Why Should You Replace Your Old Stove?

Why install a new modern and efficient wood burning stove?

Man has used fire for over a million years, and mastered it for the last 100,000 years. Fire still takes a central role in our homes and a million home-owners have already chosen to install a wood burning stove in their house. Developments in stoves have been enormous in recent years and a modern stove is 60 percent more efficient and 90 percent cleaner than a 30 year old wood stove.

With soaring electricity prices, more and more people are reconsidering the heating systems in their homes – and more and more are installing wood burning stoves. It is not possible to compare the efficiency of an old wood stove with a modern wood stove, because they have become so much more efficient.

Regardless of whether the house is heated by district heating or its own heating system, a stove is a good supplement which is also a fully independent, non-electric heat source.

Modern wood stoves provide complete combustion – and perfect ash for the garden

When it comes to combustion, a modern wood stove cannot be compared with an old open fireplace or older stoves. Newer stoves have technology that ensures complete combustion, gives excellent heating economy and environmentally friendly firing. If the wood burning stove is fired correctly, the heat that is produced is carbon dioxide neutral and does not contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Complete combustion just produces carbon dioxide, water vapour and ash. The ash is fine and grey and is ideal for use as a fertiliser in the garden. An added bonus is that using wood as fuel is both renewable and locally sourced.

Tips on how to use your wood burning stove to save money and the environment:

• Choose a modern stove.
• Only use dry wood.
• Sweep the chimney regularly.
• Do not burn household waste, plastic, painted, impregnated timber or similar, as these produce hazardous fumes.
• Use broad leaf wood, which produces more heat than conifer wood. It also burns more slowly.
• Check the smoke. If it is white, almost transparent, then you know that you are using the wood stove correctly.