Hayi Mansoor asked:


Back in history our forefathers performed heating homes with stoves and fireplaces, of course. Times have gone by and as always, good things come around once more as evidenced in the resurgence of stoves and fireplaces to heat our homes.

Wood stoves that are placed in a bedroom, dining room, kitchen or family room are popular once more. Wood is a renewable resource, unlike natural gas, or liquefied propane gas, thus it appeals to many. Also, whereas the old wood stoves were always black, today’s wood stoves come in many colors and thus will blend into any décor. Even styles vary so that they fit into period homes as well as modern contemporary homes, and every style in between.

Modern times have also brought modern innovations, and a wood stove may be equipped with a blower. Blowers disperse the heat from the firebox and into the room quickly and efficiently, thereby saving the occupants from having to rally around the stove for warmth. Instead the entire room is kept cozily warm for you.

Fireplaces were used to warm the homes of our pioneers as well as used for cooking food. Once we learned the theories of heat displacement and such, fireplaces were considered only in the realm of those rich enough to heat their homes through other means and could afford for that heat to go up the flue when they lit their fireplaces!

Today, modern engineering has managed to tame even the fireplace. Not only has it been tamed but fireplaces have become an energy conscious means of heating. This has been accomplished by the use of fireplace inserts. Fireplace inserts allow you to burn wood, but the heat does not go off into the flue to be lost forever. Through the ingenious use of blowers as well as panels of steel, the room can remain very warm and cozy. When additional heat is needed you can simply turn on the unit. Modern engineering has also created blowers that attached to the fireplace insert so that it can even be thermostatically run! Thus heating homes with stoves and fireplaces has been modernized.

If the thought of burning wood either in a stove or fireplace is not appealing to you, you may switch to using wood pellets. These wood pellets are made from sawdust, that would ordinarily have been thrown out when cutting wood, thus they are considered a “green” method of heating. Pressing the sawdust into pellets makes this a clean easy to use product.

Pellet stoves do not create black creosote and thus are very easy to keep clean and work with. Thus, those who are allergic to smoke can easily manage with this type of heating. Heating with pellets also solves a lot of storage problems encountered with wood. Even when a home is heated by natural gas, kerosene or liquefied propane these items must be stored outside the home to prevent accidental fire, but pellets can be stored in the home and are safe to use and keep since they are nothing but compressed wood. Heating homes with stoves and fireplaces is now considered green living!

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

AJ Vanderhorst asked:


That depends on the stove you have in your mind’s eye. The old-fashioned, pot-belly stoves that appear in most Western movies didn’t do the atmosphere any favors. But today’s wood burning stoves, engineered with fuel economy in mind, are a different story.

Back in the days of cowboys and general stores, wood stoves could have been mistaken for indoor smokestacks-and that wouldn’t have been too far from the truth. But modern stoves are actually one of the “greenest” sources of radiant heat available to home owners today. Here are some of the big reasons why.

Let’s start with a little history. In the early 20th century, even the most efficient wood burning stoves left a lot to be desired and it wasn’t hard to tell. The smoky haze these stoves produced was a telltale sign that an unknowing home owner was literally giving the torch to his heating budget. Fortunately, there has been a revolution in stove design since those days.

Around 1990, there was a growing interest in alternative heating sources, caused by the rising awareness of the impact of fossil fuels (oil, coal) on the environment. In addition, the goal of energy self-sufficiency caused home owners to reevaluate wood stoves as a heating method. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got involved, instituting demanding emissions standards to make sure that new stoves would be kind to the environment.

As new stoves were produced, engineers incorporated the EPA standards, and the “modern” wood stove came into being. Since 1990, every new wood stove is approved by the EPA, and produces a mere trickle of smoke (2-5 grams per hour) and very little ash. This amounts to a 33 percent increase in fuel efficiency over the old potbelly stoves, and a 90 percent decrease in emissions. In plain English, this means that advanced wood burning stoves burn a lot less wood and are simultaneously kinder to the planet.

At this point, a natural question would be, “Don’t wood stoves put pollutants into the atmosphere just like other heating sources-gas, oil, or coal?” The answer is nuanced. When fossil fuels are extracted from the earth and consumed, they release carbon dioxide into the environment at unhealthy levels. And after the monumental costs of extracting and producing these fuels, once they’re burned, they’re gone for good.
As a fuel source, wood is different on several counts.

Trees, like all other green plants, take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and convert it to fiber in order to grow. When trees die, and wood decomposes, this CO2 is released back into the air. But in this case, it is a natural cycle, since all trees eventually die. The same thing is true when wood is burned. Making the wood-burning cycle sustainable is the fact that wood is a renewable source of fuel.

We started this article asking the question, “Are wood stoves good for the environment?” The answer, when you compare stoves to other heating methods, is yes. Today’s stoves are fuel efficient: they produce more heat with less wood, keeping emissions to a minimum by meeting strict EPA standards. Best of all, perhaps, they don’t deprive the earth of non-renewable fossil fuels.

So, call to mind that rusty, black iron stove you saw in a Western movie, a vacation lodge, or at your grandparents. Then prepare yourself for an updated picture as you explore the world of modern wood stoves. Environmentally speaking, today’s stoves are very green.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

Josh Sloan asked:


Think of all those energy bills that will soon be coming your way! They are bound to be more expensive than last year’s bills, we all know that. Efficiency in the home heating arena is even more crucial now as the price of energy and food goes up and wages hover around in the same place!

When you have been through a winter with a wood burning stove, you can really appreciate the unique warmth they offer. It is as if someone has wrapped you in a pre-heated blanket.

Wood stoves are now engineered to be extremely efficient, and little or no smoke escapes into the atmosphere with the new EPA certified wood stoves. Many areas give grants for existing stoves to be replaced by these new carbon-light EPA stoves.

Several factors are important when using a wood stove, the simplest precaution being to buy your wood in the spring so that you know it has weathered at least one season (two seasons are better, if you can keep it that long).

The other most important factor in stoves is the chimney; several aspects of a ‘good’ chimney are:

Getting the correct size flue to match the stove.
Getting the correct TYPE of chimney for the appliance.
Ensuring the chimney will go straight up with no offsets or elbow joints.
Insulating around the flue liner.
Insisting on it being installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the Builder’s Code by a reliable professional.

The local National Fireplace Institute (NFI) is a nonprofit organization that will advise you on competent installers. The EPA recommends that you ensure your fireplace or wood stove is installed by a certified installer.

You should never be able to smell smoke in your home, and if you did last year then you may need a chimney sweep and/or an appraisal to test its efficiency. Another no-no is for the smoke to exit out of the fire and into the home when you open the door to add more wood.

Either of these problems may indicate that your chimney is over loaded with creosote, or that the flue needs sweeping, or both. It is important to get a chimney swept, as excess creosote in a chimney can often cause a chimney fire.

The rush will be on as soon as the weather turns cold and then you will have to wait. Off peak is also a good time to try and negotiate some discount, both on a cord of wood and on the chimney check!

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

AJ Vanderhorst asked:


If you’re reading this article, you probably own one or more wood stoves. Or maybe you’ve started exploring today’s stove market, and wonder how easy it is to get a maximum return on your investment in radiant heating. Either way, you’re in luck. Here are three suggestions that will help you stretch your heating budget to its limits while benefiting the environment and enjoying your stove in the process.

Before we dive in, you need to know that the primary cause of inefficiency in wood burning stoves is the incomplete consumption of fuel. When wood doesn’t burn completely, overly smoky fires and decreased heat output are the results. Fortunately, by ramping up wood burning efficiency, you will be cutting down on both airborne pollution and fuel waste.

Here are three ways you can use your wood stove with best results.

First, only burn seasoned wood in your stoves.

This is actually a familiar concept, similar to eating lean meat or low-fat yogurt. Recently cut, green wood, is full of moisture, which makes it hard to burn. Up to 50 percent of the weight of green wood can be moisture, which means that your stove has to work overtime to evaporate all that liquid before radiant heat is produced.

Dry, seasoned wood, by contrast, burns steadily and hot, causing top-rate heat output, money savings, and cleaner air. Therefore, when you purchase wood for your stove, buy the previous year’s harvest for the current year’s burning. If you have the foresight, you can also buy new wood and let it air dry for six months to a year (depending on the type), after which it will be ready for burning.

Second, make “Indian fires” in your stove.

Watched any Western movies lately? Back in the frontier days, Indian fires were the lean, green solar panels of back country heating. By burning small and hot, they were easily kindled, efficient to tend, and good to the environment. Today, not much has changed. Making small, hot fires allows your stove to dispense with unstable gases at an optimum pace, burning them off quickly. That results in better air quality and virtually no safety risks-not to mention better fuel economy. By carefully building a smaller blaze, you’ll be a little more involved in tending your stove. But great heating efficiency and better air quality are such good dividends that you probably won’t mind.

Third, feed your wood stove the right fuel.

This is basically common sense, but since common sense is so frequently uncommon, I’ll go ahead and say it. When your stove is blazing in the corner, it’s possible to get over enthusiastic and start treating it like an all purpose Master of the Blaze. Materials like plastic trash and junk mail can get thrown on the fire, in addition to more fuel-like items like charcoal briquettes, hunks of water-proofed wood from your decking project, etc. Admittedly, it’s kind of fun to throw all manner of things inside your stove (especially if you love pyrotechnics!), but by doing so, you can damage your stove’s inner workings, causes your heating efficiency to plummet, and release dangerous chemicals into the air. So resist the temptation. After all, they’re called “wood stoves” for a reason.

Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be well on your way to heating your home with wood stoves.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Eamonn Horgan asked:


Multi-Fuel Stoves or Wood Burners are building a growing and loyal fan base in the SME heating market. There are varied and interesting reasons for this, I will be touching on a few of them in this article. Firstly though I’d like to look at the areas were multifuel burners can have a significant immediate and beneficial effect on a company’s bottom line.

The first and most obvious, Heating bills, horrendous rise of and the holy grail of their reduction. Using Multi Fuel Stoves, Stoves with Boilers and Cookers, to reduce utility bills, is open to companies in smoke control zones or those who have premises in a none controlled zone. Companies that can burn there own fuel, which gives them a zero heat source with a carbon neutral foot print. As well as companies that could use any of coke, pellets, peat, smokeless fuel, biomass etc. Due to space I’ll limit my list, but there are many organizations giving free impartial advice on the correct fuel for your needs and geographical area. The Solid Fuel Advisory Board or your local renewable fuel supplier are good example as is Business link. Just by comparing their heating bills with the estimated fuel costs for Multifuel Stoves. Companies are opting for the Mulitfuel option.

Unlike many other environmental heating sources which, because of the large capital outlay involved in their installation and lead time to break even point. This heat source is available at very low purchase and installation costs, meaning its available to have an immediate impact on utility bills, for the sole trader in a workshop up to large concerns with premises to match. With the smallest units costing around £300 plus flue pipes, its not hard to see the economic logic of Multifuel stoves.

There’s no doubt that a major factor in the rise of Multi Fuel has been the explosion in the Grants and Interest Free loans available to SME’s looking at reducing their carbon footprint or minimising energy usage. These can be for a few hundred pounds up to thousands, so linked with the lower purchase, installation and fuel costs means there can be minimal capital outlay from the company.Yet the owners gain a financial benefit from the heating bill reduction as soon as the system is in use.

This rising interest in multi-fuel is based on some hard facts that have a virtuous circle appeal about them. These heating systems are quickly and easily installed by HETAS & CORGI (for the central heating version see below) engineers, meaning minimum disruption to the all important business day. They are amazingly cost effective in set up capital. There are loans and grants available to many companies.The fuel is low cost meaning they have an immediate impact on the companies utility bills.

Looking at the environment side and its benefits.We could point to the gas liquefied in the Middle East and shipped to the UK, all at huge cost to the planet before we burn it to keep warm. Instead multi-fuel stoves fuel is easily sourced in every corner of the UK. It’s very cost effective plus low impact or, if your lucky enough to be able to burn wood, carbon neutral. On the subject of wood some of the biggest savings made on energy bills have been companies with their own heat source as a by product of their business. The interesting thing here is the double saving. Companies that had been paying to remove say, off-cuts of wood are now using them as fuel which is not only carbon neutral but cost neutral. Using any version of multifuel heating also has the added interest and kudos it attracts from clientele who visit the work spaces that have already installed it. With more individuals and organizations actively reducing their own energy use, its only natural (pun intended) for them to be more receptive to a closer business relationship.

Companies that have installed Stoves or Cooker in staff rooms, have noticed that the ability to cook fresh food and boil drinks is having an effect on staff moral. I’m sure we can agree that, some one who’s eating freshly prepared food has a better diet than one the lives for the ping of the microwave. Staff also appreciate” their ” company doing its bit for the environment. Leading by example like this is showing savings across entire companies. Employees are inspired to be aware of waste and its cost implications. Studies show that employee’s who are engaged with a company and their shared aspirations will be more involved in working for the companies good health.

All of the above things have an effect on the bottom line. Now we’ll take a look at the various options open to companies that are considering installing multi-Fuel Burners on their premises.

The most obvious one would be a free standing stove. These burners are ideal for workshops, small offices and retail units. There are a wide variety of sizes and shapes so there is generally one for any enclosed space. Because of their adaptability, free standing stoves look just as much at home in an office or a lock up. The available of models with hot plates, built in ovens, cookers or the tradition multi-fuel stove, gives an idea of the flexibility in the designs currently on the market. Companies that bought multiple stoves report great success in heating large open plan area’s.

All companies using this option have greatly reduced there fixed costs for very small outlays. The ways of using grants and interest free loans was discussed above.

The option having the greatest impact in the market today, the Multifuel central heating systems, offer the greater savings, but have a larger capital outlay. The beauty of this type is this, when the fire is lit not only is it performing any or all of the variants listed above, but due to its built in water jacket, its heating the entire building.Users of multiple roomed premises, that have installed this system, are enjoying the benefits of heating their entire premises from one heat source. True, for the cost of one fire its possible to heat an entire building!

The cost savings are huge, with this difference in price staying in the company. Straight to the Bottom Line.
Another option for the even larger concerns is slim high powered Multifuel Boilers, these can be set up with pellet hoppers which are auto regulated. Its just a matter of removing the ash. A time friendly cost effect heating system.

As we have seen Multi-Fuel stoves can have a massive effect on any sized business’s fixed costs and the all important bottom line. With opportunities for grants or loans and the relative low cost of the purchase, installation and fuel, any business owner should be looking at this heating option. Also remember its also helping our shared planet. Very much a virtuous circle, low capital outlay, reducing costs, aiding staff moral, reducing the companies carbon foot print and adding to the bottom line. Worth a look, it won’t cost the Earth, but, it might help save it.

HEATING COMFORT WITH A GREEN CONSCIENCE.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

Paul Hundrieser asked:


Wood pellet burning stoves are a new and very popular way as a means to provide heat. Pellet fireplaces and stoves burn pellets as a primary source of heat. Wood pellets are generally made from sawdust, coming from sawmills, recycling centers, furniture manufacturers, etc. However, pellets may also be made out of corn, grass, or other waste products. They are very tightly compacted enabling them to be burned very efficiently and in turn produce a high source of heat. Since the wood pellets are usually varying in size from a half up to an inch, and somewhat lightweight, they are very easy to transport. Pellets can be purchased for about $1.00 per 10lbs. Also, since they are actually made from wood, they are very environmentally friendly.

Pellet stoves are generally freestanding stoves specifically designed to burn wood pellets, however fireplace inserts can be purchased to allow your standard wood-burning fireplace also. You can learn more about the difference between each here. Each pellet fireplace and stove contains a “hopper” which can hold anywhere from 30 to 130lbs of wood pellets. Each stove also has a fan to vent all gases outside. You can even install certain stoves and fireplaces in such a way to replace your old source of heat, whether it is gas or electric, and use them to heat the whole house.

With the cost of conventional utilities such as gas and electricity continuing to go up, Pellet Fireplaces and Stoves continue to gain popularity, and are a much more efficient and environmentally friendly alternative.

Christiane Perrin asked:


The heating season is approaching quickly and it is high time to install that wood burning stove or pellet stove you have been thinking about. Which one will it be?

The first thing to check is the availability of pellets in your area. At this point in time, you might not be able to purchase pellets locally. And purchasing locally is important, since it means that there is a sustainable fuel supply in your area.

Contact the nearest store that sells pellet stoves and ask about a list of pellet suppliers. Theres should be at least two in your area. Ask about prices, availability and where they get their pellets from. You want to make sure that the pellets for your stove are from a local and sustainable source. As with anything, shop around and compare prices, proximity, and delivery guarantees.

What Are The Differences Between Wood And Pellet Stoves?

Pellet stoves burn more efficiently and cleanly than wood burning stoves.

All pellet stoves require an electrical connection, while only those wood burning stoves with blowers require an electrical connection.

Wood burning stoves require a functioning chimney or approved vent, whereas most pellet stoves require a conventional flue. Important: check your particular model and your localcodes!

Pellet stoves distribute the heat by blowing hot air into the space. These stoves do notget very hot to the touch. This can be a deciding factor if you have small children. Pellet stoves are quick to provide heat, and quick to cool down, once the fire is out.

Wood burning stoves radiate heat. Some models also have fans to blow hot air into the space. Wood burning stoves get very hot to the touch and keep radiating warmth, long after the fire has burnt down.

Wood pellet stoves require less attention than cord wood burning stoves:

Pellets are delivered in bags, or filled into a pellet bin in your basement. You will have to bring the bags into your house. Pellets are fed into the stove via augers. You fill the pellet hopper, which is integrated into the top of the pellet stove, with approximately 40 lbs. of pellets. You set the temperature dial at the stove to the desired temperature. The stove can be a self-igniting model or be started with a starting gel and match. The pellets will feed automatically as required to maintain the temperature. A wood pellet stove can heat your home for up to 40 hours, without requiring any more of your attention You refill the pellet chamber as needed You empty the ash bin every few days
Wood burning stoves require a good amount of work:

Wood is “dumped” in front of your house and you will have to stack the wood, cover it and bring it into the house as required. Kindling is required to start the stove. You can buy kindling, collect it in nearby woods or from a wood-processing manufacturer (such as flooring or furniture manufacturers) or chop it yourself. You will have to build the fire and start it manually. You control the temperature by adding more wood, opening and closing the air supply damper. Keeping in mind that the wood burning stove is slow-reacting. Your wood burning stove will heat your home, unattended, for up to 12 hours, depending on stove size, wood being burnt, and setting of the air supply damper. You will need to empty the ash bin daily.
Wood pellet stoves are considerably more costly than wood burning stoves. You can find a good wood burning stove for under $ 1,000, whereas a good, reliable pellet stove will cost over $2,000.

Cost for pellets and cost for cord wood depend to a large extent on the region you live in. In some regions pellets are more expensive, in other areas cord wood tops the list. Some areas have experienced pellet shortages, with the increase in popularity of pellet stoves.

Wood burning stoves are more messy than pellet stoves.

Your Personal Preferences

After reading the above comparison, your personal preferences will also help you decide.

How important is it to you to have the cleanest burning and most efficient stove? How much work are you willing to do? Some people like stacking and chopping wood. Building a fire in the stove every morning can be a wonderful ritual to start the day. How much money do you have a available and are willing to spend on a stove? Do you prefer the radiant heat of the wood burning stove or the hot/warm air blowing from the pellet stove? Would you like to cook a winter soup on the wood burning stove?
Other Deciding Factors

In addition to the personal preferences, the following factors must be considered:

Are you physically able and willing to do the work required for a wood burning stove? Do you have the time required to tend to the stove? How easily can you install electrical power for you pellet stove? How easily can you add a chimney or vent stack? Are power outages a real possibility in your area? Will you have a back-up generator for the pellet stove, or will you need the wood burning stove as a heat source?

Heating your home with wood, be it pellets or cut wood, requires considerably more work than simply flipping a switch on your oil or gas-fired furnace. The benefits though, in my opinion, outweigh the hard work and the sometimes messy living room. No matter which option you choose, you can heat your home with a sustainable fuel with either a wood burning stove or a pellet stove.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Megan S Jones asked:


Good Reason 1

For many, the principal reason to install a wood burning stove is quite simply the unique look and feel of a real fire, without any of the usual effort, smell, mess or danger. Installing a wood burner is for a great many people first and foremost a lifestyle choice; it pushes all the right buttons and stirs up emotions associated with our basic human desire to feel warm and safe.

It also goes without saying that what looks good and feels good typically sells well too; there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence from estate agents and homeowners that having a wood burning stove installed will help a house sell that much more easily. Note however that a wood burner is unlikely to make your house actually worth much more on the property market, but it can go some way to help you get a sale at your asking price that bit more quickly.

Good Reason 2

Recently there has been a rise in the number of people installing wood burning stoves and boilers because wood burners are not only highly efficient but much cheaper to run than regular gas, oil or electric heating systems; over three times cheaper in many cases, and even better in some situations. But consider the pros and cons carefully because wood burners are not the answer for all people, for a variety of reasons (follow the link following this article for more information on this subject).

Good Reason 3

We are, of necessity, becoming more environmentally aware these days; if you tend a garden you will already have noticed changes in the climate and every energy utility bill is a reminder that how things have been up till now is not sustainable for the future. But unlike burning fossil fuel such as oil, gas or coal, burning wood forms part of a pretty much balanced carbon cycle.

The crucial difference between fossil fuels and wood biofuel from trees is that trees are living organisms – they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and using sunlight convert it to cellulose fibers (i.e. wood). When managed as a renewable resource, trees planted to replace those used as biofuel in wood burning stoves will over their own lifespan absorb exactly the same amount of carbon dioxide as is released by the burning process. This is potentially an endlessly renewable and sustainable cycle that emits negligible excess CO2 into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels by contrast are not remotely renewable or sustainable and represent a one way street where CO2 emissions are concerned.

Good Reason 4

Forget tree-hugging sentimentality and hand-knitted eco-credentials; there are compelling economic reasons to go green these days (as well as very sound environmental reasons too of course). Conventional fossil fuel is on the down slope as regards supply which can only increase the price over time. Additionally, ever tougher legislation and regulations means that installing a mix of renewable energy sources starts to make eminent financial sense. For new buildings the regulations are becoming so tight that many architects and builders automatically elect to install wood burning stoves and boilers simply because make it then becomes so much easier to comply with new building regulations on carbon footprints.

Good Reason 5

Many modern wood burning systems really can do it all, with capabilities for cooking, whole house space heating, hot water and heat storage. These vary from wood burning stoves that have that traditional kitchen range look and a back boiler supplying hot water to radiators and the main hot water cylinder, to sleek, stylish, modern designs that also serve as a central feature in the main living space. Combine a wood burner system with solar thermal heating a much more sustainable future beckons – financially for you and environmentally for the planet.

Good Reason 5.5

When it comes right down to it, wood burning stoves have to rank among the most basic and ancient of human technologies, which probably accounts for the deep rooted affinity most people have for them.

Consider all the millennia of progress that has led up to modern heating systems then ask yourself this: when was the last time you recall gathering with friends and family to sit contentedly around the gas boiler?

I rest my case.

Follow this link for more information about installing a wood burning stove including a checklist of points to consider first.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

Eamonn Horgan asked:


Firstly, Let me explain my initial involvement. One of my business partner had decided to purchase a farmhouse in Bulgaria and when he was kitting out the house with its furnishings he invited out. It was a lovely hot day when we arrived, but quickly the weather turned nasty, snow up to a meter deep! We finally struggled through the whited out countryside to a beautiful pink farmhouse heavy with snow. As I remember we walked the last 1/4 mile! We entered the living area and the very first thing we saw was what I in my stupidity, or cheap Bulgarian wine, believed to be a TV. After I realised it was a multi-fuel stove, my first thought was “why no gas, how are you going to heat your central heating” remember the snow? Well after 15 minutes we not only had a toasty room, but every radiator in the house was hot to the touch.

Now my past experience of wood stoves was like most peoples, you know a couple of old timers sitting around a pot bellied stove chewing tobacco in an old western on the telly, so the experience was an epiphany. What would be the outcome if we used the brand in his living room to develop an ethically based company around. In this article I wont divulge how we set the company up. Mainly because its a novel in its own right, but because what I what to do is give a little advice to people looking to lower those large nasty utilities bills, whilst helping good old mother earth. Another thing multi-fuel stoves are hypnotic , sitting in front of those flames is so relaxing, especially in these stressful times.

So lets start with the basics, What is a stove? This may sound odd if you know, but, let me explain. I’ve been asked if its a cooker a boiler or even an open fire. What it is, is a sealed unit that can come in many shapes and sizes. From the pot bellied stove, as discussed above, to a Prity built in, that has three glass sides! It can be a stove that just heats one room, a cooker, a stand alone boiler or a combination of all three. Oh before I forget, the difference between a open fire or basket and multi-fuel stove is very straight forward. The open fire draws cold air in towards the fire, remember being at your grans and your fronts hot and your back is freezing? Well thats the back draft, the other problem is a large percentage of heat literally goes up in smoke! With wood stoves its sealed so its heating the air in the room, acting, if you like as a separate radiator.

Multi-fuel or multifuel, this is another term that can be a bit confusing to the novice, so here goes. Multi-fuel means that the stove can burn any of the following; wood, coke, coal, wood-coal, peat, brickets or biomass (that’s stuff like pellets or even corn, another article I feel).

This brings me seamlessly on to an important part. Can you burn wood and/or coal in your multi-fuel stove. As a general rule of thumb if you live in a smokeless area, no. If you remember your history lessons, Britain was blighted by smog and chemicals in the air until the mid 1960’s and if you live in a city you should only use a smokeless fuel, but who buys all the wood and coal for sale in the petrol stations in Manchester is beyond me, maybe outer towners from Cheshire?

Now using a multi-fuel stove with a built in boiler as part of your central heating. Now this is some thing that really will save you pounds over a year. Remember that gas bill that looked like you were paying Fred the shreads pension? Well this is how it works I’ll use my business partners Prity built in as an example. Im not going to muddle your mind with Kw’s and BTU’s, this is a beginners guide after all. Simply put the stove has a built in water tank next to the fire, this heats up and flows via a connecting pipe in to your radiators.

In the summer when hopefully, hollow laugh, you wont need a roaring fire you switch back to your existing boiler. You can even get a gizmo that can have both systems working in unison. Its not something you should attempt unless of course your a fully qualified plumber think CORGI.

Finally a couple of words of caution, when you have your multi-fuel stove installed only use a HETAS trained fitter. This means that you pass all current building regulations including for insurance and HIPS. Have your flue pipes swept by a reputable chimney sweep on a regular basis. We have this information on our websites as do the majority of other reputable companies. With a nice bye for now, a lot of local authorities across the UK now offer a grant scheme for individuals looking to install multi-fuel stove, so check out your councils site. I hope this has been of some help and you feel ready to make the leap. Heating comfort with a green conscience!

Vic Hanson asked:


I don’t remember for sure exactly how this project got started but I was over at Brad and Gina Shaw’s house here in Cotahuasi, Peru, where we work as missionaries. Brad was talking about trying to make solar cookers to help the people here. One of our church members was looking for a new burro to replace his mother’s burro that had died. She needed the burro to haul firewood for cooking. Because Cotahuasi is a large village and a majority of people still use wood cooking fires, the nearby sources of firewood have been depleted. It takes her a full day every week to go and get a week’s worth of firewood. Without a burro, she would have to go oftener and bring back less wood each time; only what she could carry on her back. Our area usually gets eight to nine months of sunshine a year so solar seems like a good option for a supplemental cooking source. Brad also mentioned the need for more fuel-efficient wood stoves, rather than just a fire on the ground with three stones to support the pot.

Brad had seen a large parabolic solar cooker in Tomepampa, a village about 20 minutes away. He suggested we go look at it so we hopped in the car and went right away. The cooker wasn’t at the home where he had previously seen it, but they told us where it currently was and we were able to go and look at it. It was about five feet in diameter, made of shiny sheet metal attached to a framework of angle iron and a parabolic dish made of one-inch wide metal bars. We were told that it cooked quite rapidly and worked well, so we took measurements and lots of pictures to guide us in making one. However we knew it wouldn’t be an immediate solution to the mother’s problem because the shiny metal wasn’t available here in Cotahuasi.

That evening I did some research on the Web to learn as much as possible about solar cookers and hopefully find some plans for building one. I did see a photo of one that looked very similar to the one we saw, but there were no plans for making it. One of the best sites I found was that of Solar Cookers International, based in Sacramento, CA. Their website is included below, they have many different types of cookers and the plans to make them available as downloadable PDF files. I was anxious to make one right away, rather than waiting until after my next trip to Arequipa where I could hopefully find the materials for the large one we had looked at.

They had smaller parabolic ones, some of them using an umbrella for the parabolic form, others required building your own out of cardboard or wood. The plans that caught my eye were for a box cooker, lined on the inside with aluminum foil and using a piece of glass on top to trap the heat inside of the box. That appeared to be the easiest to build with the limited materials I had available, especially as I could see a large box on a pile of stuff on the other side of the room from where I was sitting at the computer. I excitedly went through the list of materials to see what else was needed. I soon found a big problem; I didn’t have any aluminum foil. They didn’t recommend using glass mirrors, which I knew I could get in Cotahuasi, and aluminum foil wasn’t available. The mission of Solar Cookers International is to promote solar cooking in third world and developing nations, where many people are still dependent on wood fires. The plans had a section on substitute materials that could be used in areas that don’t have access to all of the normally used items. Instead of aluminum foil, it said that aluminized polyester film (Mylar®) could be used, although I didn’t notice the warning until after I had built the cooker. It said not to use it on the inside of a box cooker because it could melt and give off fumes, but neither of those has been a problem.

I knew I had seen some material like that somewhere in my house so I started searching around. I soon found it! Every morning I have a half of a small bag of Angel Zuck Cereal for breakfast. It is available in larger bags but they are more expensive per gram than the smaller ones, as is often the case here in Peru. They are “plastic” bags but the inside is a shiny reflective surface, just like the Mylar balloons that are so popular. I dug through my garbage for as many as I could find there, and then emptied a few more bags into a plastic container to come up with what looked like enough to line the inside of the box. I buy the cereal by the case and now I had an empty cardboard box as well as the empty bags. About this time I came up with the exciting idea of packaging everything needed to make the solar cooker, along with instructions, inside the large cereal box. Then you could give the whole box to a needy family, they could eat the cereal and then make the solar cooker!

I soon realized that this wouldn’t work as you need two boxes, and one has to be larger than the other, along with a piece of glass too big to fit into the cereal box. So I went and got the first box I had seen, it had contained panetone, which is a Peruvian fruitcake, popular at Christmas time. The boxes weren’t quite as big as recommended, but the cereal box would fit perfectly inside the panetone box, leaving room to put the necessary insulation between the boxes. It was now late and I needed to get to bed, but I could hardly wait until morning to start building the cooker.

I had everything I needed now except the glass and the adhesive to attach the shiny plastic to the box. Still trying to make it as simple as possible, so that those with limited resources could duplicate it, I checked the substitution list and was reminded that you could make a paste from flour and water. I started on the construction and all was going well. I used crumbled up newspaper and cardboard scraps to insulate the airspace between the boxes, although it says you can use dry plant fibers, feathers or wool, items most people here would have, but I didn’t. When it came time to attach the plastic foil, I mixed up some flour and water paste and attempted to glue the foil onto the inside of the box. But as the directions also stated, it can be hard to get it to stick. The flour paste didn’t hold it at all so I had to go buy some glue at the stationery store. That worked better but still didn’t hold the edges well, plus there were lots of bumps and wrinkles in the foil. The directions also said not to use tape on the inside of the box, but I had some high temperature shiny foil tape that I had bought in the U.S. so I used that. I use the tape to make ultra light backpacking stoves out of aluminum soda cans (search the web for “Pepsi can stoves” if you are interested). I did feel bad about using something that I didn’t think was available here, but I just saw a similar tape at the new Maestro (Ace Hardware) Home Center in Arequipa.

The only thing left now was to make the lid for the cooker, which takes another piece of cardboard, that came from one of my storage boxes (originally my kitchen stove box). I have a friend who used to have a hardware store here; he came by while I was working on the cooker. He said he would be gone all day but he still had some glass and would cut me a piece when he got home in the evening. However he never showed up and didn’t answer my phone messages. After a few days I gave up and went to the glass shop to get a piece there. The owner was out of town and the shop was closed. It was about two weeks later before he got back and I finally found the store open to get the glass. Finally I finished the cooker, but it was too late in the day to try it out. I was very eager to test it the next day but then we had a couple of unusual cloudy days during our normally sunny dry season.

At last the time arrived, a beautiful sunny day. I decided to keep it simple for the first try and just made plain white rice. I put too much water in it so it was quite sticky, but it worked! It was time for the real test – pot roast. The beef here is not hung and cured, so it is normally very tough. A crock-pot slow cooker works the best for making a pot roast, taking about eight hours on low. It was a perfect test for a solar slow cooker. On my first try, the weather turned cloudy after about 4 hours so I had to finish it in the oven. Then I was busy (and there were a few more cloudy days) so I couldn’t try it again for a couple of weeks. It also isn’t possible to buy roast beef here every day. It is usually only available a few times a week, early in the morning (6 or 7 am) on the day they butcher. I stopped at the meat market and the owner said they would have some early in the morning so I asked them to hold two kilos of boneless beef for me until I got there.

In the morning, after getting the beef and peeling carrots and potatoes, it was 10:30 before I set the cooker out in the sun. I turned the box every two hours or so to keep it aimed at the sun, and brought it in at 4:30 when the sun went behind the mountain (a disadvantage to living in a canyon – late sunrises and early sunsets). It smelled so good and it looked done, just like in the crock-pot. The taste test confirmed success, all was cooked and the beef was fairly tender. On my second try a few weeks later I set the box out in the sun to preheat while I was cutting up the veggies, and then browned the meat in a fry pan like the crock-pot recipe book says, to give it a head start. Again it was good, but not falling apart tender like eight hours in the crock-pot. Looks like I will have to get up earlier next time and have it ready by 9:00 when the sun hits my cooking area.

Besides making a larger, parabolic cooker, I plan on experimenting with more efficient wood burning stoves as well.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide