What is the best type of wood stove to buy?

First, before you buy a wood stove, contact a qualified installer in your area to get an idea of ​​the installation cost. Visit the heta website for more information on qualified installers. The cost should be affordable if you already have a masonry clay lined fireplace in the home that is in use and in good condition, although this may require a double wall flexible stainless steel liner for solid fuel if the clay liner has a cross-sectional area greater than 20% of the flue pipe of the wood-burning stove. Your qualified installer can advise you on this.

In the case of a wood-burning stove in a new home situation with no existing chimney, it will be necessary to install a double-walled rigid stainless steel class 1 chimney for solid fuel. Again, your qualified installer can advise on this. Other requirements, such as building a masonry clay-lined chimney instead of a double-wall rigid insulated stainless steel flue system, will require the services of a builder. Please note that in both of the above cases you will need to check with your local building control and possibly planning in the case of a masonry chimney before doing any work. See one of our other articles on Ventilation and mounting of wood stoves with references to building control standards.

Now let’s get to the matter at hand. Make sure you get a good supply of seasoned wood so the wood stove will burn as designed and provide high efficiency. Be sure to buy from a company that uses a tree replanting program, thus helping the balance of nature.

Many people buying a traditional stove prefer cast iron because of its lifespan, appearance, and long heat retention. The heat output of a multi-fuel traditional style or cast iron wood stove will be much higher than the same size steel traditional style stove. Today, traditional looking steel stoves, although simpler looking, are very well insulated with scamalux panels and the doors along with the internal grill systems are usually made of cast iron.

There are a multitude of wood burning stoves on the market today, made from cast iron or steel and claiming high efficiency and clean burning.

Make sure the wood stove bears a CE mark of approval showing that it has been tested by an authority body for combustion and emissions. For higher contemporary/modern steel convector stoves, look for Din+ approval, which means you have met the high German combustion and emission standards.

Today, many manufacturers have overseas castings in places like Poland, Hungary, Bosnia, Bulgaria, India, etc. and the well-known China. Remember that China is the home of castings and while I’ve seen some poor excuses for stoves emanating from China in the past, more recently I’ve seen some quality, well made traditional cast iron multi-fuel and contemporary steel stoves that have been tested and are fully capable. CE approvals for combustion and emissions.

Prices can vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer, but many wood stove suppliers now buy directly from countries like China, so you should find them at competitive prices. No one knows how long this will last, but as China’s quality and standards improve and living standards and employee wages rise, it won’t be long before their prices are close to or even on par with China’s. Europe.

While you’re doing your research, why not also consider a multi-fuel stove instead of a wood-only stove? These stoves will burn charcoal, smokeless fuel, dry peat, and can easily be converted to a dedicated wood stove if you have a good, steady supply of seasoned wood.

It is a simple case on many traditional multi-fuel stoves of removing the grate and ashtray, and placing a layer of sand over the inner cast iron base for insulation. It’s a good idea to place a catch bar between the burning wood and the door so the stove can be safely refilled when lit, without worrying about embers falling out of the stove when the door is opened. The dry wood is then burned directly on the sand covered base with the main vent at the base of the closed stove door and the vent above the door used to control burning. The reason for this is that charcoal and other fossil fuels need a good source of air below the fire bed to facilitate combustion, while dry wood burns best with a flow of air over the top of the wood. Wood ash can be left for several days before being emptied. Always leave a good layer of ash under the wood when you relight the stove.

June 10, 2009