We often get asked this but there isn't a simple answer. We have our favourite brands but the ones we like may not be ideal for you we try to help you decide the best woodburner for YOU. All these stoves below are 5kw but it is obvious that they all fulfil different criteria of desires for different customers.
We ask as many questions as possible before recommending a few models.
What size is the room and how old is the house approximately?
Room sizes and age of the property
The age of the property will determine what output would be best to heat the required space. It used to be worked out roughly on older properties that each 14 cubic metres needed 1 kw to heat the room. eg, a room 5m by 5m and 2.4m high ( 60 cu/m) needed 4-5kw output. But anything built from about the 1990's which was insulated and double glazed would need 1kw every 21 cu/m but houses built to todays specifications with high insulation require much less. However, we are finding many householders with new ECO houses say that the air source pumps and solar still do not heat the home properly and they wish to also install a woodburner.
Does the room have a chimney that can be used.
Chimney or no chimney
Where is the stove going, would it be in a chamber or freestanding - some brands specialise in modern freestanding stoves, usually the Scandinavian or European brands have more choices of tall modern stoves whereas British manufacturers offer a wider range of traditional stoves.
Do you want a coloured stove - some manufacturers offer coloured enamel stoves while others have spray painted options. Arada stoves offer a wide range of colours https://www.aradastoves.com/colours some very funky ones too !
Will it be used every day or just 'high days and holidays?' Some people want a cheaper stove that is just a feature in a room that isn't used often so do not want to spend a huge amount. As we deal with a wide range of suppliers we offer stoves from £600 upwards so there's no need to break the bank. Charlton and Jenrick offer a good range of budget stoves which are eco-design and clearkies approved. https://www.charltonandjenrick.co.uk/products/go-eco-5kw-wood-burning-stoves/
Is it for a holiday let/air bnb / cabin. The reason we ask this is that it is better to buy a simple to use stove with fewer consumable parts as we know that sometimes guests are unfamiliar with woodburners and may not use the appliance properly so you don't want to be having to pay out for expensive curved glass or expensive bricks on a regular basis if the appliance is abused. Parkray offer a good range of appliances from 4kw up to 14kw models which are really simple to use, with just one control and easy to get spares for.https://www.hunterstoves.co.uk/product-category/stoves/multifuel-wood-stoves/
Have you got a budget in mind - we do offer something to suit most budgets but we do not sell cheap Chinese imports as it is more difficult to source spares in the future. We prefer to offer decent stoves at reasonable prices from British Manufacturers if possible.
These are just the starting points of a discussion to find out what is the most suitable appliance for you and your lifestyle. If you do want us to fit it too our surveyor would usually come and do a site survey to establish what is feasible and we would supply you with an estimate for the whole installation.
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