1. Wood for Heating Effective use of a Wood Burning Stove
Stewart Mcilroy – Muswell Hill Sustainability Group
19 April 2017

2. Wood for heating may comprise the following:
Biomass fuelled central heating
Open fires
Wood burning stoves
I am going to talk about the effective use of a Wood Burning stove for maximum heat and low emissions

3. What is a wood burning stove?
What can we see?
A stove (8kW, about £2.5k inc installation)
also
Wood (logs and waste wood)
Two dials for primary and secondary air supply
A fan
Preparation
Insulation
Safety
and
The secondary burn!

4. How should a stove be operated?
Read the instructions
80/20 NOT 20/80 (in heat/ out heat)
Light with both dials open
Use dry wood (20% max)
Burn hot
Once the fire is going, close the Primary air supply
Fuel management (use the thermometer, SPOC)

5. The +s and –s from heating with wood
Low carbon when used correctly
Promotes a positive ‘change of behaviour’ and adoption of other green technologies
Hygge
The -’s
Can (often) be used incorrectly resulting in poor air quality (bad use is 20 (yes TWENTY) times worse than good use) *
Inappropriate substitute for fixing other things (insulation, draft proofing)
False sense of goodness
* Norwegian Wood Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood The Scandinavian Way – Lars Myttung p29

6. A whole house approach to temperature management
A stove should only be used as part of an overall low carbon approach to energy management
If you need the heating on as well – you have not got enough insulation, curtains, draft proofing etc
Four things must be in tune:
The technology – the stove, the fan, the location
Operating practice – use the dials/ responsibility/ observation/ kaisan
Insulation – if you also need central heating, you haven’t got enough
Procurement – use dry local wood / )

7. Recommendations
Read the instructions or ask advice. Maximise the secondary burn
The stove should be seen as part of a whole house approach
Minimise wood use by efficient use of the stove
Procure your wood responsibly
Enjoy your fire