Stoves are a popular choice when it comes to heating a room. Not only do they provide a beautiful focal point but they also offer an unrivalled feeling of cosiness. There are many myths surrounding stoves, though, so we’ve put together this handy guide to help you understand everything you need to know...
MYTH:
Wood burners can’t be used in smoke-controlled areas.
FACT:
This is untrue. Stoves approved by DEFRA can be used in a smoke-control area. Your local council can tell you if there are restrictions where you live and a list of stoves approved for
smoke exempt areas can be found on the DEFRA website. All AGA wood-burning stoves are approved by DEFRA.
MYTH:
Stoves only run on wood.
FACT:
Stoves can run on many fuels. To meet various regulations, they must be clean fuels. AGA has multi-fuel stoves that can run on coal, anthracite and clean solid fuels, as well as wood. The best fuel to burn is purely down to consumer choice and what is available. Some people will have a ready supply of good, seasoned, kiln-dried wood. Others will prefer the longer-burning effects of solid fuel. Refer to the DEFRA Ready to Burn Scheme, ensuring all manufactured solid fuel is approved. There are also stoves that run on gas and electricity. There’s never been a better time to buy a stove as the options for fuel type have grown hugely in recent years.
MYTH:
An open fire produces more heat than a stove.
FACT:
This is false. Stoves are actually better at keeping a room warm. Heat from the fire in the stove is stored within the cast iron, so a stove offers both radiant and convective heat.
MYTH:
Wood-burning stoves are banned.
FACT:
This is untrue. What is true is that certain fuels are banned. The use of wood-burning stoves with suitable fuels is still very much allowed. Refer to the DEFRA Ready to Burn Scheme to find out more about this. Fuels that are banned include wet fuels with high moisture levels or fuels that give out too much There are, however, clean solid fuels available, allowing you to enjoy all the benefits of a stove while also being mindful about the environment.
MYTH:
Wood burners are highly polluting.
FACT:
This is untrue. There are many guidelines we follow to ensure our stoves are as environmentally friendly as possible. AGA manufactures stoves that operate in line with Ecodesign 2022 standards and recognised under the Cleaner Choice scheme through HETAS. The HETAS and DEFRA websites list approved products. With efficiency and low emission standards met, all AGA multi-fuel stoves are included in the listings.
MYTH:
Electric stoves look fake.
FACT:
If you choose an electric stove with a good flame pattern and a great design then it won’t look fake at all. The flame pattern in AGA electric stoves is slow and high and illumination can be adjusted in intensity and colour to meet your personal preference. This allows AGA to offer electric stoves that look incredibly realistic and also to make taller stoves, such as the Westbury smoke or particles.
MYTH:
You can’t use a gas stove anymore.
FACT:
This is untrue. Gas stoves are still a popular choice with consumers. AGA offers balanced flue gas stoves. A balanced flue can be installed where a conventional chimney exists with an approved renovation kit or can vent through a wall, meaning you don’t have to have a chimney to have a gas stove. They work with natural gas or LPG.
MYTH:
AGA stoves are made abroad
FACT:
This is untrue. Whatever fuel they run on, all AGA stoves are made right here in the UK. With our electric stove, the components and software are also designed and made in the UK.
MYTH:
The heat that electric stoves put into a room is dry.
FACT:
The heat is recirculated air – it doesn’t take any moisture out of the air. You know this because you won’t get any condensation on the stove. All the stove is doing is warming and recirculating air into the room.
MYTH:
You need a fireplace to have a stove.
FACT:
This is false. For example, an electric stove can be placed anywhere in the home where there is a 13-amp socket. Wood burners give you the reality of burning fuel because
that’s exactly what you’re doing. To replicate that look and feel electric stoves offer realistic flame patterns. If you’re looking to use renewables and reduce your overall carbon
footprint then an electric stove is a good way to go. Electric stoves can be installed in all sorts of places that would benefit from some extra warmth, such as boats, cabins and garden offices.
MYTH:
Electric stoves are expensive to run.
FACT:
Electric stoves are very efficient. There’s no heat lost to a flue system, and electric stoves will operate towards 100% efficiency. The output of an electric stove will broadly be between 0.9 and 1.9 kw so they don’t have a high output and the cost associated with that. The cost will also depend on how well insulated the room is and what other heat sources are available. Any stove is a good option when you want to heat a single zone, rather than the whole home, as it’s a convenient and cost-effective way to heat just the space you are using. All AGA electric stoves can run without heating, so you can just have the visual effect if you choose. This ensures you’re never using energy unnecessarily.
MYTH:
Electric stoves don’t give off much heat
FACT:
Electric stoves typically give off 0.9 to 1.9 kw of heat. They are designed to heat single-zone areas, so are perfect when you don’t wish to heat an entire building. For this reason they are limited to a suitable output for most living areas. Electric stoves are regulated to have a low or zero output so are ideal for newer builds or more modern, well-insulated houses which require less heat. Electric stoves can also be programmed to come on so you can come back to a warm welcome home.
MYTH:
Stoves look old fashioned and are only suitable for traditional houses.
FACT:
This is completely untrue. We manufacture a range of products suitable for all styles of home – from the traditional Ellesmere through to the stylish, sleekly modern Westbury. Electric stoves
in particular work very well in modern, highly insulated homes. If you’re looking for something sleek and modern looking, it’s well worth checking out the Rayburn Stratus range too.
