Glossary

Ash Pan

An ash pan is a tray often made of stainless steel. Its purpose is to capture burnt fuel in the form of ash from the stove as it falls through the grate. A stove burning solid fuel will require more regular ash removal than one burning well-seasoned wood.

Chair Brick / Milner Brick

This is a curved shape brick which makes the back of an open fireplace & directs the exhaust fumes from the fire into the chimney.

Data Plate

This is an information plate or sticker which is usually attached to the stove which gives details such as its manufacturer, output and any approvals/legislation criteria that it meets.

It can also sometimes refer to a data plate which is provided when a stove is installed which give details about the installation such as the type of chimney/flue used, the capability of the stove and who installed it.

Draught Stabiliser

This is fitted to the flue and enables the stove operator to increase or restrict the passageway through the flue pipe to control the flue draw.

Ecodesign or 'Ecodesign Ready'

In effect in the UK from early 2022, 'Ecodesign' is a European-wide programme for manufacturers of all kinds to produce products that reduce or remove their impact upon the environment in terms of their usage and in their manufacuturing process.

As a manufacturer of wood burning stoves our intent is to only design and manufacture heating appliances that produce significantly less Particulate Matter that measured 2.5 microns (also known as 'PM2.5') in normal use.

Our Ecodesign Ready stoves can reduce particulate emissions by 90% compared to an open fire and 80% compared to an old stove.

The PM emissions limit for Ecodesign is 55% lower than for DEFRA exempt stoves.

Flexifuel

Our Flexifuel System simplifies a choice between a wood-burning stove, solid fuel stove or multi-fuel stove. It allows you to use the fuel of your choice without compromising on heat output and efficiencies.
The unique crucible shape of the grate bars allows a better base for the fire to be built and constantly feeds fuel to the center of the fire helping to ensure that there is no un-burnt fuel.

Flue

A flue is a manufactured chimney which has been designed to take the exhaust gasses from the stove and vent them safely to the atmosphere.
Normally flue pipes are double walled galvanised sheet metal. When the stove is lit the updraft caused by a pre-heated flue helps to ensure an efficient burn is maintained.

Grate

A grate is made from cast iron and provides the ‘bed’ upon which the fuel and by extension the flames will burn above. Grates come in many shapes and sizes. Some are a single cast iron rectangular bed. Older grate designs do not allow fuel bed to be 'riddled' in order to eject unwanted ash into the ash pan. All of our older Flexifuel stoves had this facility. These days our Ecodesign ready stoves have central circular riddling section within a single grate bed.

Hearth

A hearth is a fireproof area directly in front of a fireplace or stove. It is made from non-combustible material which is designed to preserve flooring's and carpets from any hot material which may fall from the stove during refueling or de-ashing.

Hotplate

This is cast iron plate that is used to seal the flue outlet of the stove when it is not being used for the flue. For example, if you had a top-flued stove, the hotplate would be fitted to the rear outlet of the stove and a spigot to the top outlet.

Liners

Liners are bricks made from high-temperature resistant vermiculite are used to insulate the stove body from the intense temperatures from the flames in the fire chamber, which also maximises combustion efficiency.

Liners are also often referred to as fire bricks.

Some liner bricks are specifically shaped to fit the stove fire chamber, some also have a decorative pattern such as 'fluting' etched into them.

Liners are consumable items which if well looked after should last a very long time before needing to be replaced if they become damaged.

It is not always necessary to replace a liner brick if it is cracked, as it will still insulate the stove to an extent. However, once a liner begins to crumble, its insulation properties are reduced and this may cause damage to the the stove body and impact your fuel efficiency. At this point they will need replacing.

Lintel

There are two types of lintels; constructional and throat forming.
Constructional lintels can be made of concrete or steel. They are used to span the top of the opening of a fireplace and bear the weight of the building materials above it.

Throat forming lintels are usually a chamfered block which is designed to provide a flat surface parallel with the upper firebrick in order to form an angled passage (or throat) for the fire exhaust fumes to flow through.
When installing an inset stove model you will need to take into consideration the depth of the lintel. Depending on the depth you may need to fit a flue gather to your stove. These come in two sizes a short reach (50mm) and a long reach (96mm) flue gather. These will allow you to connect your stove exhaust outlet to a flue pipe.

Pre-Heated Airwash

The airwash system directs pre-heated air evenly across the fire door, creating a shield between the fire chamber and the glass to ensure you can always see the flames clearly.

Primary Air

This is the main source of air for combustion. This is usually supplied through the lower air inlet for multi fuel stoves.

Register Plate

When a freestanding stove is installed into an open fireplace a register plate is fitted to seal the base of the chimney. These will usually incorporate both a hole for the flue to pass through and an access door which can be used to sweep the chimney.

Riddling

Often when burning a solid smokeless fuel such as anthracite the grate bars will need to be riddled (shuffled back-and-forth) so as to let the ash to fall through into the ash pan below the grate bars where it can be safely emptied when cooled.

Seasoned Wood

Burning wood requires a little effort and planning; to burn efficiently, wood needs to be well-seasoned with a moisture content of below 25%. You can buy ready-to-use wood locally or, if you have access to a free supply, you can chop and season your own.
Once chopped, the logs need to be stored for at least a year in a dry shelter with good air circulation. Burning unseasoned wood can seriously damage your stove and the build-up of tar and other hazardous vapours it causes may lead to a chimney fire. You can check that your wood logs are sufficiently dry with an electronic moisture meter. Ideal types of wood to burn include:

• Beech
• Birch
• Elm
• Hawthorn
• Hazel
• Oak

Secondary Air / Secondary Burn

The secondary burn system controls the flow of air within the stove, circulating air to allow any un-burnt gasses to re-ignite and generate extra heat.

Spigot / Flue Collar

Spigots are cast iron collars which are fitted to either the top or rear of the stove (depending on the model of the appliance and installation preferences) which are then connected to the flue pipe.
For example if you had a top flued stove, the hotplate would be fitted to the rear outlet of the stove and a spigot to the top.

Tertiary Air / Tertiary Burn

For burning wood, the tertiary burn system introduces hot oxygen into the firebox, directly at the heart of the stove. This then re-ignites any un-burnt gasses and results in greater efficiency, a cleaner chimney and significanlty less particulate emissions.

Throat Plate aka 'Baffle Plate'

Throat plates prevent the hot gases produced by the fire from going straight up the flue / chimney. It is designed to force the air to take a longer path to the spigot so as to allow more heat to be transferred into the room.