Stove Versus Open Fire

Which is best – a stove or an open fire?

We have a cold house – although the attic insulation is good, the house has huge windows which are draughty and I suspect the wall insulation could be improved too. I pull the curtains in the winter to keep out the draughts, not for privacy. ?We were determined to do something to add warmth to the kitchen this winter as it’s been on the long finger now for a couple of years and it makes it more comfortable for Brian when he is sitting up most of the night watching and waiting for cows to calve. ?I had toyed with the idea of an Aga but gave it up for a couple of reasons – one was cost and the other was the increasing cost of oil and electricity, I wanted to heat the room with a sustainable method and as we’ve been planting trees and there is usually one on the farm that falls per year, we have a reasonable supply to sticks and logs.

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Even though we love the open fire in the living room, all the reports of 70% of its heat going up the chimney meant we debated putting a stove into the living room too – decisions decisions!

We eventually decided to put an Oscar woodburning stove in the kitchen. I like the traditional look of the Waterford Stanley stoves, especially in matt black. It’s been installed about 2 weeks now and the kitchen is transformed! ?A bit of coal and a few sticks on it and it gives constant heat. Brian is up quite a bit at night at the moment so he keeps sticks on it so it’s going 24 hours a day at the moment. ?The heat is constant around the whole room, no cold spots and the heat infiltrates into the neighbouring rooms and the room above the kitchen too. The pipe leading up and out of the stove is like a radiator and just radiates heat into the room. No more do we have to yell ‘shut the door’ when someone leaves the door open from the living room to the kitchen. ?It makes staying up all night that bit easier for Brian too! ?I’ll take a photo soon – a job over Easter is to repaint the kitchen now, it’s a bit cluttered down the end now with a dresser, a tall cupboard, a sideboard and 2 armchairs along with the stove but heyho.

The only negative I have is that sitting near the stove doesn’t mean that you are any warmer as it does spread the heat so well around the whole room. ?Neither is it particularly inviting to pull an armchair up to it as it just flickers behind the glass and seems removed. ?I’m glad I didn’t put a stove in the living room, I’ve always loved open fires – the way they flicker and change, the colours of the flames, the way they are always different, the way they are more tactile (in that they can be poked with a poker!!) Much of their heat may go up the chimney but you can’t beat an open fire – in my humble opinion. ?One of my favourite rituals is sitting down with a cup of tea in the armchair by the fire when I have come downstairs from putting the kids to bed.

Stove or open fire – which is your preference?

13 thoughts on “Stove Versus Open Fire

  • Katherine Branson

    I remember our old house with open fire that was light up every night during winter and it gives warm and cozy feeling in the whole living room. But we can’t freely use the open fire right now due to the wood supply issue. It feels good to bring back memories of the good old days!

    Reply
  • Doris Cantwell

    We have both a stove and an open fire. I too just love the open fire, we light it every night and its so relaxing and cosy. We have our own timber, which the men cut and its my job to keep it brought in, its well seasoned so this winter we have not bought even one bag of coal. The stove is fine and good to heat the radiators but for me it lacks the cosiness of an open fire. As I write this I am sitting in front of it with my feet up, as the saying goes the proof of the pudding is in the eating! We too have fireplaces in the bedrooms, but they are never ever lit, you would need a bevy of servants for that.

    Reply
    • Lorna

      I’m sitting beside our open fire at the moment too Doris, we do use some coal though – have it blazing this evening. Our stove doesn’t heat the rads or the water (quite a way from the hotpress and I couldn’t face all the upheaval). The back boiler on the open fire doesn’t work any more but we are planning to turn our garage into a fabulous study / office / library /reading room and the stove we’ll install will be used to heat water too. We’ve done everything on the outside and installed windows and doors etc but waiting till we have enough money to do the inside. 🙂 Can’t beat heat from wood and coal

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  • Ellen Boylin

    Well now there’s a question! I had a wood-burning stove installed about 3yrs ago and absolutely love it. Only problem is that there is now apparently a shortage of wood here in Warwickshire….. so we’re now having to burn these sawdust logs, which are quite good but I love the smell of ‘real’ wood! I was hoping to be able to have an open fire in our lounge (the woodburner is in our dining-room/kitchen) but it wasn’t to be! But still really glad I’ve got the wood-burner!

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    • Lorna

      I think if you can only have one then a wood burning stove is best – cos of its evenness of temperature around the room plus it is a more efficient use of fuel but the open fire is great if you can have a second source 🙂
      It does get expensive if you have to buy all your fuel though.

      Reply
  • ayearinredwood

    There is a constant battle in this house re. open fires! We have open fireplaces in our bedrooms too! And yes, I get the argument about the heat loss and that we should put in stoves…. but there really isn’t anything as nice as an open fire!

    Reply
    • Lorna

      oh, a fire in a bedroom – I would have loved that when I had the flu 2 weeks ago – do you ever light them? I’m loving the stove in the kitchen and it really works but am so glad I didn’t install one in the living room – the open fire is just so much more tactile. I was in a house recently that had a huge stove in the living room but the floor was tiled (no rug) and between the sterile look of the stove and the tiled floor, it really didn’t feel like a cosy living room at all!

      Reply
  • donna OShaughnessy

    here in the US, fireplaces are rare and rarely used for heat just decor. One of the things I love most when I visit Ireland is renting an older cottage and keeping the open fire going. In one cottage near Doolin after building the fire I pull up the chair for warmth and drink tea and eat “digestives”, then and only then do I feel like I am Ireland and I am so HAPPY. So when we build our new home here we’ll have both, an open FP for me and a nice wood stove for the rest . Can’t wait to see pics of your kitchen!

    Reply
    • Lorna

      I know open fires / stoves can be expensive if you don’t have your own supply of wood but they really can’t be beaten. I only put the central heating on for about 90 minutes in the morning now, to warm the rooms downstairs and the bathrooms and to heat the water!

      Reply
  • Elizabeth

    Hi Lorna, although I don’t live there, I’ve spent enough time in Irish homes to know how wonderful the wood stoves are. A good friend of mine installed one in her kitchen last winter and has never looked back. Although she has two fireplaces (in other rooms), they are rarely in use when she’s got the wood stove going. It’s quite comfortable, cozy, and easier to keep clean.

    Reply
    • Lorna

      I agree, they are much easier to keep, create less ash too so don’t have to be emptied as often and the sticks even last for longer. I’m lighting the fire in the living room later in the day now too but sitting down by the open fire is just heaven. It’s so mild today and the stove is providing a nice even temperature in the kitchen and through to the living room

      Reply

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