Replacing Solid Fuel Open Fire
- Thread starter AnneMc
- Start date
By all means replace it with a stove for solid fuel, or gas if you're on the pipeline. Putting in a non boiler/dry stove will cost around €2000.00 or near enough. Depending on your age you'll wait a long time before you save anything. Take that into account when deciding. If you have a fireplace in situ, can the device you decide on be put into the space and you'll still save the fireplace itself? I'd be mad if I had to lose a nice fireplace to put in one of the stoves or whatever. Have you a good chimney, and have you access to any free or cheap solid fuel like turf or seasoned timber?
Not enough information to advise properly ....
Typically, an open fire is 20% efficient in that 80% of the calorific value of the fuel consumed is lost up the chimney. A properly installed solid fuel stove can be the opposite, i.e. 80% efficient with 20% lost. However these appliances as well as open fires are coming under the spotlight now for their particulate emissions and effects on air quality!
An electric fire will be 100% efficient, cleaner but can be costly to run.
Gas fires tend to be more for focal point than heating.
Bear in mind, the most energy efficient measure you can do in any house is reduce the heat loss in general in the first place so that you need significantly less energy input (from whatever source) to be comfortable.
Typically, an open fire is 20% efficient in that 80% of the calorific value of the fuel consumed is lost up the chimney. A properly installed solid fuel stove can be the opposite, i.e. 80% efficient with 20% lost. However these appliances as well as open fires are coming under the spotlight now for their particulate emissions and effects on air quality!
An electric fire will be 100% efficient, cleaner but can be costly to run.
Gas fires tend to be more for focal point than heating.
Bear in mind, the most energy efficient measure you can do in any house is reduce the heat loss in general in the first place so that you need significantly less energy input (from whatever source) to be comfortable.
Our main source of hearing is gas, so the fire is used to supplement that and tend to light the fire for the aesthetic effect so gas may make sense. Will the gas fire work if there is a power outage?
We are in our 60’s so cost is an issue and I think stoves are not the most environmentally sound option.
We are in our 60’s so cost is an issue and I think stoves are not the most environmentally sound option.
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My father had a little gas stove, remote controlled, best thing ever and replaced a bad gas fire. He found it difficult to bend down to turn the knob to light the old fire but the remote was a great job and because it was a solid stove it radiated heat itself once warmed up. Was not as heavy on gas as the open type fire inserts are.
That said I have an open fire myself and would have to change the fireplace to get a solid fuel stove and won't be doing that so sticking with the open fire for now. When building the house 30odd yrs ago I actually got a gas pipe put into sitting room in case I wanted to put in a gas fire down the line, I think if I was I'd go for the small stove type my father had as no maintenance or work bar a regular service, doubt I'd have to take out the whole fireplace either as the heat is much more controlled unlike solid fuel stove. Small room so would be fine on low setting.
That said I have an open fire myself and would have to change the fireplace to get a solid fuel stove and won't be doing that so sticking with the open fire for now. When building the house 30odd yrs ago I actually got a gas pipe put into sitting room in case I wanted to put in a gas fire down the line, I think if I was I'd go for the small stove type my father had as no maintenance or work bar a regular service, doubt I'd have to take out the whole fireplace either as the heat is much more controlled unlike solid fuel stove. Small room so would be fine on low setting.
Thank you. Can you remember the brand of the stove?
Afraid not, I actually bought it second hand on donedeal and it's a good few years ago, the old stove is still in his house but not working now as it was just left unused and unserviced for too long, carelessness really as it was a fine little stove! I don't recall ever seeing a brand name on it actually.
I’ll have a look around. Thank you for getting back to me.
Saying electric is 100% efficient is not really the full story because alot of power is lost converting from fuel to electricity in the first place in power stations, of course renewables are 100% efficient but only 40% of total electricity consumption comes from renewables .
Also you have to factor in the pressure on the electricity grid now and using electricity just for heat is wasteful of this valuable energy source. Not to mention the price of electricity now at nearly 40c a kWh
I'm my opinion electricity should never be used for heating except in limited circumstances
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If you want to have a backup in case of gas \ gas boiler issues, and want that 'ambient' effect it sounds like something like this is more what you want?
A flame effect electric inset stove e.g.
sprattfireplaces.ie
Note I've never used that website \ supplier, just used them as an example
A flame effect electric inset stove e.g.
Inset Electric Fires Archives
sprattfireplaces.ie
Note I've never used that website \ supplier, just used them as an example
Good for you it didn't have a boiler. So, what do you heat your house with?
I had the same a couple of years back, only removed chimney balloon for 4 weeks over Xmas period and lit the fire (otherwise we have gas central-heating).. I installed a solid fuel stove and flue in 2019 and haven't looked back since, it's more efficient than an open fire and easier on the pocket. We are using it Oct-Mar now (usually) and when not in use I close the damper, thus no draught. For coal I bulk buy the egg-coal which lasts forever but a nightmare to get lighting..HTH
Perhaps a greater danger to them is the air pollution issues with mounting evidence they are bad news for the occupants of the house.
You're right to raise this issue Leo. Thought it was scare tactics being used to put people off their use and sometimes we dismiss a lot of those reports and data because it just doesn't suit us or our lifestyle, etc. But, a lot of the stuff I've read really is worrying and can't be dismissed with half smart comments. It's certainly making me have second thoughts (+) on installing one.
Kerosene mainly.
Is that not reliant on electricity for boiler, pump, etc?
About 1300 deaths per annum in Ireland are attributed to air pollution. I suspect that much like Covid 19 where 98% of those dying with covid also had a respiratory illness, very few of the 1300 are fit and well.
Yes , which is why I have a space heating stove which isn't.