Woodburning Stoves Vs Multi fuel Stoves

Ever wondered what the difference was between Woodburning stoves and Multi Fuel stoves ?

Well the days of wondering are up! I will give you the basic facts that will show the difference between a Woodburning Stove and a Multi fuel Stove.

Grate: The easiest way to see if you have a Woodburning Stove or a Multi Fuel Stove is to look at the fire grate. If the fire grate is "static" as in it does not have any moving parts then this means it is designed for woodburning only. If your grate has moving parts then this is called a "Riddling Grate" and is designed for the use of Wood and coal hence the name Multi Fuel stove.

Wood burns far more efficiently on a flat bed of ash hense the reason why you can not riddle the grate as they burn better on a bed of ash so do not require so much cleaning or removal of the ash.

When burning Coal you need to clear some of the Ash in order for it to continue burning efficiently and the riddling grate allows you to make the ash fall through to an Ash Pan.

Another sure way to see if you have a Woodburning stove or a Multi fuel stove is to see if it has an Ash Pan, this is designed to catch the Ash from the grate. The ash pan is always found in a Multi fuel stove.

The Multi Fuel stoves are the more popular stoves available on the market as for around £40 more you get the flexibility to burn Wood or Solid fuel. However many people still refer to stoves as Woodburning stoves but they actually normally mean a Multi fuel Stove.

Convection stoves vs Radiant stoves

Convection stoves are designed to distribute heat a lot more evenly around the room.

How do Convection Stoves work?

Convection stoves have an extra side panel which forms a spacing channel between it and the fire box walls of the stove. The heat is led up into the room via these channels. Cold air is drawn in at the base of the stove and drawn up between the side plates and finally out at the top as hot air. The hot air rises, and cold air is drawn in at floor level. This generates quick and even air distribution in the room.

Why is a convection stove better than a radiant stove?

Convection stoves are by far much safewr if you have small children because the side plates that draw in cold air stay much cooler than that of a radiant stove.

Convection stoves are much better at giving out even and comfortable heat into the room. Convection stoves are also extremely good if you wish to heat adjoining rooms.

What are Radiant Stoves?

Radiant stoves have been used for many years and are still by far the most popular type of stove sold today. Radiant stoves emit heat from the top, front and side of the body. Radiant woodburning stoves give out much quicker heat than convection stoves.

Airwash Technology Explained

Airwash stoves, air wash multi fuel stoves

Airwash is a system designed to ensure that the glass is kept clean.

The airwash is achieved by air being drawn into the top of the stove and heated in the central air chamber before being directed down behind the glass door creating a screen between the fire and the glass.

Smoke or combustion particles do not come into contact with the glass, leaving it clean to see through.

UK smoke Control Areas - Clean Air Acts 1956 and 1968

Legislative background- The Clean Air Acts of 1956 & 1968

The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968 were introduced to deal with the smogs of the 1950s and 1960s which were caused by the widespread burning of coal for domestic heating and by industry.

These smogs were blamed for the premature deaths of hundreds of people in the UK. The Acts gave local authorities powers to control emissions of dark smoke, grit, dust and fumes from industrial premises and furnaces and to declare “smoke control areas” in which emissions of smoke from domestic properties are banned.

Since then, smoke control areas have been introduced in many of our large towns and cities in the UK and in large parts of the Midlands, North West, South Yorkshire, North East of England, Central and Southern Scotland.

Smoke control areas

Under the Clean Air Act local authorities may declare the whole or part of the district of the authority to be a smoke control area. It is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building, from a furnace or from any fixed boiler if located in a designated smoke control area. It is also an offence to acquire an “unauthorised fuel” for use within a smoke control area unless it is used in an “exempt” appliance (“exempted” from the controls which generally apply in the smoke control area). The current maximum level of fine is £1,000 for each offence.

Your local authority is responsible for enforcing the legislation in smoke control areas and you can contact them for details of any smoke control areas in their area. They should also have details of the fuels and appliances which may be used.

To find out if you are in a smoke Control Area simply visit the UK Smoke Control Area Website

Smoke Control Area Exempt Stoves

The Following Stoves have been authorised under the Act for use in a Smoke Controlled Area:

Dovre
The Stoves below are only authorised for use in Smoke control areas.

Dovre 500 Cleanburn Woodburning Stove - Only authorised to burn wood
Dovre 700 Cleanburn Woodburning Stove - Only authorised to burn wood

Hwam
The Stoves below are only authorised for use in smoke control areas.

Hwam 30 Woodburning Stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Beethoven Woodburning Stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Mozart Woodburning stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Ravel Woodburning stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Vivaldi Woodburning stove - Untreated dry wood.

Morso
Morso Owl Multi Fuel Stove - Untreated dry wood, which has been split, stacked and air dried or air dried wood briquettes

Woodburning & Multifuel Maintenance

Here you will find some basic rules in order to keep your stove healthy

As with most things around the house, stoves need a little bit of tender loving care in order to serve you well throughout its life.

Below are the main parts of your stove that you would need to check in order for your stove to work efficiently:

Fire Grate: This is the part on the bed of your stove that the fuel sits on. If it is a multi fuel stove ensure that the grate can be riddled easily enough. If the grate does not move or is restricted in its movement remove the grate when cool and check for distortion and cracks. Please note that these do occasionally wear out and the normal reason behind this is often due to the ash pan not being cleaned regularly enough. Remove the ash daily as the ash can catch fire and will put direct heat onto the bar which will reduce the life of the grate.

Fire Bricks: are the concrete looking bricks that you normally find in side the stove on the inside walls and at the back of the stove. The job of the fire bricks are to protect the cast or steel shell from damage by the direct heat produced. From time to time the bricks can crack or start to crumble in places. If the crack is very small you can normally cover the crack in fire cement just to seal the crack but this should only be a short term fix and you should look to replace the fire bricks as soon as possible to avoid damaging your stove.

Stove Throat plate: This is the steel plate at the top of the stove that normally rests on top of the Fire Bricks. This is designed to stop all the heat going directly up the chimney and reflects the heat back into the stove. Over time these can sometimes warp slightly if the stove is run frequently at a high heat. If this gets too warped it could cause problems when sweeping the chimney or trying to remove fire bricks.

ash pan: This is what catches the ash in a Multi Fuel Stove. Ensure that there are no holes in the ash pan to avoid having hot ash falling out. this should be emptied regularly as to protect the Fire Grate and the ash pan itself as continued heat could cause damage.

Stove Rope Seal: This is the heat resistant rope that goes around the door or the stove and the inside of the glass. the road will wear out over time and will need to be replaced. you will normally know when the rope needs replacing as there may be air getting into the stove making it burn less efficiently or there may be smoke seeping out of the door or glass. The rope will also go very flat and hard and crispy over time and this is another sign of wear and tear.

Heat Resistant Glass: The glass can get brittle over time and can crack if knocked. Occasionally the glass will become so brittle because of the heat it will crack with the slightest touch. This is normal and can happen after a period of time. Try not to over tighten the glass screws on the in side of the door as these could make the glass crack once heated.


The above mentioned are the main things that can have an effect on the way the stove works. It is recommended that you check the above items regularly. This will ensure that your stove looks after you through out the cold winter months, year after year.