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    Jenny Wyness

    I am using PHPP to design two semi-detached, three bedroom houses. I am currently achieving a specific space heating demand of 22 kWh/(m2a), and a heating load of 12 W/m2. Hot water is provided with solar thermal and an electric boiler. The client would like the option of a wood burning stove to provide the space heating demand only. Are there stoves that are small enough available in the UK, and does anyone have any tips regarding specification other than of course the requirement for the isolated combustion intake?


    You don't say what the total heating load is (or alternatively give the floor area to go with the specific heat load) so there's no way to tell what size you are looking for. Also, are you looking for a burner for each house, or one burner for the pair?

    The usual problem with devices like wood stoves is that they are designed to heat rooms directly, and if you want to heat an entire house with one you then have to find some means of distributing the heat. Note that the MVHR system will not do it (you would need much greater air flows)! The usual solution is to find a product that is mainly a boiler with a small proportion of heat output to the room, and then use a wet heating system to distribute the heat.

    Robert Morris

    Try having a look at the T-Loft Plus stove made by the Swiss company Tonwerk available from
    Anglia Fireplaces & Design, Anglia House, Kendal Court, Cambridge Road, Impington, Cambridge, CB24 9YS
    Tel: 01223 234713 Fax: 01223 235116 Email: sales@fireplaces.co.uk http://www.fireplaces.co.uk
    A high mass half masonry/half steel framed stove redesigned from first principles that includes a loop of copper pipe between the layers of masonry that allows you to heat water for a wet heating system (if your house is not open plan) or just hot water for other uses while storing heat for up to 16 hours releasing it slowly after one short firing. It also designed to connect directly to the outside air supply so as not to compromise the airtightness of the house – attractive to look at with glass fronted door too…. we are very pleased with ours as the only source of space heating in our low energy house

    David Olivier

    Maybe peoples' attention should be drawn to this:


    Local wood combustion may not be the best method to heat a house which is designed to have a relatively low environmental impact.

    It's true that the impacts of PM 2.5 particles are still being researched, and it's true that wood smoke isn't the same as coal amoke, which isn't the same as diesel engine emissions. However, I don't think it's realistic to expect wood smoke particles to have an opposite impact on health vs. the impact on health of diesel smoke particles. Diesel cars have already been declared by some sectors of the media to be a health hazard.

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