Winter comes, and we need to cosy up our indoor spaces, connect with family, and find time to relax—no need to cut off the bond with nature when the temperatures drop. Wood heaters help bring the warmth of winter indoors, covering you in a rich, heartwarming natural energy source like no other. The fascination of cuddling up in front of a fireplace is often everyone’s initial romantic motive. Yet, given the mounting electricity and gas costs, wood fires have become an economical and sustainable choice, offering a renewable energy source.
Investing in a wood heater is a significant decision, and this handy guide will help you transform your home into a warm and comfortable sanctuary during winter. It will assist you in understanding more about wood heaters and how to proceed with the purchase process.
Design Style for Your Wood Heater
When selecting a wood heater, consider your personal style preferences. A wood heater often serves as a central element in your home, making choosing one that complements your home’s decor worthwhile. Whether you love a functional modern aesthetic or prefer a touch of old-world charm, enjoy clean, minimalist lines, or prefer a homely and traditional feel, there’s a wood heater design style to match your preferences.
Discover indoor wood heaters categorised into four primary styles: sleek design, modern mainstream, traditional simplicity, and rustic charm. Whether you prefer classic, contemporary, designer, or traditional, you’ll find a style that harmonises your home. Furthermore, you can choose between freestanding or built-in wood heaters within these design styles. Whether you select a built-in or freestanding wood heater, you can choose a heating style that matches your desired space requirements and heat coverage.
Freestanding Wood Heaters
A freestanding wood heater is the perfect solution for those who don’t have an existing fireplace. The design of freestanding wood heaters has evolved significantly from the classic old-fashioned wood stoves. Whether you prefer a modern, sleek, rustic, or traditional design, your freestanding wood heater can establish a cosy focal point in your living space with minimal structural work required for installation.
Built-In Wood Heaters (Inserts or Zero Clearance)
Built-in wood heaters offer a modern and energy-efficient alternative to open brick fireplaces. This heater style allows you to experience warmth directly in the room rather than having the heat directed through the chimney. If your home already has a brick fireplace, upgrading to an inbuilt insert heater is an option.
For those who admire the appearance of a built-in fireplace but lack an existing brick fireplace, a zero-clearance heater is a viable choice. A zero-clearance box enables you to effortlessly enhance any blank wall with minimal structural impact, allowing installation within a combustible wall or framework. It provides the flexibility to position your heater as the centrepiece of the room, optimising heat distribution and airflow.
Certified Wood Heaters
Wood heaters vary in quality; not all are made equal. When browsing online for wood heater options, it’s crucial to ensure that the one you intend to buy adheres to the Australian Standards AS/NZS 4012, 4013, and 2918. Certification indicates that these heaters are designed for Australian conditions and compatible with Australian firewood. You can check the Australian Home Heating Association website to verify certification. If you prefer in-store shopping, look for the Compliance Plate that displays AS/NZS 4012 or 4013.
How to Choose the Right Wood Heater Size for Your Home
When selecting a wood heater, it’s crucial to consider the practical aspects of your home, such as its size, space, and layout. This assessment will assist you in determining the appropriate wood heating style and the required heat coverage. For instance, if your home is well-insulated or if you plan to use other heating appliances alongside a wood heater, a powerful heater may not be necessary.
Pellet Wood Heaters
Opting for a wood pellet heater is an excellent decision if you desire the cosy warmth of a wood fire without the challenges of splitting and stacking wood. These heaters are ideal for small to medium-sized rooms, providing a consistent heat output without fluctuations. Additionally, they are an energy-efficient, clean, convenient, and environmentally friendly choice, using pellets instead of traditional firewood. The pellets used in these heaters are made from dense, recycled sawdust.
Radiant Wood Heaters
Unlike convection heaters, radiant wood heaters expose all sides of the firebox. It enables the heater to radiate heat at a stable rate. Radiant heaters are designed for heating homes with high ceilings and large open areas, including expanded or open-plan homes.
Convection Wood Heaters
Convection wood heaters feature an air cavity between the firebox and the outer casing. As the wood burns, the air within the cavity heats up, expands, and ascends. The convection outer shell of the heater facilitates the intake of additional air from the bottom, compelling the warmed air to exit from the top of the heater. A well-designed, clean-burning convection heater can generate over three cubic meters of heated air per minute. It makes convection heaters well-suited for rooms of various sizes or homes with standard ceiling heights.
Wood Heater Installation
After identifying the ideal wood heater for your needs, the next crucial step is the installation process. Wood heater installation must adhere to the Australian Standard AS/NZS 2918, specific manufacturer instructions, and local building regulations.
You can entrust straightforward installations like inserting a heater into an existing fireplace to a qualified professional. A qualified fireplace installer can guide you through the installation conditions tailored to your home type and address any insurance disclosure requirements, especially for first-time installations.
- Installation options for a single-level home include standard single-storey setups, 45-degree wall penetrations, cathedral ceiling installations, or insert installations.
- In a double-storey home, you can opt for floor penetrations, cathedral ceiling setups, 45-degree wall penetrations, or insert installations.
Each installation type will influence the components required for your wood heater.
The Bottom Line
With these insights, you can transform your home into an oasis of warmth and togetherness during winter. Wood heaters offer a cosy and economical solution for winter warmth at home. And you can consider the timeless appeal of an outdoor wood fireplace to extend the comfort beyond indoors.
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