Choosing the best (and correct) woods to fuel your stove is an important part of operating a log burner as it impacts not only the heat output but also the overall performance and longevity of your beloved stove and ultimately, the environment. Grabbing a soggy bag of logs from your local garage forecourt or cutting down a neighbour’s overhanging tree is rarely the best way to go as all wood should be responsibly sourced from approved bodies and fully seasoned with an absolute maximum moisture content of 20%.
But with so many types of wood available, which ones are best suited to your wood burner at home? As a basic rule, hardwoods are best as they burn hotter and longer whereas trees known for high resin content must be avoided as they will cause creosote buildup in your chimney. Below are our top 5 recommendations:
Oak is an excellent choice as it burns hot and slow, providing long-lasting heat. It’s also readily available in many areas, making it a popular choice. Oak also imparts a great flavour into food should you use your burner for cooking.
Another great option is Maple. Like oak, it’s dense and tough, making it burn hot and long. It also produces a lot of heat and burns cleanly, without creating too much smoke or ash.
Birch is a popular choice as it’s easy to split and has a pleasant aroma when burned. It’s also ideal for starting fires as it burns hot and fast.
Ash is an excellent choice for a wood-burning stove as it produces very little smoke and burns at high temperatures. It’s also easy to split and readily available in many areas.
Beech is another popular choice for wood-burning stoves as it burns hot and long, and produces little smoke. It also has a sweet aroma when burned, making it a great choice for those who enjoy the smell of burning wood.
By choosing the right type of wood for you, you can keep your home warm and cozy all winter long whilst maintaining the life of your log burner and flue. Half the fun of stove ownership is trying the different woods available and finding what works best for you. But never forget, no fuel type is a substitute for regular sweeping and maintenance of your burner and flue system.
Learn how to change the fire bricks on your Woolly Mammoth 5 Wide stove and remove the baffle plate with this easy guide! Simply follow along as Richard takes you through the entire process, demonstrating the step-by-step instructions to effortlessly take out the fire bricks and baffle plate from your stove. Richard also shares the correct order to remove and reassemble the fire bricks, making the whole task a breeze. This guide is especially handy if you have any broken fire bricks that need replacing. Plus, if it’s chimney sweeping time, Richard has you covered with a quick and easy method to remove the baffle plate. Keep your stove in top shape with these straightforward tips!
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How can you stop smoke from coming into the room when you open the wood burning stove door? This is a common question and the solution is known as ‘burping’ your stove. Richard explains this term and what to do to avoid smoke entering your room when refuelling your fire.
Why not connect with us on our social channels? Don’t forget to tag us in your photos so we can see your wonderful installations!
Curious about inset, insert, or cassette stoves? How are these types of stoves different? Richard explains the differences and how this particular West Fire Uniq inset stove was installed.
Get ready for a dose of woodsy wisdom in our latest video! We’re thrilled to introduce our special guest, Martin, an expert wood collector with a treasure trove of knowledge to share. In this episode, Martin will be spilling the beans on his ultimate tips for splitting, seasoning, and storing wood, ensuring you have a cosy, warm fire throughout the season. Learn how to season the perfect logs, and get ready to welcome the colder months with well-prepared firewood that’ll keep you toasty throughout Autumn, Winter and the start of Spring.
Why not connect with us on our social channels? Don’t forget to tag us in your photos so we can see your wonderful installations!
When it comes to heating your room efficiently, there are several factors to consider, and in this informative video, Richard provides valuable insights into the process of selecting and installing a stove. Whether you’re in the market for a new stove or troubleshooting why your current one isn’t heating as it should, Richard covers all the essential aspects to keep in mind. From the type of stove you choose to the correct installation procedures, he discusses how factors like fuel type, size, and positioning can greatly impact a stove’s performance in heating your space.
Why not connect with us on our social channels? Don’t forget to tag us in your photos so we can see your wonderful installations!
Boiler stoves, a brilliant fusion of traditional heating methods and modern technology, are becoming increasingly popular for homeowners seeking efficient and eco-friendly heating solutions. In this blog post, we’ll delve into how these stoves work, with the help of Richard’s firsthand experience in integrating a boiler stove into his home heating system. Richard not only shares his insights on boiler stove functionality but also illustrates how he cleverly combines it with an air source heat pump to maximise efficiency. So, whether you’re considering installing a boiler stove or just intrigued by their operation, join us for our latest 2 part series.
We take a deep dive into the installation process, guided by Richard’s expert knowledge. He walks us through each step, from planning and preparation to the final set up of that cosy stove.
Why not connect with us on our social channels? Don’t forget to tag us in your photos so we can see your wonderful installations!
How do you split wood and make kindling for a fire? Richard takes us through how to chop wood with an axe to make logs and kindling as well as using his log splitting machine. Watch along to hear our techniques for getting your logs ready for the season!
Why not connect with us on our social channels? Don’t forget to tag us in your photos so we can see your wonderful installations!
How do you season wood ready to use in a wood burning stove? Logs with under 15% moisture is perfect for burning in a stove for an efficient and cleanly run fire. Richard covers what to look out for and how to use a moisture meter to test your wood in our latest video.
Why not connect with us on our social channels? Don’t forget to tag us in your photos so we can see your wonderful installations!
We had the pleasure to talk to Yonderway Yurts about their wonderful getaway to learn more about their journey and hear more about their wood burning stove installation.
Yonderway Yurts is an exquisite retreat tucked away in the breathtaking landscapes of Wales. Picture yourself immersed in stunning views, snuggled up in a cosy haven, and basking in the comforting glow of a Woolly Mammoth log burner.
Our yurts have been up and running for a year now, it was a brand new, diversification, completely out of our comfort zone project. We hoped to make a peaceful, self-sufficient, off grid space in the beautiful Welsh Marches Countryside.
Once we’d found the traditional Mongolian Yurt, it arrived in England and was erected by three charming Mongolian gentlemen. Then the task to kit it out began. Indian Saris, reclaimed upcycled furniture, comfy beds, compact cookers, hot showers, pot, pans, cutlery, crockery and all the things you’d need to create a culinary masterpiece. And lastly to the heart of the Yurt, its fire.
The wood burner needed to be simple to use as some of our guests would never have used a wood burner before. Good value, as remember we didn’t even know if we’d get a guest. Efficient, as we didn’t want to use excess amounts of the precious natural resource that is wood. Beautiful, the wide screen on the Woolly Mammoth 5 was perfect. As guests would be able to sit and watch the fire burn and the embers glow, creating that special atmosphere whilst enjoying a glass of wine and putting the world to rights.
The wood burners were installed and our adventure began. It has been amazing, we have met some fabulous people, they arrive as guests and leave as friends. Many have been back to visit again and again. I am very pleased to report the Wood Burner has been perfect. Keeping our guests warm and cosy even during the snow and -8 weather. Thank you Glowing Embers for all your help along the way”.
With misleading headlines filling the media regarding the future of the wood burning stove industry, it has become increasingly confusing for members of the public to separate the facts from the fake news. Are wood burning stoves going to be banned soon in the UK? No. In fact their continued place in an age of environmental awareness has been assured through the Eco Design 2022 Ready Initiative.
Turning Great Smogs into Clear Skies
The Eco Design 2022 Ready initiative is the latest advancement in closed heating appliances to ensure their clean and efficient operation meet the demands of today. The great smog of 1950s London saw the birth of the first Clean Air Act which led to the creation of Smokeless Zones around the UK. Only stoves approved by the Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) can be operated in these areas due to their lower emissions. Fast forward 70 years and in a bid to aid the country meet its national reduced emissions targets, the Stove Industry Alliance has led the way in creating a new age of wood burning stoves with higher efficiencies, lower harmful emissions and improved fuel sustainability.
How Does Eco Design Affect You Today?
Similar to the introduction of LOT20 to the energy market and VOC2010 to the paint industry, this new directive for a reduced impact on the environment comes in stages; for now, only stoves manufactured after January 2022 must meet the new, stricter regulations. That means non-compliant stoves are still available on the market and your existing non-compliant burner is unaffected… For now.
How Do Eco Design Stoves Differ?
Simply put, for cleaner emissions you need to burn off the nasty stuff. In a contemporary Eco Design compliant stove this can be achieved by allowing greater airflow for complete combustion of fuel and better insulation to hold the gases in the fire box for longer. The latter tends to be in the form of a double baffle plate and/or double fire bricks. This does mean on occasion we might need to teach old dogs new tricks as you become familiar with the operation of a contemporary burner, but that is the role of any responsible, HETAS approved stove retailer such as Glowing Embers.
What can be better than making a difference now and start personally contributing to a proposed reduction in UK carbon emissions by two million tonnes per year? By purchasing an Eco Design Ready stove, you unlock the full potential of a modern, highly efficient wood burner which could slash your particulate emissions by up to 84% vs your existing stove, cut fuel costs and reduce your carbon footprint on the planet. Through Eco Design (and beyond) to education and approved fuels, the stove industry is ensuring we can continue to enjoy the back to basics, cosy tradition of solid fuel heating in our cleaner, greener homes of tomorrow.
Watch our video with Richard where he explains everything you need to know such as key terms and regulations.
Media reports on emissions from wood burning stoves are frequently misleading because they often include various types of appliances under the general label of “wood burners.” However, it is important to note that out of the 27.3% of UK particulate matter (PM) emissions attributed to domestic combustion, just 1.3% of total UK PM2.3 emissions can be specifically attributed to modern, EcoDesign compliant stoves.
Take a look at the Stove Industry Assosiations (SIA) diagram below for more detail.
The ecofan is placed towards the back of the wood burning stove and will automatically begin transferring heat into your room and as your stove heats up the stove fan will run faster, moving more warm air into your room. This helps to ensure that more hot air is transferred horizontally into your room as opposed to simply rising vertically.
The ecofan is extremely economical requiring no batteries or external power source. It is specifically designed to operate on surface temperatures between 150° and 650°F. Tests carried out by a leading Canadian university haven proven that there is a 14% fuel and emission savings associated with your freestanding log burning stove.
The blades are designed to ensure that the airflow is gentle enough to avoid causing any unwanted draft. The heat powered fans that we supply carry a one year warranty for piece of mind and require no maintenance.
Ask a hundred stove owners how to light a fire and chances are you’ll receive a hundred different answers. From rustic traditionalists who chop and season their own fuel to modern subscribers to the Swedish lifestyle of Hygge (they’ve read a book don’t you know), the science behind starting a fire has of course never changed, you just need to understand how a stove actually works…
…You are aiming to warm the air within the flue to establish the draw which in turn, will power the fire in the stove below.
Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail…
Do you have the 3 essential elements of the fire triangle ready to go?
Fuel – Only use fully seasoned, approved woods from a wood fuel quality assurance scheme such as Woodsure. So no you can’t chop your neighbour’s tree down and stick it in your stove, nor can you burn those creosoted fence panels you’ve had laying around since last summer.
Heat – We will assume you have a box of matches but what about firelighters?
Oxygen – Do you have the correct size air brick installed to provide sufficient air to the stove? Legally required for 5.1kw stoves or higher but advised for all. A modern airtight home, lack of an air brick or nearby extractor fans will all impact negatively on your ability to light and establish a fire.
Tools and Controls
A basic fire side companion set along with a pair of heatproof gloves are all that should be required as you’ll want the brush for sweeping ash and the tongs for positioning your logs in the fire box. And having a basic understanding of the various controls on your burner before you attempt to light for the first time will put you in good stead.
The Primary Air control is typically found towards the base of the stove and controls the air fed from beneath the fuel. Called primary air as it creates the primary combustion and gets everything going. Also used to regulate the burn rate of coals and smokeless fuels.
A Secondary Air control will be above the door or high up on the side of the stove and controls air fed from above the fuel. Secondary air creates the secondary burn which combusts the gases created by the primary burn. This is an important stage in the efficiency of your stove and creates the bulk of the heat output. Also used to regulate the burn rate of wood and controls the air wash system keeping your stove glass nice and clear(ish).
Not all Tertiary Air is adjustable but as the name suggests, this is a third source of air into the fire box which has been pre-warmed and looking to ignite any remaining gases before they escape the stove.
And finally, you want to check your seals are all intact and that you either have a layer of ash insulating the base of the fire box for wood burning or have removed all the ash for coal burning. Now open all air vents fully and begin…
Starting Small – The Traditional Method
The go-to method for starting any fire is to start small and grow your fuel bed with the fire. Using newspaper and/or firelighters beneath small strips of kindling (I find a pyramid of kindling is the most satisfying visually), get a small fire started. Eventually the small amount of heat emitted will warm the flue sufficiently that the fire will establish and you can slowly increase the size of wood added. When happy, slowly close the stove door and reduce the primary air. The fire will dampen at first as you are reducing the oxygen feeding into it but with sufficient draw, it shall re-establish. Use the secondary air control to regulate the ongoing burn rate for wood.
The Upside-Down method
To almost guarantee your fire gets going no matter the conditions, literally turn the traditional method on its head. The key to getting a successful fire going in a modern closed heating appliance is to establish the draw as quickly as possible. The draw is established by warming the air within the flue system so it makes sense to focus on this.
First, place a larger log with a flat or level surface on the base of your stove (always keeping a small layer of ash underneath). Then, create a grid or hashtag of kindling on this log – 3 front to back with 3 left to right on top. There should be 4 gaps in your grid to place firelighters. Once lit, the fire will transfer into the kindling and burn down to the log beneath and once established, you can gradually increase your log size. Controlling a wood fire ongoing is always the same; close down the primary air and operate using the secondary air.
By following the above, you are creating a greater heat compared to the traditional method and raising the fire bed, warming the flue and getting that draw going faster and stronger. There is also less need to open the stove door continually. This method easily overcomes common problems when lighting a stove such as a cold flue or reversed draw (caused by the air outside warming faster than the air in the home/flue typically in spring or autumn time).
Keeping your stove maintained will not only make it look the part but also assist in making sure it runs efficiently to heat your home. In our latest video Richard takes you through the steps for maintaining your wood burning stove, deomonstrating with our Woolly Mammoth 8 multifuel stove.
There’s not a lot to do ongoing but here are key factors to consider:
Burning the right wood- What wood should you burn?
Getting the stove swept at least once a month
Replacing the stove rope- How do you replace the stove rope?
Replacing the fire bricks- How do you replace the fire bricks?
Cleaning the ash – What do you do with the ash? How do you clean this out?
Replacing stove glass – How do you replace the stove glass?
Cleaning stove glass- What can you use to clean the glass?
Checking your CO alarm – Where do you install a CO alarm?
Let’s take you through each step in more detail in our video below…
There are many pros to adding a stove to a camper van, such as no need to rely on electricity or diesel; you can keep warm at any time. The cosy atmosphere that fills the room with warmth and a gentle crackling noise is just like relaxing in a log cabin.
Sebastian Santabarbara, writer and van life journalist has written a book on how to choose a van and turn it into a camper van from scratch. This wonderful book ‘Van Life For Dummies’ is worth a read if you’re looking to travel, work whilst on the move and live a life on the road.
The ‘Van Life For Dummies’ book includes a special mention of us, Glowing Embers, written by Sebastian, all about installing a stove into a camper van. For this week’s blog we are going through important points to consider when installing a stove into your camper van, with key tips from Sebastian Santabarbara.
What are the important points you need to think about?
Check with your insurance to find out more information about cover before installing a stove into your camper van.
Airflow is important, you will want to install a gas drop-out vent under your fire. This will allow air to be drawn from the outside of the van, preventing a carbon monoxide build up. Keeping the window open slightly will assist with keeping the air flow within your space.
You should not drive with a fire lit. It is always best to make sure the fire is out before you leave your current location.
You will need storage for keeping your logs.
When cleaning out your stove it is handy to have a place to empty out the ash.
Make sure you choose a stove that is suited to the ratings needed for your country.
You will need to make sure you have all the components ready to install your stove. This is something our team at Glowing Embers will be able to assist you with. You will need items such as flue pipe, flashing, fire rope sealant and cement, rain cap and a base for your stove to sit on.
Some stoves have a bolt hole which enables you to attach the stove onto a safe, hard surface such as stone. If your chosen stove doesn’t have bolt holes then you may want to ask a metal worker to attach a bracket to the legs.
To attach the stove to a stone base you will need a hammer drill and a masonry bit, which is the same size as the bolt. Lubricating the area with water/ putting something underneath the area to support the stone will reduce the risk of it snapping.
You may want to screw your stove down to a stand such as sand stone. Please note: You will need to drill holes that work with the size of your screws.
2. Marking the stove placement
You will now need to mark out the area you would like the stand to sit.
3. Adding a gas drop-out vent
Add a gas drop-out vent into the floor of your camper using a hole saw.
4. Attach a 90 tee piece and cap
Attaching a 90 degree tee piece and cap to the back of your stove is optional. This will depend on whether your stove connects to the chimney from the back or not. If it connects from the back, you will need a 90 degree to secure to the lip of the flue connection on the back of the stove. To secure this joint you can use fire cement to seal it.
5. Fixing brackets
A fixing bracket at every meter will support your chimney, keeping it in position.
6. Fixing and locking flue and elbow
Fix one piece of flue to the top of the stove and the 90 degree Shieldmaster elbow can be joined and locked into place.
Make sure your chimney that is sticking up from your fire is covered to avoid any mess entering it, ready for carrying out other work.
7. Create a template
It’s time to create a template on the roof. You can do this by drawing around the bottom of the smaller piece of flue with a marker pen on the roof.
8. Drill a hole
Next, drill a hole large enough to allow a jigsaw blade to fit without going outside of your drawn circle.
9. Cut around the template
Use an aluminium blade to carefully follow the drawn circle template.
10. Test the flue
Test to see if your flue piece fits through the hole.
11. Draw another template
On a sheet of aluminium draw around the smaller piece of flue.
12. Cut around the template
Cut out the circle using the jigsaw. This finishing plate should go flush against your roof. Alternatively you could use our ready made finishing plates.
13. Add pieces in place
Now place the smaller piece of flue through the roof hole and your aluminium sheet.
14. Attach flue pieces
Attach the smaller and larger pieces of flue together.
15. Attach finishing plate
Attach the finishing plate on the inside of the roof with bolts.
16. Seal the gaps
Place fire tope and the sealant into the gap which is between the chimney and edge of the hole. Envirograf is a flexible silicone that is waterproof and great with van movement.
17. Add the flashing
Add a layer of adhesive sealant to the bottom of the flashing and press down onto the roof.
18. Screw onto the roof
Screw down onto the roof through the aluminium strip using the easy drive screws included in the flashing kit.
19. Place screw caps on
Now add the caps onto each screw.
20. Add the rain cap
Finally, add your rain cap onto the chimney and attach using the same method as the previous flue pieces.
Now you can enjoy having a homely stove in your van, adding a warming and comforting glow wherever you go! If you are unsure on the process of installing a stove into a camper van a Hetas approved engineer will be able to help advise you. You can search engineers here.
With so very many stoves on the market, it can be daunting at first wondering how to choose the right one. Like many before you, you may have taken to google to start your research. Wood burning over multifuel? What regulations do I need to consider? Do I need a certain size stove? What is Eco Design?So, let’s answer as many of these for you as we can.
Regulations
First and foremost, let’s talk regulations as you may be seeing a lot of “Eco Design 2022 Ready” articles and information. The bodies that govern our industry, DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), HETAS (Heating Equipment Testing and Approvals Scheme) and SIA (Stove Industry Alliance), have introduced stricter guidelines. This concert efficiency levels and particulate matter by which a multitude of appliances manufactured after January 1st, 2022, must adhere to. These appliances are known as Eco Design Ready. Any stove that is manufactured before this date, may not meet these new regulations. However this does not mean you cannot have the stove, it simply means that if the manufacturer wishes to continue making this model, any manufactured after January 1st, 2022, must now be compliant. For a deeper look into Eco Design 2022, check out our regulation post here.
Eco Design
The Eco Design regulations are not to be confused with DEFRA approvals. If you live in a larger town or city, you may live in a smoke control area and so if you were wanting a stove in your home, there is 1 extra criteria you must abide by, the stove must be DEFRA approved, but don’t worry as many are. To meet these standards, you will need to consider what it is that you are burning also. If you purchase a multifuel stove, you can of course burn wood and smokeless fuels but not coal. If you purchase a wood only stove, then as per the name, you will only burn wood. You can easily check if you live is a smoke-controlled area by contacting your local council or of course your local HETAS installer may already know from experience.
Fuel Type
This brings us nicely to fuel type. The main thing we ask our customers is “what will you be burning?”. Some may answer with just wood, but others may go for a variety. It is important to consider this before purchasing a stove to get the best efficiency from the stove you buy. Multifuel stoves are certainly the most versatile and when used correctly you can get great output from whichever fuel you decide to burn. If you are solely going to be burning wood then you my prefer a wood only stove which is designed exactly for this purpose.
Size
A big factor that will influence the stove you choose is the size you need for the room. This is both in physical size but also and more importantly kilowatt (kw) size. The output of a stove is measured in kw’s, much like radiators and electric heaters. This is a guide as to the power that the stove will put out each hour into your room – therefore a 5kw stove for instance will deliver about 5kw’s of heat per hour into your room. There is a simple calculation that can be done to work out what kw you need but, to simplify this even more, we have created a calculator for you below. It is always best to confirm with your installer what kw size to go for and do note that if you opt for a higher kw stove than what you need, this is not actually a benefit to you. 5kw stoves are the most popular stove size in the UK as this is generally what most spaces require and is more than sufficient to heat your room to a comfortable temperature.
The physical size will also matter to where you are installing your stove. If you have an existing fireplace, this will help to limit the options you have but you may also be able to open this wider or place the stove more into the room. Both options you can discuss with your HETAS installer.
Are you replacing a heat source?
Will the stove you purchase replace your boiler to heat radiators and hot water? Boiler stoves are generally wood burning stoves with a water boiler at the back of the burning chamber. This allows some of the heat to be used to circulate through to your central heating system and hot water system; they really can heat your whole home at a fraction of the cost of gas and other forms of heating. Sizing a boiler stove can be trickier to gauge, as you will also need to factor in how much heat goes to your radiators and to water, and so is best left to an experienced engineer. As an estimate a 120L hot water tank will require around 3kw and a large radiator (600x1200mm) would take around 2kw each.
Where to get advice…
Once you have considered all the relevant factors you are left with a heavily reduced search criteria leaving only the style, efficiency and price. This is where you will find the help of our website and our team to narrow the search down from the 1000 or so fires we feature, we can work with you using our stove search to find your perfect stove.
How it all began… When people learnt how to control fire
The development of fire is a vast subject that spans thousands of years, beginning with Homo sapiens teaching Neanderthals (Figure 1) how to use a hand-drill technique to start a fire and ending with the most complex wood burners that offer controllable warmth to your home for hours on end.
The development took years, it all began in the Stone Age when people learnt how to control fire and it happened in a friendly manner in the cave as people sat in small groups and started fires to keep warm or to cook food. Unfortunately, the emitted smoke included a massive number of pollutants. Furthermore, the heat output was not ideal either. However, it is worth pointing out that they had no ventilation therefore it contained lots of toxins.
(Figure 1, Lifepersona 2022)
The Invention of The First Wood Burning Stove
Many generations have sought to create something sustainable that could be utilised instead of an open fire. Fortunately, the first stove was found in late 1700 by Benjamin Franklin (figure 2) It was a tremendous breakthrough for domestic wood burning and it transformed the course of the industry. It was a metal-lined fireplace with a hollow baffle designed to keep more heat in the fireplace for longer. The stove itself was a box of cast iron panels held together by iron screws that were inserted during the casting process. Furthermore, this stove provided some ventilation, but it was nothing spectacular, and the strove was not popular; nevertheless, it did provide an idea of where to go with stoves in the future.
(Figure 2, Wikipedia 2022)
When the new regulation comes along…
People did not have to wait long until an American astronomer constructed a new updated ‘Franklin stove’ and came up with the notion of venting wood burners using an L-shaped stovepipe. Wood burning stoves evolved over the following few years, but they would never pass today’s regulations. It is critical to note that back then, there were no regulations or rules, and they had little understanding of climate change and its influence on the planet. Unfortunately, the situation had deteriorated to the point that London’s Great Smog occurred in 1952.
However, in 1956, the United Kingdom Parliament passed a new legislation known as the Clean Air Act. The Act enacted a variety of measures aimed at reducing air pollution. The primary one was enforced transition toward smokeless fuels, particularly in high population ‘smoke control regions,’ to minimise smoke pollution and sulphur dioxide emissions from domestic fires. The Act also includes regulations to decrease gas, grit, and dust emissions from chimneys and smokestacks. Furthermore, in the 1980s, the EPA enforced an emission limit for wood-burning stoves at 7.5 grammes in order to force stove manufacturers to improve technology and start caring about the environment. The laws evolved over time, leading to new building codes and EcoDesign Ready models that everyone must follow in order to acquire a wood burning stove.
Here We Are… EcoDesign as a Solution for New Regulations
EcoDesign (Figure 3) laws establish new minimum efficiency levels and maximum emission limits for solid fuel-burning room heater stoves, boiler-equipped room heater stoves, and kitchen equipment.
(Figure 3, DecoHeat 2022)
If you are looking for EcoDesign wood burning stoves, we would like to introduce you to our Woolly Mammoth EcoDesign Ready 2022 collection, which incorporates fully adjustable primary, secondary, and tertiary air intakes to produce clean and efficient combustion of all solid fuels, reducing the amount of refuelling required and, as a result, lowering running costs.
Now You Know How It All Began… Let’s Recall Together
Let’s recall what we know so far… The evolution of fire, and more specifically wood burning stoves, began in Stone Age era and has continued over time to the point where we have sophisticated technology that improves their performance, efficiency, safety, and attention to the environment. Can you imagine going from a simple fire to a high-performance wood burning stove with incredible efficiency and cutting-edge technology? You’re probably wondering, what now? Follow the link below to find out more about how the new legislation will affect you in 2022!
With misleading information and sensationalised headlines filling the media regarding the future of the wood burning stove industry, it is becoming increasingly confusing for our customers to separate the facts from the fake news… Put simply, in a bid to further reduce the impact heating appliances have on our environment, the bodies that govern our … Continue reading
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If you have been looking at getting a wood burning stove this year, then you may have heard the term ‘EcoDesign ready’ being used as well as a lot of media coverage on the environmental impact of wood burning stoves. These issues, however, have raised quite a few questions. What does EcoDesign actually mean? Do you need an EcoDesign wood burning stove and why should you consider buying one?
Well, here at Glowing Embers, we thought we’d guide you through everything you need to know about EcoDesign wood burning stoves, their benefits and the implications for stoves of in the future.
The Government and EcoDesign
With recent Government legislation aimed at improving air quality and creating a benchmark of environmental standards for wood burning stoves, it is important to know what is changing.
The Government have already made some moves towards making Britain’s air cleaner, including talks about clean air zones and introducing a ban on the sale of wood burning stoves that don’t meet environmental standards. Furthermore, a specific certification has recently been introduced for wood burning stoves, denoting whether they are eco-friendly or not.
These stoves have been checked by DEFRA (Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs) and awarded an ‘EcoDesign’ certificate. This means they produce less smoke and particle emissions than other woodboring stoves. Part of a European wide programme to lower harmful emissions in the atmosphere, the Government aims to make nearly all wood burning stoves DEFRA approved by 2022.
In the case of smoke control zones, which are currently being talked about by the Government and local authorities, such as Sadihiq Khan’s latest proposals for London’s pollution problem, having an EcoDeign wood burning stove may not only be beneficial but soon necessary.
EcoDesign Wood Burning Stoves
Wood burning stoves that have met the regulations set down by DEFRA differ from conventional stoves in a number of ways. Firstly, EcoDesign wood burning stoves are designed to allow as much air to the fire as possible, ensuring the fire is not ‘starved’ and, hence, smoky. According to the independent researchers SIA, Ecodesign stoves can reduce particle emissions by up to 90% when compared to an open fire and 80% when compared to a traditional stove.
Not only does this design reduce the amount of smoke and harmful particle pollution emitted by the fire, but it also increases its burning efficiency (over 70%) of the fire creating more heat with less fuel, creating less emissions and saving fuel in the process.
Here are a few examples of EcoDesign wood burning stoves you can buy today:
Jydepejsen Senza Steel Stove
Featuring a very modern and sophisticated design, the Jydepejsen Senza Steel Stove is also an incredibly efficient burner with an output of up to 5 kW and a fully DEFRA approved status. The stove comes with options for side glass panels and incorporates Jydepejsen’s own DuplicAir fire control system which allows you to control the primary and secondary air intakes to improve the efficacy and heat production of the fire further.
Aduro Asgard 2
Compact and contemporary, the Aduro Asgard 2 is the perfect EcoDesign wood burning stove for small properties or small spaces in households. Developed alongside the Danish Technological Institute, this wood burning stove has achieved DEFRA certification due to its high efficiency and incredibly low smoke emissions which also make it an ideal wood burner for smokeless zones.
Flavel Arundel Multifuel Stove
The Flavel Arundrel is a brilliant example of an affordable yet incredibly efficient wood burning stove which meets DEFRA’s EcoDesign standards. With an output of 4.9 kW and an efficiency of 78.4%, this wood burning stove is both cost effective and eco-friendly, with its low emissions making it more than suitable for smoke control areas.
Here we have highlighted just a few of the wood burning stoves that are EcoDesign ready and at Glowing Embers we have a wide selection of these eco-friendly stoves to choose from. If you would like to browse our range of DEFRA approved, EcoDesign wood burning stoves then flow the link here. For further information on how to reduce your stove’s emissions and help the environment, DEFRA have put together a useful guide which is full of useful tips for maintaining a wood burning stoves and keeping them eco-friendly:
Having a wood burning or multi fuel stove may seem like an extravagance or a luxury fitting for your home. However, having a stove installed in your house will provide you with much more than a decorative centerpiece for your living room, greatly increasing both the efficiency and warmth of your home as well as saving you a lot of money in the long run.
Benefits of stoves
Modern log burning and multi fuel stoves are perhaps one of the most effective ways to heat your home when used correctly. By trapping the heat and combustion of the fire in a closed space, stoves are far more efficient at heating a room than open fire places and their metal structure also helps emit the heat they produce.
Most modern stoves are also built with multiple air vents to keep warm air flowing out of the stove and allow cool air in, helping the fire burn at maximum efficiency. Installing a stove fan can also greatly increase the heat spread of a stove, pushing the warm air further away from the fire and out into the surrounding room and house.
There are also a few ways you can increase the efficiency and heat production of a stove even further. Using dried, seasoned wood makes for a cleaner and hotter combustion within the stove and is also a far greener fuel to use than coal. Another fuel option that can help increase the heat production and efficiency of a stove is Eco Fuel. Eco Fuel is designed to burn cleanly and slowly, producing consistent high temperatures for a long time, especially within the enclosed space of a stove.
Using stoves to heat the home
Because they are confined to one particular room, it might seem stoves are rather limited in where they can provide heat for your home. However, a wood burning or multi fuel stove can in fact heat far more than your living room and can even heat your whole home.
By installing a back boiler or integrated boiler into a stove it is possible to connect it to the central heating system of your home. Depending on the size of your house, you can either use this to contribute towards an existing boiler or be used to heat the vast majority of your radiator/hot water system. If used in this way, a stove will not only heat the room it is within, but the whole house, as well as saving money on your energy bills. If you really want to make the most out of your stove you can even connect it to underfloor heating systems, providing further warmth and comfort for the house.
Making the most out of your heating
Whilst stoves are an incredibly efficient way to heat your home, they are a number of other ways you can increase the heating efficiency of your home and make sure none of it is wasted.
Here a few simple things you can do in your home to ensure you are getting the most out of your stove’s heat:
Insulation: This may seem like an obvious suggestion, however many households may have outdated insulation or you may simply assume your house is insulated when in fact it’s not. Making sure you have modern insulation in cavity walls and the roof can keep huge amounts of heat in your home, increasing its energy efficiency and saving a lot of money. Double glazed windows and closing curtains during the night will also help keep heat in the home.
Checking your central heating: Even if subsidised by a stove, your central heating system needs to be maintained and updated to make the most out of the stove’s heat and your boiler’s. Cleaning out pipes or replacing them, as well as insulating them, can go a long way to increasing the efficiency of your central heating system and make sure you have an up-to-date combination boiler.
Turn the thermostat down: turning your thermostat down by just a few degrees can save a lot of energy that would otherwise be wasted. This is particularly true if you have your stove burning, and whilst it is not healthy for your central heating system to be completely turned off, it’s certainly worth turning it right down when you are using your stove.
Radiators: Fitting thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on your radiators will allow you to control heating within your home and turn it up or down, room by room, depending on your needs. This can be done in combination with a timed/digital thermostat to create ‘zones’ in your house that will be heated when needed. The efficiency of radiators can also be increased by making sure they are not blocked by any pieces of furniture or covered in any way.
By taking these simple measures into account and using your stove as a main heating source in combination with your central heating system, your home will not only be warm and comfortable but incredibly energy efficient, saving money on your energy bills and making the most out of your stove’s heating potential.
In the 21st Century, protecting the environment has become a major issue which has become increasingly hard to ignore. The need to find renewable energy sources and sustainable ways of living have never been more important to the everyday individual and, when it comes to heating, this concern is no different.
There are currently over 1.5 million households in the UK with a wood burning stove and nearly 200,000 stoves are sold annually. Over the last few decades this large proportion of wood burning stoves has caused some concerns amongst Government institutions, local councils and environmentalists alike.
As recently as September 2017, Sadhiq Khan proposed a ban on wood burning stoves in certain areas of London at certain times of year. Thought to be introduced by 2025, this ban was prompted by fears that particles produced in smoke and other emissions may lead to lung cancer, heart conditions and even death. As part of the Sadihiq Khan’s plan, homeowners that do not conform to these ‘smoke-free’ zones could be fined up to £1000 and all but the most eco-friendly, low-emissions stoves (EcoDesign Ready) would be prohibited from being sold after 2022.
Although there has yet to be an approval of the London Mayor’s plans from the Government, support for his proposals from the Green Party and Client Earth couple together with the ever present threat of air pollution and global warming means that something does have to be done to cut the emissions of wood burning stoves.
With the creation of smoke free zones in most large UK cities and this recent proposal by the Mayor of London, it would at first appear that burning wood is one of the least sustainable or ‘eco-friendly’ means of heating your home. However, in reality the truth is quite different and you may be quite surprised at how ecological they actually are and what you can do to help them produce less harmful emissions.
Logs vs Fossil Fuels
The first key element which makes log burning stoves far more eco-friendly than gas or electric heaters, is the fuel itself. Wood is a carbon-neutral fuel which means it does not produce more carbon dioxide (CO2) than is already present in the carbon cycle. Any CO2 that is produced by burning wood is simply reabsorbed by plants and trees and converted back into oxygen or stored as CO2 in the plant.
Fossil fuels, on the other hand, produce far more CO2 when burned and increase the amount presently current within the carbon cycle, the condensed carbon having been locked inside them for millions of years and being released into the atmosphere. Therefore fossil fuels are not carbon neutral and can harm the environment in a way burning wood could never match. Furthermore, most coal and other fossil fuels also have to be imported, only adding further to their carbon footprint. By choosing to burn wood you are already helping the environment.
Aside from being carbon neutral, the kinds of emissions given off by burning wood are far less harmful than those given off by fossil fuels. What we commonly call air pollution is made up of several particles and gases, the most harmful being CO2, NOx and PM2.5. In terms of climate change and damage to peoples’ health, it is CO2 and NOx which are the key dangers and need a reduction in their production and unsurprisingly it is the burning of fossil fuels which contribute to this the most. Gas and cars are the biggest producers of these dangerous gases, with 38% of central London’s emissions being produced by gas heaters alone.
When compared to gas and electricity equivalents, which produce 0.198 kg and 0.517 kg of CO2 per kWh respectively, modern wood burning stoves only produce 0.008 kg, clearly demonstrating the environmental benefits of switching to a stove. Not only do they produce less CO2 than fossil fuels, they also produce so much heat that you can quite easily heat a room and the rooms around the stove with the log burner alone, with no need to use up fossil fuels heating up your central heating system. This means that you are not only saving the planet but also saving a lot of money on your heating bills.
Of course some multi-fuel stoves can burn fossil fuels, in the form of coal, however this has become an increasingly unpopular means of running stoves as coal not only produces more CO2 than wood but also a lot more smoke, something that has become a major issue in many urban areas. Smokeless coals have been developed and these do indeed reduce the amount of smoke released during combustion. However, when compared to burning wood, even smokeless coal falls short in terms of efficiency and sustainability.
It can also be argued that, whilst more sustainable and eco-friendly than fossil fuels, burning wood can still harmful to the environment due to the amount of particle matter (PM2.5) they produce. However, the key issue, and particular in the example of London above, is that it is not necessarily log burning stoves which are contributing to air pollution the UK to a serious degree. 70% of wood burnt in the city is used for open fires which produce far more emissions than their stove counterparts and are far less efficient. In contrast, most EcoDesign Ready stoves can reduce emissions by up to 90% when compared to open fires and make the most out of the fuel they burn. Furthermore, levels of PM2.5 are increasingly being cut by these modern stoves, with many of the factors contributing to their EcoDesign Ready status originating in their ability to reduce particle matter production, and hence air pollution.
Seasoned Wood and Briquettes
Yet burning any old wood is not necessarily the most ecological way of fuelling a wood burning stove. To make the most out of your stove and ensure you are causing as little of an impact on the environment as possible, it is important to understand the type of wood you should be burning and even more eco-friendly alternatives.
The type of wood you should burn on a wood burning stove should be dry and seasoned. This means that the fire does not have to work hard to combust the material given to it and, hence produces less smoke. In terms of efficiency this means that your stove will heat up quicker and produce far more heat than damp or unseasoned wood.
The most efficient and environmentally friendly humidity for logs is under 20% whilst newly cut logs can be as high as 60%. To counter act this, leave new logs in a dry place with plenty of air circulation for over a year and, if you want to improve this further you can buy kiln dried logs which have a moisture content of around 18%.
An even better alternative to seasoned wood is the use of briquettes to fuel your stove. These compact pieces of fuel are made up of pieces of old waste wood, harvested from broken furniture and other disposable wood sources.
By their very nature briquettes have the qualities of dry and seasoned wood however they are much more efficient and cost effective. Briquettes produce roughly 50% more heat for each pound spent on them when compared to logs and can last up to four hours. This is helped by the fact that most briquettes have a moisture content of below 10%, furthering their burning capabilities and ensuring they produce the most heat they can for the least amount of smoke and CO2. Furthermore, because of their incredible efficiency and heat production, the use of briquettes instead of logs could save you up to £150 a year when purchasing fuel for your log burner.
Eco-stoves and EcoDesign Ready
Whilst burning wood rather than coal, and using a stove over traditional central heating systems can be more efficient and ecological for your home, there are even more eco-friendly alternatives to the conventional wood burning stove.
In the last decade the development of the ‘eco-stove’ has been a major breakthrough in ensuring stoves can be as environmentally friendly as they can be.
Certified by DEFRA (Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs) in meeting Government standards on air pollution, these stoves differ to their predecessors as they try to prevent the fire from being starved of air as much as possible. Via secondary and tertiary air in-takes, these stoves ensure air gets to the fire, and hence, ensures that it gets the oxygen it needs to burn at maximum efficiency. Not only does this mean that the fuel inside the stove produces the most heat it can, but also it reduces the amount of smoke produced by the fuel as a result if this efficient combustion.
Eco-stoves always burn at over 70% efficiency and help keep your chimney clean due to their lack of smoke output. Compared to open fires, which have a minimum efficiency of 40%, it is clear to see the immense difference this can have in heating your home. Their minimal smoke production is also a huge benefit as this does not only help the environment but also allows air to flow down in to the fire, feeding it and increasing efficiency even further. Not only will these factors help you keep air pollution down and smoke levels low in urban environments, but they will also save you a lot of money on your heating bills and chimney sweeping.
In the coming years, older forms of wood burning stove are expected to be phased out and re-placed by these eco-stoves. Tests by the SIA (Stove Industry Alliance) found that eco-stoves reduced particulate emissions by between 80-84% when compared to older models and the independent standards body for heating appliances, HETAS, is heading a campaign to make sure all wood-burners can be as efficient as possible.
These new eco-stoves are at the heart of the SIA initiative to limit the amount of emissions produced by wood burning stoves. This initiative aims to give an EcoDesign Ready label to most modern Eco-stoves, a label which verifies the low-emission status of the stove in line with requirements outlined in Regulation (EU) 2015/1185 24/5/2015 regarding EcoDesign solid fuel heaters. In partnership with HETAS, the SIA aims to lower emissions further on EcoDesign Ready stoves and meet the ever more stringent guidelines imposed upon them before 2022.
With rising concerns over the impact of fossil fuels on the planet’s atmosphere and the increasing problem of CO2 and smoke levels in cities, eco-stoves look set to be the most efficient and eco-friendly alternative the standard wood burning stove. In the future, only stoves with the EcoDesign Ready label will be able to meet the demands placed on lower-emissions and smoke production and, due their incredible efficiency, these stoves, if fuelled correctly, may prove to be more ecological than your central heating.
