Use our stove size calculator below to find out how many kilowatts you will need to heat your room.
There are three figures each stove manufacturer will quote: the minimum heat output, the maximum and the nominal heat output. The first two are fairly self-explanatory. The nominal heat output is the median between the first two and is the one used for rating purposes. It is the nominal that will determine whether you need an air vent in the room and it is the nominal that the manufacturer will most likely quote when asked what a stove’s output is. The nominal heat output is what our Stove Size Calculator will give you.
5 Reasons for 5kw
You may have your eyes on a great big hunk of cast iron, to heat your home, but many stoves installed today only have around a 5kw nominal (average) output – or just under.
WHY DO MOST STOVES HAVE A NOMINAL HEAT OUTPUT OF 5KW?
- Because that is all many standard living rooms need.
- Because smaller stoves with a lower output have such tiny fire boxes that you are forever adding logs… one by one!
- Because much more and you need a permanently open vent in your room or a direct air kit linking your stove to the outside.
- Because most of us live in a Smoke Control Zone and most DEFRA approved stoves for smoke control zones are 5kw.
- Because even though their nominal output might be 5kw, many are capable of putting out 6, 7 or even 8kw of heat: plenty for most front rooms.
So what do you need?
Obviously most of us don’t live in a standard house – we’ve knocked through, we have french windows which may require more power. So try our tool.
IMPORTANT: Please note, our stove size calculator tool will only give you a rough idea of the required output for your stove and is only meant to act as a guide. You should get one of our HETAS registered engineers to survey your property before deciding on the stove that is right for you. Please contact the office on 01582 599200 to make an appointment.