Modern houses are increasingly airtight so this is a critical factor that must be considered when thinking about your wood burner installation. As we may recall from our knowledge of the “fire triangle”, a fire needs an air supply for it to ignite and to be sustained. In the past, it was assumed that this “combustion air” was supplied through gaps in the building, around external doors or windows or possibly an “air-brick”. Modern buildings, however, do not have these features as they strive to become more “energy efficient” and so it cannot be assumed with a modern house that an adequate air supply for a wood-burning stove is “built-in”.

A wood burning stove that is connected to a balanced flue is the ideal solution to this problem as it is then a “room-sealed stove” with its own direct air supply.

Anyone who has used a log burner knows that they are hard work and that you need to be well organised with matches, firelighters, kindling and dry logs. A log burner or log burning stove needs quite a lot of skill and effort to get it started after which it needs to be checked and reloaded about every hour or so to ensure that it has not gone out due to lack of fuel. This is particularly the case for back-boiler stoves.

Wood-pellet stoves or pellet burners are much more convenient to use. A wood pellet stove uses modern technology such as timer control and automatic ignition for self-lighting and thermostatic control for regulating the heat output. They are the cleanest type of wood-burning stove and are exceptionally efficient. Our Lundy 8 pellet boiler-stove, for example, has an efficiency rating of 93%.

A pellet stove will, typically, need a few minutes of attention once a day to refill its hopper with wood pellets and to clean the grate.

Some wood pellet stoves, however, can be noisy as they use fans to propel hot air from the stove into the room and noisy motors that pulse-feed the pellets into the fire chamber, so this aspect should be considered before installation into your living room.

While it might sound obvious, the design and heat output of the wood burning stove should be considered. The size of the stove should suit the room both aesthetically and thermally, ensuring adequate warmth without overheating. A stove that is too powerful for the room will spend much of its time slumbering at low power levels leading to poor emissions and unsatisfactory flames. Ideally a “heat-loss assessment” should be done to determine the power required to maintain the desired temperature in the room. Such a calculation can be time consuming as it needs to consider many factors including the volume of the room, its construction method, levels of insulation, amount of glazing and orientation. On-line calculators are available to assist with this process.

All wood burner installations must comply with Part J of the relevant Building Regulations, which is the Law and which varies somewhat between England, Scotland and Wales. The Building Regulations are a legal requirement that exists to ensure that your new wood burner installation is both safe and energy efficient. It is the responsibility of the installer to be able to demonstrate that the installation complies with the Law. The installer must be trained and competent, one way for them to demonstrate this is by being accredited by HETAS which is a specialist organisation that trains and registers installers and chimney sweeps. Otherwise, you will have to use a Building Control Officer from your Local Authority to inspect the works after installation.

Is the property within a Smoke Control Area ? If you are not sure, then consult the DEFRA website which has an interactive map (DEFRA is the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). If you do live within a Smoke Control Area then you must only install a stove which is a so-called “DEFRA exempt stove”. Such a stove has passed stringent emissions testing so it is recognised by DEFRA as being a clean burning stove. Your Local Authority has the power to issue a fine of up to £1,000 if this Law is broken.

With a view to “future proofing” your investment in a wood burning stove or wood burner, then you should consider the cleanest burning stoves available by looking at those on the Cleaner Choice scheme operated by HETAS. This scheme is unique in that HETAS is a third party independent and impartial certification body that relies on first-hand review of test data from notified laboratories in checking that each stove meets, and in critical areas, exceeds some of the most stringent limits set by tested standards and test methods. To qualify for this scheme, then the stove must be at least 50% cleaner than the “DEFRA exempt” emissions limit. HETAS has an interactive selection tool on its website.

Firstly, you will need to decide where your wood-burning stove installation will be. It’s not just about where it looks good but it’s also about ensuring safety.

Distance from combustible materials: This is crucial as every wood burner has a recommended minimum clearance distance from its surfaces to adjacent and potentially combustible materials, such as sofas, curtains, wooden lintels and walls (NB – plasterboard is considered to be a combustible material). This ensures that the heat produced doesn’t pose a fire risk.

Flooring considerations: You must place the stove on a non-combustible hearth surface. Materials like stone, slate or ceramic tiles are popular choices.

Terminal position. The route of the flue and where the flue terminal will be located should be considered to ensure good draught, dispersion of exhaust gases, ease of maintenance and avoidance of nuisance.

Ease of maintenance. If the wood burner is to be installed in a fireplace recess or an inglenook fireplace then careful attention should be paid to ensuring that there is ample room around the stove for maintenance and servicing.

Ease of installation. Wood burning stoves are heavy objects (typically weighing over 100 kg) and large, it is important to consider the access route for an installer to safely move the stove from the roadside into its final position.

A flue system acts like a pipe, safely guiding the smoke and gases produced by your wood-burning stove to the outside of your home. Without an adequate flue, you could risk the build-up of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide within your living space.

For the stove to work efficiently, there must be a good ‘draw’ or ‘draught’ created by a flue or chimney. This upward pull ensures that smoke and fumes rise and exit through the flue or chimney. A well-designed flue system will do the following:

• Reduce the risk of smoke spilling into the room.
• Improve the efficiency of the stove by guaranteeing a steady air supply.
• Minimise the build-up of creosote, a tar-like substance that can become a fire hazard.

Depending on your home’s design and the stove model, you’ll be presented with different flue configurations.

• Top exit: This is where the flue pipe comes out of the top of the stove and can either go straight up the chimney or be routed to exit through a wall.
• Rear exit: In this configuration, the flue pipe exits from the back of the stove. This often suits homes where the stove is positioned away from the chimney and requires a more horizontal flue path.

Installing a flue liner is critical to connect your stove to an existing chimney. It offers:

• Improved efficiency: A flue liner can provide a smoother, more uniform surface, ultimately improving the draw and efficiency of the stove.
• Protection: Over time, old chimneys can deteriorate. A flue liner offers an added layer of protection, preventing harmful gases from leaking into the home.

Not every home comes with a pre-existing chimney, but that shouldn’t get in the way of your plans. Modern solutions allow for wood-burning stove installation in spaces without traditional chimneys. A concentric, balanced flue system is the best solution for installing a wood-burning stove in a property either with or without a chimney. They can run either through the house or externally along the outside.

Deciding the flue route which can be either; –

• Internal system: Here, the flue travels inside the property, usually through a room or loft, and exits through the roof. It’s slightly more efficient when it comes to heat retention but does involve more internal work.
• External system: With this system, the flue runs outside the building. It’s generally easier to install, and there is less disruption to the home’s interior.