Kilowatts:
To achieve a relaxing room temperature of around 21ºC when the external air temperature is at freezing (0ºC) you will need approximately 1kW of heat output for every 14 cubic meters of space.
To calculate kilowatts measure the length, width & height of your room then multiply the three figures together & divide by 14.
LENGTH (meters) x WIDTH (meters) x HEIGHT (meters) ÷ 14 = KILOWATTS
Example: 4 meters x 3.5 meters x 2.4 meters ÷ 14 = 2.4 Kilowatts
This will give you a rough guide, factors such as the number of outside walls, the size of windows, double glazing and age of property all influence the heat requirement.
Wood or Multi-fuel:
Most models have the option of being wood-burners (no grate & ashpan) or multi-fuel (with grate & ashpan). If you wish to burn predominately wood we would advise a wood-burner because logs burn best on a flat bed of ash, with air for combustion from above only.
If you wish to burn predominately coal or are wanting to mix the fuels then a multi-fuel would be advised as coal and smokeless fuels burn best on a grate, with air entering from beneath the fire and cinders dropping into an ash pan below.
Primary Air:
The primary air enters through a control on the stove which can be adjusted to control the amount of air entering the firebox giving you the control to regulate the intensity of the fire.
Airwash:
Airwash uses a specially placed vent or vents to draw in cool air from the room which is then heated and ducted to ‘wash’ over the inside of the glass. This feature helps to keep the glass cleaner for longer, allowing you to enjoy the glow and flames to the full.
Convection air:
Cool air from within the room is drawn into the convection chamber, the air is heated as it rises within the stove which then flows out into the room. The hot air rising draws in more cool air setting up a continuous flow maintaining added heating efficiency.
Air vents:
All stoves with a heat output above 5kW (+ under 5kW if the house was built after 2008) will require the provision of additional air for combustion into the room in which it is installed.
Carbon monoxide alarms:
It is now a legal requirement to fix a carbon monoxide alarm with every solid fuel appliance installation.
Boiler stoves:
Boiler stoves are designed to provide domestic hot water and/or run radiators as part of a stand alone system. The number and size of radiators you can operate will depend on the ‘heat output to water’ of the particular model. Alternatively, you can ‘link up’ some boiler stoves with your existing heating system. The ‘link up’ system can connect with gas or oil sealed heating systems, combi’s, underfloor heating, advanced electronic controls and solar panels, helping to save money on fossil fuels and reducing your reliance on single source heating.
Smoke control areas:
Some town and city homes are located in Smoke Control Areas as designated by the Clean Air Act 1993. To burn logs on a stove in these locations, the model installed must have been granted exemption from the regulations by the government through DEFRA. This exemption is given only to appliances which have been independently tested to demonstrate particularly clean burning combustion. Otherwise, you may only burn smokeless fuels on a multi-fuel stove within a Smoke Control Area.