The idea of a warm and beautiful living room really lights up our mood. Therefore, a fireplace almost becomes a must for every house. But did you know that the open fires, that we really enjoy is actually ineffective at converting the fuel energy to heat? Around 80 percent of the heat produced in an open fireplace escapes through the chimney. There is another option of heating your house and adding a centerpiece to your living room, they are known as stoves. There are different types of stoves available in Ireland from contemporary to traditional. Traditional models tend to be cast iron and are available in multi-fuel, wood only, oil, gas, pellet and electric. Each of these stoves serves a different purpose. But let us look more closely at the cast iron multi fuel stoves.
Do you still feel that an open fire looks appealing. Multi fuel Cast Iron Stoves will provide the same cozy feeling with better fuel efficiency. One can use wood, peat briquettes, coal, anthracite, wood and turf as fuel for the stoves. When you burn a kilogram of fuel on a stove they will produce 3 times more heat than the open fireplaces. Some drawbacks of an open fire are:
• An open fire draws up the air from the rooms and then fails to provide adequate heat to the room.
• Open fire eliminates the heat generated by other heat sources in your house by wasting them right up the chimney.
This way, you can also lower your central heating thermostat. Stoves also provides you with controls, where you can regulate the speed of burning and the temperature.
You can let the fire on in a low setting through the night and then strengthen it very easily in the morning. You will achieve an energy efficiency of around 70 to 80 percent (each stove has a different efficiency), and this will help you lower the house heating costs. Stoves are also eco-friendly as they emit only 0.25 percent of the carbon monoxide (this depends on what fuel you burn). You can easily fit these smaller stoves in your current fireplaces. Burning dry wood in stoves is carbon neutral
If you use wood as a fuel in the stove then make sure that the wood is dry. If the wood is dry, you will require a lesser amount of it to warm up your home. Formation of creosote, the residue from burnt wood, is less when you use damp wood, however it is much easier to break the dry wood into smaller pieces for your stove. A perfect location to dry the wood is your garage, wood shed or your cellar. If you are thinking of burning turf or wood – make sure its fully discharged out for maximum heat. Do not burn fuel with high moisture content, such as a damp peat or unseasoned timber will only result in a build up of tar in the stove and in the chimney.
These are some of the reasons why Cast Iron Stoves are a great addition to your house. They are fuel efficient, eco-friendly way of heating your home.