Open fire vs log burner

  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @Tommysgirl

    Berry started selling them in the 1920s. Earlier models contained asbestos but that wasn't recognised as a problem back then. I would have been more concerned about the unearthed chassis and the twin double cotton covered flex. Fortunately, some things have improved since then.

    Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Tommysgirl

    I have a flue less gas fire that produces a ribbon of flame. Its 100% efficient, but like all gas appliances a by product (apart from some CO2) is a lot of H2O so its not suitable for long term use or heating an entire property.
    Current Eon Next customer, ex EDF, Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • Tommysgirl's Avatar
    Guest
    @retrotecchie

    I remember the Berry name. I seem to recall that my mum and dads electric fires were the Belling brand. I didn't know about asbestos being in the early models, but people were unaware of the dangers until relatively recently. Most ironing boards had asbestos mats to rest the hot irons on, and I remember the asbestos and mesh squares in the school chemistry lab for putting over the Bunsen burners. That takes me back.🤣
    Another thing people used to do up this way, and probably UK wide was to plug their electric iron cable into a ceiling light socket with an adaptor to do their ironing, and some hairdressers did the same with their large hood hair dryers. That must have been dangerous but it was normal practice.
  • Beki's Avatar
    When I was younger, we only had one of these gas bottle heaters. I still remember the click, click noise when trying to light it, and watching the heat move through the front heater elements. My mum used to have to lug the gas bottles up 3 flights of stairs!

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    Last edited by Beki; 19-09-23 at 11:28. Reason: Gramatical errors
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    When I was younger, we only had one of these gas bottle heaters. I still remember the click, click noise when trying to light it, and watching the heat move through the froNT heater elements. My mum used to have to lug the gas bottles up 3 flights of stairs!

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    I lived in Cyprus for a while many years ago. Although a hot country, our house was high in the mountains where it was freezing cold in the winter. All we had for heating was two or three of those gas heaters that we had to wheel from room to room 😂

    It was the standard form of heating in the mountain villages and we frequently used to see old ladies lugging those gas bottles up the hills. They were made of strong stuff.
    I'm an Eon Next dual fuel customer with no particular expertise but have some time on my hands that I am using to try and help out a bit.
  • wizzo227's Avatar
    Level 22
    A wood burner is better than the pictured corcho gas thing because you can collect heathy looking weeds and wood and make wood ash organic fertiliser for the garden.
  • WizzyWigg's Avatar
    Level 88
    A wood burner is better than the pictured corcho gas thing because you can collect heathy looking weeds and wood and make wood ash organic fertiliser for the garden.
    Just be a little careful some garden plants don't like wood ash. These don't like it:

    • Apple, peach, and pear trees.
    • Sweet corn, peppers, eggplant, rhubarb, parsley, sweet potatoes.
    • Potatoes (Wood ash can lead to potato scab.)
    • Blueberries, raspberries, and most other berries.
    • Roses, azaleas, rhododendron, and hydrangea.
    • Birch trees, red maples, and pin oaks.
  • wizzo227's Avatar
    Level 22
    For plants which do like potassium, calcium, plus trace minerals but dislike the alkalinity of wood ash, you can mix in a bucket, a jugful of rainwater containing six spoonfuls of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate until the fizzing stops. Highly recommended to dilute further by topping up the bucket with more water before spreading. Not organic, but a Ph balanced N,P,K high quality fertiliser with trace minerals too. BS on birch trees; they'll gobble up anything if it is diluted with enough water.
    Last edited by wizzo227; 20-09-23 at 15:45. Reason: spelling ammonium
  • geoffers's Avatar
    Level 36
    When I was younger, we only had one of these gas bottle heaters. I still remember the click, click noise when trying to light it, and watching the heat move through the front heater elements. My mum used to have to lug the gas bottles up 3 flights of stairs!

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    When I was a kid we had an open fire in the sitting room, and the only other background heat in the house was an Aladdin paraffin burner like this
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    Big downside was the amount of H²O vapour given off, so our bedroom windows were always covered in a thick layer of "jack-frost" in the morning
  • WizzyWigg's Avatar
    Level 88
    When I was a kid we had an open fire in the sitting room, and the only other background heat in the house was an Aladdin paraffin burner like this
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    Big downside was the amount of H²O vapour given off, so our bedroom windows were always covered in a thick layer of "jack-frost" in the morning
    Oh boy does that brings back memories. 🤗. And only one channel on the old goggle box 😉.