Wood burning stoves (or more simply, wood burners) are very much in vogue at the moment and for two very good reasons that usually command attention – money and looks.
First, compared to using conventional fuel sources there are significant savings to be made; second, nothing ever quite compares to a real fire for that warm, cozy allure. And no matter if you prefer to see cost savings in the guise of an old-fashioned kitchen range or presented as sleek and uber-contemporary, there’s sure to be a woodburner made just for you.
But understand that woodburners aren’t necessarily for everyone. The potential cost savings are real enough, but very dependent upon how suited your personal circumstances are. What follows is a checklist for the most important considerations before installing a wood burning stove.
Fuel Supply
Can you rely on a local supply of solid fuel that is also cost effective? Exactly what sort of fuel is it? Wood burning stoves can take well-seasoned logs, some other kinds of solid wood, wood pellets and/or wood chips, but some are more tailored, or even restricted, to certain kinds of fuel.
Well-seasoned wood means that it has been stored and naturally dried for no less than about half a year. Wood chips look no different to the small pieces of wood produced by the wood chippers used by tree surgeons. Wood pellets have been manufactured from compressed sawdust into small, uniformly sized blocks.
You must understand how you plan to fuel your burner before considering any particular make or even going ahead with the project at all. Solid fuel is heavy and bulky and the costs to transport it any distance can rapidly mount up to the point where any potential cost savings simply vanish, or worse it starts to cost more than a conventional gas boiler or other sources of heating.
Fuel Storage
You will require a dry space that is both easy to access and large enough to store your wood fuel that will be used in the near future. If possible, the best location is somewhere near to the burner itself – manually carting logs about tends to lose its appeal quite quickly. If you are contemplating having a fuel hopper that automatically loads wood pellets (or wood chips) into the burner, then close proximity is even more vital.
