Month: April 2014

How to Look After Your Stove

Some people say that a wood burning stove can be compared to a pet dog. Before you get one, you need to know that it will need the correct treatment, including feeding and attention just like a dog does. Let’s explore what that attention and feeding of a stove entails: It’s critical that you get your chimney swept regularly. This means at least once per year. Without doing so, your chimney or flue system is likely to get a build-up of tar and soot. This could prevent your stove from being able to burn well and it could even cause ... Read more

Why Use a Chimney Liner?

If you’ve heard the term chimney liner, but you’re not sure what it is or why you might need it, read on. We are going to discover what a chimney liner is and whether you need to use one. What is a chimney liner? Whatever heating appliance you have installed in your home, if it burns fuel it will need to vent the fumes outside of your house.  A chimney liner enables this to happen whilst protecting the inside of your chimney from any combustion products. Do I need a chimney liner? If your chimney is constructed of masonry, it’s ... Read more

Frequently Asked Questions: Boiler Stoves

If you’ve got a boiler stove and you don’t feel that you’re getting the best from it, you may have the same questions as the ones below that we’ve collected from our clients over the last few months: I Still Have Fuel In My Stove, But It’s Gone Out. Why Is This? In this type of situation, the core of the issue is usually that the thermostat either needs to be set higher, or that it is faulty and needs a replacement installed. Our advice is to refer to your manual. Check whether it’s necessary to fit a heat leak ... Read more

What Exactly Are DEFRA Approved Stoves?

DEFRA is an acronym for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is a department of the government of the UK. You can find out more information about them by visiting https://www.defra.gov.uk DEFRA are responsible for the development and implementation of a number of regulations and guidelines that are related to the topic of air quality control. Smoke Control Areas In the 1950s and 1960s the UK suffered from terrible air quality. Winter time would bring about what was known as ‘pea-soupers’ when the air was so thick with smog and fog that it was impossible to see ... Read more