Wood Burning Stoves

What Are Wood-Burning Stoves? 

Self-contained and in many different styles and sizes, wood-burning stoves produce indoor heat through the combustion of wood.  

 

The wood contained within the body of steel or cast iron stove warms the body of the stove, which radiates heat into the surrounding space. All stoves rely on a constant airflow to create combustion and as a result, heat.  

 

The constant airflow allowed inside the stove allows the wood inside to burn, with exhaust gases from the fire drawn up through a chimney out of a building or an outdoor wood burner.  

 

In many modern stoves, the inside is lined with fire brick, and others have pieces of sheet steel called baffles. This helps to control and slow the escape of gases through the chimney, working to retain warmth longer and improve overall efficiency.  

 

The versatility of modern and traditional wood-burning stoves make them an attractive addition in improving the aesthetics to any property.  

 

In addition to this, our range of hand-picked stoves from leading brands can reduce heating bills when coupled with a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source. 

 

Stoves and the Environment 

In the UK, all wood-burning stoves must meet regulations, with recent laws coming into force in the past few years, restricting certain types of fuel as well designs of domestic log burners.  

 

On 1st January 2022, new Ecodesign regulations were introduced that means that all new stoves must meet standards that help to cut harmful emissions from wood-burning stoves to improve air quality.  

 

This doesn’t mean that all old log and wood-burning stoves are now illegal. The Stove Industry Alliance validates this by stating that the new regulations won’t prohibit the use log burners already in use by homeowners.  

 

The new regulations have also identified fuels that will limit the number of pollutants that appliances omit, meaning that older appliances still have the capability to go greener.  

 

At Stoves Supermarket, as well as the new stoves meeting SIA (Stove Industry Alliance) Ecodesign regulations we stock DEFRA (Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs) approved stoves that limit the amount of smoke produced during all stages of operation. 

 

To find out more about how you can reduce your emissions from your wood-burning stove this blog gives industry inside tips. 

 

FAQs 

 

Q: What should you put behind a wood-burning stove? 

The positioning of a wood-burning stove should always be away from objects that are flammable. This means that it should be positioned in an open space, or against a fireproof material. It should never be near furniture, curtains or any other flammable materials. When positioning the stove, you should also take into consideration the direction of draughts and wind within the building it is in.  

 

Q: How do you clean wood-burning stove glass? 

Keeping your wood-burning stove clean is often time consuming, but this maintenance will keep it working properly. A dirty stove can make it less efficient. 

 

Develop a regular cleaning pattern — the more regularly you use the stove should mean the more regularly you clean it. When cleaning the interior of the stove always wear gloves and a spade to remove ash. You should always use a metal bucket when moving the ash, and once you have collected all of it take it to a safe place outdoors, keeping it contained there.  

 

To clean sooty glass on the stove, one of the oldest methods of cleaning it is to dip a moist cloth in cold ashes before rubbing the soot off the glass. Alternatively, you can use special products for cleaning wood burning stoves with a sponge or cloth. 

 

The exterior of a stove is most easily cleaned by using a vacuum cleaner with a mouthpiece that has soft brushes. You can also use a soft dry cloth, but you should never us a moist cloth as this can cause rust.  

 

Q: How do you light a wood-burning stove?  

When lighting your wood-burning stove you should always try and leave a small amount of ash from previous fires.  

 

On the stove bed you should place two to three smaller logs, with a stack of six to eight softwood kindling sticks on top of them. Once you have built this structure place a natural firelighter within it.  

 

Next light the firelighter, ensuring that the air control is open, maximising the supply of oxygen needed to get the fire going. You should also leave the stove door slightly ajar, but as the fire starts to get going you can close the door before gradually closing the air control. 

 

 When you need to refuel with a new log open the air control slightly to get it burning properly before closing when it is burning well. 

 

 

Q: Can I use a wood-burning stove without a chimney? 

No, you can still have a wood-burning stove without a chimney! It does require a little bit of work though to ensure a safe twin-wall system. This can be fitted through the roof or the wall of a building, and it will also have to meet regulations, but the process can be simple in providing a cost-effective way to keep your home warm.  

 

Our Collection 

Our extensive range of wood-burning stoves have been hand-picked to help you find the perfect one for your home. With stoves that vary in output from industry-leading brands including Hamlet, ACR, Morso and Arada as well as many more, we can help you find the right wood-burning stove that meets your budget requirements. 

 

For more information, read our blogs to help inform you how to pick the perfect wood-burning stove and how to get the best out of it.  

 

Our team of experts are also always on hand to answer any questions you might have. Drop us an email at sales@stovesupermarket.co.uk or give us a call on 01226816051