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WHAT IS A MULTI FUEL STOVE AND WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF MULTIFUEL STOVES? WHAT CAN I BURN ON A MULTI FUEL STOVE?

 

The StoveMaestro Anglesey 12kw multi fuel stove

We often get phone calls and showroom visitors asking the question "what is a multi fuel stove?" so this article is intended to cover the main points you need to know.

 

A multi fuel stove is one which is not designed solely to burn wood logs. Many people refer to owning log burners or wood burners when in fact they are are talking about multi fuel stoves and they don't understand the difference.

So what is the difference between a wood log burner and a multifuel stove? Well there are a few differences but the most obvious one is the inclusion of a grate inside the stove if it is multi fuel. The reason this is important is that multi fuel stoves are designed to burn solid fuels like coal or anthracite and these have to be held on a grate.

If you are burning wood or logs, these can be burned on the bottom of a stove without a grate. This is usually done by leaving a bed of ash and then standing the log on this to burn. However, you cannot do this with solid fuels like coal because the coal briquettes burn at a higher temperature and will "bond" themselves to the metal casting of the stove and damage it.

This means that, over time, the bottom of the stove would burn through and eventually fail and you would have to throw it away. By including a grate, the air can circulate around the fuel and allow it to burn properly. The grate itself can also burn out over time - especially if the ash is allowed to collect under it and isn't regularly cleaned, but then you can replace the grate, which clearly you can't with the base of a stove!

Many stoves include a grate called a "riddling grate" which is a circular or oval grate attached to a lever outside the stove which you can pull and push to rotate the riddling grate and get the ash to fall through to the ash pan underneath. This is like using a poker but safer, because you dont need to even open the stove door.

The obvious benefit of a multi-fuel stove is that you can burn more than just wood. What can you burn on a multi fuel stove? Well pretty much anything! But you need to remember that everything you burn will give off fumes that may smell, and smoke containing substances that can attach themselves to the inside of your stove, glass, chimney and flue and damage them.

Some people treat a multi fuel stove as an incinerator for household waste and if you do this your stove and flue will not have a long life, as they will get clogged up with the by-products of what you burn. It is fine to use junk mail to help start a fire, but for providing heat you should always use the best quality fuel you can afford - whether it be wood or one of the many solid fuels,

YOU CAN VIEW OUR RANGE OF MULTI FUEL STOVES STARTING AT UNDER £300 BY CLICKING HERE

Please note these articles are inended for GENERAL GUIDANCE ONLY. We do not provide advice over the phone or by email to customers looking for a free consultancy service to help them with a DIY install, and if you have bought your stove, chimney liner or other installation kit from another supplier, we will not answer any questions or otherwise get involved in disputes or queries. Please check with your local council building controls department before commencing any work if you are unsure of the regulations.