Room ventilation for stoves

Stove room ventilation - in Document J, pages 11-18 and 24

Ventilation for stoves

Stoves need a supply of air for combustion, and to evacuate the flue gases otherwise they will not work. Without an air supply the stove will not light and smoke is likely to pour out into the house. The smoke will not be able to be drawn up the chimney as this requires air movement up through the chimney which is not possible if there is no source of air. If your stove smokes or does not burn very keenly, but this improves when you open a window then this is a sign that you need to install some ventilation. Read more about this on our smoking stoves page.Sometimes sufficient air can come through the building itself and no dedicated ventilation is necessary.

If the stove has an output of more than 5kW then it is recommended that dedicated permanentently open ventilation be installed with a cross sectional area of at least 550 square mm for every kW above 5. However if your house is very old with windows and doors that are not air tight then this may provide sufficient air for the stove, even if it is above 5kW. On the other hand if your house is very modern with sealed doors and windows then dedicated ventilation may be needed for stoves under 5kW.

The vent should be placed in such a way that it cannot be easily blocked and so that house residents are not tempted to block it off to reduce draughts or noise.

It can be a good idea to place the vent close to the stove. Because the stove draws the air that it needs for combustion through the vent there will be a draught from the vent to the stove. If the vent is close to the stove then draughts are reduced and the house stays warmer.

If there is a mesh to guard against pest/mice etc coming through the vent then the mesh size must be no less than 5mm.

Positioning ventilation for a stove

The vent can be placed in the walls of the room or in the floor. The vent does not even have to be in the same room as the stove - for example ventilation can be provided to another room or loft space which itself has permanent ventilation to the outside.

Stove room ventilator

We supply a stove room ventilator which can be fitted simply using a 5" core drill. It incorporates a series of baffles inside it to prevent any wind noise etc and complies with the building regulations for almost any solid fuel stove that you want to fit. Price: £34 inc VAT.

Some stoves (for example the Saey Scope) have provision for an external air supply to be connected to the stove, usually through a relatively small duct, and these stoves do not need dedicated ventilation.