Changing to a wood burning stove as a method of heating your home is a big decision.We understand that, and we are aware of the the many doubts and worries our customers have about making the change.
If you are used to the simplicity of central heating or a gas or electric fire, the thought of getting up and building a real fire can be off-putting. As also is the idea of the possible mess and waste. However, if you speak to our customers who have made the change you will find they are almost all totally happy with the switch, and wouldn't consider going back.
The reasons are many and varied, but the chief one is not just money saved, but the sheer beauty, warmth, colour and enjoyment to be had from a real fire.
So if you have got this far, you must be seriously considering it yourself? Here is a quick guide to what you should be considering.
1. The heat output of the stove.
All good quality stoves are CE certified and come with a Kilowatt rating, which is equivalent to the BTU rating that central heating radiators have. If you know your room dimensions, you can work out roughly what size of stove you need using our handy calculator which is on every product page on our website. Once you have that Kw figure, you should try and choose a stove with a slightly larger rating so that you don't have to keep it burning at 100% all the time to keep the room warm. The vast majority of standard rooms will be well-served by an 8Kw stove. Remember to make allowances if your room has lots of windows and doors or is poorly insulated or draughty.
2. The size and location of your intended fireplace.
It might sound obvious, but we get a lot of people turning up to buy a stove not knowing if it will fit into their fireplace! Measure up height, width and depth and remember - the rules say you will need roughly a 6" gap around the stove for safety reasons. Also, have you got a clean and usable chimney before you start?
3. What fuel do you plan to burn?
Many stoves are "multi-fuel" and can burn wood, coal, peat, charcoal, anthracite etc.... Some are JUST wood burners so pick carefully. If you plan to burn wood do you want a stove with a big chamber so you don't have to cut your wood into small pieces? If you plan to burn coal, do you want your stove to have a "riddle plate" so you don't have to open the door and use a poker on it? Lastly, have you got room to properly store your fuel - especially wood which has to be kept dry?
4. Flues and chimneys.
A whole separate subject in itself. We can't cover it all here so have a chat with us, but you need to be considering whether your chimney needs to be lined, whether you need to use twin wall flue, what a register plate is and why you need one and a myriad other issues. Talk to us or your installer, as the safety of your new stove is paramount and this is where these problems mainly occur.
Once you have looked at all these issues you are left with the final and most important choice - what does it look like? Traditional or modern? Single door or double door? You will be sat in your home looking at it for many many years to come, so take care to pick one that appeals to your eye as well as your pocket.
If you need some help, come and see us at our showroom and have a look at our stoves and pick our brains.
We are always glad to help in any way we can.
StoveMaestro
Flue pipes and chimney liner
