I'm hopeing to build here in Hanmer and since I last built rules over log fires have tightened up. One of the few that has a wetback and is Ecan approved is the Osburn 1600. Does anyone have one and how good are they?
Can I build an open fire in a house on a rural property?
You may be able to install an open fire depending on the size of your property.
For properties greater than two hectares, not in an urban area or a clean air zones you can install any form of solid fuel burner you wish without obtaining a resource consent. You will still have obtain a building consent from your local council.
For properties smaller than two hectares you will need to apply for a resource consent if you wish to install an open fire, multi-fuel burner, coal burner and any new cooking appliance using wood or coal.
Just taken this from your Enviroment Canterbury website. Something you are not usually told is possible. Maybe they e fireplaces have changed in the past couple of years but the earlier models were not able to be dampened down overnight. Personally, if that is still the case, I would be going for a full on fireplace that can be left going in Winter. I have no idea whether you are still rural so just ignore this if you aren't. Grin.
Can't help with the model number, but we have a 2400 and it's great. It's actually a bit of overkill for our 90 sq m house, but it's what was here when we moved in. I think they're a pretty highly rated brand of stoves, if you end up going that route.
Just been through this decision canytguy and we were deciding between the Osburn 1600 and a Firenzo Contessa with wetback. We decided to go for the Firenzo, (NZ made, manufactured in Napier) because we liked the build quality a little bit more. Also I talked to two fire installers and they were really, really positive about everything to do with the Firenzo range particularly the wetback. You can get 3kw or 5kw and they sit at the top of the fire which means they don't get damaged and they are very, very efficient at large volumes of water. Just thought I would mention it as an alternative. I have heard the Osburn is good but I knew more people with Firenzos. The cost is similar. In fact I think the Contessa was cheaper when I shopped around dealers locally. $2500 incl GST and wetback included.
We just got ours installed last week and we have been testing it out and it is indeed very, very efficient. We noticed we were using a lot less wood than our old fire for lot more heat. Plenty of hot water.
1 kiwi husband, 14 year old boy girl twins. Gave up my beautiful 16 acres north of auckland for 1000m2 in central christchurch! Yikes. Plan to get as much produce out of that 1000m2 as possible.
DiDi;286424 wrote:Can I build an open fire in a house on a rural property?
You may be able to install an open fire depending on the size of your property.
For properties greater than two hectares, not in an urban area or a clean air zones you can install any form of solid fuel burner you wish without obtaining a resource consent. You will still have obtain a building consent from your local council.
For properties smaller than two hectares you will need to apply for a resource consent if you wish to install an open fire, multi-fuel burner, coal burner and any new cooking appliance using wood or coal.
Just taken this from your Enviroment Canterbury website. Something you are not usually told is possible. Maybe they e fireplaces have changed in the past couple of years but the earlier models were not able to be dampened down overnight. Personally, if that is still the case, I would be going for a full on fireplace that can be left going in Winter. I have no idea whether you are still rural so just ignore this if you aren't. Grin.
We had an osbourne in our previous previous house in aussie, and had a lot of trouble trying to get initial draw and then overnight slow burn of wood. the thing just didn't seem to breathe.
We put it down to over insulation of the product (ie for the ''new'' eco regs to double burn and return the air back to the firebox) and so installed a yotul in the following one next door (same area but met the regs all the same without the lining rubbish in the top lid).
Best fire we ever bought and we deeply regret not installing the same one here.
I went logburner shopping with a friend a couple of weeks ago. She'll get a Contessa. We have a Lady Kitchener from the same range and it is the best wood burner imaginable. During the coldest part of winter it is on 24/7 and after a week we only have about a 10l bucket full of ashes - not more, thats how efficient it is. We also have a wetback and it provides enough hot water for a family of 5 (2 teenagers).
After only a week you have a 10L bucket of ashes?? We only get that amount about every 4-6 weeks with our burner (and this is with it going ALL THE TIME, ALL WINTER)... something I really hadn't thought about before!
Well, Andrea, with the Jayline we have in our batch we get a 10l bucket full of ashes after 1 weekend and the woodburner never is on all day. So maybe 20 hours of warmth equates 1 bucket of ashes. So compared to that the Lady Kitchener is very efficient.
So what woodburner have you got? Sounds brilliant.
It's an Osburn 2400. Was already in the house when we moved in (a Canadian family owned the house before us, and they'd only put it in a few months before)!
We had a Lady Kitchener, and when the time and funds allow we will be replacing our Masport with one. Friends recently put one in and can't believe the difference, and they put an extension on the house at the same time and one wall was a builders curtain! LOL.
One of the great things about the Kitchener and Contessa is that Firenzo will sell you spare parts (ie bricks, tiles and windows etc) or will rebuild an older model for you. Ours was the 72nd one made and we just got a new kit for it and it was like a new one. Awesome.
If you are more urban you may want to look at the Bronte, which is slightly smaller and still has a wetback.
Another friend has put a Wagener CookTop in their small house in Rodney and LUV it.
Masport MegaRad here, Just thought I'd chip in on the ashes debate no wetback, but it does have the holes and mounts for one to be fitted, just plated over on ours. During winter running 24/7 I'd empty it about once a fortnight for about 2/3rds of a 18L aluminium firebucket.
]
no wetback, but it does have the holes and mounts for one to be fitted, just plated over on ours. During winter running 24/7 I'd empty it about once a fortnight for about 2/3rds of a 18L aluminium firebucket.