Healthiest way to heat a home?

cormie

Hi,
Just looking for any advice on the healthiest way to keep a rented property warm? The reason I ask is because I have a dust allergy and where I used to love lighting the open fire, fueled by wood and coal, I'm not sure if this is going to do any favours for my breathing. The alternative is the storage heaters in the place but I know these can cost quite a lot and tend to just heat the air and make it pretty stuffy, again not the best health wise. I can't really do any long term solutions such as more insulation etc as it's a rented property so just looking for any advice on other alternatives? Would lighting the fire even be that bad if I keep the chimney cleaned at least once a year? I wouldn't even light it that often, maybe 2/3 nights a week during the winter..

Any feedback appreciated

DGOBS

Is there no central heating boiler?

cormie

Nope, just storage heaters, an open fire and a tank in the hotpress are the only things for heat in the house besides the oven

paddy147

cormie wrote: »

Hi,
Just looking for any advice on the healthiest way to keep a rented property warm? The reason I ask is because I have a dust allergy and where I used to love lighting the open fire, fueled by wood and coal, I'm not sure if this is going to do any favours for my breathing. The alternative is the storage heaters in the place but I know these can cost quite a lot and tend to just heat the air and make it pretty stuffy, again not the best health wise. I can't really do any long term solutions such as more insulation etc as it's a rented property so just looking for any advice on other alternatives? Would lighting the fire even be that bad if I keep the chimney cleaned at least once a year? I wouldn't even light it that often, maybe 2/3 nights a week during the winter..

Any feedback appreciated

If you are are planning on staying in the rented house for a long while,then ask the landlord if you could fit a small stove into the open fireplace.:)

brophis

Could infrared heaters be an option? I've never used them or have never seen them in use but there was a thread recently discussing them.

cormie

Would a stove not be the same as an open fire? The soot would still be lingering in the chimney I guess so if there's wind blowing down the chimney, it'll be blowing the soot into the air in the room?

Haven't heard much on infra red heating at all, although I remember I was in a health shop and they had an infra red heater on the roof and they seemed happy with it...

rebelden

What about a nice warm hot water bottle?

boiler break downs

cormie wrote: »

Would a stove not be the same as an open fire? The soot would still be lingering in the chimney I guess so if there's wind blowing down the chimney, it'll be blowing the soot into the air in the room?

Haven't heard much on infra red heating at all, although I remember I was in a health shop and they had an infra red heater on the roof and they seemed happy with it...

if its blowing down the chimney then that's a problem that can be solved with an anti downdraught divice .a vent in the room would help it not to get stuffy and could solve the problem with a downdraught.or you could rent a house with a boiler as storage heaters are expensive to run.and do have your chimney cleaned

cormie

Yeah, had my chimney cleaned and it seemed to improve the air which is why I was thinking it may not be the best for me to keep the fire lighting. Changing accommodation isn't really an option either. I got the landlady to install a vent recently which seems to have helped with a damp issue. Have used the storage heaters frequently in the past and they haven't made the bills too expensive so might just have to stick with them. Unless them infra red heaters are an option..

eirator

A friends wife had bad asthma and it was made much worse by an open coal fire (the main heating for the house) eventually they had an enclosed stove fitted and that solved the problem.

cormie

What way do the stoves work exactly? I know the door can be closed over which would stop the dust getting right into the room, but would the flue not be going up the chimney and, unless it's sealed off somehow, still cause issues?

boiler break downs

cormie wrote: »

What way do the stoves work exactly? I know the door can be closed over which would stop the dust getting right into the room, but would the flue not be going up the chimney and, unless it's sealed off somehow, still cause issues?

how its fitted is important and if done correctly you should have no soot coming down into the room.soot will fall into the stove but that would be because it needs cleaning.stoves work better when cleaned twice a year.they tell you that in most of the manuals with the stove you buy.

eirator

The point with a stove is that when its burning nothing should be comming out into the room as the fire is sucking air into itself all the time. Even with no fire air is still being sucked into the firebox or it should be if the chimneys built and working correctly.

cormie

Cool stuff, thanks for the help everyone. I hope at least heat makes it into the room with a stove

Was thinking of getting a stove before for the energy saving element and the fact a fire will burn longer in a stove (as far as I know). So I might look into getting one that I can take to any new place.

Might still explore the infra red idea too..

eirator

Any good well fitted stove will be at least twice as efficient as an open fire. The problem is that installation is a bit expensive as you should really have a liner put in the chimney. I won't go into too much detail but the liner is quite important! Its because the heat stays in the room and doesn't go up the chimney with a stove the chimney stays much colder and that along with the reduced air flow up the chimney means if it isn't lined then it soots up very quickly, the liner needs less heat to warm it and doesn't loose the heat through the brick lining as quickly.

gctest50

You may be able to get a little stove that takes the air it needs from outside:

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/external-air-stove.html

should solve the problem of dust blowing down the chimney at night ?


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=64522058

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=61563474

cormie

I wouldn't be able to do any structural work unfortunately. Also, the fireplace itself isn't on an outside wall.

Any idea of a rough figure for a small stove and liner fitted, in which if I move, I can remove the stove and take it with me?