Guide to stoves
Create the perfect ambience for snuggling up on cold autumn nights, with an efficient new stove
Create a warm and cosy home this autumn with a new model
With the mercury starting to drop, it is time to make sure your home is ready for autumn and winter, and to create a haven from the cold. Thick rugs, woollen blankets, flickering candles and a hot chocolate will all go a long way to creating a cosy atmosphere, but nothing makes a warm welcome quite like a stove. With the strike of a match or flick of a switch, it instantly transforms any space from cold and uninviting into the heart of your home.
Whether wood-burning, multi-fuel, gas or electric, your stove will have everyone gravitating towards its glow. Pets will bask in the warmth of the hearth, while you relax on the sofa, captivated by the dancing flames.
Furthermore, if you pick the right design and fuel type, a stove can also be one of the most sustainable ways to heat your home, especially when compared to open fires, so you don’t need to worry about the environmental impact of your seasonal sanctuary.
Do I need a chimney?
Fitting a new stove will be a lot simpler if you have a fireplace with a functional chimney or flue already in place. There are two main classifications of flue found in period homes. Class one typically covers traditional brick-built chimneys with a diameter of at least 7 inches; in theory these work with stoves of all fuel types, including coal and wood. Class two flues are usually prefabricated, and in older homes they may be used to line an existing chimney – look for a metal cowl on the roof. They have a narrower diameter of 5 inches, which limits the amount of fumes they can carry, making them only suitable for gas stoves. A chimney sweep can advise on the type of chimney and how best to proceed. If you are opening a previously boarded chimney, it is likely to need maintenance before a stove can be fitted, and no matter the style of chimney or fire, it is best to add a chimney liner to improve safety.
If you don’t already have a chimney, then don’t worry as it is not essential for installing a stove. However, you will likely need a flue. Although some stoves do not require one – namely ‘flueless’ gas models, electric and gel – having a flue will drastically increase your options both in terms of the stove’s design and fuel type. Typically, flues are placed inside the chimney, but can also go through your roof or through a wall. A flue that goes through the wall can be almost invisible when the stove is fitted, although may be visible from the exterior. Alternatively, a flue that goes through the roof can be left exposed, which is popular in homes with a more industrial edge, or it can be boxed in and paired with a mantelpiece for a traditional look.
How should I power my stove?
There are three main fuel types used for stoves. As a carbon-neutral fuel, wood is the most eco-friendly choice. However, for a clean burn it is vital that the wood has a low moisture content. Kiln-dried logs are widely available, and are often labelled ‘ready to burn’. But fresh green wood needs to dry out before
use. Since 1 May, the purchase of small volumes of wet wood, with a moisture content above 20 per cent, is illegal, while large quantities must be sold with advice on how to dry it. This can take at least a year.
Gas is a good choice for homeowners that don’t need to rely heavily on a stove for heat but who still want a warming focal point to the room. It is also the tidiest option, and is convenient and controllable. However, gas is non-renewable and does release small amounts of CO2 into your home.
Finally, coal is an energy-dense fuel choice, yet it is one of the most polluting. As of 1 May, the sale of prepacked traditional house coal has been banned, in favour of coal with low sulphur content and reduced smoke emissions. Although, loose coal can still be delivered by approved merchants until May 2023.
Alternative fuel types
ELECTRIC STOVES capture the ambience of a stove without the need for a flue or ventilation system. However, the flames are not usually very realistic. BRIQUETTE OR HEAT LOGS are made from wood byproducts like sawdust and offcuts that would have otherwise been sent to landfill. A popular source is the sawdust extracted when making dust-free pet bedding. The wood is then compressed together so
the fibres bind. Briquettes have a high energy content, so you need to burn fewer than conventional logs and they also require less storage space.
COFFEE LOGS are made from recycled coffee grounds – each log is made from the grounds of 25 cups of coffee. Highly efficient, they have a moisture content of 10 per cent and burn 20 per cent hotter and longer than kiln-dried wood. Coffee logs are one of the most sustainable options but are more expensive than other fuel types.
PELLETS are small in size and made from waste wood and grass. They emit very little pollution but you do need a specific pellet stove.
BIOETHANOL originates from crops and so is a renewable fuel source. When burnt it produces a real flame and efficient heat output for up to seven hours. It needs to be burnt in a specific stove but these don’t require a chimney or flue.
Can my stove heat the whole house?
There is a growing desire to make our homes more environmentally friendly. A proposed ban of gas boilers from all new homes by 2025 aims to replace them with more sustainable alternatives. While this would not impact period homes, changes such as these are worth keeping in mind when renovating, as gas boilers may be phased out of all homes in the future. Wood-burning stoves provide a sustainable way to heat your home but their impact is usually limited to the room in which they are installed. However, by installing a stove with a back boiler, it will also be able to heat water and power radiators.
‘A boiler stove will significantly reduce CO2 emissions produced from heating and will reduce reliance upon oil and LPG for off-grid properties,’ explains Jon Butterworth, director at Arada Stoves. ‘For example, a 25kw boiler stove can heat up to 25 radiators, produce hot water and heat the room it is located in. Boiler stoves offer a cost-effective and low-carbon way of introducing a renewable heating source into any existing heating system.’
SUSTAINABLE UPDATE
Erica Malkin from the Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) answers your questions about the new Ecodesign regulations coming into place next year
QWhat changes are happening? Ecodesign Regulations come into force for solid-fuel heating appliances on 1 January 2022. Appliances manufactured after this date will need to comply with new rules, which will see the minimum requirements for appliance efficiency rise from 65 to 75 per cent, and the permitted carbon monoxide emissions reduce by 88 per cent. The rules also set emission limits for particulate matter, organic gaseous compounds and nitrogen oxides.
QWhat does ‘Ecodesign Ready’ mean and how do I know if a stove will comply with the new rules? The term ‘Ecodesign Ready’ indicates that a stove meets the requirements of the regulations. Some manufacturers will specify this in the descriptions of their products or through a scheme such as SIA Ecodesign Ready, which was launched in 2017. In August 2020, the SIA launched the clearskies certification mark, an independently administered scheme that indicates which stoves comply with both Ecodesign and smoke control requirements. It also highlights which appliances go beyond the requirements of the 2022 regulations in terms of even greater efficiency and lower emissions.
QIf a stove is clearskies certified, does it mean it’s also Defra-exempt?
The clearskies scheme is the only appliance certification scheme that combines verification of Ecodesign compliance and DEFRA exemption into one easy-to-understand mark. All clearskies
Level 3 and above appliances can be used to legally burn wood in a Smoke Control Area because the DEFRA exemption certification has been checked by the scheme administrator.
QShould I replace my existing fire or stove with an Ecodesign Ready design?
If you are currently burning wood on an open fire, then you should definitely consider upgrading to a more sustainable wood-burning stove. Open fires are the least efficient and most polluting way to burn wood for heat – 80 per cent of the heat from an open fire escapes up the chimney. By switching to a stove, especially an Ecodesign Ready product, you will be reducing particulate matter emissions by up to 90 per cent.
If you have a stove that is over 10 years old it is also worth considering upgrading. Stove technology has seen rapid developments in recent years and the latest models can reduce emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to a stove that is over a decade old.
QWill I use more logs on an Ecodesign stove? No, you will in fact use fewer logs to produce the same amount of heat. For example, 16 logs burnt on an open fire provide the same heat output as six logs burnt on an older stove and five on a new Ecodesign Ready stove. Not only is this great news for the environment, it is good for your pocket, too. It is also worth noting that the quality of the wood fuel used plays a critical role in ensuring the maximum efficiency and minimum emissions of your stove.
If your central heating is thermostatically controlled, then the heat that your stove produces could replace part or all of your central heating needs, further reducing your carbon emissions.