OP. Are you connected to piped gas (natural) or do you have bottled gas (LPG)?
shuddupowh,
May 20, 4:08am
Mains Gas. We are residential.
aredwood,
May 20, 11:28am
Ok, good to know.
shuddupowh,
May 27, 4:32am
Have had a quote for gas. Since we have tight budget & not keen to borrow more off bank at moment, one gasfitter quoted for a gas heater came back fairly cheap, as its not a gas fire, just gas heater. A Rinnai 559 (brand new). And a Rinnai 557 (5years old, is the gasfitters own heater he has taken out). Not going to put prices up yet, until I get my second quotes. But may go back to the first guy & ask him to quote for fireplace, but probably pointless as don't have thousands to fork out (the fireplace itself not including install is $3-4k min). Any one know much about the Rinnai's I posted above? They any good?
pleco,
May 27, 7:16am
We had an energy saver gas heater put in last winter and love it. That may even be the one you have mentioned above. The cost was around $3000. Our gas bill which includes water is around $35 in the summer and up to $100 in the winter. We operate the heater evenings and weekends. Best purchase we ever made.
sally63,
May 27, 7:39am
Nope, not a greenie! Just aware of the effects of all the muck discharged into the air.I have seen it in person and we all have to all inhale it. So comments from anyone are perfectly deserved, haha! in fact please do. Hopefully it could start off another discussion. It is all very well to JUST to think about yourself and your immediate comfort. so selfish!
aredwood,
May 27, 12:49pm
They are both about 80% efficient. This will be with them operating on max output and with the direct (short) flue. Lower and longer type flue means higher efficiencies. This means that they will cost 7.5c per kW/Hr on high. (assuming you are paying 6c per kW/hr for gas) And their max heat output is just over 5kW. As for which model to get out of the 2 you have posted just get whatever one is cheapest. Even the 5 year old one has plenty of life left in it. And since Rinnai typically provide spare parts for 10 years after ending sales you should be fine for parts until approx 2023. But even then they only rarely ever break. At least 1/2 of the repair jobs I get for Rinnai Appliances, All they need is a good service and they work fine again.
aredwood,
May 27, 12:52pm
Also can you post exactly what your cents per kW/hr charge is for gas. It will be on your gas bill. And before someone says "heatpumps are cheaper to run" are they still cheaper even when operating at max output and with outside temps in the negatives? Post a COP table to prove it. OP, Post your cents per kW/hr charge for electricity as well. So others can calculate actual heatpump running costs if it turns into running cost war.
daryl14,
May 27, 7:38pm
I see you can still get rinnai timber flame fires out of Christchurch. They are giving them away. If you are serious about keeping costs down you should look into this. Somehow I get the feeling it will all be too hard and you will end up with a heat pump.
aredwood,
May 27, 11:27pm
The Rinnai Timberflame (also called the Rinnai Royale and radius) was a good fire when it was released. But is only 70% efficient. This is still far better than the open fronted type of gas fire. Yet Rinnai themselves make 3 different gas fire models that are more efficient than the timberflame. And other gas heaters which are also more efficient as well.
daryl14,
May 28, 12:09am
Yes I can see that, and they start at $4,000, then you need to add installation and council consent costs.
I'm willing to bet the OP isn't thinking of spending that kind of money.
aredwood,
May 28, 9:42am
The models the OP was asking about earlier are Rinnai Energysaver flued gas heaters. Not gas fires. And no council consents needed. See post #41 on this thread. But if the OP get a wood fire then they Do need a consent.
tjc30,
May 28, 10:26am
I love logburners because there is something cozy about them and the heat is great (much hotter than gas heating). We had one at our last rental. The house we brought has a gas heater. I love not having to stack wood, clean out the fire box and buy wood every year and go out in the cold or rain to bring it in, I switch on the heater and its done!. I do miss our wood fire as I find it a better heat. but I am loving the easiness of gas heating. Our gas bill with gas cooking is about $60 a month
helenb10,
May 28, 11:26am
I LOVE my gas fire - it is my favourite thing in the house. I love the warmth, the love the ambiance of the flames, I love the no mess, no ordering or stacking of firewood and I love the ease of starting it - just push a button. It's connected to a wall thermostat that can be programmed to a comfortable temperature and also can be programmed to come on and off at certain times so you get up in the morning or come home to a lovely cosy house. Mine is a Masport Granada. The only down side is the cost of gas here in the South Island. Have had wood burners before and I also like them - the heat output is fantastic - better than gas - but I used to get sick of having to order/stack wood and all the mess and sometimes it would be an effort to start. Free firewood would be a big plus if that is the way you go. I am like you and HATE heat pumps.
Stumbled across this old thread and thought I'd bump it. I've only read up to this point in it so far.
I like the look of that. Very nice.
I've found the biggest problem for people with wood burners is that many people just don't know how get a good fire going. They're inefficiently burning their wood so they end up using more of it than they should. Often a lot more. I believe that there's a sweet spot between burning too hot and burning too cool.
I like to look for, or build, a good solid base of heat, some solid embers, and you get it burning hot enough so that when you turn it down and it'll sing, and then you just have it tick away by topping it up throughout the night. I'm talking a good layer of embers and it still burns like furnace when it's only embers. When it's running sweet the flue is barely making a noise but you're roasty-toasty.
I like to think it's almost an art as most of my friends with wood burners don't seem to know how to make maximum use of these things. It's not the burners as although they all differ it doesn't take too long to work out how to best get them burning. I barely go through my wood when I've got the wood burning right and my friends go through heaps.
I love wood burners because the heat is so different. For me, there's hardly anything better than sitting in front of a good wood fire. I chop my own wood & season it and I enjoy it. The only thing I hate is the mess the wood makes on your carpet.
golfaholic2,
Jun 13, 8:19am
As you get older you swap the burner for a pellet fire
mack77,
Jun 13, 11:02am
If you can handle dealing with firewood then a wood burner is the best way to go. Buy the best one that you can afford i.e. most efficient, correct size for your house, clean air compliant if you live in town and it would be worth considering using it to heat your hot water if that was feasible in your house. Just do the research firstly to find the best one!
shuddupowh,
Jul 31, 5:42pm
Just found my thread again. We are getting a wood burner. Have found a supplier on TM with really good prices. And can get it installed including consent costs for a low price. I've also got some wood lined up, at least 2 winters worth! Wont be another month until fire is in (consent is 21days) so I can start stockpiling wood & getting a shelter made up for it. We also looking at putting in a small gas heater (not too small) where the old one was located, just as a backup in case we run out of wood or gets too late to light the fire (or to help get the house warm while fire is starting if we got home late). We haven't decided what gas heater, not worried about that until later in the year or ever next year. We decided on wood burner for these reasons:- 1- Heating & Cooking in any natural disaster and power cuts (any other form of heating will be no good!) 2- I have found & can get BIG loads of wood (not split, I don't mind hard work, Im a real Kiwi!) for DEAD cheap & even possibly the odd clean-up job or tree removal (small trees only for me though) but I would pay an arborist if it worked out being worth it - as well as untreated timber from my work (old pallets/offcuts) so that drops the costs again. 3 - ALL NEW wood burners must now meet clean air regulations (most match CHCH anyway so will be legal anywhere in NZ) which means you will see nearly no smoke when burning seasoned wood (mainly a small wiff coming out). 4 - No increased Power or Gas bill. Yes I will have to light it, chop/stack wood, season it, find it etc. But that's all part of it. I remember as a kid cutting up blocks of wood, lighting the fire, etc and I loved it. also loved sitting in front of it just watching the fire. I reckon my kids will love helping me over the years.
shuddupowh,
Jul 31, 5:48pm
And nothing beats the intense heat of a fire on a winters night AND morning. Have had some extremely cold nights here in Hamilton but most are passed now (still nippy but we cope for now). And how cool the fire looks, I can see my kids already just sitting there watching it rather than the TV - my boys love when the brazier is going as they love the flames so sitting inside in the warm house they will love even more (may start saving power on that too!)
aredwood,
Nov 8, 7:56am
Thanks for coming back and updating. Even though you got a woodfire (and Im a gasfitter). Im still happy you have a good heating system.
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