Always use a HETAS Registered Installer or HETAS Approved Servicing technician for maintenance - they will spot problems and complete all work safely, in compliance with regulations.
Now you’re the proud owner of a new stove, we felt it would be a good idea to offer some advice on how to keep safe and achieve the best, most efficient performance for your appliance.
When a HETAS Registered Installer has completed an installation you should have received a copy of the Certificate of Compliance, or been advised that it will arrive in the post.
This information is required by law and may be needed to validate household insurance. Solicitors will also require it if you sell the property.
Ensure your HETAS Installer supplies the following before using a new stove:
Make sure you follow the HETAS safety checklist:
Lighting a stove effectively takes practice - these steps provide good guidelines
In the first instance always refer to your stove instruction manual - the following only gives general guidance:
An efficient burn of fuel providing heat to the room requires three things:
Keep your fire healthy - watch for:
Select a fuel type that matches your appliance’s instructions and warranty for a long, reliable and safe service
You can put wood on a multi-fuel stove, but you can’t put coal on a wood-burning stove.
Other appliances can run on wood pellets, often with automatic feed mechanisms
Wood is a major source of renewable heat energy - if burned efficiently it produces virtually no smoke. Replacing fossil fuels with sustainably sourced wood offsets CO2 emissions.
Log burners can use hardwood or softwood logs that are dry and fully seasoned or kiln dried.
Moisture Content - Dry (seasoned or kiln dried) wood burns better than wet wood (fresh cut logs). Dry wood improves appliance efficiency and is part of the solution to improving air quality and our environment.
Wet wood is hard to light and creates lots of deposits that damage the flue lining and increase the chance of a chimney fire. Wet logs also tend to blacken stove glass, even if the appliance is designed to stay clean. The “Ready to Burn” mark shows logs are dry, safe and ready to use. Ready to Burn is a Woodsure scheme. Visit www.readytoburn.org
Wood Type - Your seller should advise if logs are hardwood, softwood or mixed. Logs should meet European standards. Hardwoods are preferable (e.g. oak & ash) as they tend to burn longer so you’ll use less fuel.
Contamination - Do not burn treated waste wood (e.g. old furniture); it can emit harmful fumes.
Typically made from sawdust, briquettes should conform to European standards. Usually, they can be used as an alternative to firewood, but different fuels may need you to use different settings on your stove. Start with a smaller amount of briquette fuel than you would firewood
Usually made from sawdust, pellets are much smaller and should conform to European standards. They are commonly used for biomass boilers but pellet stoves are becoming more popular. Poor quality pellets often crumble, whilst over-long pellets clog the feed. Pellets are sensitive to water damage so must be stored in a dry place.
Solid fuel fired appliances, like any other machine, work better and last longer when correctly installed, burn the right fuel and are properly maintained
For a diagram of stove parts visit: www.hetas.co.uk/consumer/about-stoves
SERVICE AREA
Alston - Ambleside - Appleby - Barrow in Furness - Brampton - Carlisle - Carnforth - Cockermouth - Dumfries - Keswick - Lancaster - Maryport - Morecambe - Penrith - Sedbergh - Silloth - Ulverston - Whitehaven - Windermere - Workington