Choosing a Modern Wood Burner
When selecting the best wood stove, take into consideration factors like heating capacity and size as well as the technology of combustion, aesthetics, maintenance and safety features. A properly-chosen and installed modern wood stove will meet your heating needs, enhance the ambience of your home, and also align with your environmental values.
Look for features that will help you maintain your stove, and keep the glass clean. Choose a stove made of wood with a self-cleaning window.
Ease of maintenance and cleaning
When selecting a wood burner, it is important to consider the ease of cleaning and maintenance that the stove provides. You should look for stoves with removable tray or ash pans, which make it easy to clean the ash residue. In addition, you should consider stoves that have simple access mechanisms for cleaning the flue as well as the chimney. Modern wood burning fireplaces come with doors that automatically clean. This makes them a great option for those who want to cut down on the amount of work required to clean and maintain.
The frequency at which you must clean your stove will depend on the fuel you're using and the quality with which it is burned. For instance when you burn hardwood your stove will require more frequent cleaning as the tar that is formed on the glass requires more regular removal than those who burn lighter coals. To reduce the amount of tar that builds up on your stove's glass, you might want to try a glass cleaner. However, make sure that you follow the directions carefully since too much cleaner may harm the glass.
A lot of modern woodburning and multifuel stoves also have an airwash system that helps keep the windows clean. The system works by blowing air from the top over the glass, which helps keep it clean and prevents the buildup of tar.
You should empty the ashpan whenever it is necessary. It is recommended that you empty the ashpan at least once each 4-6 weeks. Ask your installer or manufacturer if you're unsure what frequency to empty your ashpan.
Energy efficiency
Modern wood burners are more efficient than gas or electric fires. They convert 70% of the organic material burned directly into heat. This is a huge benefit for anyone looking to cut their heating costs whilst being more self-sufficient and adopting renewable energy sources.
The stove manufacturers have responded to consumer demand by developing advanced technology that reduces particulate emission drastically. Many of the new stoves that burn wood are certified to emit less than 2.0 grams of fine particulates when operating at full capacity, an amazing achievement that would have been impossible in the past.
Wood burning stoves can also be a carbon neutral heating option when they are used with wood logs that have been sourced responsibly. During their growth phase trees eliminate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and when burned for heating they release an equal amount of CO2 back into the air. This is a cycle that is more beneficial for the planet than fossil fuels like gas, which produces 0.198kg of CO2 for every Kilowatt and electricity, which produces a costly amount of 0.517kg for each Kilowatt.
Having a wood burning stove as your secondary source of heating can help to ease pressure on the national grid during peak evening consumption times. The utilization of a wood burner together with a condensing boiler pellet boiler, or air-source heat pump is the ideal combination for a sustainable and cost-effective heating system for your home.
Durability
Wood burning stoves are a sustainable alternative for heating. So long as the wood used is obtained responsibly and is properly managed, it's carbon neutral. When trees are burned, they release carbon dioxide back into the air.
Modern wood stoves have been designed to last for a long time. The materials are of top quality and resist warping and damage resulting from excessive heat. They feature easy-to-clean burners that minimize the amount of soot and smoke generated by the stove. You can also choose a wood burner with an auto-ignition feature which means that you don't need to manually light the fire each time you use it.
Wood is cheaper than other forms of heating on a basis of BTU. It's also less volatile than fossil fuels, so you can expect consistent heating costs year in and out.
If you're seeking a stove that has the best mix of performance, durability and visual appeal, look at this model from Mendip. The widescreen window allows for an amazing view of the flames, and there is plenty of room below the firebox to store logs. It's DEFRA certified, and meets Ecodesign Standards and has level 5 clearSkies credentials.
The Holborn 7 by British manufacturer Esse offers another attractive option for wood burning. This slender, multi-fuel stove is DEFRA-approved and has a decent seasonal efficiency of 80 percent. The large window gives you a great view of the fire and comes with an air-wash system to keep it clean. Ideal for areas that control smoke and is available in traditional and contemporary colours. The model has a clever, catalytic combustor which can be used with coal, briquettes, or logs.
Style
Modern wood burners come in a range of styles that will fit into any home. They can be built in any style, and come in a variety of colors to complement the interior design of your home. Many of them have ornamental details and trims that add a touch of class. You can select a stove with an integrated log storage, which will aid in keeping your fireplace neat and tidy.
Modern log burners are constructed to a high standard and have earned a reputable reputation for reliability. The latest combustion technology enables them to efficiently burn wood and reduce emissions and make them an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional open fires. Modern stoves can cut down on the amount of particulate matter (PM) emitted by up to 50 percent and some are capable of reducing emissions of dioxins and furans.
The most modern generation of wood burners use secondary combustion to ignite the creosote that is created by burning wood fuel. This can be done either directly or by passing the wood through a catalytic converter which aids in cleaning the atmosphere in your home. It is important to remember that certain stoves emit a small amount of PM from the chimney.
The Go Eco by Stovax is an example of a highly efficient modern wood burner that produces very low PM. The 5-kW multi-fuel stove has an enormous porthole-like window that is kept clean by an airwash system. It has a good heating capacity for rooms of mid-sized size. It is DEFRA approved and Ecodesign compliant. It is an excellent option for anyone who is looking to improve their fireplace or add a second heating source.
Safety
A wood stove can be a fantastic source of heat, but it can also cause harmful particles to be released into the air. These particles are known as particulate matter, and can have a negative effect on our health and increase the likelihood of suffering from respiratory diseases. Thankfully, modern wood stoves are designed to minimize the emissions. Ecodesign stoves, for example designed to meet the strict European guidelines on particulate matter. They use a hotter firebox to re-ignite the combustion particles and reduce emissions before they leave the chimney. This means that they require fewer logs to produce the same amount of heat as other stoves.
The best way to reduce the emissions from your home is to use wood fuels that are certified by the Woodsure Ready to Burn scheme and only burn dry wood that has been seasoned for at least two weeks. Avoid using briquettes or wood that has not been seasoned because they can produce excessive levels of toxic gasses and smoke.
It is also essential to keep a flame burning at a low level until the ashes have cool and to regularly clear the ash from the stove to prevent build-up. Other measures to protect yourself include keeping the door closed when not tending the fire, never touching the stove or flue pipe unless it is completely cool, and always turning off the stove prior to leaving the house or going to bed.
It's recommended to have your stove inspected by an engineer at least once every year to ensure that it is working properly. best wood burning stove will reduce particulate matter, organic gaseous compounds and carbon monoxide emissions. It will also ensure the flue gas temperature remains at or above 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degC) which is crucial to ensure the safety of wood stoves.