Multi-fuel stoves are similar to wood burning stoves in design and appearance.
The difference between a wood burning stove and a multi-fuel one is the fact that a multi-fuel stove can also burn coal, peat and wood pellets, not just wood.
You can differentiate a multi-fuel stove from a wood burning one by the grate that’s used for the fire to burn on and the removable ash tray.
Wood burning stoves don’t come with a grate, or an ash tray. The fire in a wood burning stove burns on a bed of ash.
Both multi-fuel and wood burning stoves have been in use in the UK since the 19th century.
They are good for both heating and cooking, and can also be connected to a boiler and radiator system that will increase the heating area in the home.
If you have a wood-burning stove or fire, make sure you have something to protect your carpet from small, hot pieces which spit from the fire.
Also, get a small portable vacuum cleaner to easily hoover up any dust and dirt so it doesn’t get trodden into the carpet.
There are both advantages and disadvantages that can be associated with multi-fuel and wood burning stoves.
All options should be considered before making a purchase, depending on your requirements.
Advantages
- They are cosy and give the room a special ambience
- They can be very cost effective
- You can heat up your house even during power outages
Disadvantages
- Not as convenient to use as gas burning stoves
- High particle emissions
- Coal produces more CO2, so multi-fuel stoves that use coal are less environmentally-friendly than wood-burning stoves
- They require a fair amount of cleaning
- Can increase the amount of dust in your home
Inset stoves or hole in the wall fireplaces are very “in” right now, mainly because of their contemporary look as well as their simplicity.
They are quite different from the traditional fireplace, as they offer your home a more modern look and free up a lot of space.
They are much more low maintenance than the traditional standalone stoves and fit well with almost any room.
Although they don’t use up a lot of space, the fact that their fire boxes are smaller and that they emit heat from just one side will limit the amount of heat in the room.
Their freestanding counterparts, on the other hand, are typically larger and emit heat from all four sides.
A great edition to any fireplace set-up is a nice set of ornaments, which you can find a Top Ten best of.
If you’re looking to save even more money and significantly reduce your electric bill, then you might want to look into boiler stoves.
The main advantage of a boiler stove is the fact that it can heat up your entire house.
A boiler stove is attached to a boiler and a radiator system. It operates on the same principle as any other wood burning stove, and can burn the same fuel, including wood, coal and wood pellets as well.
A boiler stove can heat up your entire house throughout the day, but it does take some time to get the heat to circulate throughout each room.
If you’re using a non-boiler stove, on the other hand, you’ll have instantaneous heat, which is why these types of stoves are a better option for some people, especially those who are out of the house the whole day and want to heat it up fast when they get back from work in the evenings.
A non-boiler stove is a better fit for smaller homes as well, as it will be able to heat up your home fast and will use less fuel than a boiler stove would need.
If you live in a bigger house and you’re looking to heat up your entire home, rather than just one room, then a boiler stove would be your best option.
You will have a higher initial cost, but you’ll also manage to cut down a lot on your electricity bill over time.
Now that we’ve covered all the main types of stoves you can choose from, as well as their pros and cons, let’s talk a bit about aesthetics as well as different styles and stove designs.
Contemporary Stoves
Contemporary stoves usually come in an unusual and modern design that can fit well into more modern homes and become an eye-catching feature and the centre of any room.
Double Fronted Stoves
Double fronted stoves function in the exact same way as any other wood burning stove.
The only difference is the fact that they have two front panels with two windows. These types of stoves work best for heating up two adjoining rooms, but are also frequently used in restaurants and pubs since they can be admired from both sides, regardless of which part of the room you’re sitting in.
DEFRA-approved Stoves
Deciding on the type of stove for your home will also be affected by whether or not you live in a smoke-controlled. If you want to burn wood, you’ll have to use a DEFRA-approved stove.
These stoves have been tested and approved for use in smoke–controlled areas, which means that they are clean-burning and they are better for the environment.
They also work more efficiently than other types of wood-burning stoves and can save you a lot of money in the process.
External Air Stoves
External air stoves are stoves that use their own air supply from outside of the building or your home to self-ventilate.
This means that they won’t be using the warm air from your home, which makes them more cost effective and safer at the same time, because they won’t use up the air you need to breathe.
There are a lot of factors that you need to consider when buying a new stove for your home, including cost, aesthetics, type of heating, features and use.
However, among the most important of them all is determining the best heat output according to the size of your room.
Getting the right size of stove is the most important part of the whole process.
If you don’t take the necessary measures you may risk buying a smaller stove and not being able to heat up your home, or buying a larger one that will emit more heat than you need and will make it hard for you to regulate its temperature.
If you’re not sure how to choose the right size of stove for your home, you can check out this short guide on room size calculation to help you decide which type of stove to buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re still having trouble deciding on the right type of stove to buy for your home, here are a few of the most FAQs that will help clear some things out for you.
Q: What is a flue?
A: flue is the pipe that goes from your stove to the outside of your home.
A flue liner can be installed inside an already existing chimney in order to increase your safety, reduce the chances of creosote build-up and help your stove burn more efficiently.
Q: Do I need a flue for a wood burning stove?
A: Flues can be used both with wood burning, multi-fuel stoves and gas stoves and appliances as well.
The decision whether or not you’ll need to install a flue is ultimately yours, especially if you already have a well-functioning chimney that you can use for your new stove.
Q: I don’t have a chimney, can I get a wood burning stove?
A: If you don’t have a chimney or you want to install your wood burning stove away from your existing chimney, you can go with a twin wall flue that has an inch of insulation between its layers, rather than using a flue liner, like you would if you had a chimney to connect your stove to.
Q: What is a BTU?
A: BTU stands for British Thermal Unit which is a traditional unit of heat.
Q: What is a multi-fuel wood burner?
A: Unlike with a traditional wood burning stove, a multi-fuel wood burner can use logs, coal and wood pellets.
Q: What size wood burner do I need for my room?
The size of the stove you need depends on the size of your room. You can use this stove size calculator to determine the right size of stove you need to buy.
Q: What’s best, wood or a multi-fuel stove?
A: The main difference between a wood burning and a multi fuel stove is the fact that a wood burning stove can only use wood as fuel, whereas a multi-fuel one can also burn coal and wood pellets.
Q: How much does a wood burning stove cost?
A: Wood burning stoves can be found from £170 up to £2,000, depending on the type, style and quality.
Q: What fuel should I use in a wood burning stove?
A: wood burning stove can use logs, wood pellets and waste wood as fuel.
Q: How do you light a wood burning stove?
A: There are a few steps you need to follow when lighting up a wood burning stove.
First, you need to properly clean your stove. Then you need to get your dry logs, small pieces of dry wood and a piece of newspaper.
Open up the air control and air vents. Roll up a few pages of the newspaper, light them up and add some kindling, or small pieces of dry wood. Wait for them to light up then add smaller dry logs onto the fire and close the stove.
Q: Can I use my chimney for a wood burning stove?
A: If you already have a working chimney you can go ahead and use it for your wood burning stove.
You can also reline it using flue liner or chimney liner to increase your safety and help your stove burn more efficiently.
Ultimately, whether or not you want to use flue if your chimney is already in good condition is up to you.