Selection of stoves and inserts
When choosing a fireplace stove or fireplace insert, first it is necessary to clarify a few priorities. The most important ones are choosing the preferred heating method, choosing the proper performance and last but not least the design.
Of course, other aspects such as price, used material, the possibility of connecting to an external air supply and so on, play a role in the selection. It is also important to ask yourself before you choose your stove / insert, whether you have adequate flue gas duct, which is an important part of the proper functioning of the stove or inserts.
Performance selection
The higher performance the better - is that correct? Fireplace stoves dealers often meet thi assumption, despite their efforts to change this misconception by various information systems. But this assumption is wrong and can cause a lot of inconvenience. A stove with a higher output than needed will overheat the heated space, which leads to closing the air supply and so called "choking" the fire. This “throttling” causes tarnishing of the stove and chimney, poor combustion of the fuel and, last but not least, the malfunctioning of the glass airwash. On the contrary, if the outlet you've chosen is too small, the stove will not be able to heat the heated space, which will make you to open all the air inlets for a long time. This causes a long-term thermal load on the structure, resulting in a shortened service life and excessive fuel consumption. As an indication, you can calculate the required power according to a simple formula below. However, this is just an approximate calculation, for accurate calculation we would need more specific information on the thermal insulation properties of the heated building and the climate of the area where it is located and the frequency of use of the heating device. Basically, the approximate required power can be calculated according to the equation below:
Volume of heated space (m³) x heat loss = required power (W)
The heat loss can be determined according to the table.
poorly insulated house 50W / hour / m³
medium insulated house 35W / hour / m³
well insulated house (low energy house) 23W / hour / m³
holiday properties 80W / hour / m³
So if you need a fireplace for heating three rooms with a total volume of 170 m³ and the heated object is poorly thermally insulated (walls and ceilings without insulation, wooden windows), we calculate 170 x 50 (from the table of indicative heat losses). The optimum nominal power of the heating device will therefore be around 9 kW. In this case, the ideal device would be, for example, the HS Flamingo Amos stove with a nominal output of 9 kW.
Get the performance calculated by a professional
It is always a good idea to let a professional to choose the correct performance, who accurately calculates the required power and suggests ideal nominal power. Since this is the most important parameter when choosing a stove, it is good not to underestimate it.
Heating engineers who will help you with this calculation can be found among our partners here.
If you have calculated the required power, you can start looking for a stove according to individual requirements. In our production portfolio, you can choose between different heating options, both hot-air and hot-water. We also offer a distinctive design that allows you to choose a heater that will serve as an elegant accessory to your interior or as its dominant.
Fireplace stove: choose according to the size of the room
Burning fire in the fireplace completes pleasant atmosphere of the evening, but it also means a significant source of heat. Wood heating is becoming increasingly popular. Its attractive due to low price, good availability and easy handling. Modern devices offer comfortable operation, high efficiency and the ability to regulate the fireplace insert or stove. Heating can be done simply and efficiently without the need of constant stoking. When deciding what to buy, however, not only the design of the stove or insert should play the role, but also its performance and the way we want to heat the house or apartment. For example, fireplace stoves and fireplace inserts HS Flamingo offer interesting possibilities, it is possible to choose between hot-air fireplace stoves and hot-water ones.
Although heating in a stove is easy, its selection is definitely not. It is necessary to take into account not only the dream form of the device, but also its performance, way of heating, possible chimney draft, flue diameter and also the fact what space we need to be heated and how much the building can keep the heat. It is therefore worthwhile to invite an expert, who will consider all the necessary factors and propose an optimal solution.
Performance always according to the size of the space
The basic criterion for the choice of stove performance is the size of the space to be heated. But it is also necessary to take into account the age of the building - in older buildings it is usually necessary to take into account that a larger part of the heat will flow out through the walls than in new buildings and therefore the stove performance should be adapted accordingly. Low-power stoves cannot heat the space; on the contrary, high-power stoves will overheat it. In the first case, trying to increase performance and gain more heat by opening all air inlets for a long time, will burden the stove construction and reduce stove's service life and it will, moreover, also increase fuel consumption. A very high stove output and the associated overheating of the room results in "throttling" of the air supply to the stove. This will reduce performance, but with incomplete combustion, the stove and chimney will be clogged with tar and the costs for cleaning will encrease.
Hot water or hot air?
The hot-air fireplace stoves are intended primarily for local heating of the room, but by means of a tubular system in which warm air flows, it allows even distribution of warm air not only in the room where the stove is standing, but also in other rooms. A good tip for those interested in this type of heating is, for example, the HS Flamingo Fireplace Stove with a combustion chamber made of 5 mm thick steel sheet and a fireclay firebox equipped with efficient secondary combustion, glass airwash system and having a capacity of 3-12 kW.
The basis of hot-water fireplace stoves is the possibility of their connection to the original or new hot water distribution. This allows them to become the main source of heat. For example, the Aquaflam wood stove is available with four different power levels - 7, 12, 17 or 25 kW - so it is always possible to choose exactly according to individual needs. The greater part of the power is transferred to the water heating, the smaller part to the air heating. These stoves also have efficient secondary combustion to reduce wood consumption and are equipped with a cooling loop for safety reasons. You can choose from three types of air supply control - manual, basic and automatic.
All our products can be found on our website here.