FAQs on Stoves

These are the top questions that people have asked us since 1989 before buying of our stoves

What size of stove?

Normally, allow 1kW output per 14 cubic meters of the room.

In cold rooms or rooms with high ceilings use 1:10. Smaller stoves can be used to supplement other heating.

Too large a stove if burned slowly, causes tar, or if burned properly may overheat you! Stoves over 5kw need air-vents.

How long will we have to wait? 

Fitting lead-time usually between 7-42 days.

HETAS Fitting

We are HETAS-registered (No: 2723) with many years of sales and fitting experience since 1989. 

DIY fitting

You may DIY or employ your favourite builder, but submit a drawing and application so that your local council

Building Control Officer can pre-approve & superviseany work to be done by Non-HETAS fitters, and so that he can sign-off the completed work.

We may inspect and report on installations, but we will not sign-off DIY or non-HETAS installations.

Do I need a liner? 

Faulty chimneys always need re-lining. Post-1966 chimneys should already have ceramic or terracotta liners, but they still need testing.

A successful Soundness Test proves the chimney in ways defined in the Building Regulations Document J.

Whether you flexi-reline or not, poor fuel causes stove & chimney damage. If in doubt, reline the chimney.

Efficiency

Stoves are about 3 times as efficient as open fires, burning 1-2 kilos of fuel per 5kW hour and reducing average house CO2 emissions by about 20%.

Only ever burn dry logs and dry smokeless coal – moisture and tar from poor fuels causes damage. 

Ecology

Our stoves meet BS/EN13240 for the efficient, clean combustion of logs and smokeless fuels – ordinary house coal, coke, steam coal, petro-coke and

sticky fuels are not suitable fuels and will invalidate warranty. Energy efficiency ratings for your house may be enhanced where stoves are fitted, as such homes typically burn less gas and oil.

Smoking Fireplaces

You should neither see nor smell smoke indoors at any time. The fumes may be poisonous.

Properly fitted stoves improve most smoky fireplaces unless there are serious chimney defects or downdraughts from trees, wind pressure or poor chimney/roof design. 

Safety

Stoves are safer than open fires, as sparks are contained - keep stove doors shut otherwise heat is lost up the chimney and you risk sparks. Stoves run at over 3000C so heatproof gloves and fireguards are recommended. Furnishings must be at least 1000mm from the stove. Combustible fire-surrounds and lintels up to 1000mm from the stove may need fireproof boards.

Carbon Monoxide

This colourless, odorless gas is produced in all combustion appliances – gas, oil, smokeless fuel and log-burners.

Smoke-smells may alert you to problems but an electronic Carbon Monoxide detector would be safer and alert you to danger.

It’s a common safety misconception  - logs may also produce poisonous fumes unless correctly burned!

Will it fit the fireplace?

Allow 2” to the back & 2” to 6” at sides, plus minimum 6” above to the lintel for fitting and sweeping, and 12” minimum (or the stove door width) for the front hearth.

Some fireplaces may be enlarged within the Building Regulations, inserting new lintels.

Air wash

Air-wash systems create curtains of pre-heated air downwards across the glass, to keep smoke away from the glass and give brighter fire-views and better combustion efficiency. Closed Air-wash systems tar up the glass and the chimney. Clean the glass clean using eco-friendly dampened newspaper  & wood-ash, for free.

Cast iron or steel?

Abused cast iron may crack – abused steel may corrode and distort. With care, expect many years of use with either type of appliance –stoves are quite hard to destroy, but some people manage to do so – if you need spares, they can become expensive.

We only sell stoves that we know are reliable – and we warranty them, and our installation work.