It is well known these days that wood burning stoves are a great deal cheaper to run than regular oil and gas boilers and are also better for the environment. Whereas conventional fossil fuels cannot be renewed, wood comes from trees which can be grown and replaced more or less forever. So what’s involved in installing one?

First understand that installing a wood burner is akin to putting in an above ground furnace, so always check with your insurance company before you commence anything. Most of insurers will require the burner to be professionally installed since there is a certain amount of precision required and a single mistake can easily cause a fire to break out in your house or apartment.

Next you should work out exactly what size of wood burning stove you will need. The best approach is to consult someone who works in a hearth shop. Have this person visit your property and he or she will help you decide on the best wood burner for the size and space you have laid out.

As well as the stove itself, the flue is a critical part of the overall installation. Wood burners require a flue lined with material specifically designed for burning wood. If you have an existing chimney then one option is to fit this with a liner suitable for wood burning, otherwise you will have to have a purpose made flue pipe installed.

After your wood burner has been professionally installed, your next step is to clear any and all combustible materials away from the vicinity of the stove. The owner’s manual will specify the recommended clearance for keeping flammable materials from the stove. If you have children, make sure they understand that what is being installed is potentially very dangerous and not a toy.

During normal operation wood stoves need to be regularly cleaned and maintained in good working order. If you are familiar with cleaning a normal fireplace chimney this will be quite familiar. It is important to remove the build up of creosote especially since it can reduce the efficiency of the system and eventually damage the flue (it also smells somewhat if left un-cleaned).

To ensure long and trouble free use of you wood burner you should arrange a full sweep and clean at the least every year. By all means also make use of proprietary cleaning products called chimney cleaning logs that don’t do everything the makers claim for them but which can help control deposits to some extent.

To sum up then, bringing in professional help from the beginning will give you wood burning stove installation the best chance of success. This is a long term investment that should pay for itself many times over in the years ahead as well making a small contribution towards reducing the impact on the environment.

Check out these additional articles to find out much more about types of wood burner and how to fit a wood burning stove.