There have been Many Articles in the Press recently, regarding the ,so called, ”Banning of Stoves and Solid Fuel Fires” As Normal, The British Press have got hold of the wrong information and ran with Sensationalised stories that Stoves, Fires are going to be banned next Year.
This is Wholly wrong. There are some new Regulations regarding what can be burnt on the Nations Stoves and Fires, But this not really a major Change on what has been Law for a number of Years. What follows is some Confirmation of what is Happening with Stoves and Fuel which can be used from Next Year.
You may have heard about a New Directive called Eco Design 2022. This is a New Law, which comes into force from , Obviously 2022, and involves how Stoves are designed, built and operated, in order to cut down on Emissions into the Atmosphere and also the Efficiency of the stoves being Installed. This has been taking place with Manufacturers for over 4 years now and Nearly all the stoves Quality Fireplaces sell and Install are already Eco2022 Compliant. It is not Illegal to have a Non Eco2022 stove installed at present and it does not mean a non Compliant stove is banned from being used after 2021, It purely means that Manufacturers will only be able sell and Supply Compliant stoves after April 2022. Anything Already fitted will be still ok to use, but Obviously, if a New Stove has been designed to Increase efficiency and also Cut down on Emissions, then why not do your bit to help the Environment.
The Real News from the last Few weeks, is that certain Fuels will not be able to be Bought after February 2021. These are Mainly Normal House Coal and What is known as ‘ Wet Wood’,or Green wood. In Effect any Wood which has a Moisture content of more than 20%.
Kiln dried or seasoned wood, Smokeless Fuel, which is Manufactured to remove impurities is the only type of fuel which will be allowed after Feb 2021. But this has been the Guidelines Stove Manufacturers have been saying in their Brochures, Instruction Manuals for Years. If you have been burning normal House coal on your stove, you will have been Wrecking the Appliance, Ruining your Flue Liner and that is before releasing Mercury, Arsenic, Sulphur etc into your property and the Environment. Again with Wet Wood, Wood which has not been dried out to the levels required,Wood which has literally been cut down and sold at the side of the road, at Garages and Discount shops in Nets. This type of Wood gives off its own impurities, Tars from the wood, Creosote, chemicals which are Inherent in growing trees. But this is only half the story. Burning a recently cut down tree in your stove does not give you any heat. The science behind the burning is complicated, but in effect the ‘Energy’ that is stored in the wood itself, the ‘ Energy’ you want to be used to heat your home, is used with the burning off of the moisture and tars in the wood. It gives off steam but no real heat, by the time you burn this Moisture off the log, there is little left to produce any heat. This means you will be using more wood, ruining your liner, maybe the stove with the tars and impurities coming from the wet wood. With a Properly seasoned, or Kiln Dried log, you may get 40 mins out of it, with a lot of heat. A wet Log, maybe 10 mins of heat and a Dirty stove, Black Glass, Tar up your flue and a whole world of hurt when you find on your next sweeping that you need a new liner, or the stove is damaged and not covered under warranty, as you have burnt the wrong Fuels. It is just not worth it and is a False economy.
The New Laws state that the only Fuels you will be able to buy from Feb 2021 will be Properly seasoned wood or Kiln Dried, and Manufactured Smokeless fuels. House Coal and nets of wood bought from Garages, Discount shops etc will be Banned, There will be an Official Logo shown on fuel suitable to be burnt and Compliant. Failure to do so will be open to Prosecution and as we all know, When a new Law comes in, Our Local Councils will be hell bent on catching Offenders, Shops or End users. Bulk buying of House coal will be permissible up to Feb 2022, which will then be Banned.
You can obviously season your own wood at home. This would be Hard woods such as Birch, Beech, Oak, Ash, Apple,Pear, any hard wood. Soft woods, such as Conifer, Pine etc, will still be useless to burn as a heat source. Maybe dry some out and chop it up for Kindling wood? Outside Log store are easily available online
You would cut wood down and store it in this for up to 2 years, for the Moisture Content to lower to less than 20%. Moisture Meters are readily available online too
But Most Importantly buy the Correct Wood in the First place. We have teamed up with an Online Supplier of Kiln Dried Wood, from FSC Approved sources and showing the ”Ready to Burn ” Logo which is an Industry Standard for reliably sourced, Correctly produced Wood, suitable for all heat sources. We use the products in our showrooms and the Quality of the wood, the Sales experience, the Speed and service supplied is Second to none. We have an offer for anyone requiring wood for their Stoves. We have a Voucher Discount code for an Extra 5% off the first purchase from the company by quoting QUALITYPR8 At the Checkout.
Click on the link below and see the Quality of wood on offer and the Testimonials from their many Happy Customers.
https://www.whitehorseenergy.co.uk/
In Conclusion, Don’t be put off by the Hype and False reporting out n the Press. Manufacturers have been stating this recommendation for a Number of Years. All, Bar one of the Stoves Quality Fireplaces sell via their showrooms are already Compliant with the new Rules and you can be assured that the Installation we offer, will be to the Highest standard and to the latest regulations which are in effect.
Call into our Showroom and see our range of Stoves and speak to our Knowledgeable Staff, who can guide you through the process of getting the ‘Perfect’ Stove for your home.
