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What Sizes Do Wood-Burning Stoves Come In?

What Sizes Do Wood-Burning Stoves Come In?

The size of a wood-burning stove is usually given by its heat output in kilowatts (kW). The figure you’ll see displayed prominently in relation to a stove is the maximum heat output of which it’s capable. These figures are dependent on operating the stove at full capacity and efficiency. They are neither 100% accurate, nor uniform between different manufacturers, but they do provide a helpful guide when comparing different stoves.

 

Most wood-burning stoves manufacturers tend to start their range with a 4kW to 5kW entry model. These small stoves are mainly intended for use in cabins, boats and compact rooms.

 

Mazona Warwick 4kW Ecodesign Multifuel Stove

 

        

Mazona Rye 5kW Ecodesign Multifuel Stove

 

The next group of stoves tend to be between 6kW and 10kW in size and are usually suitable for average sized rooms.

  

Arada Hoxton 7kW Ecodesign Woodburning Stove

Mazona Ripley 8kW Ecodesign Multifuel Stove  

 

Anything above 10kW and you’re looking at a sizeable wood-burning stove capable of heating a large space.

 

Arada Farringdon 12kW Ecodesign Multifuel Stove  

 

What factors should affect the size of wood-burning stove you buy?

The ultimate defining factor when deciding what size of wood-burning stove to buy is the size of space that you need to heat. The size of heat output you choose should correspond to the size of room in which the stove will be installed.

Tools like our heat output calculator can help to guide you towards the approximate size of stove that should be suitable for your home. Obviously, the larger the space you need to heat the larger the stove you’ll need to do the job.

 

Other factors to take into consideration include:

  • How well insulated is your home?

If you know your home has poor insulation or is prone to draughts, you might err on the side of caution and buy a slightly larger stove than is recommended for your room size.

  • What is your budget?

A nice looking stove is pointless if it isn’t also big enough to heat your room. If your budget isn’t going to stretch to the size and design you want, it’s better to scrimp on the design and ensure that the stove serves its primary purpose of keeping you warm.

  • Do you want to create more heat than you really need?

Some people prefer to buy a bigger stove than they need and run it at less than full capacity most of the time. That gives the option of having a larger fire if you’d like to spread the heat into adjacent rooms. Operating stoves in this way does not give you the best efficiency levels, but it does provide a bit more flexibility. However, it also creates the risk of overheating your room, particularly if you’re new to wood-burning stoves.

  • Is it a boiler stove?

If you’re buying a boiler stove, which will also heat your water and radiators, you’ll need to factor in that a considerable amount of the heat output will be used on heating the boiler. It’s important to buy a larger stove than you would need to heat the room alone to counter this.

  • What other forms of heating will you be using?

The workload of your stove will vary considerably depending on whether you’re planning on using it in conjunction with another form of heating or if it will be the main source of warmth in your home.

 

If you haven’t already, try out our heat calculator now to get some guidance on the stove size you’ll need.

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