2016 saw the largest increase in wood burning stove sales ever recorded. It’s worth noting 2017 could very well exceed these figures as the public look for cheaper heating methods.

As we all know heating bills are rising month on month, thank goodness we all get a break during the summer months!

The worrying thing is that fuel prices are lightly to continue to increase in the foreseeable future due to the weak pound and the Brexit talks. It seems everybody looks to blame the “Bexit talks” but the fact is this really is effecting the value of the pound and therefore increases the cost of imported fuel.

A wood burning stove could go a long way to help you reduce your energy bills, for the most part wood burning stoves are environmentally friendly. Read more

Installing a wood stove

If you have an existing chimney installing a wood stove is relatively easy. The fitter will usually insert a liner inside the existing chimney from the burner to the exit point. For straight chimneys this can made up of sections of jointed metal pipe, which can be either single or double skinned. A double skin is more airtight and lasts longer than a single skin but of course costs more.

For chimneys that aren’t perfectly straight, a flexible non-flammable liner is used. It is important to note, chimneys should be swept at least once a year and twice if they are in heavy use. Otherwise, creosote (a by-product of inefficient combustion) builds up on the walls of the chimney to become a fire hazard. Creosote builds up gradually over time as fires burn less efficiently when they are just getting started, but can accumulate very rapidly if you burn unseasoned or damp wood. Read more

Plus points:

The market for wood burning stoves has increased month on month over the last 5 years. Usually at this time of year interest wanes, but due to rising fuel bills homeowners are frantically looking for alternative heating options.

Wood burning stoves are a real alternative and these days they really do offer an impressive range of options to meet your home’s needs. Long gone are the days when wood burners were seen as an ugly and dirty heating source. Read more

The modern stove

The “green aspect” hardly needs explanation. Wood is a renewable and easily obtained source for burning. There’s a zero-sum impact in carbon emission as well. When a tree falls in the woods and takes 50 years to completely rot away, ever so slowly it gives off heat, water and CO2, and leaves its mineral content in the forest.

When you burn wood the exact same thing happens only obviously very quickly. No additional-anything is produced. Keep in mind those minerals are in the partly form of ash and what’s commonly called creosote– which can stick to the inside of the chimney. That’s why there are chimney sweeps. Read more

As well as the making sure your new stove will physically fit into its new home, it is important to consider that the stove’s output is sufficient for the room. You should also ensure that it is not too large for the room, as this can cause just as many problems as a stove that is too small.

A stove that is too small for the room will not be powerful enough to heat the room adequately, on the other hand, if you have a stove that is too large it will need constant attention to keep the temperature down. A result of this is the combustion within the stove will not be complete and you will quickly have a build-up of soot not just on the glass, but up the chimney as well. With this in mind, when calculating the required output, a slightly greater output should be considered (no more than 1.5kW), as there will be a greater need for rapid heating in the long dark cold months of winter. Read more