Do Wood Pellet Stoves Need a Chimney?
The rustic appeal of a wood burner is undeniable. Installing a wood pellet stove in your home offers several benefits and it can be both a centrepiece for cosy winter evenings and an efficient heating solution. It offers the warmth of a traditional wood fire with the added benefits of advanced technology, convenience and a more eco-friendly operation.
As more homeowners opt for this energy-efficient alternative to log burners, questions regarding installation and compatibility arise. One of the most common queries is; ‘Do you need a chimney for a wood burning stove?’ Fortunately for modern homeowners, you don’t need a traditional chimney to have a pellet stove installed.
To explore this question in more detail, below we have looked into the stove options available at Island Pellet Stoves and their unique benefits.
Balanced Flue Options
Unlike traditional log burners with chimneys, wood pellet stoves can be installed with a balanced flue instead. This flue can be horizontal or vertical, depending on your needs, and installed through an external wall rather than the roof. This balanced flue system reduces the need for a traditional chimney and you won’t have to worry about things such as minimum permitted chimney heights under Building Regulations either. The flue can be lower than the top of the building and the installation is much more straightforward.
If you have an existing chimney, it’s still possible to replace your log burner with a pellet stove though. Most European pellet stoves don’t have a flue that suits a chimney and they’re too tall to fit in a standard fireplace. However, at Island Pellet Stoves we have a solution suitable for UK homes. The Lundy 5 stove is more compact and the flue exits the top just like a log burner, so it can be seamlessly retrofitted into the existing chimney flue system.
Installation Flexibility
Since the wood burner flue can be installed through a wall, you have much more flexibility when it comes to the placement of your stove. If you don’t have a fireplace, you can still enjoy the atmosphere of a wood pellet stove. The Ramsey stove is freestanding and designed to be installed in less conventional locations. You can have it installed in the middle of your room or wherever else you might want it, and difficult flue arrangements aren’t a problem.
This slimline pellet stove is commonly installed in single-storey extensions like open-plan kitchen diners as well as conservatories and orangeries. You can even install the Ramsey stove in a garden room to create a cosy space that can be used all year round. Since this wood pellet stove doesn’t need a traditional chimney, there are so many unique installation options to explore. This flexibility makes it a popular choice for contemporary spaces.
Energy Efficiency
The balanced flue system is very popular among homeowners who want to improve their energy efficiency. Its air tightness prevents the need for additional air vents to supply combustion, making wood pellet stoves suitable for modern low energy homes. Having an air-tight property is critical for anyone wanting to meet Passive House standards too. Not to mention, common down-draughts are also eliminated, making it easier to keep your living space warm.
Both the Lundy 5 stove and the Ramsey stove provide long-lasting heat and convenient temperature control. They are fully automatic and you can feed pellets into the stove at the touch of a button, preventing the need to open the stove while in operation. You can even adjust the stove to control the room’s temperature, ensuring it’s always comfortable. The digital display control and remote control options make our wood pellet stoves very convenient.
Installing a Wood Pellet Stove With or Without a Chimney
All in all, while log burners need a traditional chimney, this isn’t the case for wood pellet stoves. Chimneys aren’t essential for the stoves we supply at Island Pellet Stoves and our balanced flue system makes it possible to install real wood fires in almost any location within a property.
While the Ramsey stove is designed to be free-standing, the Lundy stove range offers the versatility to be fitted into a traditional chimney setup if desired. The choice is entirely yours and we can help you to choose the best solution for your home.
To speak to a member of our team at Island Pellet Stoves about the modern wood burning stoves we supply, feel free to get in touch with us today. Our modern stoves have been designed specifically for the UK market and we spent years developing the innovative technology inside them. When installing a wood pellet stove, with or without a chimney, we are committed to ensuring you love this new addition to your home.