Wood heaters provide heating, as well as a decorative effect, to any home. They use sources such as wooden logs, pellets or chips to heat your home and water supply. Here is everything that you need to know about wood heaters.

Fuel

Wood heaters can use wood or coal to produce heat. Wood does not produce carbon, so it is more environmentally friendly. Another thing to consider is if you have enough space to store the fuel. If you are using logs, you will need an area to store these. It is recommended that you purchase fresh wood and store it to be used when it is dry. This means that you will need a long-term storage space for wood for your wood heater.

How much of your home do you wish to heat?

Wood heaters are typically used to heat a single room, but they can be attached to your home's heating system to heat further rooms.

What size of wood heater do you need?

The size of the wood heater that you need will depend on a number of factors. This includes the size of the room which you will be heating it with, where you have space to place a wood heater, how old your property is, if the room is insulated at all, the size of your windows and the type of window glazing that you have. The lower the level of insulation and glazing, the greater the heat required to keep the room warm, which means a larger wood heater is required. Additionally, the greater the size of the room, the larger the wood heater will need to be.

Wood heater maintenance

Wood heaters can be lighted manually or automatically. Automatic wood heaters are typically costlier to purchase. You will need to clean the ash left in the wood heater before relighting it. Your chimney will also need to be regularly swept, and if you use wood pellets, these will need to be serviced often.

Cost

Wood heaters are an expensive purchase. However, they use sustainable energy, and they can reduce your traditional energy bills because less electricity or gas is being used to heat your home. Another cost that you will need to consider is the fuel for the wood heater. You may be able to buy in bulk to reduce the price, and some businesses may be able to provide you with wood for free. Wood heaters can actually be more effective than traditional heating systems, so you will need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages when choosing your wood heater.