An open fire is far less efficient compared to a woodburner or multi-fuel stove. With an open fire, up to three quarters of the heat it generates will be lost up the chimney. Whereas most stoves are now between 75% and 85% efficient, meaning that three quarters of the heat they generate will enter the room, rather than being lost up the chimney. In monetary terms, for every £100 of fuel you put on an open fire £70 escapes up the chimney. For every £100 of fuel you put on a stove £80 worth enters the room.

It is now a requirement that any connection of a solid fuel appliance should be certified by a HETAS engineer. A HETAS registered installer is trained and approved to UKAS standards and can self certify that their work complies with all relevant building regulations. This gives the customer the peace of mind that the engineer working on their property is adequately trained, and has all relevant knowledge and experience  to install your stove safely. HETAS conduct regular inspections on all of its engineers work. Once the installation of your appliance is completed, your installer should give you a copy of your HETAS certificate, along with a data plate which will contain important information about the installation. HETAS will then inform Building control that you have had a new stove installed to all current building regulations, and that this was completed by a HETAS registered engineer.

It is not recommended that customers attempt to install their new appliance themselves. This is due to the fact that if the appliance is not installed correctly, the potential for a house fire, or death from smoke inhalation or Carbon Monoxide Poisoning are extremely high.

Wood and coals burn in different ways. The way the air is directed into the stove is different for each. Generally a wood burner does not have a grate in the bottom, as wood burns better with air around it. Whereas a multifuel stove has both a grate in the bottom and an ash pan, as coal burns better with an air flow from underneath it, and the ash collects in the ash pan below.

There is a huge array of stoves on the market. Some are Cast Iron, some are Steel and some are a mixture of the two. Both have  pros and cons, such as a steel stove will heat up quicker, whereas a steel stove will take longer to heat up initially but will retain some heat once the fire has burnt out. So your decision needs to be influenced by your needs and what you want your stove to do. The down sides are, if not used correctly, a cast iron stove can crack, whereas a steel stove can warp. Therefore, either must only be burnt following the manufacturers instructions.

To calculate the heat requirement for your room, the following calculation is a good guide:

• height X width X depth (in feet) divided by 500
• This gives you the kilowatt requirement

If looking for a stove with a boiler than use the following calculation as a guide for boiler output:

• Follow the calculations above and multiply the result by 3,400 to get the BTU's requirement

This is based on average house insulation with room temperatures of 20c and an ambient temperature of -1c. Well-insulated houses could replace the division of 500 with 650. To find the approximate size of the radiators for any particular room, divide the BTU’s requirement total as calculated above by 160. This will give you the radiator size in square feet, taking both sides of the radiator into account.

Without seeing your property it is very hard to know whether your chimney requires lining. A liner is a stainless steel flue that is pulled down the chimney, and connected to the stove. We recommend that your property is surveyed to assess the condition of your current chimney, to see if it is in a suitable condition or if a liner is required. We do not charge for site surveys and can also advise on recommended heat out put, as well as taking other factors into account such as distance to combustibles. For a free survey please call us on 01872 263161.