FAQ

Solid fuels are 40-50% more efficient than an open fire with the ability to control the rate of burn and heat output to the room. Approximately 70% of the heat from an open fire will escape up the chimney compared to three-quarters of the heat entering the room with a stove, therefore, being more economical and money-saving.

We don't recommend that customers attempt to install their stove by themselves mainly due to the health and safety aspects behind this; death by carbon monoxide poisoning or by smoke inhalation are just an example. However, if you do decide to do this yourself, then we advise you to purchase your flue components from a retailer who can provide expert advice, thus ensuring products are safely installed.

Yes, the majority of new homes now are built without chimneys. There is a simple solution to this called a twin wall flue. A twin wall flue system is made up of numerous components that slot together. These two options depend on how the system will be routed, through the wall thus meaning the majority of the pipe is outside of the building. The second option is to run the flue system internally through the ceilings of each floor. Generally, twin wall flue comes in a stainless steel finish as standard; however, some customers prefer a coloured finish; black or ivory being the most requested colours. This is achieved by powder coating the flue to provide a finish that is durable and resistant to heat and corrosion.

Heating Equipment Testing & Approval Scheme' is a governing body of solid fuel domestic heating appliances, fuels and service and are solely responsible for the registration of installers and businesses. A HETAS certificate demonstrates that your installer has been carried out by a fully trained and competent installer as well a complying with building regulations.

We generally use the calculations in KiloWatts. The method we use for this is Height x Width × Depth of your room divided by 0.1 if working in metres, or divided by 500 if working in feet. These measurements are only an estimate, and other factors need to be taken into consideration.

The chimney is the key apparatus of the stove. If it is not correct, your stove will not work correctly. The majority of the time the chimney needs lining for a number of reasons, not just one. Firstly, many chimneys have clay liners. Clay is not the best material for retaining heat. It is essential that the chimney stays nice and warm when the stove is running. Secondly, the size of the liners or chimney is often a lot bigger than the opening on the top of the chosen stove. If the flue is too big the likelihood is that the output of the stove to the room will be decreased and your glass will become blackened. Thirdly, your chimney pots or stack could be old and/or leaking and therefore may require a liner. Every property is different, and we recommend that the property be surveyed to check suitability. For a free survey call us on 01726 66412 or pop in and arrange a time.

It is well worth looking after your stove as it will then last you for many years and give relatively trouble-free service. If high-quality fuel is burnt and the stove is used efficiently, then there should be very little maintenance required by the homeowner other than the occasional replacement of "sacrificial" parts. Keep the glass clean, do this little and often to stop the build-up of soot and tar deposits. You will need to remove the ash as and when necessary. It is worth retaining a decent bed of ash (say at least 1") when burning wood to trap the embers. This helps to retain the fire's heart meaning you are burning wood much more efficiently. If you are burning solid fuel, then the ash pan must be emptied at least once a day. If the glowing clinkers in the ash pan rise high enough to make contact with the grate bars, you will find they turn banana-shaped before too long!

For wood burning stoves, the drier the wood the better. Using fresh logs with high moisture content will reduce your stove's heat output as you'll waste energy burning off the water, so you'll need to use more to warm the room. Kiln dried logs are perfect for our stoves and will save you money and energy.

Dry wood (well seasoned) burns better than wet wood (green logs). Wet wood is much less efficient, and if you can get them to light at all, logs that are not dry provide a fire that smoulders and creates lots of tars and smoke. These tars can be corrosive, potentially damaging the lining of the flue and increasing the danger of a chimney fire. Wet logs will tend to blacken glass in stoves even if the stove is designed to keep the glass clean. When trying to burn wet wood, the fire has to boil off the water before any heat is provided to the room. Well seasoned logs can have twice the heating value of green logs. Only burn dry wood, either by buying it dry or by seasoning green logs. Dry in a sunny, well-aired space for one or two summers, keeping the rain off in the winter. Radial cracks and bark that comes off easily suggest well-seasoned wood; better still, check with a moisture meter. First, calibrate the meter and then measure a freshly split surface to get the best reading.

When buying logs, the seller should advise whether they are from hardwood or softwood tree species (or mixed) and if they meet the European standard EN ISO 17225-5 for graded firewood. The general difference is that hardwoods tend to be denser than softwoods. This means that a tonne of hardwood logs would occupy a smaller space than a tonne of softwood logs. Denser wood tends to burn for a longer period of time meaning fewer ‘top ups’ are required to keep a log stove burning for a given length of time. Since the heating value is approximately proportional to the weight of the wood (for the same moisture content), hardwood logs are typically priced as more expensive than softwoods when bought by volume.

Ensure that your firewood is not contaminated, e.g. with paint or preservatives. Treated wood should never be used in a stove because it can produce harmful gas emissions which may affect your health. Burning contaminated wood is also more likely to corrode flue linings and damage the chimney as well.