Wood Burning Stoves

Wood-burning stoves can be an excellent way to heat your house. They also offer radiant heat, that warms the ground to your feet, rather than just the air inside the room.

It's important to buy dry wood and solid fuel that is low-sulphur. This will help reduce pollution and also help avoid smoke bans.

Energy Efficient

Wood stoves are a great way of heating your home sustainably and reducing carbon emissions. They're a low-carbon alternative to central heating systems or even electricity. They convert wood into heat and then distributing it throughout your home via natural convection. This means that there is no energy loss as the heat is released into space.

Modern wood stoves are also energy efficient, and reduce the amount of smoke released into the air. This means they produce much less dust that could harm your health and allow you stay clear of the smog that has been reported to be present in cities such as London.

Modern wood-burning stoves re-burn unburned gases to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. There are also non-catalytic stoves that don't burn gasses, but provide high efficiency and less smoke compared to an open fireplace.

Additionally the use of wood as fuel promotes the active management of woodlands, which can have a positive impact on wildlife. This is because the wood used in wood burners is sourced from forests that are managed locally and can be an environmentally sustainable and renewable resource.

As was mentioned previously the highest quality wood for use in wood burning stoves is hardwood such as oak or beech. To ensure that the stove burns efficiently, the wood should be split, cut and seasoned. Unseasoned wood may release toxic fumes that can be dangerous to your health.

Furthermore, using wood-burning stoves can assist you in saving money on your energy bills because they can be much cheaper than central heating and electricity. Wood heat is effective only in smaller rooms or as a second heating source. It might be more cost-effective to use a combination wood stoves and alternative heating methods in larger homes.

Environmentally Friendly

A wood stove has plenty to offer the modern home owner. It is renewable, low carbon heating source, and can add a great deal of ambience to a room on a cold wintry day. It can be a fun social and enjoyable way to cut and collect the logs to heat your stove. This is a great opportunity to get outside in the summer months when it is nice and sunny. The process of sourcing your fuel can become an everyday family affair and finding free logs from local businesses or even from timber traders who are willing to accept the scraps, can be extremely satisfying.

However, wood burning stoves have recently had a negative press for their emissions. This is mostly on the back of London Mayor Sadiq Khan calling for an immediate stop to wood-burning stoves in urban areas to reduce PM (particulate matter) pollution. PM particles are less than a human hair. They can be harmful to our health.

But despite the negative headlines, wood burning stoves are in fact an environmentally friendly option. If they are used properly, and with the right quality dry wood they can be an extremely efficient way to heat your home and can cut the cost of heating. Modern stoves certified by the EPA are more efficient and create less pollution than stoves from decades ago.

This is mainly because they make use of secondary combustion to produce the most of the gases produced by burning the wood. Stoves which do not use secondary combustion, but instead burn the wood directly, release more PM as the smoke moves through the chimney. Modern non-catalytic stoves incorporate innovations in design, such as firebox insulation, a massive baffle that creates a hotter gas flow path and pre-heated combustion air to help the secondary combustion process, which results in less harmful emissions.

The demand for wood stoves that are energy efficient is rising and so are the specifications for heat output. This means that new stoves have to be designed to meet these demands and this has been a major bonus for the environment as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and limiting our environmental impact.

Economic

Unlike traditional open fires which can lose up to 80% of their heat through the chimney Modern wood burning stoves are energy efficient with high efficiency ratings. This means that the majority of heat produced by the log burner will be used to warm your home. This is not only beneficial for your pocket but it's also good for the environment - less burning of fuel equals less carbon emissions.

Wood stoves are also more efficient at dispersing heat better than conventional furnaces. The heating coils of wood stoves are not situated in the ceiling of the home instead, they are located in the floor. This type of heat distribution means that the entire house is more evenly heated.

You'll also need less wood to heat your home with wood stoves than if you used an open fire. This can reduce the cost of storing and buying logs. The fact that wood is renewable makes it a green method to warm your home, especially as many countries are now looking to move away from fossil fuels like oil and coal.

It is likely that your new wood stove will be catalytic or non-catalytic model. Catalytic models can reburn a portion of the combustion gases which makes them extremely efficient and less polluting gas. Wood stoves that are not catalytic do not make use of the combustion gases, and have lower efficiency ratings than catalytic stoves.

You should ensure that the stove you're purchasing is certified by the ClearSkies program to ensure it is air-quality compliant. This scheme is independently audited to guarantee that the stove you are purchasing is reducing indoor air pollution.

You must be aware that burning wood in a stove or fireplace does not completely eliminate pollution from the air. When it comes to heating your home wood stoves are best suited for smaller homes that are mainly open-plan and not enclosed. In these instances you may be required to gather in the front of the wood stove to feel the warmth. This can become boring after some time!

Multi-faceted

Wood burning stoves are a common feature in our homes. Through time they have proven their versatility. They can be used to complement any decor, whether it's traditional, contemporary or even eclectic. Wood burning stoves come in a variety of styles, each with their distinct character and style. Some are made of stainless steel while others are made of cast iron, or soapstone like the Westfire Uniq 23. Each stove is unique, and has its own veining and color.

There are two kinds of wood-burning stoves: ones that only burn wood, and stoves that also burn oil or natural gas. Single-fuel models are generally better because they are designed to burn only one fuel.

Backpacking stoves are a good example of a single-fuel wood stove wood. They are lightweight and can be used during an excursion to warm boiling water or a flask. They are usually small, and can easily be carried in a backpack or tucked into a fanny pack.

Modern wood stoves with only one fuel are designed to maximize efficiency in energy use. Some stoves are equipped with secondary heat-retaining glass or upgraded to include combustion air jets and an air flow diverter and combustion air jets in order to achieve higher combustion temperatures. Some of these stoves can attain over the 80% efficiency of energy which is a significant improvement over older models that only reached about 15 percent.

In addition to the air vents at the front of a wood-burning stove, some models are fitted with turn dampers that regulate the flow of smoke and gases from the stove to the chimney. The turn dampers, which can be rotatable, allow you to slow down or speed up the exit of exhaust gases from the stove, thus managing the amount of heat retained.

The wood-burning stove can be an affordable, environmentally friendly and a versatile source of heat. But, it is crucial to select the best model. The team at Burlington Fireplace & Heating is skilled and can help you choose the ideal wood burning stove that will meet your needs. Call us or stop in our showroom today.