Spotlight Magazines Spotlight Magazine Mansfield South November 2015

Spotlight Magazine Benefits of a Multifuel Stove Multifuel stoves are fast becoming the new trend. With Gas and Electric prices’ shooting up it is the new alternative source of heat. There are many makes and models and this is fast becoming a very competitive market. A good multifuel stove consists of a steel or cast iron body with usually cast iron doors. A Steel stove will heat up quicker but cool down faster. Cast iron will take longer to heat up but will retain the heat for a while after the fire has gone out. You will generally need more room around it for the air to circulate than a steel stove would, if there is limited circulation around a cast iron stove it could crack. Most small fires will burn for 2 - 4 hours on wood depending on hardwood or softwood and how well it is seasoned. It will burn longer on smokeless fuel between 6 - 12 hours, depending on the load size and fuel quality. A few models have a tertiary air supply which makes the stove much more efficient as it burns off any excessive gasses in the stove so there fewer emissions out of the chimney. A lot of areas are now smoke exempt. Over the last few years many modifications have been made to multifuel stoves making them easier to use, more modern and ultimately much more efficient. Multifuel stoves come complete with ash pan and grate. Some have superior external riddling grates and some are pretty basic or don’t riddle at all. Wood burning stoves are carbon neutral; it only gives off as much carbon as the wood has taken in while it has been growing. There are many different types of wood you can burn. Most need at least two winters outside to the elements and then six months under cover where the wind can still get in but the rain can’t to dry out. Wood that is seasoned correctly will give no smoke emissions out of the chimney, making it better for the environment. Hardwoods take longer to season up to three to four years. Ash can be burnt as soon as it is felled. Stoves that are wood burning only don’t usually come with a grate or ash pan. This is because wood burns best in its own ash and burns from 14 the top down, With smokeless coal you need a grate to get air under the coal to make it burn. For the best quality logs and coal contact Nottinghamshire Logs via their website: www nottinghamshirelogs.com. If you have a chimney with a stack and a pot fitting of a stove is pretty straight forward, this has to be carried out by a Hetas registered engineer. You will need to get your chimney swept and tested; if you chimney fails a smoke test then it will need to be lined before a stove is fitted. A lot of wood burning and multifuel stoves can now run central heating or domestic hot water boilers. They can be linked into existing systems. Once you have felt the warmth and comfort a real fire gives you will be impressed. Wood burning and multifuel stoves are a sealed unit so they don’t burn as much fuel as an open fire and are about three times more efficient. This is because with an open fire you have all the heat going up the chimney and ]\

Spotlight Magazines Spotlight Magazine Mansfield South November 2015 | Page 14