Q. Will the Whole Home Be Heated?

Hetas, the industry regulatory body, has stated that over 175,00 homes are installed with log burners each year, which is five times more than 2007. If your home is built with an open-plan design, your wood burner will heat up the whole of the floor. This is also likely to be the case if you have large doorways that are left open. Of course, it will take longer for a wood burner to heat an entire floor than one single room and so you will need to use more wood over a longer period of time to do this.

Due to the nature of heat, the warmth will rise upwards, heating the floor above the fire reasonably quickly. This means that if your wood burner is in your living area, those in the bedrooms directly above will be kept warm too. It may be that during the middle of the winter you will also need to use central heating to heat the entire house. However, using a log burner means that you can switch on your central heating later on in winter and turn it off earlier as spring arrives.

Q. Will I Save Money By Using a Log Burner?

As well as any reductions to bills, log burners are extremely environmentally friendly – even more so than coal fires. Below are some statistics showing the savings included in using a log burner. 

Q. What Wood Should I Use?

There are many different types of wood that you can use in a log burner, but below are the best types you could possibly use due to good heat output, steady flames and a slow burn. Always use very dry wood as this burns far better than green wood and you will get the most out of your fire this way.

• Ash
• Beech
• Hawthorn
• Thorn
• Yew

If you can’t get your hands on any of this type of wood, you still have many other options. Below is a list of wood which will also work well in a log burner but could take just a little longer to heat your home.

• Apple
• Birch
• Cedar
• Cherry
• Hazel
• Hornbeam
• Lilac
• Maple
• Oak
• Pear
• Plum

Q. How Do You Light a Log Burner?

First of all, open the airwash and primary air controls so that your fire can get the air it needs to light properly. Open the door of your stove and place firelighters, paper and dry kindling inside to create a firebed. You need to use a lot of kindling at first to get the fire going, but once it is established you can steady the flow. To light the kindling, use a gas lighter, match, or a lit piece of paper and light the middle of the firebed.

Wait for the kindling to light as it should start to burn energetically within a few minutes. Leave the door of your burner open slightly to reduce condensation, this will also help to strengthen the flue pull which will help the fire to light. Once the fire is established, add larger pieces of wood into the fire, making sure not to smother it which could put out the flame. Once this has been done you can add large pieces of wood when necessary to keep the fire burning.

Q. Can I Use Coals?

Coals should not be used in a wood burner as they are made to cater specifically for wood. This means they are built with a flat grate rather than a raised grate which is needed to burn coal. You also shouldn’t use smokeless fuel in a wood burner. If you have a multi-fuel stove, we would still advise that you avoid using coal due to its delayed burning qualities. The large amounts of smoke that are created from lit coal will fill your flue before your fire starts to heat which can be extremely dangerous.

Q. What are Smoke Control Areas?

Smoke control zones are areas in the UK that only smokeless fuels are legally permitted to be used. This does not include barbecues, chimineas, or bonfires, unless these release smoke through the chimney of a building. This means log burners and fireplaces with chimneys – even if in a summer house outside of the main residential home – may be unauthorised to use in certain areas. The following fuels can be used in smoke control areas:

• Anthracite
• Semi-anthracite
• Gas
• Low volatile steam coal

If you want to make sure that you can use a log burner in your home, you will need to check with your local council which you can do on the gov.uk website.

Image source: Flickr – Clint Budd

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Cost Effective

Wood burning stoves are cheaper to install than many other heating methods, and once they´re installed their efficiency is second to none. Logs and wood pellets are inexpensive to purchase, and people often find that their homes are kept warm and cozy for much less than the cost of their previous electricity or gas bill. Wood burning stoves are reliable sources of heat, and you will never have to worry about power outages or gas leaks.

Unique Heat

The unique feel of a wood burning stove is perhaps the number one reason why people fall in love with them. There is nothing like relaxing in front of a wood burning stove on a cold winter night, with a glass of brandy or a mug of hot cocoa in hand, feeling the heat exude throughout the room. People love to gather around a wood burning stove and relax in the warmth it emits, and an attractive, modern wood burning stove can easily become the centrepiece of any room.

Environmentally Friendly

Many people are turning to wood burning stoves because they want an environmentally friendly option when it comes to heating their home. People are becoming more and more aware of the issues that traditional energy industries can wreak on the environment, and wood burning stoves provide a carbon-neutral option. Wood logs emit carbon dioxide, but wood is considered a renewable resource, and the new trees that are planted will consume the same amount of carbon dioxide throughout their lifetime, eliminating the carbon footprint made by the stove.

When it comes time to choosing a wood burning stove, the perfect option is here at Opie´s, The Stove Shop. You can choose a traditional log burner with its rustic look and classic appeal, or go with a sleek, freestanding modern stove that doesn´t need a pre-existing fireplace or chimney. You can choose a small insert stove to fit the size of your fireplace, or a stove that burns recycled wood pellets if the environment is your utmost concern.

At Opie´s, we can provide you with a free estimate if you come into our showroom, and can even help you install your wood burning stove once you´ve come to a decision.

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• Carbon Savings. They are better for the environment as they produce fewer carbon dioxide emissions than traditional methods of burning fossil fuels.

• They can also provide significant financial savings compared with using conventional fossil fuels, such as LPG or oil.

• Pellet stoves with back boilers-that are MCS-certified are potentially eligible for an RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) Premium Payment, thanks to a scheme that has been running since 2013. Note: this does not include stoves that burn logs.

• In these uncertain times, it is good to know that you can be self-sufficient regarding fuel, at least if you have your own supply of wood or are able to store a good supply.

• You won’t have to worry about losing heat in power cuts, and if you have a stove with a boiler, you will also have plenty of hot water.

• You can save more money by using the stove for cooking, if you buy one with several hot plates on the top.

• Wood-fuelled stoves are an extremely convenient source of energy for those off the gas network (e.g. in remote or rural ares).

• As well as being a highly-efficient source of heating, wood-fuelled boiler stoves undoubtedly look very attractive, and they are excellent at creating a warm, homely environment that will make all the family feel really snug.

If you decide to get make your home more energy efficient and get a wood-fuelled boiler stove, why not visit Opie’s The Stove Shop to view our range of over 100 wood-burning stoves? At Opie’s, we have been supplying and fitting wood-burning stoves for satisfied customers in Essex for over thirty years and all our stoves are competitively priced.

We stock stoves from many high-quality and well-known European manufacturers, including Jotul, Scan, Morso, Euroheat, Stovax, and Aarrow. Opie’s offer a wide range of traditional and contemporary stoves, which all come with a manufacturer’s full warranty.

Visit one of our two showrooms in Chelmsford or Colchester today, to see our extensive range of stoves and burners, in traditional and contemporary designs. With such a wide choice of stoves, you will be sure to find one to suit your requirements!

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