Stove installation what you need to know
Monday 21 August 2023
Installing a stove? A nice idea! A stove can be a very nice addition to your interior. It attracts attention and brings extra atmosphere into your home. Moreover, some stoves can heat your whole house. That sounds very nice, but you have to be aware of what you are getting into. A number of important conditions must be met before you can install a stove.
Type of stove
The first thing to consider is the type of stove. Each type of stove has advantages and disadvantages. What do you want?
Wood stove. This gives the real cosy warm feeling, with the old-fashioned crackling wood. Modern combustion techniques give high efficiency. The disadvantage is that the chimney has to be cleaned every year and you always have to provide dry wood.
Pellet stove. Pellets are pellets made from sawdust. The fuel is cheap, but this stove also requires the chimney to be swept every year.
Gas stove. Easy to use, with low maintenance. Of course, you must have a gas connection or use (bio)propane.
Electric stove. This costs little electricity and no flue is needed. The disadvantage is that this type of stove gives off little heat.
Bio-ethanol stove. Bio-ethanol is a cheap fuel. No flue is needed, but ventilation is important. This stove produces little heat. The bio-ethanol needs to be refilled all the time, but this can only be done when the stove has cooled down. Refilling in between is therefore not possible.
What should you pay attention to when buying a stove?
Consider the following points when buying a stove.
Sufficient capacity
Installing a stove starts with deciding what type you want. Do you want your stove to provide real heat? Then you should not opt for an electric stove or a bioethanol stove. Those are suitable if your main concern is ambience. But for keeping the room warm, they don't have enough capacity.
Some wood and pellet stoves can be connected to your central heating system. This allows you to heat the whole house with them. This is an alternative if you want to get rid of gas. But you need to be able to get enough wood.
Space and ventilation
Practical matters also play a role. Is there room for a stovepipe? Not everyone wants a hole in the wall. In that case, you should not buy a woodburning stove or a pellet stove.
buy. In any case, there should be enough ventilation to get fumes and odours out of the house.
With wood-burning stoves, you also need to consider wood storage. Do you have room for it? Can it lie dry?
Space in the room is also important. Some types of stoves can be built into the wall. Then it takes up little space. Do you have a large room? Then you can buy a see-through model. You place it in the middle of the room and then you can look at it from both sides. Most types of stoves have a see-through model.
Stoves are available in all sorts of sizes, depending on your budget and the space you have available.
Fuel and maintenance
If you don't feel like buying fuel every time and refilling the stoves all the time, it is best to install a gas or electric stove. The same types come into the picture if you want low maintenance.
Some people actually enjoy lugging logs around and making real fires. If you like the old-fashioned fireplace feel, you should go for the wood-burning stove.
Think carefully beforehand
So it depends on your wishes. First see what you want and what you don't want. Furthermore, it depends on the possibilities of your (living) room and your home. Don't hesitate to ask for extra advice from the salesperson. That way, you can install the right stove to suit your needs and your home.