WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES WOOD FUELS WOOD LINKS

This page will give you basic facts about wood burning appliances and wood fuel and will provide you with links to other organisations that can supply more information.

WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES

Many solid fuel appliances are now multi-fuel and can burn both wood and coal. These include open fires, stoves, roomheaters, cookers and freestanding boilers. The manufacturers’ specification will tell you what you can burn; and especially important if the appliance has a boiler, the average output that you can expect by burning the different fuels.

Some appliances are manufactured solely for burning wood, They will have no bottom grate. However, some can be converted to burn coal by fitting a grate. A grate must be used when you are burning coal and smokeless coal, because these fuels produce more ash than wood fuel. The grate allows the ash to fall away from the fire bed.

You will find information on a selection of manufacturers and importers of wood burning appliances in our links section. Wood burning grates and appliances can be purchased from many stove shops, fireplace showrooms, or selected builders’ merchants. They can also be obtained through heating engineers. Purchasing on the internet or though a warehouse may be perfectly satisfactory so long as you understand the level of technical assistance and support is likely to be less than through the other routes. We would always recommend you consult a HETAS Engineer prior to purchasing an appliance. They will be able to advise whether the chimney you have is satisfactory and whether the proposed appliance is suitable for your heating requirements. Visit the HETAS website, www.hetas.co.uk for a list of HETAS Registered Engineers. Details of your nearest appliance showroom can be obtained by telephoning the Solid Fuel Association on 0845 601 4406.

Building Regulations – Any installation of a heating appliance, or modification to a chimney such as relining, has to be carried out in accordance with Building Regulations (Part J and Part L in England and Wales and the Scottish Building Standards Agency Technical Handbook in Scotland). In England and Wales there is also a requirement that Building Control Consent is obtained for such work unless the work is carried out by a Competent Person. For solid fuel and wood burning appliances a Competent Person is someone who is registered with a scheme operator, such as HETAS established as such under Building Regulations Part J for that type of work. (For further details visit our general links page for HETAS and visit www.planningportal.gov.uk to view England and Wales Building Regulations and www.sbsa.gov.uk to view the Scottish Regulations). There are proposals to introduce similar requirements for competent persons under Scottish Building Regulations and there is a voluntary Scottish HETAS/SFA scheme for engineers operating at the moment. Visit The HETAS website to access the list of Scottish engineers. A Guide to Part L of the Building Regulations which covers appliance efficiency is in preparation and will be available shortly on the literature page as a downloadable file.
Wood Pellet Stoves
Wood pellet stoves are very efficient. The pellets are either gravity fed or screw fed into the appliance as required and there is very little ash to dispose of. Most models incorporate sophisticated automation by microprocessor, enabling the temperature to be set and maintained by controlling the rate of feed of the pellets.
They will typically incorporate a remote control for electronic ignition and some have their own back-up power supply in the event of a mains power failure. The larger boiler models are designed for installation in kitchens or utility rooms and can be screw feed from silos outside the house. It is essential that the fuel is kept dry and the pellets must be of good quality (see section on wood fuel below). A selection of importers and retailers of wood pellet appliances will be found in the links section of this page.
Building Regulations - At the moment, the installation of wood pellet burning appliances has to comply with UK Building Regulations Part J (and SBSA Technical handbook in Scotland). This means they have to conform to the conventional flue arrangements as for other wood burning and coal burning appliances, even though the manufacturers may specify less stringent requirements in their installation instructions. Most of the appliances are imported and different Building Regulations apply in their country of origin. Future revisions to UK Building Regulations and the introduction of Harmonised European Standards may reflect the differences in the combustion process between these and conventional wood burners and different flue arrangements may become possible. (Check our news page for information).

Grants

The Government is encouraging the installation of wood pellet roomheaters, stoves and boilers and is offering grants towards the cost of installation under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. Go to www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk for further details.

Smoke Control Areas

If you wish to burn any type of wood fuel and you live in a smoke control area, you may only do so if you burn wood on an “exempt” appliance. An “exempt” appliance is one which is exempted to burn unauthorised fuels in smoke control areas, under Regulations published under the Clean Air Act. At the moment there are only a limited number of appliances that have received exemption, although many of the stoves for sale in the UK would undoubtedly meet the standard required because they use a system of secondary combustion. Wood pellet stoves are subject to the same exemption requirements.


Exempt Appliances
The following appliances are presently exempted appliances under the Clean Air Act:
(To check later additions to the list or to see if you are in a smoke control area go to www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk).

Yorkshire Stove, manufactured by Dunsley Heat (exempted to burn dry soft and hard wood, peat, peat briquettes, lignite, Union briquettes and Wildfire bituminous briquettes).
www.dunsleyheat.co.uk



YORKSHIRE STOVE
Dovre 500 and 700 (exempted to burn wood) www.dovre.co.uk
Clearview Stoves Pioneer 400 and 500
(exempted to burn wood)
www.clearviewstoves.com
Vermont Castings Intrepid II and Encore Wood stoves
(exempted to burn wood)
www.cfm-europe.com
Morso Owl 3400 GB
(exempted to burn wood and wood briquettes)
www.morsoe.co.uk
Harmony, Stanford and Nestor Martin
S23, H23, R23, SP23

(exempted to burn wood)
www.euroheat.co.uk
Hwam Beethoven, Beethoven II,
Vivaldi, Mozart, Ravel and 30

(exempted to burn wood)
www.euroheat.co.uk


MORSO OWL

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WOOD FUELS


LOGS
CHIPS
PELLETS

HEAT LOGS


Logs
The most common form of wood fuel at the moment is logs. These will usually come from local sources and can be brought from a variety of outlets – e.g. coal merchants, farmers, tree surgeons. It is important the logs are dry and well seasoned. Burning wet or unseasoned wood is less efficient and can cause harmful build up of deposits in the chimney over a very short time. Thick coatings of creosote or resinous material can cause chimney fires, or prevent the chimney functioning properly. This can allow harmful fumes to escape into the dwelling. Efficient burning is achieved by setting the appliance to burn fast after stoking. This will ensure that all the gases are fully burned. Only set to slow burn when all wood has been reduced to charcoal and ash. Newly added wood set to burn slowly creates smoke and creosote in the chimney. The stove should not be banked up with logs for overnight burning. A bright fire which has turned the wood into charcoal should be left with the day’s ash, no secondary air and minimal primary air.

If you buy logs which have not been seasoned, you should store them under cover but open to allow free air circulation for at least a year. Some logs may take 3 to 4 years to fully season. Bring the fuel into the house a few days before you want to use it to get it as dry as possible. Wood from different trees has different heat values The table below provides a useful comparison. Wood fuel has typically less than half the calorific value of coal and smokeless fuel, so you must be prepared to use a greater volume of wood to heat your home or room, unless you use both wood and mineral solid fuel.

Under the Weights and Measures Act, coal and smokeless fuel have to be sold in defined weights, which makes it easy for you to compare the cost between suppliers. Unless there is a local statutory instrument in force, there will be no such statutory weight for deliveries of wood. The logs and wood are usually sold in “nets” or by lorry load, so take care to check the amount you can expect to get for your money. Fresh felled wood weights about one tonne per solid cubic metre but will lose up to half its weight when it becomes fully air dried, so find out for how long the wood has been seasoned before delivery.

If you burn wood, you should have your chimney swept at least twice a year. Do not burn any painted or treated wood. Treated or painted wood will emit chemicals which are potentially damaging to health and the environment. This also applies to MDF and chipboard.

    Weight per
m3 in kg
Gross heat value
kW/kg (btu/lb)
% Moisture
when green
Seasoning time
in summers
Hardwoods (fully air dried) Ash 674 4.1 (6,350) 35 1
  Beech 690 4.3 (6,700) 45 1-2
  Birch 662 4.1 (6,350) 45 1
  Elm 540 3.6 (5,600) 60 2-3
  Oak 770 4.5 (7,000) 50 2-3
  Poplar 465 2.6 (4,100) 65 1
Softwoods Pine/Fir 410 2.6 (4,100) 60 1


Wood Pellets
Wood pellets are used on specially designed stoves. Pellets are typically made from timber waste from sawmills. The wood goes through a fairly lengthy process of transformation before it is finally extruded as hard pellets. In spite of the processing, the fuel is still carbon neutral and so is less harmful to the environment than other fossil fuels. For commercial undertakings, as with any wood fuel, wood pellets do not attract climate change levy tax.

There are at present a limited number of pellet producing plants in the UK although there is some encouragement to produce from local sources. Some pellets are being imported in the meantime. The pellets for domestic roomheaters and boilers are being supplied in prepacked bags, usually 10kgs in weight, which makes them a handy size to store and load into the hopper. For the larger boiler models, pellets can be delivered in bulk, but an appropriate silo must be available, connected to the boiler. At the moment most of the pellets will be supplied by the stove shop that markets the boilers, but see our links page below for other suppliers.

It is critical to ensure the pellets for domestic stoves are of good quality. European standards are presently being drawn up but in the meantime be aware that pellets generally come in two sizes and the 6mm ones are most common for use in roomheaters/stoves. Good quality pellets will maintain their integrity through the handing process and be made from virgin wood. You should not use wood pellets made from reclaimed wood. It may contain harmful chemicals.


Wood Chips
Wood chips are generally a by-product of the arboriculture industry or created from waste timber. The fuel is used in screw-fed boilers that have the capacity to fuel local micro-chip systems and larger buildings such as leisure centre, where commercial sized boilers are needed. It is important to ensure stored wood chips do not contain excessive quantities of moisture.

Heat Logs
These products are manufactured from sawdust and bound or pressed together into a log shape. They incorporate an inflammable substance that makes the product easy to light. Some (including those marketed under the Bryant and May and Bord na Mona brands) are authorised for use in smoke control areas. They are suitable for use on open fires. They are relatively expensive but will give a fire lasting for two or three hours. They are clean and handy to use and are ideal for a quick fire on a cold night. The product can be purchased from supermarkets, garages, other shops as well as from some coal merchants.

Wood Briquettes
These are a version of the above but are claimed to be suitable for use in mutifuel stoves, particularly those with a low moisture content i.e. 3%. They are relatively new in this country and are not included in the approved product list issued by HETAS, but may be suitable for stoves. Check with the appliance manufacturer for guidance.

Wood and the Environment
All fossil fuels (coal, anthracite, oil, gas, lpg and wood) emit carbon dioxide when they are burnt. This carbon dioxide increases the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which contribute to global climate change. It is therefore very important to think about ways of reducing these emissions. This can be done by ensuring that your heating system is efficient, well maintained and incorporates adequate controls. You should also undertake other energy saving measures, such as increasing the insulation in your house. Wood fuel is carbon neutral. It absorbs as much carbon dioxide in its growth as it releases when it is burnt. For this reason, the installation of wood fuel appliances are treated more favourably in Building Regulations.

Typically, consumption figures for the average house for different fuels produce the comparisons in carbon dioxide emissions per week as shown in the adjoining table:

Electricity 128 kg
Coal 116 kg
Oil 88 kg
Gas 67 kg
Coal/wood (50%) 58 kg
Wood Zero
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WOOD LINKS
Importers and retailers of wood pellet stoves:
South West Wood Burning Center (Walmsler and others) www.stoves-cookers.co.uk
Kernow Coals and Fires* (various) Tel: 01208 812527

Welsh Biofuels (various including commercial boilers) www.welsh-biofuels.co.uk
Able Fuels * (Stoves) www.ablefuels.co.uk
Ashwell Engineering Services Ltd (wood pellet boilers for larger domestic and industrial sites)
Tel: 0116 260 4050 www.ashwellengineering.com
Robeys Tel: 01773 820940 www.robeys-heating.co.uk
Hoval Ltd. Northgate, Newark NG24 1JN, Tel: 01636 672711, boilersales@hoval.co.uk www.hoval.co.uk

Specialist Installers
*These are also HETAS and Low Carbon Buildings Programme accredited installers.
Engineers who are registered to install mechanically fed wood and wood pellet systems are
listed on the HETAS website and this speciality is shown on the list of services they provide.

Selected Manufacturers of Wood Burning Stoves (see also exempt appliances above)
A J Wells (Roomheaters and Stoves, with and without boilers) www.charnwood.com Tel: 01983 537777
Villager (Stoves, with and without boilers) www.villager.co.uk Tel: 0870 160 2202
Dunsley (Stoves and Open Fires with and without boilers) www.dunsleyheat.co.uk Tel: 01484 682635
Woodwarm (Stoves and Roomheater, with and without boilers) www.woodwarmstoves.co.uk Tel: 01884 35806
Aga Rayburn (Stoves and Cookers and Open Fires, with and without boilers) www.aga-web.co.uk Tel: 0845 3381365
Esse (Ouzledale) (Stoves and Cookers and Open Fires) www.esse.com Tel: 01282 813235
Aarrow Fires (Stoves, with and without boilers) www.aarrowfires.com Tel: 01308 427234

Wood Suppliers
www.logpile.co.uk list suppliers of wood fuels in the UK and gives further information
about wood pellet fuel and various appliances
PurePowerPellets (part of the Fergusson Group) - Suppliers of wood pellets across the UK.
www.purepowerpellets.co.uk Tel: 01786 477211

Welsh Biofuels (Bridgend) www.welsh-biofuels.co.uk Tel: 01656 729714
Rural Energy Ltd (www.ruralenergy.co.uk) Tel: 01664 454989
(Also HETAS and Low Carbon Buildings accredited installers and suppliers of wood heating equipment).
Logs are generally available locally through coal merchants or other suppliers. Some are FSC accredited.
Bingley Log Services - Supplier of firewood, logs & wood burning fuel in Northern England.
www.bingleylogs.co.uk Tel: 01274 566997 or 07850 431516
Briquette and Pellets Co Ltd – Supplier of briquetted wood fuel and pellets.
www.briquetteandpellet.co.uk Tel: 01246 550119

D J Davies Fuels - FSC accredited for all wood fuel supplies www.djdaviesfuels.co.uk Tel: 01269 850224
Renewable Fuels Ltd - Supplier of heat logs and wood pellets nationwide www.woodpelletsupplies.com Tel: 01904 720575


Grants
Under the Government Low Carbon Buildings Programme, selective grants are available for the installation of renewable energy equipment in both domestic and commercial properties. The amount available is limited and capped each month. The grants are available for the installation of wood pellet roomheaters and boilers and for the larger wood chip systems. Visit www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk.

There is also a reduced rate of VAT at 5% on the purchase and installation of wood boilers. The definition of a wood boiler is strictly limited and does not apply to any boiler that is available as a multifuel model. For further details of when the reduced rate is applicable visit www.soliftec.com

Other Organisations
For information on Smoke Control Areas, exempt appliances and fuels go to www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk.
For information on biomass fuel and other renewables visit the National Energy Foundation website
www.greenenergy.org.uk Tel 08908 665555.
The Biomass Energy Centre is a one-stop shop for information and advice about all aspects of the use of biomass,
including woodfuel, for energy. www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk
Renewable Energy Association is a lobbying body representing producers and suppliers of renewable energy in the UK. www.r-e-a.net
Centre for Alternative Technology (Machynllech ) www.cat.org.uk.


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part of the Solid Fuel Association website