Getting through the cold winter months can get depressing because of the lack of natural daylight. If you get outside you have to bear getting wet and cold and if you are forced to stay indoors, you may tend to hibernate.
How would you like to sit in front of the fire with a good book in your hand?
Sounds like heaven?
All that you would need to do is buy a wood heating stove.
Here is what you need to consider while choosing one:
Home Type
Your need for a wood burning stove might vary greatly depending on the type of home you stay in. For instance, the heating you may need for a small terraced house may be much lesser than that of a manor house in the country.
- Find out how old your property is
- Measure its exact size
- Measure the height of your ceiling
- Check for carpets, glass walls/doors, and stairs
- Look for potential heat vacuums
- Make sure your property is insulated properly
Heating Requirement
This is one of the main things that will help you select the right wood burning stove. It is directly proportional to the area or the space that you are trying to heat up.
- Just measure the length, width, and height of the room and then multiply all of them together
- Now divide the answer that you get, by 14
This should give you the number of kilowatts you need to look for while buying a wood burning stove
Fuel
Wood burning stoves burn wood-based products only. So you can’t expect smokeless fuel unless you are using a solid fuel stove. However, you can also opt for a multiple fuel stove that can burn wood fuel as well as other solid fuels in a smokeless way.
Type of stove
You will have to choose between three wood burning stoves – inset stoves, cassette stoves, and freestanding stoves.
Inset stoves are usually built into your chimney breast or wall. However, 80 percent output of such stoves goes directly into the room instead of going through the chimney.
Cassette stoves are capable of drawing oxygen from outside. This will warm up the place faster. They can be installed at any height on the wall.
If none of the above suit, your best option is to go with a freestanding stove that you can place anywhere and at any time. They release heat in a very slow manner. However, the output would be very evenly spread throughout the room.
Efficiency
There is no point in buying a wood burning stove if it is not efficient enough. Also you need to make sure it is good for the entertainment. This ensures fewer trips to wood pile, lesser stacking, and minimized chopping.
The above are the factors you need to consider while buying a wood burning stove. However, you also need to make sure it complies with the EPA regulations. Make sure the smoke emissions are less than 2 grams per hour. Use a catalytic combustor to reduce the smoke.