Which is cheaper?

ChocolateSauce

Can anyone help me with this problem: My house is centrally heated by gas, but sometimes I occupy the sitting room only. Would it be cheaper to turn off the gas and use the fireplace? And if so, which is cheaper, coal or wood or something else?

rotinaj

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Can anyone help me with this problem: My house is centrally heated by gas, but sometimes I occupy the sitting room only. Would it be cheaper to turn off the gas and use the fireplace? And if so, which is cheaper, coal or wood or something else?

I dont know which is cheaper but maybe you could turn off the rads in rooms your not in. It would save you money on your gas bill anyway

Del2005

I'd be with d3mon24 on this. This turn off the rads in the rooms you don't use. Your gas boiler would be the best to just heat the sitting room as ~90% of the heat from an open fire goes up the chimney and your gas boiler would be running in the 70%+ efficiency range, assumiung it's serviced. You will also be heating your hot water doing this so won't need to use the immersion heater.

If you do go with the open fire it really depends where you live whats cheaper and also if you like flames or heat. The smokeless coal( or whatever it is now) give great heat, if left alone, but no flames while timber or smoky coal give flames and less heat.

Cookie_Monster

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Can anyone help me with this problem: My house is centrally heated by gas, but sometimes I occupy the sitting room only. Would it be cheaper to turn off the gas and use the fireplace? And if so, which is cheaper, coal or wood or something else?

I'm in the same situation...

Del2005 wrote: »

Your gas boiler would be the best to just heat the sitting room as ~90% of the heat from an open fire goes up the chimney and your gas boiler would be running in the 70%+ efficiency range, assumiung it's serviced.

90%! wow didn't think it'd be that high, pity I quite like having the fire on:(

blackbox

90% loss is exceptionally high, but it can actually go over 100% where you are drawing more warm air from the house than the fire is producing.

If you want to burn coal and wood efficiently you will need a multi-fuel stove. These are efficient as they only take in enough air to suport combustion. They also produce much less pollution because the fire is burning hotter and because you are using less fuel (but still more pollution than gas).

BTW coal will be cheaper than wood unless you can buy the wood by the trailerload and have somewhere to allow it to dry properly.

badolepuddytat

The irish building regulations detail how we should have proper heating controls to provide heat in your living area at a different times and tempreatures to the remainder of the house.....

but no body told the plumbers/ electricians....

stove is the best type. go for properly tested stove >72% efficiency.

B

Cookie_Monster

Is it safe/advisable to maybe put in some tin foil at the back of the gas fire to reflect more of the heat into the room?

Del2005

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Is it safe/advisable to maybe put in some tin foil at the back of the gas fire to reflect more of the heat into the room?

It's never safe/advisable to mess with a gas fire if you don't know what you are doing. You may block a vent or some other important part. Look at getting the gas fire serviced, they can tell you if it's working OK or if you need an new one to get better heat output.

what if it were a stove not an open fire?
and the stove was hooked up to the radiators?
im thinkin of doing this for my parents

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

what if it were a stove not an open fire?
and the stove was hooked up to the radiators?
im thinkin of doing this for my parents

Couldn't answer better:D

blackbox wrote: »

If you want to burn coal and wood efficiently you will need a multi-fuel stove. These are efficient as they only take in enough air to suport combustion. They also produce much less pollution because the fire is burning hotter and because you are using less fuel (but still more pollution than gas).

BTW coal will be cheaper than wood unless you can buy the wood by the trailerload and have somewhere to allow it to dry properly.

thepoolgirl

Can anyone help as I'm confused,don't take a lot lol
If you have oil fired central heating will the property have an open fire?
Cos the price of oil is expensive,I prefer an open fire as its cheaper.

Del2005

thepoolgirl wrote: »

Can anyone help as I'm confused,don't take a lot lol
If you have oil fired central heating will the property have an open fire?
Cos the price of oil is expensive,I prefer an open fire as its cheaper.

Depends on if you have a chimeny or not. If you have a chimeny in the house then you should be able to have an open fire, make sure open fires are allowed and it's not just a for a gas/oil stove. While a open fire may be cheaper, you'r only heating 1 room in the house and the rest of it may get damp. Your better off turning down/off the rads in the rooms you don't want to heat.

thepoolgirl

Its a new property that i'm thinking of renting,not been to look at it yet but seen photos of the living room,From what i can see the fire is eleltric i think.

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

the rest of it may get damp. Your better off turning down/off the rads in the rooms you don't want to heat.

Wont that lead to the same problem with the damp then?

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

Wont that lead to the same problem with the damp then?

Forgot to put in that you should rotate the heating of rooms to manage damp.