# Multi fuel stove? Recommendation?



## mel o

We're looking into putting in a wood burner type stove that will also burn coal, briquettes etc. Has anyone put in one of these in their house? What make did you go for? How much should we expect to pay? How efficient are they?
Thanks in advance.


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## monkey0804

Hi, we have a Stovax Brunel 2CB stove, bought by family from UK but they are sold in Dublin also. We have it for almost 5 years now and it's really efficient compared with an open fire, a nice size and excellent heat for our sitting room, dining room and kitchen when all doors left open, when it's moderately cold (it's an average semi-d sized surburan house). I would recommend it. 

I've seen others - particularly Stanley - that are way more fuel efficient, so good luck with your choice.


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## Jolly Man

We have recently installed a nestor MArtin S23 the salesman told us that it was 86% efficent compared to 16% for an open fire! Sales man speil perharps!!! We have found it great for heating the sitting room and surrounding rooms, its a woodbox technology so it has loads of draft controls can leave it overnight and turn up the draft throw in some coal and away you go. Comes with a remote control costs €1,850!


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## serotoninsid

mel o said:


> How much should we expect to pay? How efficient are they?.


 The majority of them claim that they have certified efficiency rates of 70-75% - with one or two of the higher end manufacturers claiming a few % more.  Please note they claim efficiency levels on the most efficient fuel also - so actual efficiency depends on type/quality of fuel used.
Open fire  is supposed to come in at around 30% efficiency so replacement is a no brainer. In fact, I think open fires should be banned under the next round of building regs. I don't care what romantic notions people have about them, they are just simply so inefficient. Not to mention that heat loss continues even when they're not in use - with that big perforation in the fabric of the building that is the chimney.


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## fmc

serotoninsid said:


> In fact, I think open fires should be banned under the next round of building regs. I don't care what romantic notions people have about them, they are just simply so inefficient. Not to mention that heat loss continues even when they're not in use - with that big perforation in the fabric of the building that is the chimney.



Agree 100% but i have a vested interest in selling stoves but i do get a kick out of a kind of win win situation. I make money in my business when I sell one and am happy, Joe punter saves money long term and is happy. Less fuel is used and burnt cleaner so environment is happier. So yeah no brainer imho.


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## changes

fmc,

As you work in the business, what type of stove would you recommend to heat around 6 radiators and a medium size sitting room, opening 3 foot wide

Thanks


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## fmc

Hi Changes at a glance the mulberry yeats springs to mind but its max is 6 rads ideally work out a heat load ie are the rads singles or doubles and what size are they If you are getting a plumber to price the work ask them to calculate it in btus or kilowatts then search for a stove that gives that or more in its output spec but watch the room spec as sometimes its too high for an average room. Yeats is a good all rounder at a reasonable price.imho


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## mel o

Thanks for the suggestions. We got a whopper of a gas bill this week and we're about to start renovations on our kitchen/living room so it seems like the ideal time to replace the open fire that's there. Will go and read up on the suggestions here, thanks.


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## galleyslave

I've got a Waterford Stanley Erin stove with back boiler and it works great - heats the rads and hot water brilliantly. 

That said, it is work to clean it and fuel it - easy to forget that. Also, fuel costs, unless you are willing to put in the time and effort to acquire wood pallets, driftwood etc for free fuel.

I'm happy with mine though, gives me an alternative to gas and all that sawing and hewing keeps me fitter than I otherwise would be!


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## bamboozle

can anyone advise how hard/expensive it is to put in a stove with back boiler rather than just a stand alone stove?


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## fmc

Hi bam depends where the main pipes are to connect the boiler to. Either near your existing central heating boiler or hot press but you would need a plumber to look at it. the dry version is an easier option to install but lots of people lament that they didn,t take the heat away to the rads but if it needs a lot of rooting and chasing etc it may not be worth the hassle in the house either way you will be amazed at the amount of heat from a stove over an open fire.


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## bamboozle

HI FMC, stove will be in room beside Gas Boiler...but on opposite side of the room, so hopefully it wont be too much work for the plumber!  thanks


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## changes

Thanks fmc,

 I must look into the Mulberry yeats, have you heard of a stove called olymberyl olive? I've seen them for sale local but can't seem to find anyone to give me feedback on them?

Thanks


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## headache

changes said:


> Thanks fmc,
> 
> I must look into the Mulberry yeats, have you heard of a stove called olymberyl olive? I've seen them for sale local but can't seem to find anyone to give me feedback on them?
> 
> Thanks


 
Hi Changes
As some here will know from previous posts, my dh sells stoves. We don't do the Olymberyl but have heard good reports on it. It seems to be a pretty good all rounder for very little money, but I don't know how it will hold up in the longer term. 
The bottom line is that pretty much all the stoves will do the job. They are efficient and most are ISO approved or similar. You just need to decide how many rads do you want or what kind of KW output to your room you need. When you know what size you want, its all down to aesthetics - with enamel or without, etc. 
Hunter has always been our biggest seller and seems to be very popular in our part of the country.  have a great range of stoves and I believe that they are very helpful.
If you do get a price just pm if you want a comparison. I know prices vary from Dublin to country, but it if anyone wants to know if they are getting a bargain, please do ask.


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## fmc

Hi Changes as headache says most stoves are good but now we look for ce approval if possible or a good back up from the supplier. there are a huge amount of copies of the mulberry stoves which in turn are a copy of stanley. I'd tread carefully and if they seem too cheap then they probably are. Back up is importanat especially if a boiler is involved.


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## myndos

Hi. I'm new to ABM so please excuse me  if i'm disrupting . I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for Inset multi-fuel fires (20*20 room). Also has anyone a experience of purchasing units in Northern Ireland? Has it worked out being better value and have you been able to have company install in south?I live in Meath. Many thanks.


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## irash

Excuse my ignorance in the matter discussed, but I have been trying to find out whether there is such thing as gasification stove. I read a lot about gasification boilers, which are supposed to be much more efficient. I do not need a stove with a boiler attached,   just looking for a stove to heat the room. Surely gasification one would be better to get.
But do they exist?


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## happymum

I am looking into buying a multifuel stove also, the Gas bill made me cry and then almost vomit  I am a stove virgin so looking here for help, I want a stove with boiler that will heat 8 rads and water


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## fmc

Hi irash,
there was a gasifacation type stove unveiled about 2 months ago. I saw it in fires and fireplaces trade magazine and will see if I can dig it out. May be a bit ott though gasifaction is about getting the maximum heat from the seasoned wood by burning the gas from the primary burn. Its a bit like a fire running upside down but the heat then is stored in a abuffer/accumulater tank and distributed around the home as heat is needed. The stove if I remember correctly was for dry heat only and would need tobe freestanding in the room. I think the price of the stove for a gain of about 10% inefficiency over a standard stove would not be worth it imho.
Myndos.
I get hit with this all the time as I am near the border too but on the North west coast. hand on my heart i cant buy the stoves at the prices some of the guys an hour away from me sell them at. By all means purchase up there if its saving you a lot of money but dont go calling to your local shop if you encounter a problem. Try to negotiate with your local shop but if they aren't willing to try then head north I guess.
A local plumber should be able to install it for you easily enough. A good stove is the Stovax Riva range or esse 350 as inserts go.

Happymum depending on what you want to spend from the brands I do, Mulberry beckett which will do up to 12 and is E1550 or Arroww seb20 doing 10 rads retails about E2000. the prices above are inc vat but plus flue and installation.
Do you have pipework near to where you intend to site the stove?


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## Sandals

Hi FMC,

Just wondering as ur in the business, I can get a Mulberry Yeats non back boiler enamel with one year gaurantee delivery included for €850 (shopowner wanted €890 first). You don't know anywhere else who could better that. Thanks......


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## irash

fmc said:


> I think the price of the stove for a gain of about 10% inefficiency over a standard stove would not be worth it imho.


Thanks fmc for your very informative post. 
Do I get it right that difference in the efficiency of a regular pot belly stove and a gasification type one is only around 10%?


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## horatio1

FMC/Headache,
                    We are about to start a new build with the kitchen/lounge/dining room all open plan. We are looking to have a double sided contemporary fireplace with the heart enclosed with glass doors on both sides.
               I have seen them in magazines but cant find them anywhere on the net.Any ideas??


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## fmc

Hi horatio,
we sold two of these one last year with good reports. The guy we sold to last year uses turf and wood mainly and is very open to having people swing by if they want to have a look. they are pricey though at about E3400 plus flue etc.
http://www.barbas.nl/en/products/woodfires/insert-wood-fires/?id=42
is that what your looking for?


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## headache

Hi Horatio
What about a double sided stove?  Better output I would think at up to 18KW which you'll need for an open plan area.  Calculate how my KW you need and check out www.hunterstoves.co.uk.  fmc will be able to advise you better than me (I only work for dh when he's really badly stuck!!) so my knowledge of stoves is from listening to him.  But I do know the money end - that's my job!! )


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## ashmcv

Hi,

I recently purchased a Mulberry Beckett from a company called Point Building Supplies in Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland. They stock a range of Mulberry stoves and were excellent help in providing me with the most appropriate stove. I would definitely advise going to them.. very competitive rates especially for those coming from the south of Ireland to purchase. company number is 028 417 73674


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## horatio1

Thanks FMC/Headache,
                               I'm told by my interior designer (mrs h) that its the modern one in FMC'S link that will suit the living space. She has been told by our financial controller(me) that it might suit the space but it might not the budget!
     FMC where does that client live that might let us have a look,I am based in Laois.


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## fmc

Hi Horatio he is based in Sligo where we are. He is usually open for people to call but I'd need to give me  a quick call to ensure.
There are other units similar that may suit also but will have to search them out a bit. the key is to plan the chimney round it.
What stage are you at at present? As headache says Hunter and Yeoman are other options but are not of the built in variety. there are also another company called Bronpi (spanish) do a double sided insert much cheaper but the quality is not as good imho.


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## JD77

FMC

Could you recommend a model that might suit me, my house has the back boiler blanked off so I would like to get a stove that would heat 12 radiators and supplement my oil heating I light my fire fairly regularly but also have the oil going to heat the house. Also is the reconnecting of the back boiler a big job and what ballpark cost would I be looking at for this and the stove?

Cheers,

JD


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## deli

JD77 said:


> FMC
> 
> Could you recommend a model that might suit me, my house has the back boiler blanked off so I would like to get a stove that would heat 12 radiators and supplement my oil heating I light my fire fairly regularly but also have the oil going to heat the house. Also is the reconnecting of the back boiler a big job and what ballpark cost would I be looking at for this and the stove?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> JD


 
We have recently installed a Hunter Herald 14 which heats between 10-12 rads max. To date we are very satisfied with it, however it was quite a big job getting it in as we didn't have a back boiler previously installed, hence the mess and the cost !!
We have it workng in conjunction with our oil burning system, the stove overrides the oil if both happen to be running. We have significantly reduced out oil usage, but the multi fuel does need a good bit of fuel. One would need to burn wood to make it economically viable. We are still trying to the right type of fuel to burn, we are experiementing with different types of smokeless fuel, but to date I'm not convinced of it, I think there was a much better heat output out of normal coal


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## happymum

Hi FMC,
I do have pipeworks where I want to put the stiove as I intend to put it in the fireplace that used to heat the house b4 oil and then Gas were put in (wish I'd never changed now  ) as far as I know the big back boiler is still there as it was only disconnected.


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## meadow

deli said:


> One would need to burn wood to make it economically viable. We are still trying to the right type of fuel to burn, we are experiementing with different types of smokeless fuel, but to date I'm not convinced of it, I think there was a much better heat output out of normal coal


 
Would be interested to hear peoples views on what they consider to be the most economical and heat efficient fuel for burning in stoves.

I have a Stovax Huntingdon 28 in which I have mainly been burning wood. But this can be difficult to source and needs at least a year to dry out.

I am now considering switching to smokeless coal and briquettes.

Would be interested in hearing what other people use for multi fuel stoves. 

Deli, Why do you consider wood to be more economically viable ?


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## Shei

Hey fmc, riddle me this.  I am doing an extension and want a contemporary stove for open plan living area.  Given that I will put in good insulation, will it be worth it to have a back boiler to contribute to the hot water and underfloor heating in ground floor/rads upstairs?  I have found only two contemporary stoves that do back boiler and both are pretty expensive.
Anyone else have an opinion?


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## flatwallet

Hi take a look at www.estherm.com some stoves on there that might interest you.
or look at my pictures. I have 1 of those.
[broken link removed]#

Best regards Flatwallet


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## fmc

Hi JD stoves that would fit the bill are Mulberry beckett Hunte Herald 14 or Arrow SEB 20 or Arrow TF70 if the 20 will be too tight as its really 8-10 rads. Get a plumber to give you a price to reconnect but if the pipework is there thats the biggest messiest part over with. Get three quotes and ask each to calculate a heat load for the boiler. The stoves retail at E1550 -E2400 depending on model Mulberry being cheapest TF70 being the most expensive the others in between. Flue may add E100-150 to each stove. Installation could be E500 but i am guessing here depends on what needs to be done system wise.

Happymum should be straighforward then but again get a few quotes and ask for  a heat load. remember to allow that the room the stove will be situated in will be very hot depending on the stove so if its a very large room its fine if its a small room look for a stove that gets the most heat away to rads.

Shei depends on the house and how often you think you will end up witht he stove lit. if its going to be on a lot then it might be worth it if its only going to be on weekends etc i would stay dry no boiler. You will proabably get a good lot of heat spillage into the rest of the house regardless. But if you are at building stage bring the pipes to where you will have the stove anyway even if it means blanking them off. If things change 10 years down the road and people are at home more in your house and the stove is lit everyday you may consider getting another stove with boiler.
You can get a pretty contempory stove with no boiler for reasonable money.
Out of interest assuming one was a Hwam monet what was the other?


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## JD77

Cheers FMC much appreciated


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## horatio1

thanks fmc,
               We are due to break ground next week so only at the beginning of the headaches! Sligo a bit far from Laois.I liked the one you have on the link as it is a modern unit.

 Thanks


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## fmc

Hi horatio,
This is a link to the other fire but bear in mind its door swings out into the room a lot.
http://www.billericayfireplaces.co.uk/acatalog/Bronpi_Inset_Stoves.html#a660
But still pretty modern looking. You need to scrool up to the double sided picture.


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## headache

horatio1 said:


> I'm told by my interior designer (mrs h) that its the modern one in FMC'S link that will suit the living space. She has been told by our financial controller(me) that it might suit the space but it might not the budget!


  I love it!!! My friend- you think you are the financial controller, just like my DH does!! Oh go Mrs. H!


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