I'm looking around for a small (<400mm wide), low power ~4KW stove. I
particularly like some of the small Morso stoves but they are all
multi-fuel. I only burn wood. Is the wood burning efficiency of a
multi-fuel significantly poorer than a dedicated wood burner? Thanks.

rjc4687@hotmail.com wrote:

> I'm looking around for a small (<400mm wide), low power ~4KW stove. I
> particularly like some of the small Morso stoves but they are all
> multi-fuel.


We have a Morso Squirrel - very pleased with it so far.



> I only burn wood. Is the wood burning efficiency of a
> multi-fuel significantly poorer than a dedicated wood burner? Thanks.


I'm not aware of any significant efficiency differences - would be 
interested to hear if there are any.


-- 
Grunff

I have a Bont ESSE Model Four solid fuel stove of about 12kWatts
rating. I do burn wood during the warmer months but use Anthracite
(actually Chinacite) during the winter months. That's Aberdeenshire
winter.

My stove has sliding bars under the fire which can be shaken to allow
the ash to fall through. Apparently pure wood burners have a flat plain
bottom to the fire so that the wood burns in its own ash which keeps
the heat in. If the fire does got out then this would have to be
shoveled out before relighting. This also makes the draughting
different. With solid fuel it is from underneath whereas with a wood
burner it would be from the front or sides.

Chris.
PS.. We have ALL lost a lot of basic knowledge about how to keep warm.

On 12 Sep 2005 02:00:52 -0700, rjc4687@hotmail.com wrote:


>Is the wood burning efficiency of a multi-fuel significantly poorer than a dedicated wood burner? 


Often, yes.

The draughting is different - wood doesn't need a grate, just a pan. A
"drop in" pan is a good fix for this - trying to light wood on narrow
open bars can be a pain to get going.

The efficiency mainly depends on your timber. If it's softwood and
resinous, then you have even more need than usual of the real difference
in a wood burner - a long combustion path past baffles, so as to burn
the producer gas coming off the heated timber. If you only burn
hardwoods, then this is less important.

You can make a good multi-fuel stove - but most of them are really just
wood-safe coal or coke stoves.

Our Aarow. http://www.aarrowfires.com/ has two settings on the grate one 
for coal which leaves gaps in the grate and the other closing up the grate 
for wood one also removes a bar from the front for wood use.

Chris