Buying a stove

If you have not yet chosen your stove, ask to see the Eco Design and DEFRA exempt stoves, these are certified as less polluting and so are better for your families health.

Newly designed stoves have an increased efficiency compared to old stoves and open fires. This means that they release less harmful pollution but also produce more heat from your fuel, saving you money!

Before you purchase a new stove

1
Purchase from an approved retailer
Finding a reliable retailer allows you to view a selection of stoves before buying and they can help to advise you which stove and size of stove will be most suitable for your needs.
2
Buy an approved DEFRA appliance or Ecodesign ready
As a minimum you should be looking for a DEFRA approved appliance but ideally you should be considering an eco-design stove as these are even more efficient!
Stove scrappage scheme’s are currently available on a store by store basis. Some retailers are offering deals such as £200 or 10% when trading an old stove in for an Ecodesign ready stove.
3
Get your stove professionally installed.
A competent person such as a HETAS registered installer will ensure your stove is installed safely and in accordance with current building regulations.

If a non-competent person fits your stove then the installation must be certified by building control, this can cost you more in total.
There are a number of competent persons schemes but the most popular in this sector is HETAS.
4
Ensure you can Store your fuel correctly.
Store logs in a purpose designed wood store. These allow the wood to be stacked in a way which keeps them dry but allows airflow to dry them out further.

You can even purchase a moisture meter for a small cost to ensure that your wood is dry enough to be burnt.

Smokeless coal and briquettes should be stored some where dry like a garage or outbuilding.

5
Burn efficient fuels.
Simple ways to reduce your emissions: Ensure all logs are sufficiently dried to below 20%, burn smokeless coal instead of house coal.
6
Maintenance
Ensure your chimney is swept and stove is maintained regularly.

your stove should be serviced annually and chimney swept by a qualified sweep at least once a year.

You can also perform more regular cleaning tasks yourself.

Ecodesign ready stoves

SIA are the Stove Industry Alliance, which includes  stove manufacturers and distributors, wood and fuel suppliers, flue and glass manufacturers and industry supporters like HETAS and Kiwa. The SIA have produced a label for current ecodesign ready stoves to help buyers easily make an informed decision.

Using an Ecodesign stove Reduces emissions by 90% compared to an open fire and 80% compared to  a 10 year old stove!

They are the most efficient and eco friendly stoves available and even out perform DEFRA approved stoves.

They requires less logs and or fuel for the same heat output and create a better fire— this saves money while releasing less polluting particulate matter.

All stoves that have been sold since 1st January 2022 are eco-design ready. See current eco design ready stoves

 

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Basic advice for managing a fire

Consult your appliance manual or a registered chimney sweep for more detailed information on your stove.

1
Build the fire with the correct fuel, do not use solid fuels such as smokeless coals on a log burner, these require a multi fuel stove.
Start with small logs, topped with kindling—make sure that all wood is ready to burn at below 20% moisture
2
 To light the fire fully open the primary and secondary air controls, light the kindling and leave the door slightly ajar—this allows extra air into the stove to get the fire going and reduces the amount of smoke released during the lighting phase.
3
Once the fire is burning well you can carefully add some larger logs and close the stove door.
4
Close the primary air control if you have one once the fire is burning well and hot.
5
Monitor the fire as it burns and adjust the secondary vents and fuel accordingly. Do not overload the stove or use wet fuel.

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