Boris70 Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 Nope door closed.....and the result is...... (It looks increadibly dusty - but I promise it isn't - just something to do with the harsh flash on the camera ) Thanks to everyone, we have a nice warm burner this evening - and Zip firelighters weren't used at all!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Clare - we have to leave the door open on ours until the logs are alight....... it says in the instructions.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Clare - we have to leave the door open on ours until the logs are alight....... it says in the instructions.... How strange ; yours must work differently from mine then Lesley. If the door is open on mine, it is noticeably slower to burn than when it's closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Open just a crack - not wide open.......and the fire roars up the flue pipe As soon as the logs are alight, we close the bottom bit and can then gradually close the top one to half or a quarter open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 To get our's going we do the paper, kindling thing, but we also put a couple of really small logs on, that way it really gets going, and by the time we come to put the bigger logs on it's well away. So pleased you ad a nice toasty stove last night, it was so cold here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Ahh, I see Lesley... you have a top and bottom part of the door then. Mine has various vents and a door at the bottom for the ash pan. If the fire is ever slow to light, I just open that door and it rushes up the chimney! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Ahh, I see Lesley... you have a top and bottom part of the door then. Mine has various vents and a door at the bottom for the ash pan. If the fire is ever slow to light, I just open that door and it rushes up the chimney! No, not top and bottom parts of the door - a top control and a bottom control - they open and close, and we have to get the balance right...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I didn't see then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 If I had a proper user manual, I could tell you what they're called Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 That would really hack me off Lesley; when you've paid a substantial amount for somerthing like that, you kind of expect at least some instructions. I am sure they have some somewhere, but are just too darned lazy to find them! I'd be tempted to tell them that they can come and uninstall the stove and take it back (gising you a refund) if they can't come up with the insutructions by a certain date... always works I must say that Villager have always been very helpful when I have had any questions about mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Our fire lights well, I have found the trick to be piling the kindling which has to be small into a teepee shape and then following this pattern when adding larger pieces keeping an upward angle rather than lying them flat makes a big difference. When the kindling is going well add slightly bigger bits of wood at first and really get those going before adding anything large which can smother the fire. Logs burn better on a good ash bed so don't remove too much ash, and when you put a large log in put smaller ones at angles underneath and around it otherwise it will just smoulder and burn out. I love my logburner , best investment we have made since moving in here 14 years ago. Last year for the same quarter our gas bill was £270 this year it ws £90 because the woodburner is warming the house and reducing the time that the heating is on. Having said that wood is not cheap and we have been luck to have the waste from a couple of building sites which makes starting a fire easier because it is small and dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Liz - I am always scrounging around skips, friends and the roadside and never pay for wood. There are often logs on Freecycle too. Try asking a local joiner what they do with their offcuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I would love a woodburner, but because of smokeless fuel restrictions I have to have a cleanburn one. This isn't a problem as they are super efficient anyway (and more expensive), but I just wondered if anyone else in a smokeless zone had a cleanburn one and how they got on with them, efficiency wise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I love our woodburner! IME if you let the chimney get really cold (i.e you don't light the stove for a couple of weeks in the middle of winter) then it can be really slow to get going. Wood likes burning in it's own ash, coal doesn't. Some stoves will still be warm in the morning (even with wood), others won't - depends on the thickness of the "fire box" thingy - the best I ever had was some glowing embers left in the morning, rather than still properly lit (wiith wood, that is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Ours is a woodburner but it has cleanburn technology, we actually get very little smoke out of the chimney once it is going well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 dried orange peel - brilliant as a fire lighter. Although even better, if you happen to know a dental techician, are old dentures, ...... well preferably not pre-worn - the offcut bits that get cut off when the false teeth are made is what I used to use. I don't have any now but used to have loads when I had a 'false teeth maker' as a friend before he moved. Our woodburners are magic and we don't usually have trouble lighting them, but it does happen occasionally and I put it down to the direction of the wind. I sweep my own chimneys once a year - I wouldn't go to the expence of paying someone as its quite fun. I have her indoors outside looking to see when the brush gets to the top of the chimney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 dried orange peel - brilliant as a fire lighter. Although even better, if you happen to know a dental techician, are old dentures, ...... well preferably not pre-worn - the offcut bits that get cut off when the false teeth are made is what I used to use. I am just imagining your hearth Richard, big basket of logs on one side, small basket of false teeth on the other Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 You don't send OH up the chimney then Richard? I should hope not with her bad back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Can I heartily recommend a backboiler on your woodburner? I've never experienced water so hot! My top tip is make sure the wood you source is dry. The orange bags of logs from the petrol station are always damp and rubbish- if anyone in the vicinity needs wood we have plenty of dead stuff on the hill, bring your own chainsaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Can I heartily recommend a backboiler on your woodburner? I've never experienced water so hot!My top tip is make sure the wood you source is dry. The orange bags of logs from the petrol station are always damp and rubbish- if anyone in the vicinity needs wood we have plenty of dead stuff on the hill, bring your own chainsaw Is that an invitation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Indeed Claret, you show me yours and I'll show you mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 dried orange peel - brilliant as a fire lighter. Although even better, if you happen to know a dental techician, are old dentures, ...... well preferably not pre-worn - the offcut bits that get cut off when the false teeth are made is what I used to use. Always something original from Richard. TBH I wouldn't fancy the fumes from all that molten gutta percha or whatever they use these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
