FAQs

Can I use a non-DEFRA approved appliance in a smoke-free zone?

Under the Clean Air Act local authorities can declare all or part of specific areas smoke control areas. If you live in a smoke free zone it's an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building, from a furnace or from any fixed boiler. In fact, if you ignore this law you risk a fine of up to £1,000 for each offence. It is also illegal to acquire an unauthorised fuel for use within a smoke control area unless it is used in appliance that is exempt from the controls which generally apply in the smoke control area. A full list of exempt appliances is available on the DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk

Can I have that in a different colour?

Many of our stoves come in a variety of colours to suit your taste, black, green, blue, brown, almond and many more. Of course, if you fancy a more contemporary look, stainless steel side panels can be added.

When I come to see you, what information should I bring?

Information that always helps us give you the best advise possible are:

• Room size? (length x width x height)
• Age of building?
• Is there an existing fireplace? 
• Do you have a style in mind?
• What fuel are you looking to burn?
• Do you live in a smoke control area?
• Are you looking for a primary heat source or is this a secondary heat source? (using it all day every day, or a few hours here and there)

How much will it cost for installation and what is involved?

It all depends on what stove you have chosen and where/how it will be installed in your home. From the information you have provided us with, we can give you a guide price and what may be involved in the insalltion work, but a site visit would determine each individual detail.

What size of stove do I need?

Before choosing a stove it is worth measuring the area you wish to heat (i.e. your lounge). Measure the width, length and height. Also take into account insulation in the room, as this affects the size of stove you would need.

It is often the case that customers want to heat more than one room. This is possible, but we stress that all radiant stoves heat the area closest to its shell, much hotter than the area three rooms away.  If your house is all open plan, this can be achieved using a convecting stove, or even an Eco fan.

The output of a stove that is being used for a few hours in the evening or on special occasions can be less important compared to a stove that is running all day everyday. 10KW  of heat over 2 hours in a small room can be managable, but 5KW all day everyday in a small room is alot to 

We have always had cast iron stoves, are they better than steel stoves?

Historically, stoves where produced using cast iron sections that bolted together to create the shell of the stove. This has continued today, but isnt as widely used. The cast die that is used to create the outer sections of the stove, are very expensive to produce. However, the assemble of the sections is quick and inexpensive and requires little training. In comparason, steel stoves are now more widely produced for many reasons. Steel is easy to cut and shape, but requires time and skill to weld all pieces together.

A quality cast iron stove and a quality steel stove are overall no different in the way they perform. A cast stove takes longer to heat up but retains its heat for longer, while a steel stove heats up much quicker, giving you more control, but does cool down much quicker.

How long for delivery?

Delivery all depends on the availability of the make, model and colour you choose. We stock all Charnwoods and Clearview stoves.

Can I burn household coal on a multifuel stove?

Multi fuel, does not include household coal. Most manufacturers state that household coal cannot be burnt within one of there appliances. However, British manufacturer Charnwood, allow you to burn household coal in any of there stoves without affecting the manufacturers warrenty.

Do you stock spare parts for my stove?

Yes, we stock all parts for all the stoves we have on display, and many more for other models. We stock parts for discontinued models and open fire grate parts.

If I have a problem, where should I go?

If you have problems with your stove please feel free to call us or pop into one of our showrooms and we'd be more than happy to help.

My husband loves DIY. Can he install our stove?

Well, if he finished the kitchen extension he started last year, we'd say yes! But on the whole, we would recommend bringing in a specialist installation team to do it for you. If a stove or flue is badly fitted then you run the risk of the stove performing badly, and creating further problems in the future. You're far better letting the experts do their job.