Stove Jargon – What does it all mean?
Have you ever been looking at Woodburners and not known what any of the more technical language means? When we first started out we were learning on the job so we thought we’d create some helpful definitions of generic stove jargon that can be found across the web when you’re searching for your wood burner to make it all a little easier.
Convection:
What does convection mean and why can you get both convection and standard models of some stoves?
Convection means that the stove has the equivalent to an inner and outer body, and between these bodies, air is heated and then travels around the room to heat a room more effectively. See the picture for more information.
Smoke Exempt:
If your stove is labelled SE or Smoke Exempt this means that it has been tested and is DEFRA approved. This approval allows you to burn wood in a smokeless area, these stoves are also fit to burn approved smokeless fuels, unless otherwise specified.
To find out whether you're in a smoke control area please contact your local council.
Closed Combustion:
If your stoves labelled with CC or closed combustion, this means the stove is able to take direct air, see the below picture for a more detailed explanation.
Many stoves that are closed combustion come already with a spigot on the back or rear of the stove ready to connect to a closed combustion ducting kit or CCDK to allow the air to flow directly from the outside and fuel the stove, but some need to have an extra part, this is always worth checking when purchasing a stove to see if you need an extra spigot or connector.
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Air
Most Woodburners use primary, secondary and tertiary air.
Primary Air = the air that comes in through the ash pan when you first start the stove to get the stove going and up to operating temperature, if your stove doesn’t have an ash pan and grate then the best way to get your stove going is to keep the door on the latch for start up until the best operating temperature is achieved.
Secondary Air = Pre heated air that enters the chamber around the top of the door, this air provides the airwash system on most stoves. The heated air flushes down over the glass it keeps it clear from deposits. Most woodburning stoves use secondary air after start up to keep the stove operating efficently.
Tertiary Air = Pre heated air comes in through air bars on the back of the stove, tertiary air is not controllable, but is there to inject more oxygen and air into the chamber to improve the efficiency as it is burning as well as providing the air for the secondary combustion, where the gases from the primary combustion are re-ignited for a cleaner and more efficient burn.
If you have any phrases or words that you don’t fully understand when shopping for woodburning stoves, or is there an abbreviation that you don’t know what it stands for, please comment below or email us at info@eurostove.co.uk and we’ll add them to our Jargon Buster Blog.