Winter is a lovely time of year to relax indoors, chat with family, and unwind. Wood heaters provide a great chance to warm up for winter indoors by being a rich, warming natural energy source, unlike any other.
Woodfire has become a cost-effective option and a great source of sustainable, renewable energy, with the increasing prices of electricity and gas. Be it freestanding wood heaters or inbuilt; they can help transform one’s home into a warm, cosy winter living room. Deciding which wood heater to buy is not an easy decision. Here is a simple guide to help one learn more about wood heaters and how to buy them.
CHOOSING HEATERS BY DESIGN STYLE
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Inbuilt or Zero Clearance Heaters
The built-in wood heaters are a modern alternative to an open brick fireplace that is energy-efficient. This heater allows one to enjoy a warm space without the heat being channelled through the chimney. One would be able to upgrade with an integrated insert heater if their home has an existing brick fireplace.
However, they can opt for a zero-clearance heater if they love the look of a built-in fireplace but do not have an actual brick fireplace. A zero clearance box will allow a person to easily convert any blank wall that will enable them to build inside a fuel wall or structure with minimal structural effect.
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Freestanding Wood Heaters
A freestanding wood heater is suitable if a person does not have an existing fireplace. From traditional old-fashioned wood stoves, the concept of freestanding wood heaters has come a long way. With a variety of modern, sleek, rustic, or classic designs, and with very little structural work involved in the construction, a freestanding wood heater will create a cosy focal point in a living room.
CHOOSING A HEATER BY SIZE
It is necessary to identify the home’s size, layout, and space for practical considerations while selecting a wood heater. This will assist in deciding on the type of wood heating system and the required heat coverage.
1. Convection wood heaters
Convection wood heaters are built between the firebox and the outer skin with an air cavity. This implies that the air in the cavity heats up, spreads, and grows as the timber burns. The outer convection casing on the heater then pulls in more air from the outside, pushing the hot air out of the heater’s roof. An excellent clean, burning convection heater can create over three cubic meters of heated air per minute. Therefore, convection heaters are suitable for different sized rooms or homes with average ceiling heights.
2. Radiant wood heaters
Radiant wood heaters have both sides of the firebox exposed, unlike convection heaters. This allows heat to be radiated by the heater at a constant rate. Radiant heaters are designed primarily for heating high-ceiling homes and wide, open spaces, like extended living areas or open-plan homes.
3. Wood pellet heaters
If one wants to enjoy the pleasant, soft heat of a wood fire without the problems of splitting and stacking wood, wood pellet heaters are a great choice. Perfect for small to medium-sized spaces, without the peaks and troughs, it produces a steady heat output. It is also a clean, comfortable, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient alternative that uses pellets in place of firewood. In this type of heater, the pellets burned are made of thick, recycled sawdust.
So go ahead and get hold of a wood heater today to keep warm and cosy this winter.
