• What size is the room to be heated?

Stoves come in various shapes and sizes and, consequently, have differing heating outputs. The size of the room to be heated will dictate the size of the stove.

A simple device for calculating the room heating requirement is to measure the room’s height x width x depth and divide by 14 if the measurement is in meters or by 500 if in feet – the calculation will give you a nominal Kilowatt requirement on which to base your purchase. It might be wise to choose a stove with a slightly higher output than required as most manufacturers state a maximum rather than a nominal output.

This calculation is based on an average house, however, if a house is well insulated the divisions of 500 could be replaced with 650 and 14 could upgrade to 16.

• Chimney Lining

Is the property’s chimney lined? If so, what type – clay pot lining, pumice lining, a pumped concrtete liner or a Class 1 or 2 stainless steel liner. Existing liners must be smoke tested prior to the installation of a new appliance.

AS REGISTERED HETAS ENGINERS, OAKBROOK CHIMNEY SERVICES CAN INSTALL CHIMNEY LINERS WITHOUT THE NEED TO SEEK BUILDING REGULATION APPROVAL – SAVING TIME AND MONEY

• Anything else?

There is usually a choice as to the location of the flue pipe that comes off the stove, it can come out of the back or the top of the appliance. Most stove manufacturers offer a choice of optional extras such as high or low canopies , a plinth or short or long legs and, sometimes, colour options and enamel versions.

When wood rots naturally it releases as much carbon as it does when burnt for heating.

Heating with wood is not only environmentally friendly, but it also makes sound economic sense. Timber for fuel is up to 30% cheaper than oil, electricity or gas and with recent price fluctuations, the savings are only likely to increase.

An additional environmental benefit is that fuel timber is usually locally sourced, so that transport miles and associated emissions are also reduced to a minimum.

Open fires are the oldest form of domestic heating and are a great pleasure on cold winter days. They make a very attractive focal point for any room, but they are the least efficient form of wood based heating.

WOOD BURNING STOVES are a great alternative to an open fire being up to 4 times efficient in heat radiation. WOOD BURNING STOVES operate at about 75% efficiency, which means that 75% of the heat generated from the burning wood is radiated into the room and only 25% is lost up the chimney. (An efficient Stove can also capture some of that heat from the chimney and recycle it into the room)

By comparison an open fire is likely to operate at about 15-20% efficiency – which put in practical terms – one log on a Wood Burner provides the equivalent heat of 4 logs on an open fire – less fuel, less cost, less work! 

A woodburning stove offers more energy efficiency and is more eco-friendly than conventional heating with gas, electricity or oil – which is good news, both for your pocket in terms of the ongoing savings that can be made on utility bills and for the environment.

Woodburning stoves are becoming an increasingly popular option as more home owners are discovering the benefits of heating their homes with natural fuel – so now is the time to stock up on supplies of good quality wood before demand sets in and prices rocket.

Don’t be left out in the cold this winter!   Contact Oakbrook Chimney Services now for advice on woodburning heating systems and fuel suppliers.

For our chimney sweeps however autumn means they are in demand as many people start to think about using their fires and log burners again.  It is vitally important from a safety perspective to get your chimney swept on a regular basis.

Those people who fail to get their chimney swept can find out why this is so important the hard way.

Blocked and unclean chimneys can cause all sorts of problems not least smoke coming back into the house and in some cases even chimney fires.

So be sure to book your chimney sweep early this year as they will often be booked up in advance by several weeks.  Also make sure you pick a professional sweep who will leave your house in a clean state upon leaving.

If you are looking for a professional and reliable chimney sweep in Sheffield then make sure you CALL US NOW on 0114 266 7704 or 07960 191 197.

If there is anything you would like us to add to the site we would love to hear about it.  Click here to Contact Us.