Get the Latest Advice on Fireplaces
Which Stove? Chinese, South American or European?
The wood burning stove industry has exploded in South Africa over the past 5-10 years. A large part of that ‘boon’ is the influx of very affordable cheaper fireplace products from South America and China (along, of course, with hefty rate increases on Gas and Electricity as heat sources for our homes).
But does it matter what stove you purchase? After all, it’s just a metal box isnt it? Are there really any tangible differences in the cheaper products?
Read MoreThe very latest in clean-burning technology!
The European Union (inc the UK) have adopted new rigorous standards for bio-mass heating appliances referred to as Ecodesign which includes wood-burning stoves and pellet stoves. This standard will be enforced with effect from 1st January 2022 which seems a long way off so why mention it now and what is the relevance for South African heating appliances?
Why is Ecodesign Relevant?
Wood-burning stoves are now providing cleaner and more efficient ways to burn solid fuels. Wood is the popular choice of fuel here in South Africa. South African homes (both modest and grand) favour solid fuel heating and wood-burners are popular.
The new Ecodesign regulations focus strongly on raising not only the ‘efficiency’ of a wood-burning or biomass stove but (more importantly) lowering the emissions of hazardous gases and particulates that cause air-pollution.
Particulates from a variety of pollutants (inc wood-burning stoves) cause this:
Smog hovers regularly over Cape Town. Wood burning contributes to this major health risk in South Africa.
Here is a regular sight over Cape Town. Yellow smog created by a variety causes, one of which (not the greatest by any means) is wood fires. Other cities throughout South Africa face similar issues.
Up to 20,000 deaths per annum are attributed to air pollution in SA (according to 2016 statistics from the World Bank). Whilst South Africa may lag behind Europe in terms of its environmental policy, it is only a matter of time before South Africans are obligated to make adjustments in order to clean up the atmosphere over their cities.
Given the enthusiasm for wood-burning stoves now in SA, it is only appropriate that part of your investment decision when considering which stove to purchase should include how ‘clean’ it REALLY is.
The new Ecodesign regs will mean that any solid fuel heating appliance sold in Europe will be required to dramatically reduce it’s impact on the environment. How?
The good news is that all responsible European manufacturers (like Charnwood) who wish to distribute their products in Europe and Africa will be required to meet these standards so your European product should comply by default at some point in the future. Products from outside the EU or UK will not be required to comply and some (hopefully very few) European manufacturers may choose to forgo the regulations for products sold outside the EU, although this would be very irresponsible.
The BEST news is that Charnwood already produce a series of stoves to meet the rigorous standards of Ecodesign 2022 NOW! The range includes the following models with more being added:
By purchasing a Charnwood ‘Blu’ edition stove you are making the responsible choice in solid fuel heating!
Click below to see how the Ecodesign ready Charnwood ‘Skye’ operates:
Over-firing your stove is the phrase you do not want to hear from your stove supplier following damage to your stove! Damage caused by over-firing is not covered under ANY manufacturer’s warranty.
However, any decent stove should last you a lifetime provided it is maintained properly and used correctly. Yes, some internal components will wear out – that is just the nature of the product – but the main body of your stove should last you decades.
So how can you avoid over firing your stove and so avoid costly and unnecessary repairs or even replacement of your beloved fireplace? In this article we provide some valuable guidance.
Simply put, it means burning your fuel too hot, thereby running the stove’s temperature hotter than it is designed to handle – hotter than the materials of the stove can take.
Read MoreCarbon monoxide poisoning claims about 4,000 lives a year in the U.S. (figures for SA not available). In addition, about 10,000 people are made ill by lower levels of exposure to carbon monoxide (US).
What is it?
Carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion. The less complete the burning (combustion), the more carbon monoxide is generated. One of the reasons carbon monoxide is so deadly is that you generally can’t see or smell it: rarely do its victims have any warning. Low levels of poisoning tend to cause flu-like symptoms, so that people think they are just catching a cold. More advanced poisoning can cause vomiting and headaches and even death. Carbon monoxide is deadly because it tricks the body into thinking it is oxygen. The body actually prefers carbon monoxide, choosing it over oxygen when both are present in the atmosphere.
Once in the body, carbon monoxide goes everywhere in the body, including the brain. Children, in particular, are quite susceptible to brain damage after relatively low levels of exposure.
Read MoreThis is a question that varies to a certain extent based on the context. In terms of ‘Is a wood burning stove green compared to other solid fuel heaters’ – there is reason to wholeheartedly state “yes” in response. Why?
“Carbon Neutral’ basically refers to off-setting the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere (which is bad as CO2 is the primary contributor to Greenhouse gases) with Carbon Dioxide removed from the atmosphere during a given process (which is good as it helps to reduce Greenhouse gases). For a process to be ‘carbon neutral’, it should leave no more CO2 in the atmosphere than was there prior to the process.
In wood-burning terms the positive argument is that a tree will consume CO2 as it grows and release it again only when it is combusted. It will not release MORE CO2 than it consumed provided it is allowed to grow and mature. Therefor it can be considered ‘carbon neutral’.
Wood Stove or Pellet Stove – which is best?
I was going to write an article on the ‘pros and cons’ of these alternative solutions for heating your home but it turns out a nice man by the name of Collin Dunn has ‘done’ (excuse the pun Collin) it for me on the website ‘Treehugger’ (nice)!
Read MoreSecondary heating from your stove
Wet Stoves, Boiler Stoves or Back-Boilers are all expressions used to describe a wood burning stove that can also heat water. The water will be used to ‘exchange’ heat to various other areas of the home.
We all want to save money on electricity. In fact, we are all so nervous about the lack of electricity these days that more and more people are sourcing alternative means to ‘get off the grid’ and heat their homes with other methods.
The wood fired boiler stoves do exactly this. They heat water which is circulated in a sealed ‘loop’ system and can be used to transfer heat in a variety of ways :
Read MoreSummer is here and the last thing you will probably be thinking about is your fireplace but before the miserable winter is a long-forgotten memory, some quick maintenance now will extend the lifespan of your stove, ensure a safe heating appliance for you and your family and have you ready to fire up for next winter.
Tip 1) External metalwork maintenance.
Read MoreCombatting Condensation on your Stove.
The damage caused by condensation is not to be undere -stimated. Your stove is a metallic product. Regardless of whether your wood burner is made from Cast Iron or Boiler Plate Steel, whether you paid R5,000 or R50,000 for it, your stove will be highly susceptible to rust if it sits with a coating of condensation on it regularly.
Here is one example we were called out to view:
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