Saturday 8 August 2015

Fire,Fire,Burning Bright.

For the first eleven winters we have been at the farm before we retired we made do with the aging old free standing fire in the lounge room that kept the place  reasonably warm.
Once we moved here full time we removed that fire so renovations could progress and have survived the cold cooped up in the kitchen with the old woof fired cooking stove.We had blankets hanging  in the open doorways to keep the warmth in. Thank goodness we had that  fire or we  have really  been more miserable than we already were.
Because we were also having the floor tiled( a very long slow process by  an older really lovely man) we have been unable to install our  wonderful new bakers oven style  wood heater that we have had stored out under the carport for about a year.
So this week the tiling was progressing and we asked the  fellow if he could finish a selected area we had chosen to install the heater and grout it so that we could finally bring the fire in. "No problems" he said and sorted that for us.
Firstly there had to be indepth discussions between  the men on how all the flue bits went together,
Then they  brought in the heavy beast and positioned it where it was selected to go.
Marked exactly where the  hole in the ceiling for the flue was to go,
Then  after more discussion  got up on the roof to life the sheet of roofing(which runs the full length of the roof)
Only to find that it was impossible to locate the flue there as the beams were all too close together and didn't leave the required  safety clearance.
So down they came and talked to me to  decide on another  location in the lounge to position the fire.
A new spot was chosen, albeit at the expense of my big tv/storage unit, but we really had no choice, as the only other suitable location  involved moving our hot water service on the roof.
They  then positioned the heater underneath and went back up onto the roof to install the   outer flue casing and brackets to hold everything  steady.
They also installed the Decktite silicone boot that  prevents leakage around the flue and off the roof, this has a flexible band around it that molds into the profile of the roof and is  also sealed down with roof and gutter sealant
Then the next step was to  place the lower flue pieces on from inside,
And then back up on the roof for Brian to feed the higher sections down to  join into the lower sections
Once all the pieces were connected and fastened the  stove was checked and  appeared to be just a little off centre,

So that was sorted quick smart by moving to one side about 20 mm.
The final  thing to be  installed was the  cap and down draft lid apparatus that sits on top of the flue and also  stops rain from entering the flue.
And then it was all completed, all that was left was to test it out.
Just as the job was completed as if on cue the  next door neighbours arrived with a bundle of kindling in one arm and  wine, beer and nibbles in the other to  mark the occasion.
So we had a small fire lighting ceremony,
Checked that the flue was drawing properly and  it was. ( we made sure the flue was the correct height above the roofline.)
And then we  all sat around our lovely new  wonderfully warm fire and  enjoyed a few hours of  conversation and food and drink, a very pleasant way to pass the evening.
I am very, very happy with our new fire, the  coldness in the house was really starting to get to me and I had become moody and down, but as soon as the warmth penetrated right through the house my spirits lifted immediatly. I haven't tried the oven yet but am really itching to do so, but the top  boils kettles and  cooks vegies in pots beautifully.
Am  in love with my new fire, you bet I am.
Until we meet again down the track,
Take care,
Cheers,
Jane.

11 comments:

  1. Oh what a beauty! You will be so cozy! If you already have some potatoes from your vegetable patch, peel a few and stick them in the oven while it is on and at the end of the evening you have lovely roast potatoes for a midnight feast. I speak from experience because we had a stove like that too. As wood is very expensive here we changed it for an almond burner (burns almond shells) but it does not have an oven.
    Thank you for showing the whole installation. Shame that you couldn't have it in the place that you wanted but as long as the room is warm!
    Greetings,
    Lisca

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    1. Thanks Lisca,
      We are just loving it, was reading your comment to my husband regarding the almond burner, we have never heard of one of those, so I take it they grow a lot of almonds around your area. Does it produce similar heat to an ordinary wood fire, I expect that it would have a pleasant smell to it when it burns.,
      Cheers.
      Jane.

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  2. You can't beat a good wood fire for heat. Living in southern Tasmania it gets really really cold. I just love snuggling down in my chair with a good book and cup of tea watching the flames. I wish we could use ours for cooking. So economical!

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    1. From what I have been seeing on the weather reports , Tassie has beeen having a really cold winter, so I imagine a fire of sorts would be a neccessity down there. I too love to hunker down with a cuppa and magazines or a good tv show( but they are few and far between lately.)
      keep warm down there,
      Cheers,
      Jane

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  3. Oh Jane I am so jealous but so pleased for you. It looks lovely and it looks so warm and inviting. My husband was interested in the process as we have planned one (long term) out under our outside room.

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    1. So happy it is finally in Lynda, I just can't express how pleased I am. !!
      Like you evntually we are going to put the old fire we originally had in the lounge room out under our future outdoor area, it will make a lovely social gathering area and really extend the use of out doors so much.
      Take care,
      Cheers,
      Jane.

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  4. Hello Jane, I was very interested to see your two stoves, the old kitchen one and the new one. I love that the new one has an oven in it and can be used for cooking on the top. How wonderful. We have recently moved into a house that we have had for about 10 years which is also off grid. It is at Mt Victoria in the Blue Mountains and gets very cold in winter. We have a Rayburn cooker in the kitchen and a Masport slow combustion heater in the lounge room which is lovely to look at and keeps us very warm. Sometimes, I wish I could cook on it too though like you can. I am very interested to read all your posts about your battery and solar power system and also your bottling. I have inherited some 400 or so Fowlers Vacola bottles of all different sizes. Some of them still have produce in them from the early 90's! It seems we have many things in common. Keep up the interesting posts. Best Wishes, Bronwyn.

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  5. Hi Bronwyn,
    Thanks for calling by. Hope you were lucky enough to not be near those fires at Mt Vic last week, they were terrible.
    We used to have a Warmglo wood fire in the lounge, you could boil the kettle on it and cook in pots, but we had used it at Newcastle, then moved it here and it finally wore out and we replaced with this Scandia from Bunnings. I am really loving it(actually have turkey vegie Korma in the oven tonight for the first time.
    We love being off grid, just the best way of life. I also use the Fowlers Vacola bottles even in the pressure canner.
    Beautiful area you live in, we pass through regularly on our way to our daughter at Wollongong and my husband has often worked in that area in the past (railway tracks)
    Great to meet you, take care,
    Cheers,
    Jane.

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  6. Oh we are very interested in your experience with this heater. Having tried the Nectre Bakers Oven and the Scandia Cuisine, we need to choose one for our new house and the Heat and Cook has replaced the Cuisine (although I checked it out recently and it looks very similar). Let me know what you think of it! We cook on (and in) ours regularly, although it really is a bit oversized for our house and we occasionally have to open doors and windows if we want the oven hot enough!

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    1. Hi Liz,
      How funny is this, we have come full circle, I first saw the double wood fires on your Eight Acres and Tania Out Back's blog and they totally amazed me. I determined right there and then that one day we would have one of those.
      So far I adore out heat and cook, it is wonderfully hot on top, kettles and pots boil very quickly.
      The oven I am still experimenting with, have only cooked 2 meals so far, a turkey and vegie curry and a salmon quiche.
      The curry seemed to take ages , only for Brian to inform me I had forgotten to close the vent off so it would reach the required temps. The quiche cooked perfectly in the normal time it would have taken in my gas oven.
      The fire burns well and keeps burning well overnight when shut down. If I find any negatives I will let you know.
      Cheers Liz,
      take care,
      Jane.

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  7. Hi Jane,
    I am considering a heat and cook for our new home in SEQ, I know you may think its not required in a sub tropical coastal area, but like you I just love the idea of a fire burning on the evening. What a bonus to be able to bake etcetera. The heat and cook is so much cheaper than the competition, but gets mixed reviews. I'm glad to hear a really positive experience from yourself. I can't wait to move into our new home later this year,should be in the midst of winter! Look forward to hearing more great stories about your heat and cook experience.
    King regards
    Owen Regan

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