Can you heat your radiators with a wood-burning stove?

Please note: This is an old blog post the stoves featured have since been discontinued. See our current range of boiler stoves.


If you’re considering installing a wood-burning stove to cut your central heating bills, one of your primary concerns is ensuring the heat generated by the woodburner warms more than just the room its in.

The good news is that you can use a wood-burning stove to heat radiators throughout your home.

To achieve that you will need to buy a boiler stove rather than a regular wood-burning stove. A boiler stove is very similar to any other stove except that it includes a back-boiler.

When your stove is lit it not only heats the room but the boiler, too. You can plumb the stove into your heating system to provide hot water and heat your radiators.

This is likely to increase your installation costs, but it will also increase the savings you’re able to make once the stove is fitted.

Five of the best boiler stoves

Arizona Montana 657B 11.5 kW multi fuel boiler stove

Our most affordable boiler stove is the Arizona Montana. It generates a heat output of 11.5kW for a very reasonable investment of £719.10. An output of 4kW goes towards heating your room, while the remainder goes to the boiler.

It’s a traditionally-styled cast iron multi-fuel stove. The heat for your radiators is provided by a high efficiency wrap-around steel boiler.

Arizona Nevada 677 21 kW multi fuel boiler stove

Another Arizona stove that is traditional in its appearance, but the Nevada benefits from a substantial increase in heat output.

The 21kW output is outstanding value for money at just £809.10. Your hot water and cosy radiators are provided by a large thermostatically controlled steel wrap-around boiler. The boiler is integrated within the firebox, which is dressed in cast iron panels to ensure it retains the aesthetics of a classic stove.

Stratford 7HE Eco Boiler Multi-fuel Boiler Stove

Stratford is one of the most respected manufacturers of boiler stoves. It is the boiler stove brand name of Arada Stoves, the company that makes the popular Aarrow stoves.

The 7He model (also known as the EB7HE) is the entry level model. It includes stylish curved surfaces to strengthen the stove body, an insulated boiler top to maximise heat transfer and a thermostatic control.

Firebelly FB2 Black 12 kW Woodburning Boiler Stove

This Firebelly stove lets the flames do the talking. That large glass door gives an incredible view of what’s going on inside the stove.

Beyond that, there’s a stripped back, modern appearance that gives a lovely contemporary appearance.

There is a heat output of 12kW, some 7.9kW of which goes towards heating your water and radiators.

Stratford 25HE Eco Boiler Multi-fuel Boiler Stove

The Stratford 25HE is the most powerful boiler stove we stock. With an impressive 25kW heat output, there is plenty of energy to heat your room and radiators throughout your house.

As with the Stratford stove we’ve already shown you, this appliance boasts strong, curved surfaces, an insulated boiler top and a discrete thermostatic control.

Looking for something a bit different? See our full range of boiler stoves.

13 thoughts on “Can you heat your radiators with a wood-burning stove?

  1. Dear Sir / Madam,

    Read your website with interest.

    I am looking to install a woodburner which can heat the radiators and provide hot water as well.

    Can you provide this servcie to a property in Turkey?

    Best Regards

    Rob Addison

  2. We own a stanley stove with back boiler…how do you control how many radiators it heats?as I think it’s heating to many radiators and not fit to heat them all..is there anyway to sort this?

    • Hi Michelle,

      You could turn the radiators off, one-by-one. This would disprove or prove your theory that too many radiators are connected to the system and you will be able to work out how many radiators the stove can heat effectively.

      Thanks,

      Gr8Fires

  3. Hi I’m thinking to buy a boiler stove. Could you recommend one which would run 5 radiators please. And what kw they would be. Thanks.

    • Hi Ray,

      It will all depend on the size, shape, surface area and performance of the radiators, whether they are double or single radiators, old cast iron radiators etc.

      As a guide, an average-sized radiator would require 1.5kW of output, but this is only a guideline. That would work out at 7kW, plus the output you want to go to the room.

      https://www.gr8fires.co.uk/stoves/boiler-stoves

      Thanks

  4. Hi, I’m very interested in a back boiler, wood burning stove to heat 4 rads for my holiday home. However, I was wondering if it’s possible to use it as a wood burner only for a year or two and then later, install the associated rads/pipework etc?

  5. I gave a wood burning stove, is it possible to integrate this into the existing oil fuelled central heating and hot water system ?

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