As the number of stove enthusiast continues to grow up and down the UK, and we say goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018, what better time to put your stove related New Year’s resolutions to the test? We know there are many stoves out there which are highly efficient but there are also many older stoves which have been overtaken by the latest technology. There are ways and means to improve the efficiency, increase your financial savings and basically get the best out of your woodburning or multifuel stove.
Install your stove today
Stoves are obviously more popular in the colder periods of the year and as a consequence towards the end of 2017 and early 2018 means you will need to plan ahead to install your stove as soon as possible. It is possible to catch the second half of the UK winter and the colder elements of spring to lock in some welcome fuel savings in the short term. There will also be periods of the summer time when the cold nights will prompt you to fire up your stove but by far and away the most cost savings are up for grabs in the cold winter period.
Only use dry wood
Over the years we have seen instances of stove enthusiasts using all kinds of different “fuel” to create heat from their woodburning and multifuel stoves. The reality is that only dry wood, with a moisture reading of 20% or below, should be used with any woodburning or multifuel stove. Aside from the fact that wet-wood can create a tar like material which will cause issues with your flue pipe any type of green/wet wood is highly inefficient. It can take up to 18 months to dry wood from collection to burning so it is imperative that you start the process today. Alternatively, there are many companies online which will deliver dry wood direct to your doorstep, ready to burn on your stove.
Is it time to upgrade your stove?
The modern day woodburning and multifuel stove has an efficiency rating in excess of 80% which compares extremely favourably to those of yesteryear. We are not suggesting that older stoves necessarily need replacing but you will find a significant difference between the efficiency ratings of stoves today and those from a decade ago. There will come a time when it is right to bite the bullet, to upgrade your stove and to expose yourself to even greater efficiencies. Over time you will see accumulated fuel savings which will eventually pay for the acquisition and installation of your upgraded stove.
Boiler systems
Many stoves today come with the option of installing a boiler system connected to the stove itself. This not only ensures that you have heat at your fingertips but you also have the added benefit of hot water created by your woodburning or multifuel stove. When you consider the cost and the inefficiencies of gas and electric boiler systems, simply using heat created by your stove to heat your room and your water seems to make perfect sense. The fact that the cost of gas and electric seems to rise each and every year is another reason why many people are now biting the bullet. Boiler systems are relatively easy to connect to woodburning and multifuel stoves and you will be surprised at the number of stoves which offer this added bonus.
Simple maintenance
As we have touched on in many of our earlier articles, you should carry out a simple maintenance check of your stove on a regular basis. Many people will choose the period prior to winter, and the cold winter chills, although there is nothing wrong in carrying out a simple maintenance check in the New Year. If there are cracks, wear and tear or perhaps some of the seals around the glass have seen better days, you should seriously consider replacing them. Any wear and tear, cracks and substandard seals in your stove will quite simply impact the efficiency and your ultimate cost of fuel.
You can now have replacement parts delivered to your doorstep in just a matter of days which are often very simple to fit. While many people are tempted to put off the replacement of worn parts or inefficient seals, this is a false economy.