HEATING & VENTILATION 33
come with a host of wellbeing benefits for the homeowner and their family. However, recent changes in legislation, coupled with the introduction of the Government’s Clean Air Strategy in early 2019, have led to some confusion as to what the options are when it comes to choosing and installing a wood burning stove.
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INDUSTRY CHANGES Ecodesign legislation affecting the wood burning stove industry comes into force on 1 January 2022, and from that date only appliances that comply with Ecodesign standards can be sold. The good news is that stove manufac-
turers are ahead of the curve, and there is already a comprehensive range of appliances on the market that meet, and in many cases exceed, the requirements of Ecodesign. Ecodesign ready stoves feature the very latest fireboxes that have been specifically designed for more complete combustion, and which employ secondary and tertiary air systems to burn off excess hydrocar- bons. These Ecodesign-ready appliances are more efficient by virtue of their design, but more importantly, they are significantly less polluting. A modern Ecodesign ready wood
burning stove will produce up to 90 per cent less emissions than an open fire, and up to 80 per cent less than a stove manufactured over 10 years ago. This puts housebuilders and specifiers
in the unique position of being able to both future proof their projects and play their part in improving air quality, by choosing an Ecodesign-ready stove.
SMOKE CONTROL Those overseeing build projects within a Smoke Control Area should also ensure their specified appliance is Defra exempt. Many parts of the UK fall within these smoke-controlled areas, and the recently published Environment Bill, while not yet law, if approved after the general election will give even greater powers of enforcement to local authorities to manage air quality through the use of fines in these areas. A Defra exempt appliance might not be Ecodesign compliant, and conversely, while in most cases it will be, an Ecodesign compliant wood burning stove is not necessarily Defra exempt. The test methodology for the two standards is very different, and specifiers should look for evidence that the appliance complies with each standard when managing a project within a Smoke Control Area.
HEATING SYSTEMS Wood burning stoves are increasingly being specified as an integral part of a low carbon heating system. When combined with a heat pump for example, a wood stove can offer welcome and speedy top-up heating for key living spaces on colder days, or in milder months when full-house heating is not required.
AESTHETICS, BUILD QUALITY & OUTPUT There is a huge choice of Ecodesign compliant wood burners available on the market today from numerous manufacturers. Virtually every interior
style can be catered for, and appliance aesthetics is very much a discussion that should happen between developers and their clients early on in a project. There has been much debate in the past on the merits of different stove body materials. Commonly a choice between cast iron or steel, there used to be a belief that cast iron is superior in terms of being harder wearing and offering longer heat retention. However, a steel stove will have different advantages, such as heating up more quickly, lower cost, and offering different design possibilities. Bear in mind features such as material thickness, engineering design and
ECODESIGN-READY APPLIANCES ARE MORE EFFICIENT BY VIRTUE OF THEIR DESIGN, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS POLLUTING
WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK
ood burning stoves offer a low carbon, renewable and sustain- able way to heat a property, and
GETTING BUYERS FIRED UP
Erica Malkin of The Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) looks at the key considerations for housebuilders, developers and specifiers when it comes to incorporating a wood burning stove into their project, with the aim of ‘separating fact from fiction.’
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