How is wood-burning stove efficiency measured?

Wherever possible, we give you efficiency information on the stoves that we sell. But where do these figures come from and what do they mean?

You will find efficiency data on most our product pages. This is not to be confused with the heat output figure, which will be given in kilowatts, such as 8kW.

The efficiency figure, which will be given as a percentage, is designed to tell you how much of the fuel you burn on any given appliance will actually be used on heating your room, and how much will be lost during the process. So, a stove with efficiency of 80% is losing 20% of the heat the fuel could potentially give off straight up the chimney. Continue reading

Asthma sufferers, it’s time to buy a new wood-burning stove

Asthma sufferers have been advised to upgrade from old wood-burning stoves to new appliances to help relieve their symptoms.

Academic research conducted at the University of Melbourne, in Australia, found that using outdated stoves could increase the chances of asthma symptoms flaring up by 11 per cent.

The study looked at the effects of traffic pollution and wood smoke on middle-aged asthma sufferers. And the verdict was that people using old wood burning stoves increased the risk of aggravating existing asthma conditions. Continue reading

What to do if you spot rust on your wood-burning stove

If your wood-burning stove is left in storage or exposed to moisture then it can start to rust. Modern stoves are much less susceptible than older stoves to this problem, but issues can occasionally arise even in a contemporary appliance if it is out of use for an extended period.

Rust is an easy problem to tackle but it’s important that you deal with it as soon as you spot it. The easiest way to ensure that you don’t miss any is to incorporate a quick check for rust into a monthly MOT for your stove. More on that here. Continue reading

The £3,000 Hobbit House eco-home that’s heated by a wood-burning stove

The incredible building featured in the video above is based on the homes inhabited by Hobbits in The Shire of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Remarkably, it cost just £3,000 to build.

Even accounting for the current slump in the housing market, we reckon that represents great value for money for the property you get. That’s why lots of people are now exploring the possibility of building a home of their own to support a self-sufficient or more sustainable lifestyle. Continue reading