Whats a Soba??

[BernieTeyze]

 :

Please can anyone advise me on what sort of heating to go for?


Keep reading about sobas, but don,t know what they do or how to fit them. We have air con in each room, but understand that to be expensive to run.  We move out in January, and the way the weather is will need to get something sorted straight away.
Thanks Bernie

[mary62]

A soba is a wood burning stove or fire. They are great for heating, but, they tend to make the room smokey and the pipes can leak smelly brown looking water out on to the floor.

You can get large electric heaters, but they can be expensive to run, and also what heating will you have a power cut?

We ended up with an electric fire, and a calor gas fire.

Hope this helps.

[KKOB]

Soba is just a generic name for any kind of wood or coal burning heater or oven. Soba is a brandname that's used just like Hoover is used for vacuum cleaners.

They can be very efficient if they're correctly installed and, provided that they and the pipes connected to them are cleaned regularly, you shouldn't have any problems with them. We've never had any problems with "smelly brown looking water" leaking from a Soba and don't know of anyone else that has. If you're putting well seasoned wood or dry coal into one it's unlikely that you're going to have any water in there that going to escape. However, using "green" wood or wet coal will certainly create problems.

If you ARE thinking of wood or coal as a fuel, you need to think of dry outside storage for the bulk of it and also indoor storage for immediate use. Obviously when it's freezing cold or chucking it down with rain, you don't want to be dashing outside each time you want to stoke-up the Soba.

[Ian]

And don't burn eucalyptus as our neighbour is currently doing as you blow "black oily sooty things all over your neighbours spotlessly clean balconies and washing" 

[LeeGlo]

For clean, efficient and relatively inexpensive heating I'd stick with the aircons if I was you. Plus maybe a gas heater for back up. Electric heaters/fires are more expensive to run than aircons.

As others have said sobas are ok if you have the room to store the wood/coal, and don't mind raking out the ashes and cleaning all the pipework every year.

If you are used to central heating then I would think this would be a chore too far.

[BernieTeyze]

Thanks all. I have just seen a calor gas heater with an electric fire with it. Think that might be worth a look as a back up.
We will be living in a reverse duplex so don,t think a soba will be for us.

[KKOB]

Just remember that a gas heater needs to be well ventilated and that they create quite a bit of condensation. Oh, and if you've got the space, keep a spare gas bottle handy. They have a nasty habit of running-out when you least want them to.  

[Ian]

Spot on as always :-)
We actually had water running down the walls last winter and this was in a 40 sq m lounge / kitchen - so plenty of air in the room.

So we now have a 3kw and a 2kw oil wall heaters now - thermostatically controlled - and one more in the bedroom with a timer switch - and the gas fire is only on standby for powers cuts.

We boost with the aircon but generally only if we come in late and the place is cold - although we have timer plugs on each wall heater - which is very useful if you know you are coming in late!

This evening we are sat watching tv - me in pj's and dressing gown - Gill in a onsie - spare duvet over us both and a water bottle each with a halogen heater  3 feet away (very useful instant heat - £10 from UK) and one 3kw heater on.

Very cosy - bottles will go in bed later - refilled - we have electric blanket but prefer the bottles.

If we weren't prepared to do all this and enjoy it - we would have to get a wood burner - but would rather not at this time.

Don't underestimate how cold these places are - not built to keep heat in - no cavity walls - it really is a big issue that needs to be carefully thought through as you don't want to be cold at any price!

[Karennina]

I remember my first ever December visit and what a shock it was, we were out looking at properties and were put in a hotel in Hisaronu, I was sooo shocked by how cold it was at night time and trying to brave the bathroom for a shower was an experience for sure... Nowadays I have my own  "inbuilt" central heating so would probably fare ok  ;)Ian you and Gill sound dead cosy in your pj's and onsies!!
Sorry to hijack your topic Slikmrs but it just took me back remembering the cold, good luck in finding some suitable heating for your home  

[BernieTeyze]

Karennia, I think I underestimated the cold in winter,glad to hear the first hand experiences. Ian, kkob,thanks, so out go the calor heaters and now need info on oil filled heaters. Are they expensive to run? Do you need a particular size or model for size of room?
Ours is a semi so should imagine. It will be even colder.
Any ideas how much and how long aircon gets used in winter?
Thanks