Glossary
Stove and firewood terms explained: kW output, Ecodesign, smoke control areas, flue liners, moisture content and more.
Terms
Airwash: meaning (UK stoves)
The air flow that keeps a stove's glass clear, and why it needs a hot fire.
Cubic metre stacked: meaning (UK stoves)
A cubic metre of neatly stacked logs, and how it differs from a loose cubic metre.
Ecodesign: meaning (UK stoves)
The emissions and efficiency standard for new stoves sold in Great Britain, explained.
Exempt appliance: meaning (UK stoves)
A stove Defra has listed as allowed to burn wood in a smoke control area, explained.
Flue liner: meaning (UK stoves)
The lining inside a chimney that carries a stove's smoke safely out, explained.
HETAS: meaning (UK stoves)
The competent-person scheme for solid-fuel and wood heating installers, explained.
Kiln-dried: meaning (UK stoves)
Logs dried in a kiln rather than in the open air, and what to check on the label.
kW output: meaning (UK stoves)
What a stove's kW output means, and why the nominal figure matters more than the maximum.
Moisture content: meaning (UK stoves)
How much water is in firewood, measured as a percentage, and why it matters.
Nominal heat output: meaning (UK stoves)
The heat output a stove is rated at by its maker, and how it differs from its maximum output.
Register plate: meaning (UK stoves)
The plate that seals a chimney opening above a stove, explained.
Smoke control area: meaning (UK stoves)
An area where councils restrict smoke from chimneys, and what it means for a stove.