Finding the right wood-burning stove for your home can be a tricky process and if you’ve ever heard of the phrase ‘convection stove’ and wondered what it meant then you’re in the right place for the answer.
A convector stove is a log burner that works differently from a standard wood-burning stove in the way it provides heat to a room. Most stoves provide radiant heat to the room and work in the same way a household radiator would, these stoves simply radiate heat to the surrounding air through the door glass and metal body. Convector stoves on the other hand are designed and built to allow air to travel between exterior panels and the body of the stove, making use of natural convection currents when cool air warms up.
How do Convector Stoves Work?
As we’ve mentioned above a convector stove or convection wood burner is designed with a second outer layer. Cool air from within the room is drawn into this convection channel between the hot body of the stove and the outer layer, it is heated as it rises within the air gap, before flowing out into the room through the openings in the outer panels and top of the stove.
The hot air within the convection panels of the stove becomes lighter than the air outside of the stove and rises up, it is replaced by cooler heavier air that is drawn in at the bottom of the channel which is then heated through the same process. The warmer and lighter air will fill the room with the colder heavier air being drawn in at the bottom of the stove to create a continuous heat cycle which gently moves air around your living space.
The convector side panels do not come into direct contact with the cast iron or steel body of the wood burner so they tend not to exceed the heat produced by a normal radiator, this can make a convector stove appealing to families with small children or pets. To summarise how a convector stove works it is the movement of the warm air that does the work for a convection stove and not the metal body that a radiant stove relies upon.
Which are the Best Convector Stoves?
Convection stoves can come in Scandinavian styles that are usually quite tall with a contemporary look, radiant counterparts tend to be more traditional in shape and style. There are exceptions to this rule and there are also some stoves that offer a hybrid solution which is part convecting and part radiant.
As a leading retailer of stoves & fires, we have a wide variety of convector stoves across our inset and freestanding wood-burning and multi-fuel ranges. We’ve put together a sample below of some of our most popular convector stoves if you’re looking for some inspiration when choosing one for your home.
The Difference Between Radiant and Convection Stoves?
Choosing between a stove that provides your room with radiant or convection heat can be tricky. The primary difference between the two types of heat is that a radiant stove absorbs the heat produced by the fire and naturally radiates it out into the room from the cast iron or steel case. Convection or circulating stoves have an inner pocket where the air is heated and then pushed out into the room, convention stoves are very efficient and offer a very even and comfortable heat.
Why Should You Consider a Wood-Burning Convector?
At this point, you may be wondering, why you should choose a convector stove over a radiant model. The short answer is that this decision will depend on the requirements of your home as convector stoves aren’t suitable for every living space
Scenarios, where a convector stove will be more advantageous, are when a room would benefit from a high heat output stove. Open-plan living spaces or rooms with high or vaulted ceilings would receive our recommendation for convection stoves as they will heat the room more quickly and efficiently. If you need to heat multiple rooms, certain models of convector stoves such as the Stovax Studio Air range of fires can be ducted to achieve this. In some cases, a system such as this will require fan assistance, such as when the room being heated is on the same floor as the fire.
We really hope you found this article useful, if you’re in need of some further advice feel free to contact us and speak to a member of our friendly team.
