Brrr...

When we first moved to the fens in the seventies the sickly sweet smell of bog oak burning on open fires was everywhere. It took some getting used to but I love it now. Bog oak is rarely ploughed up and dug out of fields now so it's in short supply but we keep our eyes open because it burns well in a stove, lasts for ages and really whacks out the heat.

Difficult ash to deal with though because there's lots of it and it's very light and dusty.

You can get woods with different smells too and that's really nice to settle down with in the evenings.

Would a stove fit into your fireplace, jingl? You would then still have an attractive surround. If you get a multifuel stove you can burn coal as well as wood but you have to have your chimney swept more regularly if you mix fuels.

Triple glazing seems to be coming in now.

Oh yes merlot. You wouldn't get that through draft would you. I'm quite tempted, but I've had this old fireplace for so many years now. And once it's gone it's gone for good. I think I'm a stick-in-the-mud.

I need to make a decision. (And we've got a bunker half full of coal at the moment)

The people who lived on the boats in my [canal] village always used to say what a difference it made drawing the curtains.

Good heavy curtains do make a difference even with double glazing etc. We used to live in a Swedish designed house in Devon with the stairs coming down into the living room, a curtain to cut off the stairs made a huge difference in the very coldest months.

I'm wondering if a stove would draw cold air into the room in the way that my open fire does.

I don't think it does, jingl because the chimney is sealed off by a register plate if the stove is in a fireplace and if it isn't, the flue pipe goes straight through the wall or ceiling.

Had relatives who became nonagenarians - keeping the bedroom window slightly open at night through out the year.

The thermostat controls the heating in our house too. If it's cold enough the heating comes on in the morning and in the evening. We also have thermostats on each radiator, but it is the main thermostat that we rely on. Our house is well insulated and has small rooms, so we are rarely cold, in fact just the opposite. Patio doors are open for a good part of the year.

As someone said earlier, it is the temperature not the calendar that dictates if the heating comes on or not.

Yes. My DD's got one of those little one bed roomed houses with stairs going into the living room. Does make it chilly. She has got the wall insulation and double glazing. It helps but a curtain would be good. Bit hard to work out where it could hang from, and go to IYSWIM.

We moved into a tiny one bed house. It had no insulation at all. The gas central heating just didn't do it. The open stairs into living kitchen area made things terribly chilly. So... We did qualify for foam injected walls last year, and waited for the loft insulation to be offered this year,which we now have. Seems to be offered to different counties each time,till funds run dry. I made a long linned ...with fuzz! Stair curtain and same up at the Windows. We hope we will see a difference this winter. We also bought a calor gas heater for top up, but that makes me cough. Help is defiantly out there. Just keep plugging at it.

Boiler has a temperature control but may not have a thermostat - we had one that had only one water temperature - too hot.

I'm wondering if a stove would draw cold air into the room in the way that my open fire does. Lit the fire yesterday evening, did not put central heating on so other rooms quite chilly. Got a heck of a draft under door from adjoining room, aiming itself straight for me!

Wonder if that would still happen with a stove.

I think your boiler would have to have a thermostat *Nina^. Otherwise it would reach boiling point and more wouldn't it?! Which would be very bad for the boiler. Apart from anything else.

The boiler thermostat (if there is one) will control the temperate of the water - tap water and water the is available to the CH system.
The CH thermostat(s) are something different. Either you've got a single one on the wall or portable that will turn the CH pump etc on when the temperature drops below the set level. Or you have individual ones on radiators that allow you to set different room temps. (I assume you would need to close the doors.)
Closing the doors of unused rooms in the winter is a good way to keep the house cosier anyway. As is closing the curtains of unused rooms, particularly in the evening when the outside temperature falls.

Do you have thermostats on your rads if your boiler is on a thermostat?
Each of our rads has a control but I don't think the boiler does.

apricot I'm sorry to hear that you can't afford to heat your home. Many UK homes are not well insulated and cost a fortune to heat. If you are on a lower income this is sometimes referred to as "fuel poverty".
(Some of you may remember my stay in a new, mid floor flat in which we stayed warm all winter at no expense, thanks to the great insulation you get in a property like this, plus the tendency of downstairs neighbour to crank her heating up). Big difference in bills now we are in an 80 year old end of terrace.
You may be able to get a free insulation up-grade to loft or walls if you contact one of the "big 6" energy companies as they have an obligation to spend some of their profits helping to improve the energy efficiency of homes.
For example:
www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-saving-products/home-insulation/free-insulation
see also:
www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/grant-grabbing
Sometimes there are grants available for new, efficient boilers under the same kind of scheme. Worth researching as an old inefficient boiler is giving you much less heat for your money (inefficient because a lot of heat is wasted - goes out of the flue)

Ours will go on bout 4pm till 9.pm... for now. I try and keep moving all day .delay having it on longer for as long as possible. I do have a hot water bottle with fur cover. I have it on my back in the chair. Toasty. Use hot bottles loads .

Googled 'ash cans' there seems to be several suppliers. Not a cheap option, but keeps the dust down!

x

But now you've mentioned it, I really want a rectangular container.

A piece of newspaper does ok. Then you use it to light the fire.

NotTooOld we have a rectangular container that you put the ash can into and then take it out. It prevents dust in the house. Sorry I don't know who makes them, but a good ironmongery shop or wood burner shop should have one.

x

You there tigs? Did you get that info? Don't think it went to the page I wanted, but you can click on 'clean burn'.

Since I posted yesterday, you all sure have been a great help regarding the economy...efficiency....availability....and running costs etc. of a wood burner.

This is the first time I've posted in many months, but now I think I would like to post more regularly, as you really are a friendly and helpful bunch. THANK YOU sooooooo much.