Which range to use, Stanley or Rayburn???

oldhead

Hello everyone, I am looking for some help. I am currently building a house. It is approx 3600sq ft, 2 storey. We are thinking of installing a stove of some type in the house, in the kitchen. We have loads of solid fuel from turf to timber, so naturally we were thinking a solid fuel stove, but are they too messy for a kitchen????? It would be nice to use what we have eg turf and plenty of it, to heat some of the rads as well as the water in the house, plus it would keepn the kitchen warm. There is also the option of the gas or the oil or the electrical option or you can mix or match, put then do they cost more to run??? If anyone has anyone of these ranges could you give me some help or ideas, or are they any good at all???? Please help, many thanks

baldieman

Hi,
The advantage of the solid fuel cooker is you're not totally dependent on your main heating system, But it's not as clean and simple as oil etc...
If I had access to the fuel I'd go for it. Personally I prefer the rayburn in solid fuel. Nice big firebox.

gsxr1

My mate has a Rayburn solid fuel range and uses only turf.

He swears by it

oldhead

thanks for that, do you know does it heat many rads and hot water

copper12

You have to ask yourself if your lifestyle would allow you to use the stove to it’s maximum
If you are like me, work nine to five, and most likely to get a microwave dinner, just kidding
From what I can gather’ you either love them’ or hate them’ relationship with these types of stove .
It’s unlikely’ that the stove would heat the house’ alone 3600 sp ft; however it would be a great feature in the kitchen; but are they to messy for the kitchen; depends on what your routine would be; and how close to the utility; bringing the turf ;true the whole kitchen wouldn’t work; but if close to the utility then maybe; like I said you either love them or hate them
You can, mix and match, get a good heating engineer; letting him know your preference; to heat with wood and turf

gsxr1

oldhead wrote: »

thanks for that, do you know does it heat many rads and hot water

his bungalow is around 1500 sq ft and heats the rads.

His wife stays at home all day . I think she has it running every morning in winter.

Vtiling

Hi from my experience I can say:solid fuel stove in the kitchen are too messy and too smelly. And we bought them only 2 years ago.

oldhead wrote: »

Hello everyone, I am looking for some help. I am currently building a house. It is approx 3600sq ft, 2 storey. We are thinking of installing a stove of some type in the house, in the kitchen. We have loads of solid fuel from turf to timber, so naturally we were thinking a solid fuel stove, but are they too messy for a kitchen????? It would be nice to use what we have eg turf and plenty of it, to heat some of the rads as well as the water in the house, plus it would keepn the kitchen warm. There is also the option of the gas or the oil or the electrical option or you can mix or match, put then do they cost more to run??? If anyone has anyone of these ranges could you give me some help or ideas, or are they any good at all???? Please help, many thanks

oldhead

many thanks for that. the last think you want is a smelly kitchen. has anyone else any ideas????????????

copper12

Ranges burning turf; have been in use for generations; in kitchens
If you grew up with one; or are very familiar’ with the smell of burning turf,
Then it should not bother you to much.
However if you are from the city, moving to the country, then they may take a bit’ of getting used to’
But then you will also have to get use to slurry spreading, darkness, and of coerce the silence,
Foxes barking during the night; would scare the **** out of you; if you never heard one before
But still free heat

oldhead

Cheers Copper12, I am a country man all my life, as you say, its free heat.

reilig

oldhead wrote: »

Hello everyone, I am looking for some help. I am currently building a house. It is approx 3600sq ft, 2 storey. We are thinking of installing a stove of some type in the house, in the kitchen. We have loads of solid fuel from turf to timber, so naturally we were thinking a solid fuel stove, but are they too messy for a kitchen????? It would be nice to use what we have eg turf and plenty of it, to heat some of the rads as well as the water in the house, plus it would keepn the kitchen warm. There is also the option of the gas or the oil or the electrical option or you can mix or match, put then do they cost more to run??? If anyone has anyone of these ranges could you give me some help or ideas, or are they any good at all???? Please help, many thanks

My parents have a Stanley range in their house. They burn mostly Ash logs, but some turf also. In summer the fire is lit once per day to heat water. In winter, the fire burns for 20 hours per day. It heats 22 radiators with no back up. The house is 2500 square ft. They had a stanley star and upgraded it for the new model (i don't know the name but its identical to the star) last year. The stanley star was 23 years old and they guy that they bought the new one from gave them €1000 trade in for it. They had to give €4500 for it along with the trade. Its big business reconditioning these stanley ranges.

They burn approximatel;y 15 ton of ash logs per year and about 4 ton of turf.
They wouldn't swap it for the world, its a way of life for them at this stage. They even recycle newspapers into paper mache blocks and dry them out. they then use these blocks to light the fire.

Hope this info helps.

Dan

oldhead

many thanks

Kevin007

HI there
Make your selection on the size of the water jacket sorrounding the firebox as the ability of any appliance to absorb heat is directly related to the area of the boiler surface Ask the Tech people to tell you the exact sq. fottage of the boiler that will be absorbing and go 4 de 1 that has the biggest area. Use the driest fuel you can get and burn it as slowly as possible. Every now and then burn two buckets of Calco to clean all the surfaces and then go back to your turf. The best investement you can make with the fastest payback is to spend as much as you can on insulating the roof with a spray foam to a depth that will ensure you reach the building Spec. Target of .16 U Value. DO NOT USE FIBREGLASS IN THE ROOF Good Hunting

copper12

They burn mostly Ash logs, but some turf also. In summer the fire is lit once per day to heat water. In winter, the fire burns for 20 hours per day. It heats 22 radiators with no back up. The house is 2500 square ft
They burn approximatel;y 15 ton of ash logs per year and about 4 ton of turf.

That is a lot of timber and turf
There are other products’ that would be much more efficient than a stove ok you could not put them in your kitchen and sit in front of them but if you were to reduce the amount above by sixty or seventy percent then it’s something to think about
Maybe putting something in the kitchen that if you did light it then it would look well but would not use to much fuel

reilig

copper12 wrote: »

That is a lot of timber and turf
There are other products’ that would be much more efficient than a stove ok you could not put them in your kitchen and sit in front of them but if you were to reduce the amount above by sixty or seventy percent then it’s something to think about
Maybe putting something in the kitchen that if you did light it then it would look well but would not use to much fuel

To be honest, the old man wouldn't have it any other way. He loves thinning out his ash trees, sawing them up and splitting them. He sees it as free fuel (he never counts his time) and sees it as saving money. The range is used for cooking, baking and even drying clothes on the splashback above it. The range is an institution in our house - like a tv in other houses. The house wouldn't feel right without it. He's happy with, so why change it. In years to come, we will be burning 100% Ash as I don't think country people will be allowed cut turf for much longer.

gsxr1

reilig wrote: »

In years to come, we will be burning 100% Ash as I don't think country people will be allowed cut turf for much longer.

heard that alright. Board na mona are trying to stop it. The same lad I was telling you about at the start of the thread was giving out about it.

reilig

gsxr1 wrote: »

heard that alright. Board na mona are trying to stop it. The same lad I was telling you about at the start of the thread was giving out about it.

I don't think Bord na Mona have much control over turf cutting on private bogs. I think its the National parks and Wildlife who introduce areas of special conservation to specific boglands. I know that farmers can get extra reps payments for being in one of these areas, but i have enough turf bank to heat my house for the next 300 years just as long as they allow me to cut it.

dlambirl

hi OP

Myself and the OH are building a house at the minute, thankfully coming to the final stages. From day 1 we said that we would have OFCH and solid fuel as a backup as both our parents have solid fuel in their houses (my boyfriends house is heated soley by solid fuel while mine is OFCH and solid fuel). We dont think that solid fuel heating smells or is messy (granted coal coming in from the rain can drop but its easily cleaned up with a rub of the mop!)
So we are building a 3500 sq ft house. The heating is in 3 zones. Firstly we were going to go with a stanley or rayburn cooker but in the end we bought a hunter stove. Its not as big and awkward as the cooker and looks fantastic in the chimley curround that we built for it. The stove will heat 10-12 radiators which is what we have in each zone so we can switch what zones the stove heats or get it to heat the tank for the hot water. Our friends moved into their house last year and they also have a hunter stove and they find theirs excellent. It has a setting on it which reduces the air flow which keeps the fire smoldering through the night and in the morning you increase the air flow and it fires up again.

I would recommend that you use solid fuel, whether you go for a stove or a cooker is your choice but with oil prices getting higher it's great to have a different means to heat the house/water.

Hotwheels

Have had two stanley solid fuel ranges and found them excellent...we moved house and after three years I fitted a Range, missed it.
We Don't use/buy Oil now..
Excellent for cooking, house lovely and warm...loads of hot water

This time we bought a Refurbished Stanley, as good as a new one, it was about €1000 cheaper...The good thing about it was we could choose pratically any Colour...

Only downside (but I don't think so) for some people is cleaning..:)
Costs now about €875 a year on fuel to heat the house, a 4 Bed detached...
Fit a Range, you'll never regret it, and buy a whistling kettle

I have childhood memories of my Grandmother shouting at us "Close that door!! the Range will go down"

copper12

Like you said it’s a way of life you either love them or hate them
If I were him I would feel the same way and not change a thing
But if the range packed up then would be the time to think about change

reilig

copper12 wrote: »

Like you said it’s a way of life you either love them or hate them
If I were him I would feel the same way and not change a thing
But if the range packed up then would be the time to think about change

The stanley is good for 30 years. he recons if he gets that far he won't be able to cut timber any more and will have to find an alternative heat source

Vtiling

yes, you are right, it is a way of life. everything else is perfect - hot water, free heating (or cheaper), but first discuss it with your wife. If she is ready to do cleaning everywhere in the kitchen every day, why not. I can say it from the womanś point of view. Because our kitchen is joined with dining room and sitting room I have to wipe the dust everyday from every shelf.... And last year when my baby was born and he used to spend nearly all day with me in the kitchen, we didn´t use the stoves at all. Because I didn´t want my baby to stay in this smell and breath it.

Raiser

Vtiling wrote: »

yes, you are right, it is a way of life. everything else is perfect - hot water, free heating (or cheaper), but first discuss it with your wife. If she is ready to do cleaning everywhere in the kitchen every day, why not. I can say it from the womanś point of view. Because our kitchen is joined with dining room and sitting room I have to wipe the dust everyday from every shelf.... And last year when my baby was born and he used to spend nearly all day with me in the kitchen, we didn´t use the stoves at all. Because I didn´t want my baby to stay in this smell and breath it.

Where are ye all getting the fuel from?

- Are ye running Country Manor Houses with a expansive grounds for cutting firewood or have your own private boglands etc?

I've just bought a House with an existing Rayburn hooked up to the Rads - Are they worth money to sell privately if we decide its not for us?

Also can it be re-enamelled to look a little better as its an orangey colour!

Patabc

hi, I'm new to this site and am looking for some help trying to choose between rayburn solid fuel and Stanley Donard. We have a stanley, 20 years old, I like the look of the rayburn but am afraid I will be disappointed with Rayburn.We have plenty of turf and are around all day to keep the range on at all times to heat water and rads.I'd really appreciate any advice