle accessory up to now has said its all pish, I found the birch logs from Home Bargains to give a very good burn for a *reasonable* price. But this year, the bags are more expensive and not as tightly packed so not good value. My stove is a Morso and they all run the secondary burn thing. The upshot is it burns clean enough that you can't smell it when its roaring inside and you're outside. Never see smoke out the chimney either. On the flipside, the builder across the way uses scraps of kitchen worktop, pine, MDF etc and it stinks when he has it on, the total arsehole. I'll check those birch ones out, nice one! Great! I was comparing them with a delivery of a ton bag from a place here that uses Clydesdale horses to pull the logs out the forest. Great idea but the wood itself was not that great. Will be interested to see what you think. As I say the value isn’t there, and it was always a bit more expensive than a bulk delivery anyway. Here you can see they do a bulk but it’s pretty expensive www.homebargains.co.uk/products/22841-pallet-of-64-bags-of-kiln-dried-birch-logs-including-home-delivery.aspx
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Post by quadfather on Oct 4, 2022 10:22:51 GMT
They look good. I'm looking to go halves on a ton bag with a neigbour. There will be access issues though, as my house is on an unadopted road (typical) but we'll work it.
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Oct 4, 2022 10:29:34 GMT
They look good. I'm looking to go halves on a ton bag with a neigbour. There will be access issues though, as my house is on an unadopted road (typical) but we'll work it. A log fire heats you 3 times - 1: chopping the wood, 2:stacking the wood and 3: burning the wood. 2 out of 3 aint bad!
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Post by Danno on Oct 4, 2022 10:31:37 GMT
They look good. I'm looking to go halves on a ton bag with a neigbour. There will be access issues though, as my house is on an unadopted road (typical) but we'll work it. A log fire heats you 3 times - 1: chopping the wood, 2:stacking the wood and 3: burning the wood. 2 out of 3 aint bad! 4: kiln drying the wood.
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Post by quadfather on Oct 4, 2022 10:46:25 GMT
That's another bonus of living in a rural village. There are logs everywhere. Someone is always sawing or cutting stuff and you can get loads of cast offs. I just leave them drying near the burner for a few months till they're ready.
There's even a well at the end of my street.
I just need to make my own electricity now
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Post by elstoof on Oct 4, 2022 11:35:57 GMT
Stick a pain of rain water on top of your burner and drive a turbine
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H-alphaFox
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Post by H-alphaFox on Oct 4, 2022 11:39:55 GMT
Here everyone is on the grift, we have like 3 people wanting to sell us firewood and they are pushy about it. We already order it from a legit dealer which is all these guys do anyway and charge you more than they paid for it but less than the delivery fee. Reminds us though we need to get the chimney swept first.
Plus for some reason everyone wants to buy our cars, like random delivery guys are asking and stuff, where are they getting all this money from?
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Post by technoish on Oct 4, 2022 11:40:28 GMT
If you have a modern log burning stove you are actually NOT supposed to articficially bring down a burn to a smoulder. They are designed for a specific range of output and fuel supply, which is why it is important to size it for the room.
If you reduce the oxygen levels down, they become less efficient, you lose the secondary burn, and the smoke output and pollution increases.
You can modify the type of fuel you put in though, as wood (or wood products) of different densities will burn slightly differently.
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Oct 4, 2022 11:58:47 GMT
You can modify the type of fuel you put in though, as wood (or wood products) of different densities will burn slightly differently. That's the key - different types of wood for different types of burn. Agree totally that optimum burn temps need to be kept to. My other half likes to sit and work with the stove on 'low and slow' during the cold days, but I keep saying thats no good. But does she listen?!
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Post by gibroon on Oct 4, 2022 12:52:03 GMT
I still have an open fireplace in my house. It doesn't get used often, maybe 4 or 5 times a year when it gets really chilly but it is still a luxury I like to have. I don't find it burns through too much fuel. Initial paper,sticks and coal, top up of coal when it has got properly going. A couple of logs and maybe a dash more coal will usually last 6-8 hours. The heat is just so lovely and snuggly. A real treat.
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Post by quadfather on Oct 4, 2022 12:59:19 GMT
That's essentially what I do, except I just use it more. Same with the setup and fuel too. You just can't beat the coziness, especially when it's lousy weather outside. That improves it even more. Bring on the snow, wind and rain!
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Post by muddyfunster on Oct 4, 2022 13:07:20 GMT
I can recommend getting a magnetic stove thermometer. About £10-15 from Amazon and removes the guesswork. I've certainly noticed our logs last a bit longer now we are more carefully moderating the air flow to keep the temps in the optimal range.
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Post by gibroon on Oct 4, 2022 13:10:02 GMT
Yeah, there is something mesmerizing about it. Just staring into the flames as they dance on top of the coals, the odd pop and crackle of wood burning. It does make you think of man's red fire and its connection to civilization etc. The cat has a proper zone out staring at the flames too.
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Post by brokenkey on Oct 4, 2022 13:13:18 GMT
Wife wants to replace a broken gas fire with a WBS. I fear it would end up a bit too close to the TV. Any views on safe distances, horizontally?
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Post by quadfather on Oct 4, 2022 13:17:28 GMT
Yeah, there is something mesmerizing about it. Just staring into the flames as they dance on top of the coals, the odd pop and crackle of wood burning. It does make you think of man's red fire and its connection to civilization etc. The cat has a proper zone out staring at the flames too. Couple of beers + smoke and a pet in front of a fire = beautiful peace
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Post by quadfather on Oct 4, 2022 13:21:42 GMT
Wife wants to replace a broken gas fire with a WBS. I fear it would end up a bit too close to the TV. Any views on safe distances, horizontally?
Seems far enough away from the tv, but all that marble surround or whatever it is would need to be ripped out. A stove needs room all round it to radiate the heat
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Oct 4, 2022 13:23:36 GMT
Wife wants to replace a broken gas fire with a WBS. I fear it would end up a bit too close to the TV. Any views on safe distances, horizontally?
From memory, the minimum hearth size is 800mm centred on the stove - so just 400mm either side but you also need a decent dim out from the front of the stove to the front of the hearth. Think it 400mm but might be misremembering. I mention this because I was surprised at the drop off in heat side to side of the stove. I would have thought it would melt things like plastic toys that were close by (but not too close safety fans!) but they were fine. Depending on the design of the stove I don't think thats a problem heat wise. Although you then have a visual interest right by your TV when they are both on!
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Post by brokenkey on Oct 4, 2022 13:28:41 GMT
I dont' really like sticky-out stoves, so my preference would be to have a fully embedded stove, flush with the wall (hang the heating efficiency).
Hearth is 770mm from the centre to the edge.
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Post by nexus6 on Oct 4, 2022 13:36:18 GMT
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Post by henroben on Oct 4, 2022 13:48:03 GMT
Wife wants to replace a broken gas fire with a WBS. I fear it would end up a bit too close to the TV. Any views on safe distances, horizontally?
This is basically what I did, replaced a broken gas fire that I'd already had disconnected. The first thing you need to do is work out what size log burner you need for the room you're going to be heating. Then you can have a look at some models and see what distances they give you to combustable and non combustable materials. Some stoves will come with the option of adding heat shielding to the back / sides which allows them to get much closer to walls etc. But looking at the photo I'd say you're probably ok. The heat does actually drop off quite quickly with distance, as air is a good insulator but obviously things will heat up over time. Personally I'd imagine TV's mounted on the chimney breast above a fire would be in far more danger than one off to the side. Anyway, if you noticed it heating up, you could just move it a few feet further away. Reckon you'll struggle to get one installed this year though, everyone and their dog is getting them put in!
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Post by Honk If You're Horny? on Oct 4, 2022 13:53:14 GMT
I can't believe all you filthy polluters are celebrating the murder of Gaia.
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Post by richardiox on Oct 4, 2022 14:30:38 GMT
Been on the phone finally to British Gas as well as "talking" to their Twitter support.
The fuckers aren't moving and insisting our new bill is indeed £533 a month, up from £140 which was a monthly DD. They are wholly unreceptive to "but the government says the average household will pay no more than £2.5k". I pointed out our previous monthly bills of £140 for Electricity and Gas is surely average usage?
Some crazy thing around rather than averaging out an annual estimated cost across 12 payments they have now started using a 6 monthly average and are basing our new monthly charge on Oct-Mar 21/22. Her point was in March our next period will be much lower....but I'll have already given them over £3k and only half way into a 12 month period.
I just can't fathom how I benefit from the "no more than £2.5k" headline that's been touted. Currently looking at paying way over double that.
Unhelpfully the person at their call center spoke terrible English and explained everything incredibly poorly whilst being as dismissive as possible.
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Post by technoish on Oct 4, 2022 14:32:17 GMT
Been on the phone finally to British Gas as well as "talking" to their Twitter support. The fuckers aren't moving and insisting our new bill is indeed £533 a month, up from £140 which was a monthly DD. They are wholly unreceptive to "but the government says the average household will pay no more than £2.5k". I pointed out our previous monthly bills of £140 for Electricity and Gas is surely average usage? Some crazy thing around rather than averaging out an annual estimated cost across 12 payments they have now started using a 6 monthly average and are basing our new monthly charge on Oct-Mar 21/22. Her point was in March our next period will be much lower....but I'll have already given them over £3k and only half way into a 12 month period. I just can't fathom how I benefit from the "no more than £2.5k" headline that's been touted. Currently looking at paying way over double that. Unhelpfully the person at their call center spoke terrible English and explained everything incredibly poorly whilst being as dismissive as possible. The £2500 isn't really that meaningful - you need to check the kWh prices, which is what is actually capped. BG shouldn't be charging above that.
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Post by Dougs on Oct 4, 2022 14:34:42 GMT
Seriously, check your tariff to make sure they're not charging above the cap per unit and then just cancel your DD. They can't make you pay for more than what you use as long as you keep on top of it.
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Post by henroben on Oct 4, 2022 14:40:04 GMT
I just can't fathom how I benefit from the "no more than £2.5k" headline that's been touted. Currently looking at paying way over double that. The £2.5k figure is just for the cost for typical usage. If you use more than that, your bill will be higher. It's just unit costs that are capped - more units == bigger bill. Having said that, basing your monthly direct debit for a year on the past most expensive 6 months sounds completely wrong. You can always choose to pay on receipt of a bill, but usually that'll be per quarter and potentially quite large for the winter months.
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Post by sport✅ on Oct 4, 2022 14:57:10 GMT
Wife wants to replace a broken gas fire with a WBS. I fear it would end up a bit too close to the TV. Any views on safe distances, horizontally?
Happy birthday mate \o/
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Post by MysteryLamb on Oct 4, 2022 14:59:17 GMT
This has become a ritual. I get a monthly bill from EDF. They give me an arbitrary deadline usually 7-9 days to pay it. Even before that deadline is up I start getting emails and texts because they are unbelievably aggressive in their pursuit of the money. Which makes me wait even longer, usually 3 letters and numerous texts and emails demanding payment before I cough up. I've never known a company be so frantic in their approach and if I wasn't on a fixed deal with them for another 18 months I would have dumped them straight away.
I dread to think how much anxiety this approach would give someone who is genuinely struggling to pay bills.
What's also annoying is they harassed me for about 2 months to get a smart meter installed and it was only after being called up by a very unpleasant salesman type person who was condescending, argumentative, and a borderline bully type that I agreed to get one. They install it but it doesn't work (the electric part doesn't communicate readings) and they didn't even give me a monitor device for it saying I'd get one in the post - which I didn't. They don't seem to care about that, as if they have fulfilled some govt. or watchdog quota so now I get constant letters telling me I MUST read my meter and submit the readings. Which I haven't done yet.
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richardiox
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Post by richardiox on Oct 4, 2022 14:59:26 GMT
Seriously, check your tariff to make sure they're not charging above the cap per unit and then just cancel your DD. They can't make you pay for more than what you use as long as you keep on top of it. Yep I've checked the tariff on my account on both the smart meter and logged into their website and gas/leccy tariffs and standing charges all correctly pegged just below the cap. And yet they are still insisting on DDing us £533 for the next six months. Maybe that's just what it is and the thing that's fucking it all up in my head is the government line of "no more than £2.5k for an average household"...and being convinced our usage would only be slightly above average. Seems like the only way is to cancel annual pro rata DD charge and pay monthly instead (with DD still). £533 is about £17 a day. My meter is saying I've used £2.28 so far today. Can you go back to annual DD / monthly payments at any time?
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Post by elstoof on Oct 4, 2022 15:00:06 GMT
How’s your credit rating looking after all that
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