The Scrimp and Scrape thread: tips to save money

dolanbaker · **Posted:** Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:30 pm

gwavin wrote:

ixus wrote:

Don't they take like 10%? Expensive if your changing 50 euro upwards.

Yup. Handiest thing is to do the shopping in tesco, go to the self service till, et voila, coins all gone.

I do that as well, just be sure to do it during a quiet period, the queue soon builds up. :oops:

rebelbuttmunch · **Posted:** Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:40 pm

I fitted a solid fuel stove in my fireplace. Less warm air from the room being sucked up the chimney and coal seems to last a fair bit longer.

rebelbuttmunch · **Posted:** Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:40 pm

Twin 'finned' radiators instead of the single type. Throw out a lot more heat into the room.

evilal · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:37 pm

the edge wrote:

Thanks. Anywhere closer to town, Ballsbridge/Mount Merrion or the like?

Eurospar on Barrow St.

discostu · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:55 pm

Re the solid fuel stove I have their first cousin the inset stoves love 'em and as stated a page back have been burning free wood with small amounts of coal and the house is toasty and they look gorgeous. I would highly recommend them

evilal · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:02 pm

discostu wrote:

Re the solid fuel stove I have their first cousin the inset stoves love 'em and as stated a page back have been burning free wood with small amounts of coal and the house is toasty and they look gorgeous. I would highly recommend them

For the stove virgins among us, what's the difference between an inset stove and just burning wood in the fireplace?

discostu · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:14 pm

Hi Evilal
From http://www.firesonline.co.uk/acatalog/Inset-Stoves.html
[quote]An introduction to Inset Stoves & Insert Stoves
Insert and inset stoves are built into a chimney breast leaving just the front face visible. Inset stoves are generally defined as those which are sat on the hearth, whereas an insert stove could be set higher in the wall and would have a four sided frame to finish the visible edge. Inset stoves can transform an inefficient open fire into an efficient wood burning stove often without requiring a great amount of building work as many fit into standard fireplace openings. If you have a more modern style, our range of insert stoves look stunning set into a plain chimney breast, eliminating the need for the additional expense of a fireplace. You will still enjoy the dancing flames as you would an open fire through the airwashed glass window, but inset stoves are far more controllable, allowing you get the most from your fuel. Mine look like the ones below

evilal · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:04 pm

But but but why? How? It's counterintuitive.

discostu · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:37 pm

Quote:

But but but why? How? It's counterintuitive.

Dont get you, do you mean that the fire is essentially behind "glass" and you think that you get less heat??
See below, also you can control the rate of burn by the dampers in the stove so if the room is hot or you just want to turn down the heat you simple turn the little knobs on the fire. Very safe to use no sparks etc. The metal also acts like a storage heat and disipates heat out even when the fires has died down. My wife could never be bothered with the old open fire messy and she found them hard to light, but she just opens the dampers and theres a sort of rod at the top which opens an extra vent and whoosh the fire takes off. Most mornings all your left with is some ash in the ash tin take it out a rub with a fire brush a wipe of the glass with a damp cloth and your good to go. The only downside is sometimes when I sit down I tend to fall asleep with the soothing flames and the lovely heat.....but that could be my age :mrgreen:

Quote:

A wood burning insert may be used to refurbish an existing fireplace, or to finish a fireplace in a new construction. Wood burning fireplace inserts are self-contained and relatively easy to install, with all the components needed to provide the warmth of a real wood fireplace in one energy-efficient package. The front of the wood burning insert is generally encased in glass, and an adjustable fan blows a stream of heated air into the room through vents.

The crackle and aroma of a nice, warm log fire is very enjoyable for many people. And, while non-renewable fossil fuels such as coal or gas do burn cleaner than wood, they cannot truly duplicate a wood fire. Unlike coal or gas, wood is a renewable resource. However, open wood fireplaces provide inefficient heating, allowing most of the heat to escape right up the chimney. A wood burning insert is made to be extremely energy-efficient, and to provide a cleaner burn than a wood furnace or typical fireplace.

Heating efficiency is measured in British thermal units (BTUs), with around 25 to 30 BTUs recommended for each square foot of space (approximately .304 square meters). A wood burning stove insert will achieve about 75% efficiency compared to around 25% for an open fireplace. It is clear that wood fireplace inserts far outpace open fireplaces in energy savings, providing an inexpensive, alternative heating source. By installing a wood burning insert, consumers can enjoy the natural heating properties of a wood fireplace while minimizing environmental damage.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-wood- ... insert.htm

The Sustainability Ireland site confirm the figures
http://www.sustainability.ie/energyefficient.html

blanchguy · **Joined:** Feb 7, 2008 **Posts:** 221

evilal wrote:

But but but why? How? It's counterintuitive.

An open fireplace is sucking a vast amount of air from the room straight up the chimney. With a stove you throttle the air supply, this means that all the flammable gasses in the wood get combusted in the stove, giving off heat rather than being sucked up the chimney.

I went from burning wood in an open fireplace to a stove (freestanding rather than inset) and there is a significant reduction in fuel consumption and a significant increase in heat output, convenience and cleanliness.

rebelbuttmunch · **Posted:** Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:27 am

evilal wrote:

But but but why? How? It's counterintuitive.

With an open fire there is a constant loss of warm air from the house being sucked up the chimney. Even when the fire isnt lighting. With a stove that can be practically closed off.

boomshackala · **Joined:** Dec 29, 2008 **Posts:** 1717

blanchguy wrote:

evilal wrote:

But but but why? How? It's counterintuitive.

An open fireplace is sucking a vast amount of air from the room straight up the chimney. With a stove you throttle the air supply, this means that all the flammable gasses in the wood get combusted in the stove, giving off heat rather than being sucked up the chimney.

I went from burning wood in an open fireplace to a stove (freestanding rather than inset) and there is a significant reduction in fuel consumption and a significant increase in heat output, convenience and cleanliness.

Yep, freestanding is the way to go. Much better heat quality (radiant versus partially radiant / convective), although it means needing to put a steel plate / stone slab out in front of the hearth

AWAAF · **Posted:** Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:46 am

I have a free standing stove and I love it for all the reasons above + good for getting rid of sticky stuff from the back garden.

evilal · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:08 am

Got it, thanks guys.

When I were a lad, we rented a house in Sandyount from a Swiss guy who had imported a Swiss coal-burning stove and installed it in the dinign room in lieu of central heating. Efficient it may have been, but I have bad memories of lighting the bloody thing on cold mornings...

blanchguy · **Joined:** Feb 7, 2008 **Posts:** 221

Dry timber. Newspaper. 1 match.

The Scrimp and Scrape thread: tips to save money

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