Skip to main content

MYTH BUSTING - Multi Fuel Stoves - NEVER Burn Wood and Solid Fuel Together (PLEASE !) - Natural Heating



BUSTING MYTHS...
A multi fuel stove does NOT mean you should burn wood and solid fuel at the same time.
75% of customers visiting us who are thinking of buying a new stove actually think that a multi fuel stove means you can burn both fuel types at the same time....
Actually... you don't.
Wood burns from the top down and is best burned on a bed of ash. Start with both air vents open to heat the stove and flue / chimney. The bottom one then gets closed and all control is done from the top, with the air washing down the glass to keep it cleaner longer
Solid fuel on the other hand is burned on a coal grate and burns from the bottom up. The ash pan needs regular emptying to maintain the air gap UNDER the fuel. Again, you start with both vents open.... but tend to shut the top one down and control via the bottom vent.
PROBLEMS
The problems come when stove users MIX fuels and burn wood and solid fuel together. Both fuels burn from both the bottom AND the top at the same time. This is pretty much how they melt metal in a foundry.
Mixing fuels kills grates,baffles and liners in stoves. It can cause cracking and distortion. It's mega over heating and a good way to destroy your lovely multi fuel stove !!!
More than that, it causes a lot of problems in flues and chimneys too. Draws the moisture content out the wood and mixes with the sulphur in the solid fuel. What does that give you ?
Well - sulphuric acid. Yup - like acid raid. It'll eat through your flue pipes and chimney liners and turn them into a teabag. That's not a warranty issue either !
Burn wood today and solid fuel tomorrow in a multi fuel.... but PLEASE don't mix fuels in the same burn load.
BURN SAFE - BURN RIGHT.
We are happy to talk through burn techniques with ALL potential new stove owners over a cup of coffee. Never any rush, never any pressure. It's very important that you take the time to learn how to use a stove properly to get the best from it and decide which model may be right for you.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP 
It's not difficult - it's all pretty simple... but good burn techniques help you get the best calorific value out your fuel and saves damaging stoves.
This photo shows the back body of a Clearview stove we condemned and then removed from a pub just a week or so ago. I've put arrows on the photo.
Thanks to Martin for bringing me back this photo of the scrapped unit to share as I think it's important I do !
To be honest - it doesn't matter WHICH stove it is - it's been totally destroyed by miss-use
The top arrow points at the back of the body of the stove, which is twisted beyond belief. The arrow below is showing the back baffle has a huge hole burned right through.
A brand new stove has since been installed, a little training given on how to use and is running beautifully....
Natural Heating
Unit 5, Bunns Bank Ind Est
Attleborough
Norfolk (East Anglia)
NR17 1QD

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cast Iron Baked Potato / Bread Cookers - for Wood Burning / Multi Fuel Stoves

It's a cold, wintry day and you are cosy indoors with your  wood burning / multi fuel stove  burning away. Why not make the most of the heat and cook on it too ! Free heat without having to put the oven on.... There are lots of things you can cook on top of your wood burner (providing it has a solid top and does not have an internal water jacket / boiler). You may regularly boil a kettle of water for a cup of tea or perhaps cook a stew... but did you know you can cook baked potatoes or even a loaf of bread ? Our cast iron baked potato cookers come in two sizes. The  standard size  (£23.50) is perfect for two fist sized (approx 275g) baking potatoes, whilst the large one can hold up to four. These are also perfect for cooking other things such as chestnuts, onions, bread - we even have a customer cooking partridges in little foil packets in his ! Our cast iron baked potato cookers are designed to sit on top of all cast iron wood burners and multi fuel stoves

Heta Ambition 8 - 8kw Wood Burning and Mutli Fuel Stoves (Black or grey) at NATURAL HEATING / Norfolk

Stunning Heta Ambition 8 (8kw Nominal heat output) wood burning stove recently installed at Philip Thorrold Shooting Academy. Photos courtesy of Jessica Thorrold Supplied by Natural Heating and installed by Paul May of Soots - Norwich Chimney Sweep (Hetas engineer) Can't reccomend the Scandinavian manufactured Heta Ambition and Inspire wood burning and multi fuel stoves enough... they burn super clean, easy to control, Eco 2022 approved and the handles don't get hot ! This stove model is also available (same height and width) as a shallower / slimline 5kw version and in both classic black and a soft, trendy, metallic grey colour. They are quite a modern looking stove with a large viewing glass, but also work exceptionally well in tradition fire place openings. I've got one of these myself at home and it's been my favourite stove for quite some time. Optional Log stores also available as an optional extra. We have the grey and black in both the Heta 5 and 8 models (pl

Sperrin Stoves - Quality Multi Fuel Burners made in Northern Ireland

Sperrin fast becoming known as an up-and-coming producer of attractive, multi-fuel steel stoves. Hand made by a small team of people in Northern Ireland, Sperrin Stoves make excellent quality products at a very affordable price. They are such lovely smiley people and a pleasure to work with. Their range includes inset fires, fire doors and 5kw and 8kw multi fuel stove models. DEFRA exempt appliances are available for burning wood in smokeless zones. Their stoves and inset fires have an impressive 5 year guarantee on the body casing (which excludes consumable parts) All stoves have been fully UK tested and Approved to comply with relevant C regulations and BS EN13240 Here at www.naturalheating.co.uk , we stock the full Sperrin range which are available to view in both our showrooms in Hamilton, Scotland (01698 821111) and Attleborough / Norfolk (01953 452525) Unfortunately, Sperrin Stoves are not allowed to be sold online, but there is huge advantage in vis