Wood Burners
Wood burners are generally preferred to open fires because they are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
However several things need to be considered before buying a wood burner:
Building consents
The installation of a solid wood burner requires consent from your local council as they may have additional requirements before your renovations can go ahead.
Authorised Wood Burners
After September 2005 all wood burners installed on properties less than 2 hectares in size must meet certain emission requirements. Click here to see if your wood burner meets those conditions. If an illegally installed wood burner starts a fire, it may mean you won’t have any insurance.
The type of wood burner
Freestanding models are more efficient and are more cost effective. However if you already have an open fireplace an insert model will often be the cheaper option.
Consider your heat requirements
Make sure to match your wood burner heat output to the size of room that needs heating. Click on the links below to contact a professional who can help you with this.
Also, unless your home is open-plan, generally wood burners produce more heat than is required for one room. Consider heat transfer kits which suck heat from one room and pump it into another.
Installation
Above all this is the most important aspect to consider. A poorly installed wood burner will not be efficient and could in fact be dangerous. Technicians from the New Zealand Home Heating Association are your safest bet.
When installed correctly and appropriately maintained, wood burners are often a very smart choice.
Go to the EECA website for more information.