Stove help, advice and stove related information

Our stove help and advice pages have now become so many that we have introduced a stove advice search page. Use this page to quickly find the stove related topic you seek, or alternatively look through the full list of stove pages below.

Choosing and using your stove

What size of stove and what type should you choose?.

Kilowatt calculator - enter the dimensions of your room and this will give you an idea of what sort of heat output you should be looking for.

Stove heat outputs how are the heat outputs and efficiency of stoves measured and why the current testing methods leave you in the dark.

Stove efficiency how the efficiency of a stove is measured and why the current testing methods are inadequate.

Some examples of why stove test results are not very useful some practical examples of how the current testing methods leave a lot to be desired.

Should you choose a Woodburning stove?.

Should you choose a multifuel stove?.

Cleanburning / Cleanheat Stoves - Cleanburning stoves explained.

Airwash Stoves - Airwash keeps the window of your stove clean. This page explains airwash.

Makes and models of stove not on our site - if a make or model of stove is not on our site then we can usually still supply it to you.

How to burn wood on a stove - how to efficiently burn wood on a stove, which air vents to use...

How to burn coal on a stove - how to efficiently burn coal on a stove whilst minimising damage to the grate.

Central Heating and stoves with backboilers

Stove heat distribution - A discussion on moving stove heat around your house.

Typical installation of a wood burning stove with backboiler as part of a central heating system - using a stove with a backboiler to power a central heating system is easier than you may think. A woodburning or multifuel stove can easily power many radiators as well as providing hot water.

Stoves with backboilers A list of stoves with backboilers, the output of the backboilers and the price of the stove with the backboiler.

Conversion factors

Convert BTU's to kW Convert BTU's to kW and convert kW to BTU's.

Stove and Flue Installation

Double skin flue systems
Our guide to installing double skin flue systems. General principals as well as a breakdown of what each component does.

Detailing for how to penetrate a SIP with twin wall
A legal detailing for penetrating a SIP roof or wall with a twin wall flue system.

Selkirk STC twin wall flue components
The various components, lengths and how they are intended to be used.

Installing a stove onto a truncated chimney
How we cope with installing a stove onto a truncated chimney by using flexible liner in the chimney stack and Selkirk STC twin wall flue for the roof penetration.

Installing / Fitting a stove - CLICK HERE
Fitting a freestanding stove, fitting a stove into an existing fireplace, using an existing chimney.

Lining a chimney with a flexible chimney liner - CLICK HERE
How to line an existing chimney using 316 or 904 grade stainless steel flexible flue liner.

Lining a chimney with pumice chimney liners - CLICK HERE
How to line chimney using pumice liner sections to achieve a permananent masonry insulated chimney. Pumice liners are often misspelt - 'Pummice chimney liners'.

DM modular pumice chimney liner system
Extra information on the DM system - the quick to install, low volume, insulated, modular chimney system.

Making a chimney using an insulated flue pipe - CLICK HERE
How to make a new chimney where there was none before using double skin insulated flue pipe.

Internal flue design measurements printable checklist
A printable checklist of all the measurements we will need for an internal flue design application.

External flue design measurements printable checklist
A printable checklist of all the measurements we will need for an external flue design application.

How to paint your flue pipe or stove
How to use our heat resistant spray paint and how to paint twin wall flue pipe externally.

Building Regs

Building Regulations that apply to stoves - CLICK HERE
An introduction to document J and the start of our building regs section

Notice plates
A building regs requirement - allows you to quickly see what type and size of flue/chimney you have installed.

Stove hearth sizes
Hearth minimum plan dimension, clearances and thicknesses for various types of stove.

Flue outlet heights
Where to measure the flue termination height from and what these heights should be for various roof types.

Flue sizes
The minimum flue sizes for multi-fuel and wood burning stoves in the regs and discussed.

Ventilation for stoves
A stove needs air for combustion and when above 5kW will need its own dedicated air source.

Flue pipe - distance to combustibles and heat shielding

Installation and Building Control

Notice plates

Stove hearth sizes

Flue outlet heights

Flue sizes

Ventilation for stoves

Flue pipe - distance to combustibles and heat shielding

Flue pipe - recommended length

Twin wall flue - boxing in

Lining existing chimneys

New chimneys

Information on wood, wood pellets and coal

Wood

How to dry (or season) firewood and logs.

Coppicing to produce firewood.

What wood is best - the best woods to burn on woodburning stoves.

How to light a wood fire.

A chart of the best woods to burn on your woodburning or multifuel stove.

UK firewood and logs suppliers

Firewood case studies

Case study 1: Mainland Aggregates - we spoke to Scott Chambers, Director of Mainland Aggregates, about woodfuel supply in the UK

Wood Pellets

Wood pellets are renewable

What are wood pellets

Wood pellet delivery and costs

Heating with wood pellets

Pellet stove overview

UK wood pellet suppliers

Coal

How coal formed - what is coal?

Types or ranks of coal - the different grades of coal and theoir properties.

Makes of coal - 3 common UK makes of coal.

Coal is a fossil fuel - as such it contributes to the greenhouse effect.

UK Coal Merchant Search find a coal merchant in your area.

Coal is a fossil fuel - as such it contributes to the greenhouse effect.

Chimney Fires, Soot and Tar

Build-up of tar and soot in a chimney.

Chimney fires - can burn at between 1000 - 1200 degrees C. What to do if you have a chimney fire.

Chimney fire stats - how many chimney fires are there every year and how the numbers compare to house fires.

How to reduce the risk of chimney fires.

Why should you line your chimney? - reasons for lining and insulating your chimney when using a woodburning or multifuel stove.

Wood Eco / Enviro / Sustainability information

Top tips for reducing your CO2 emissions - Some ways in which you can significantly reduce your greenhouse gas emissions as well as some ways which are very easy indeed.

Climate change - a summary of the effects of climate change we are already seeing, what is to come, and what we can do about it.

Low Carbon Building Programme The Low Carbon Building Programme is designed to encourage people to install renewable tecnologies but the scheme is so badly mismanaged that the installation costs are very high - which means that it ends up costing the customer the same if not more than if they had not applied.

Forestry Commission document: A WoodFuel Strategy for England

Wood fuel carbon CO2 cycle.

Heating fuel CO2 emissions graph.

Coal is a fossil fuel - as such it contributes to the greenhouse effect.

The National Energy Foundation's Log Pile project A hugely informative website - information on wood as a source of renewable energy and a database of suppliers.

The Low Impact Living Initiative LILI run practical hands-on courses for people who want to live more sustainably but do not want it to cost the Earth (in both senses).

The Biomass Energy Centre - informed centralised information on biomass fuels..

The Green Building Press - information and advice on how to build sustainably..

SAP calculations and Doc L

Building regulations document L - the conservation of heat and power

What is Doc L?

CO2 emissions from fuels

Effect on SAP calculations

Fuel prices

Consultation and installation design by experts in the field

A stove is a valued feature in a house

Summary

Wood heating and document L compliance - reducing the CO2 emission rate of buildings, building regs approved document L and how this relates to heating with wood.

Stove maintenance - maintain your Stove

Regular stove maintainance tasks - keep your stove in tip top condition with little effort.

Stoves in funny places

Stoves in yurts How to put a stove into a yurt and where to get a yurt in the first place.

Stoves in buildings with Sedum roof How to put a chimney pipe through a sedum or green roof.

Stoves in boats and barges We are often asked to design boat or barge stove installations. It is surprisingly easy to install a stove on a boat that can also provide hot water.

Stovesonline stove experiments

Stovesonline experimental wood gas stove
Here is a prototype for a gasification boiler stove that can burn logs, woodchip, pellets, shavings and even sawdust, all without any use of electricity.

Using horse manure as fuel in a stove

Stove Problems and solutions

Common problems affecting stoves and their solutions - CLICK HERE
Stoves that are difficult to regulate, smoke, blowback and downdraught, ill fitting parts, and high tar levels.

Chimney Problems and solutions

Chimney downdraught The causes of chimney downdraught and some solutions.

Continuous smoking fireplace or stove The causes of a continuous smoking fireplace or stove and some solutions.

Capping unused chimneys seal and ventialte unused chimneys.

Stove and fireplace ventilation the amount of ventilation needed for a stove or fireplace.

Fireplace opening sizes a discussion on fireplac opening sizes with relation to the flue size. See also our fireplace flue size calculator.

Smoke Control Areas

Many cities have Smoke Control Areas in force. This means that you must either burn smokeless fuels on a multifuel stove (or fireplace), or burn wood on an approved stove. Our smoke control area page also has a list of approved stoves.

Smokeless fuels approved for burning in multifuel stoves in smoke control areas.

Stove and related Books

The Energy Challenge - Finding solutions to the problems of global warming and future energy supply - a very well written book by Geoffrey Haggis covering many potential solutions to meeting our energy needs in a way that does not worsen global warming.

British Native Trees - their past and present uses book A fascinating guide to british native trees as well as information on coppicing, charcoal production, and burning wood in the home.

Fireplaces, Chimneys and Stoves book By Micheal Waumsley. A very well written practical guide to fireplaces, chimneys and stoves. Covers chimney theory, how to repair and line existing chimneys, how to build a new chimney, how to install your stove or fireplace, and much more.

Cast iron toy cook stoves ranges book By Dick and Joan Ford. A fascinating guide to American cast iron toy stoves and salesman's samples. The book includes an A-Z toy stove listing with guide prices shown.

Fire spaces book By Tina Skinner. This book is full of product shots of stoves and fireplaces and so is aimed at people designing a room or a house who want to incorporate a stove or fireplace.

Misc

Uses and disposal of wood and coal ash Various uses for ash including composting and as a slug repellant.

VAT rate for new build and listed buildings being repaired

Documentation, guides and booklets

Stovesonline Good Woodburning Guide A Stovesonline guide as to how to most efficiently burn wood whilst maintaining efficiency and keeping particulate emissions down.

BFCMA Guide Choosing and using flues and chimneys for domestic solid fuel and wood burning appliances.

Hetas Guide Part 3 Factory made chimneys and chimney lining systems.

BFCMA Guide Choosing and using flues and chimneys for domestic solid fuel and wood burning appliances.