Stove and chimney advice on installation, maintenance and problems

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 are after seek, or alternatively look through the full list of stove pages below. We cover lots of topics including stove installation advice, information on stove and chimney maintenance as well as going over some of the common problems you might face (and their solutions).

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.

How to light and use a woodburning stove - lighting a wood burning stove is explained and then how to use it efficiently once it is going.

How to burn coal on a stove - burning coal efficiently on a stove is very different to how you should burn wood.

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.

What is a Smokeless Zone Stove or Defra stove - this page explains Smokeless or Defra stoves.

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.

Thinking of using direct air supply? - Here we have a list of stove which can have a direct air supply installed.

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

Stove efficiency how the efficiency of a stove is measured and why it is important to ask someone who knows the stove well about its efficiency.

Some examples of stove test results which do not give you the full picture some practical examples of how the current testing methods mean that the opinion of an expert is still very valuable.

Central Heating and stoves with backboilers

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

Spreading heat from a stove around the house - Further discussion on moving stove heat from a stove 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.

Heat Pumps What are Heat Pumps, are Heat Pumps a good investment and will a Heat Pump heat my house?

Conversion factors

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

Stove and Flue Installation

Twin wall flue systems
Our guide to installing twin wall flue systems. General principals as well as a breakdown of what each component does.

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.

Top or Rear flue?
When fitting a stove when should you use the top and when should you use the rear flue connection?

Do I need a chimney for a stove?
How to install a stove without a chimney in your house.

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 twin wall flue pipe - CLICK HERE
How to quickly make a safe chimney in an existing or new home using twin wall 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.

Why do I need a Carbon Monoxide alarm?
See how important it is to have carbon monoxide alarm when you have a stove at home.

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.

Stoves for Airtight Houses
Installing a stove into a air tight house with examples and discussing the installation.

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

Air quality

Ban open fires

Our suggestions for how to quickly improve air quality in Smoke Control Areas. The suggestions include banning open fires, only selling certified fuel, and getting a handle on it all by mandating chimney sweeping.

Information on wood, wood pellets and coal

Wood

Comparative costs of firewood, wood pellets and other fuels

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 and use a woodburning stove.

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

UK firewood and logs suppliers

South West Wood Fuels Ltd South West Wood Fuels promote the use of wood as a fuel in the South West.

Firewood case studies

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

Case study 2: Coombe Farm Woods - Coombe Farm Woods manage their own forest from which they provide building timber and all the fuel that they need themselves plus a little extra to sell locally.

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

Wood pellet case studies

Wood pellet installation Case study 1: Duchessa wood pellet boiler stove in Cornwall - Here are a couple of photos of a Duchessa which we installed in Cornwall in November 2011.

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.

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.

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.

Potential Energy - information and to donate a stove to people in Darfur. By giving people a stove, is more fuel-efficient and reduces on toxic emissions when cooking.

Trees water people - information and to donate a stove to people in Latin America. Tree's, Water & People's Mission is to improve peoples lives by protecting, conserving and managing natural resources.

Kids for Kids - information and to donate to help children in Darfur. Kids for Kids are helping children who are living in conditions beyond poverty and walking miles across the desert to find water which is polluted and leads to life threatening illness.

What we do at Christmas - see what we do to help at Christmas time.

Grant schemes

Notice 708/6 - 5% VAT rate for energy saving materials There is a reduced VAT rate which applies, among other things, to biomass boilers and solar thermal panels. This scheme is currently under fire from the EU.

Renewable Heat Incentive - RHI The RHI takes over from the Low Carbon Building Programme and is aimed at heat generation and so includes things like biomass boilers as well as solar thermal.

Low Carbon Building Programme The Low Carbon Building Programme has now ended. This page is just here as an archive.

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 conservatories Everything you need to know when installing a stove into a conservatory

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.

Stoves in treehouses Ever thought about putting a stove in a treehouse?

Stoves in tents Going on a camping holiday and thought about taking a stove with you? Here you can find everything you need to know about stoves in tents.

Stoves in sheds and huts Expand your outdoor living area by putting stoves in sheds or huts.

Stoves for Swimming Pools Ever thought about heating a swimming pool by wood? Or finding it expensive to heat your own swimming pool? Here is an efficient way to heat a swimming pool, hot tub or jacuzzi.

http://www.gypsycaravancompany.co.uk/ The Gypsy Caravan Company are builders of new Gypsy caravans, children's Gypsy caravan playhouses and restorers, buyers and sellers of old gypsy wagons.

Stove History

The advanced antique peacock stove from Morso
Here is a Morso antique stove built in the 1800's and yet highly efficient and convecting. And we think our stoves are advanced.

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.

Why is my glass discoloured?
Find out why your stove glass gets discoloured, and how to avoid it in the future.

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 ventilate 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.

Ecodesign a progressive set of legislations setting emissions and efficiency limits for stoves, due to take full effect in 2022 with energy labelling coming into force in 2018.

What is a Smokeless Zone Stove or Defra stove - this page explains Smokeless or Defra stoves.

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.