Wood Stove or Open Fireplace? Whats Best?

Wood Stove or an open Fireplace?

Each unit uses wood as the fuel source, which is easy to come by and relatively inexpensive when bought, but there are major differences in the efficiency levels of fireplaces and stoves. Wood fireplaces are best used to heat a single room because during combustion, a fireplace takes in air from inside your home and may bring it in from outside to send smoke and CO up the chimney. This can bring a draft through the house, so you benefit from less of the fire’s heat. A stove, on the other hand, is potentially 50% more energy efficient and uses a third less wood for the equivalent heat output. 

Environment
We absolutely cannot forget about the environment when weighing our options between a fireplace and a stove. A major player here is carbon monoxide, which is toxic when inhaled. Burning wood is considered to be environmentally-safe and carbon-neutral, as emissions amount to only 0.00612 pounds of CO per hour, but should still be monitored. Carbon monoxide emissions vary between the two types of units, with a lower risk of in-house pollution from a stove, as combustion gases flow straight up and out of a stovepipe instead of into your home. A fireplace, however, might back draft some hazardous gases into your home, with the rest escaping through the chimney. In either case, however, a certain degree of CO makes its way into the atmosphere, affecting the surrounding area. It’s a tight race in this case, however when considering the larger environment and your own home, we have a clear winner in a stove.

Can we be of assistance?
If you wish to have your current wood stove reviewed or indeed require help choosing a new appliance please do make contact and one of our qualified fitters who will be happy to assist. http://kent-stoves.com/stove-fitting-service/