Calculate size of stove needed...

As well as the making sure your new stove will physically fit into its new home, it is important to consider that the stove’s output is sufficient for the room.

You should also ensure that it is not too large for the room, as this can cause just as many problems as a stove that is too small.

A stove that is too small for the room will not be powerful enough to heat the room adequately, on the other hand, if you have a stove that is too large it will need constant attention to keep the temperature down.

A result of this is the combustion within the stove will not be complete and you will quickly have a build up of soot not just on the glass, but up the chimney as well.

With this in mind, when calculating the required output, a slightly greater output should be considered (no more than 1kW), as there will be a greater need for rapid heating in the long dark cold months of winter.

Wood burning stoves warm the room by convection, heating the air around it which rises and fills the room with heat.

Firstly, multiply the room Length x Width x Height (in metres) and divide the total by one of the three figures listed below, depending on your interpretation of the insulation standard of the room where the stove will be operating.

The three figures (10, 15 and 25) are based on the approximate volume of air that 1kW of heat produced by a stove in various insulated room situations would warm, from virtually no insulation (eg Victorian house) to state-of-the-art insulation (eg modern dwelling).

This will provide you with a good estimate of the heat output that you'd need from your stove and taking into account the considerations outlined in the section above this should help you arrive at the ideal output for your particular requirements.

To work effectively your stove must have a reasonable amount of space around it. If your stove is fitted into an opening just a few millimetres larger than itself it’s efficiency and the amount of heat put out will be greatly reduced.

You should also take care that there are no combustible materials near your stove, curtains, wallpaper, soft furnishings etc..

We would recommend the following minimum clearances as a guide for safety and best performance:

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• Distance at the back of the stove 50mm – 75mm (as a minimum)

• Distance at the sides of the stove 100mm – 125mm (as a minimum)

• Top of the stove 100mm – 150mm (as a minimum)

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