Multifuel stove V's Woodburner

Which is best for you?

When we talk about stoves may people often refer to them as woodburners, But in the UK market the Multifuel stove is a more popular choice. So what’s the difference?


A woodburning only stove can burn only wood, Often there is no grate or ashpan as wood burns well on a bed of ash at the bottom of the stove with the air regulator positioned above the fuel. 


Often woodburners have a higher efficiency (fuel to heat) than multifuel stoves, a larger firebox so you don’t need to cut your logs very small and burning timber is carbon neutral, so they are kinder to the environment. 


The down side is you are limited to burning only wood. When burning a hot stove this can mean you will need to load the stove with fuel more often than with a mineral fuel. 


Timber should be burnt when it is seasoned and less than 25% moisture content to help avoid creating a tar build up in your flue way and to produce heat from the fire itself. If you burn wet timber the fire focuses its energy on drying the timber rather than giving off heat. 


If you want to burn wood only you will likely need a way to store your timber so you can season it yourself . Timber can be purchased as seasoned from your wood supplier and buying in bulk is always the cheapest option but if you want guarantees about the moisture content you can purchase kiln dried logs by the bag or wood fuel logs which have their moisture content recorded on the packaging so you know exactly what you are getting. 


Multifuel stoves allow for more choice in fuel. A multifuel stove will have the ability to burn wood but also other solid fuels such as coal and smokeless fuels but you will need to read the manufacturers recommendations as some list specific fuels as unsuitable and using these can void your warranty. 
A multifuel stove will have a grate and an ash pan and many have a riddling mechanism on the grate which can be positioned internally under the grate or externally outside the stove. 


Some multifuels have removable or adjustable grates which allow for more efficient burning of timber on a multifuel stove. Solid fuel likes to burn on a grate with air coming underneath so the stoves air intake regulators will usually be positioned under the multifuel grate to help with this.

Solid mineral fuels will also burn for longer than timber so you will need to load the fire less and also because you are not limited to one kind of fuel you can shop around on price and find one that works best for your situation and available storage. 


If you are looking for a stove and need advice on what kind would suit you best why not call North Wales Stoves Ltd on 01745 822344 or email us northwalesstovesltd@gmail.com