Frequently asked Questions:
What size stove will I need?
This will of course depend on the size of your room and it’s insulation. Most stove manufacturers will quote output in KW.
A rough guide is to measure your room in metres then use this formula.
length x width x height This will give you the KW output required.
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Can I connect my stove to a central heating system?
Many stoves have the option of a back boiler, this can provide hot water or link into a central heating circuit to distribute the heat around the house. You must take care as there are safety implications. You can imagine the damage that an exploding back boiler would do. However a good plumber or heating engineer will install a safe and very effective system that will give you years of cheap heat.
If I have a back boiler will it reduce the output from the stove?
Yes, you may notice lower temperatures from the stove, or that you need to use more wood. You don’t get something for nothing.
How much wood will I need?
From our experience one stove heating a room for a year will consume roughly 15 cubic meters of wood. Most merchants sell by the load, and of course that can vary. In 2008-2009 we used approximately £300 of wood for our stove in the main living room and we were really cosy.
Do I need to buy and store wood in advance?
If you have a local friendly merchant then you can use him for regular deliveries.
Most folk will buy wood and store it in a wood store. This has the advantage of ensuring the wood is dry and conditioned. It is also there when you need it. If you have room, build a wood store, or use space in the shed.
Where do I find a reliable wood merchant?
Green Man Stoves reccommends
for stoves in the Stroud and Ross area, but you should see lots of adverts in the newspaper or your local Parish Magazine.
How do I know the wood is dry for burning?
One of the most critical factors in wood burning is the moisture content of the wood. This is where wood seasoning comes into play. Freshly cut wood will contain moisture content of around 65-90%. This wood should never be used. Apart from producing very low outputs this wet wood will also generate large amounts of soot and tar, which can potentially lead to chimney fires (as these particles will coat your chimney and will fuel a chimney fire). For best results wood should have a moisture content of less than 20%. The process of removing the excess moisture is called seasoning. Seasoning is air drying the wood and can take up to two years. Wood should be stored in a well ventilated (but covered) structure, outdoors. You can buy kiln dried wood but this is not as environmentally friendly as air dried wood.
You can test wood by using a moisture meter. Maplin sell a simple device for around £20. It is good enough for you to reject a load of wet wood.
Can you supply a Stove that I find online?
We are pretty sure we can, just ask!
We are building this page, so please contact us and ask us a question!
