Stoves, using and having the right one for your home

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Stove maintenance and safety If you choose the right stove for your home should be fairly straightforward. But there are a few steps you should take to keep it efficient and safe.

To keep your stove in good working order, the Stoves Industry recommends that you have your chimney swept at the beginning and the end of the winter to avoid a build-up of soot, which could damage the chimney and stove when not in use.

From a safety point of view, blocked chimneys can also cause deadly carbon monoxide. One sweep should cost no more than £60 and this will be money very well spent. It’s also worth getting a carbon monoxide alarm to alert you to the presence of the dangerous gas in your home.

Burn the correct wood

Wet or unseasoned logs will leave more sooty deposits and could increase the number of sweeps you need, so it’s best to use seasoned (Minimum 2 years drying) or kiln-dried wood to cut down on maintenance. Read more

Its all about getting the best from your wood burner

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As we all know the dreaded winter months are approaching fast, so if you have a wood burner NOW is the time get prepared. Ask yourself this, when was the last time you had your stove cleaned and serviced? If the answer is more than a year ago acting now to rectify this situation could be very beneficial for the warmth of your home.

Wood burning stoves are now a very popular way of space heating homes and sales are increasing month on month as alternative fuels rise in price.

What does the traditional wood burner offer?

 

  1. Much more efficiency

Open fireplaces are great but they are not very energy efficient, at only around 20%. Wood burning stoves are much more efficient, at around 80%, so you get all the benefits of a real fire without most of your money going up the chimney in smoke! Read more

Stove Sales still increasing

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In total, over 200,000 wood-burners were installed last year, according to the Stove Industry Alliance. This is up from 182,000 in 2015.

Wood-burning stoves are generally installed for a reason, such as a secondary heating supply or to save money. There is a percentage who have them installed because they are fashionable and these days this combination is normal.

Fuel costs as we all know are increasing rapidly with electricity and gas prices leading the way.

Why are they so popular?

Wood-burners have become a sought-after design statement during the past decade.

They can provide a sense of charm and ambience to a property. Modern wood-burning stoves give your home that warm heart as you sit around with friends and family on winter evenings.

A professionally installed burner can increase the value of your home, estate agents will tell you that a home with a log burner is very sought after. Read more

Keeping your home warmer this winter

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Keeping warmer

With the weather turning and the days growing shorter, attention is shifting to the darker months ahead and keeping our homes warmer. One way of making a home cosier this winter and saving money along the way – is installing a wood-burning stove.

After installation costs are taken into consideration they can reduce your fuel bills. Also adding a wood burning stove to your home is very fashionable, installed professionally it will increase your properties value.

With the cost of gas and electricity rising at an alarming rate a wood stove could be the answer to reducing your heating costs.

Why have sales risen in the past decade?

Wood-burning stoves were traditionally found only in countryside homes, which had a shed of wood close by and draughty rooms to keep warm. A decade ago, wood-burners were just not found in towns and city homes, but they’ve since gained ground in urban areas as well which has increased sales considerably. Read more

Getting ready for the Winter

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Winter is now I’m afraid on its way and our wood burning stoves will soon be working again heating our homes to the maximum. The trouble is with our busy lifestyles we tend not to check what is important to us until it goes wrong or its too late.

Here are some very easy ways to ensure your stove is working too maximum efficiency.

 Most important – door Seal

The stove door should fit tightly to keep the heat of the fire concentrated inside and not leaking. To check it, you can lay a five-pound note across the door gasket lengthwise and then close the door with the note still in it. If you can pull the note out with a quick tug, your door is too loose and you will want to tighten the latch described in your manufacturer’s instruction manual. If your gasket shows signs of wear or damage, you will need to replace it immediately. This one simple fix can save you a great deal of money over the winter months by reducing to amount of timber you will burn. Read more

A Warmer Home For Winter

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Like a warmer home this winter?

A wood burning stove can be installed virtually anywhere in your home, providing there is a way to run a vent pipe to the outside of the house. This means you can zone-heat any room or space, making heating a home with a wood burner very economic and practical.

Economical heating

Wood is an inexpensive fuel source. It costs less per BTU than oil, gas or electricity. Homeowners who practice strategic zone heating in their homes can save hundreds of ££’s in utility bills each year. With the promise that gas and electric prices are going to rise significantly in the coming months wood burning is looking as sound alternative. Read more

Providing warmth and style

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One of the most desirable features and benefits of a wood burner is the warmth it provides. A wood burning stove provides a powerful heat source for your home, meaning that the room gets warm quickly and effectively.

There are wood burners available in a range of sizes and with varying energy output levels, so you can choose a model that is appropriate for the size of your home or the room that it will be used in.

It is vital to select the correct wattage output for the room you will be heating so do seek professional advice as it will save you a great deal of money.

As well as giving you a wonderful source of warmth which is ideal during those colder months, wood burning stoves also look great. When you add one to your room, you’ll find that the wood burner becomes a new focal point, adding character and style to the living space. Read more

The best wood for burning in stoves…

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To get the best heating results from your stove hardwoods are generally better for burning than softwoods. As a rule of thumb hardwoods are produced by slow-growing deciduous trees and therefore the logs have a greater density than the faster growing softwoods from evergreen trees.

Since hardwood logs are heavier than the same sized softwood logs they will provide you with much more heat output – up to 50%.

For the stove owner, using hardwood logs means having to fill the stove up less often than they would with softwood logs.

Most important: Only ever use dried, fully seasoned chopped wood logs with a moisture content of less than 20%. Always check with your supplier when the wood was cut and how long has it been drying: This should be a minimum of 2 years. Read more

Gas & Electricity rising again

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As we all know gas & electricity prices keep on going up and this is without doubt is causing problems for many households. The problem is this situation could well continue for the foreseeable future as the pound remains weak and the Brexit talks continue. So, ask your self is it time to explore the alternatives? If the answer is yes have a very serious look into a wood burner.

Wood burning stoves are getting rave reviews and are now a very serious alternative to any other form of secondary heating. Households up and down the country are looking for cheaper alternatives due to the frantically rising traditional energy supplies. Wood burners come in all shapes and colours these days and will enhance any household.

It is vitally important to have the appliance installed professionally and once done will increase the value of your property. Read more

Take your time and do the research

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To install a log burner safely and responsibly, it’s important to do your research.

Think first about the size of area that needs to be heated. Next contact a qualified fitter to ensure the model you are looking at will “do the job efficiently”. It’s also a very good idea to research the size and cost of logs you’ll need and whether you can buy them locally.

Wood burning stoves always make great focal points for interiors, they are cleaner and more efficient than open fireplaces, and can save you money on your heating bills. Install one and get ready for your friend’s positive comments, as they will be plentiful!

If you’re thinking of installing one you should start your planning now as sales are booming and fitters do have much longer waiting lists than ever before.

Wood burners are a great way of bringing the comfort of a real fire into your home, even if you don’t have a vast amount of space. If you live in an urban area that is smoke-controlled, you’ll need to check the stove you are buying is approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) or go for one that has the option of burning smokeless fuels as an alternative.

Expert advice and fitting

For your protection and safety, you should always have a fully qualified professional install your wood/pellet burning appliance. At Kent Stoves, we will evaluate everything for you to ensure your safety and maximise efficiency.

If you require assistance, please do make contact and one of our fully qualified fitters will be happy to help.