Climbee
2019-11-05 12:33:12
- #1
In my parental home, there is a [Grundofen] and I love it! I always wanted to have one in my house – and now I don’t have one...
Such a [Grundofen] is beautiful and produces wonderful radiant heat, but you simply have to be clear that heating is different than just turning on the heating. A cold (classic) [Grundofen] takes at least an hour before it gives off heat. So when you come back from vacation, the house is cold at first and it takes time to warm up.
And firing it up isn’t just lighting a few logs and continuously adding more. No, a classic [Grundofen] is stoked up heavily once, burns down to embers, then the oven door is closed and the built-in chamotte bricks release the heat outward. This also means: as long as the fire is burning with the oven door open, you have to watch it carefully.
We used to stoke up well twice a day: once in the morning after getting up, once in the evening before dinner. This kept our living area nicely heated, even in the coldest winter. But you have to be aware that it is noticeably cold in the morning because although the oven gave off heat overnight, it still cooled down. Then you have to stoke it up, wait until the fire burns down, close the oven door, and then it keeps warm throughout the day. On very cold nights, we would stoke it up a third time before going to bed so that it would be warm in the morning (but that also means: only go to sleep when the fire is ready and you can close the door – otherwise it’s pointless). Closing the oven door before the fire has burned down causes the oven to explode. Usually, special safety tiles are installed that give way first in such a case and release the overpressure – a huge mess. We once had guests who tested that at our place...
Furthermore, you have to provide enough wood – that’s work, too. Even if you get it delivered ready to go. You have to stack it yourself and you need a place for that. If I remember correctly, we calculated about 5-7 cubic meters of wood for a year.
If you do it well, you store the wood for 1-2 years before burning it. That means: you need the corresponding space.
As I said, I love the warmth a [Grundofen] radiates, I also find the firing process very meditative, a good way to relax a bit, but we still decided against having a [Grundofen] as part of our heating concept.
We are both working full-time, in the morning we get ready quickly and leave the house -> firing up in the morning and waiting until you can close the oven door is out of the question.
If we both come home after 11-13 hours, we would have to stoke up first. And because we couldn’t stoke up in the morning, it stays cold until the oven finally emits heat (which will be around the time we’re almost going to bed again).
Wood has to be prepared when it’s needed – which does not always coincide with when you have time for it.
We just had to admit that our lifestyle rhythm unfortunately is not compatible with the idea of using a [Grundofen] as the main source of heat.
I lingered for a long time on the idea that at least I wanted a “show oven” where I could watch the fire and that would heat a bit. I was always advised against it because it would turn our house into a complete sauna. I’m not so sure if that would be the case, but in the end the oven, which I NEVER wanted to build a house without, ended up gone.
On nasty foggy days, I still nostalgically long for it in my thoughts – how nice it would be to look at a fire now with a tea or wine. But then I honestly tell myself: how often do you actually have time for that? I know my daily schedule on workdays as well as holidays or weekends. Sitting down just to watch and relax is pretty rare at the moment...
So, unfortunately, a house without an oven, but built to modern standards (and in summer we don’t get too hot with our automatically controlled folding blinds, which let light in but keep heat out).
I will satisfy my wood and oven passion with our bread oven, which we will have in the garden. I was no longer willing to compromise there: THAT ONE HAS TO BE!
And it will be a very traditional oven: where you stoke the oven chamber heavily with wood (also over hours), push the embers to the side, wash it out, then put the bread (or pizzas...) in. I am really looking forward to that!
Conclusion: A [Grundofen] is something super great – but you need time and willingness for it. It’s not practical. And you simply have to ask yourself whether the life you lead is compatible with it. Because a [Grundofen] requires significantly more work than modern heating. And “today I don’t feel like the oven” doesn’t exist – because that would mean a cold house. Nobody wants that either.
I would say if you always work away from home and because of your commute are away long hours, a [Grundofen] is not necessarily the best choice.
Whoever is at home, enjoys making their own wood (significantly cheaper than bought ready), doesn’t mind scooping out ash repeatedly (with a [Grundofen], if built traditionally, you don’t have an ash container but only a large interior where you heat and from time to time you have to shovel out the ash), and is disciplined enough to really heat regularly in the cold season, can decide for it and enjoy the really beautiful radiant heat of a [Grundofen].
There is nothing nicer than sitting on the oven bench with a cup of tea after a winter walk!
Such a [Grundofen] is beautiful and produces wonderful radiant heat, but you simply have to be clear that heating is different than just turning on the heating. A cold (classic) [Grundofen] takes at least an hour before it gives off heat. So when you come back from vacation, the house is cold at first and it takes time to warm up.
And firing it up isn’t just lighting a few logs and continuously adding more. No, a classic [Grundofen] is stoked up heavily once, burns down to embers, then the oven door is closed and the built-in chamotte bricks release the heat outward. This also means: as long as the fire is burning with the oven door open, you have to watch it carefully.
We used to stoke up well twice a day: once in the morning after getting up, once in the evening before dinner. This kept our living area nicely heated, even in the coldest winter. But you have to be aware that it is noticeably cold in the morning because although the oven gave off heat overnight, it still cooled down. Then you have to stoke it up, wait until the fire burns down, close the oven door, and then it keeps warm throughout the day. On very cold nights, we would stoke it up a third time before going to bed so that it would be warm in the morning (but that also means: only go to sleep when the fire is ready and you can close the door – otherwise it’s pointless). Closing the oven door before the fire has burned down causes the oven to explode. Usually, special safety tiles are installed that give way first in such a case and release the overpressure – a huge mess. We once had guests who tested that at our place...
Furthermore, you have to provide enough wood – that’s work, too. Even if you get it delivered ready to go. You have to stack it yourself and you need a place for that. If I remember correctly, we calculated about 5-7 cubic meters of wood for a year.
If you do it well, you store the wood for 1-2 years before burning it. That means: you need the corresponding space.
As I said, I love the warmth a [Grundofen] radiates, I also find the firing process very meditative, a good way to relax a bit, but we still decided against having a [Grundofen] as part of our heating concept.
We are both working full-time, in the morning we get ready quickly and leave the house -> firing up in the morning and waiting until you can close the oven door is out of the question.
If we both come home after 11-13 hours, we would have to stoke up first. And because we couldn’t stoke up in the morning, it stays cold until the oven finally emits heat (which will be around the time we’re almost going to bed again).
Wood has to be prepared when it’s needed – which does not always coincide with when you have time for it.
We just had to admit that our lifestyle rhythm unfortunately is not compatible with the idea of using a [Grundofen] as the main source of heat.
I lingered for a long time on the idea that at least I wanted a “show oven” where I could watch the fire and that would heat a bit. I was always advised against it because it would turn our house into a complete sauna. I’m not so sure if that would be the case, but in the end the oven, which I NEVER wanted to build a house without, ended up gone.
On nasty foggy days, I still nostalgically long for it in my thoughts – how nice it would be to look at a fire now with a tea or wine. But then I honestly tell myself: how often do you actually have time for that? I know my daily schedule on workdays as well as holidays or weekends. Sitting down just to watch and relax is pretty rare at the moment...
So, unfortunately, a house without an oven, but built to modern standards (and in summer we don’t get too hot with our automatically controlled folding blinds, which let light in but keep heat out).
I will satisfy my wood and oven passion with our bread oven, which we will have in the garden. I was no longer willing to compromise there: THAT ONE HAS TO BE!
And it will be a very traditional oven: where you stoke the oven chamber heavily with wood (also over hours), push the embers to the side, wash it out, then put the bread (or pizzas...) in. I am really looking forward to that!
Conclusion: A [Grundofen] is something super great – but you need time and willingness for it. It’s not practical. And you simply have to ask yourself whether the life you lead is compatible with it. Because a [Grundofen] requires significantly more work than modern heating. And “today I don’t feel like the oven” doesn’t exist – because that would mean a cold house. Nobody wants that either.
I would say if you always work away from home and because of your commute are away long hours, a [Grundofen] is not necessarily the best choice.
Whoever is at home, enjoys making their own wood (significantly cheaper than bought ready), doesn’t mind scooping out ash repeatedly (with a [Grundofen], if built traditionally, you don’t have an ash container but only a large interior where you heat and from time to time you have to shovel out the ash), and is disciplined enough to really heat regularly in the cold season, can decide for it and enjoy the really beautiful radiant heat of a [Grundofen].
There is nothing nicer than sitting on the oven bench with a cup of tea after a winter walk!