Given the current energy crisis and cost of living situation, we think it might be useful to assess some of the heating options out there. That’s why today we’re going to indulge in a little bit of a comparison. It’s time to breakdown wood burners vs central heating.
Wood Burners vs Central Heating
We’re not here to tell you which one is best. Best is a subjective term. We just want to give you some information, so you can draw your own conclusions. With a little extra knowledge, you will know what’s best for you. Makes sense? Ok great. Let’s get into some Big K wisdom here!
What is Central Heating?
Now, central heating is basically a heating system that provides warmth to various spaces within a building from one main heat source. Central heating usually consists of pipework and radiators – all of which are connected to a boiler (usually gas or electric). The boiler provides the heat and the pump moves all the heated water from the boiler through the pipework and into to the radiators, and back to the boiler for further reheating. Your central heating also provides hot water to the hot taps in your home.
Looking at boilers for a second: sure they come in all shapes and sizes. However, generally there are two types of boiler. Let’s take a closer look.
A Conventional Boiler – Say hello to a basic system with a pump, programmer and a room thermostat. You can control both the heating and hot water by using the programmer. Your boiler heats hot water and stores it in a cylinder, usually found in your airing cupboard.
A Combination Boiler – This system consists of a programmer and a thermostat. Your combination boiler controls the heating, as it heats hot water on demand – as and when you need it. This means that hot water is available whenever you turn on the hot water taps, therefore no storage cylinder is needed.
Discover The Different Types of Central Heating Systems
Basically the different types of central heating systems are determined and differentiated by how the heat is generated and distributed. Check out the info below.
Wet System - In a wet system, your boiler heats water which is then pumped through a network of pipes connected to radiators in the house. Here In the UK, wet systems usually have two clear functions. They heat your home and supply hot water.
Warm Air System - Going back to the old school (1960s-70s), warm air systems take cold air from outside and bring it to your boiler. Here it is heated is heated and then circulated through your home via air ducts and vents.
Storage Heater System - Electric storage heater systems store heat overnight in various firebricks. This heat is then slowly released into the house throughout the day.
District Heating System - Introducing centralised power! In a district heating system, heat is generated form a singular centralised power source. Then it is distributed to several buildings through insulated pipes. This clever system allows different properties to share heating systems, which can help lower carbon emissions and save on energy bills. Currently only 2% of homes in the UK are powered by district heating, so it’s still very much in its infancy.
Is Central Heating Safe?
We’re pretty certain that your central heating system is a crucial part of your home, especially in the winters. So it’s reassuring to know that central heating is very safe to use. Just make sure you get the system serviced regularly.
Is Central Heating Cheap?
Here’s another stat for you: roughly 40% of your energy bill is spent on electricity and gas. Now in the past, we would have said that central heating is a fairly economical heating solution. However given the current circumstances in the UK, one cannot deny that the cost has risen considerably. As much as we wish that we didn’t have to say it, we would suggest perhaps setting your central heating system to shorter periods of time rather than keeping it on constantly. This is one way to try to reduce your bill at then end of the month. Oh and another thing, central heating is definitely cheaper than using electric heaters. This is because electricity costs three to four times more per unit than gas.
Introducing The Incredible Wood Burner
So that’s conventional central heating covered. But there’s more options out there to explore. And given the increasing gas and electricity prices, you might want to consider alternate fuel systems for heating your home. This is where wood burners can come into play.
What's a Wood Burner?
A wood burner is basically just a heating or cooking appliance that burns wood fuel and wood derived biomass fuel. Heat is released when the fuel is burned.
How Does A Wood Burner Work?
All you do is take your wood and pop it inside your wood burner’s firebox. After this, just light your wood and you’re all set. Looking at the firebox specifically, picture an enclosed chamber with fireproof walls. These walls act as protection, enclosing the fire and the wood fuel. Air vents are there to control airflow into the firebox. Controlling the air means you can control the burn, choosing between hot and fast or steady and slowly.
Can I Use A Wood Burner For Central Heating?
This is a very valid question. The answer is a definite yes. In other words you can use your wood burning stove to both heat you home and keep your water steaming hot. Now, there are different ways to integrate your wood burner into your central heating system. However the core principal is this: your word burner will produce heat that is transferred to the water in your tank. This water is then pumped into your radiators. Let’s take a closer look.
Connecting A Wood Burner to Central Heating
The process of connecting a wood burner to the central heating can vary in complexity depending on your property. In the majority of homes, it’s vital that the central heating system includes a vent. Without the vent, there is a high chance pressure can increase in the system (as it has no escape option) and perhaps blow your wood burning stove. This means that heating systems using a combi boiler are automatically out. In a nutshell, please don’t try and connect your wood burner to the central heating yourself. Call a professional heating engineer before you let any wood burn.
Can my Wood Burner Deliver Domestic Hot Water?
Again we can say yes here. The key is ensuring that your wood burner is connected to a hot water cylinder. If this is the case then your wood burner will be able to provide domestic hot water. You will need an indirect connection to connect your wood burner to a hot water cylinder. Why? Well, rather than directly heating the water, the wood burner will heat up a coil within the cylinder. The heat from the coil is transferred to the water, warming it up. If you want to know the cost of connecting your wood burner to your central heating or stare cylinder, contact a heating engineer ASAP.
Heating With A Biomass Boiler
Are you up to speed with biomass boilers? These boilers are specifically designed wood burning stoves that supply both central heating and hot water to an entire property. This is a great solution for off-grid properties. How does it work? When we burn the organic material, the heat produced warms up your water through a heat exchanger. This water is then circulated through the central heating system or hot water cylinder. So if you’re not so keen on integrating a wood burning stove into your central heating system, you could choose a stand alone biomass boiler instead.
Are Wood Burners A Cheaper Form of Central Heating?
We can definitely say that integrating a wood burner into your central heating will help reduce your energy costs. This is because wood burning stoves are more energy efficient. Check out the table below.
Wood is also a much cheaper fuel source per kilowatt hour than electricity, oil and even natural gas:
- Gas: 10.3p / kWh
- Oil: 9.2p / kWh
- Electricity: 34p / kWh
- Wood Chips: 2.9p kWh
- Wood Pellets: 7.9p / kWh
A wood burner will reduce both your carbon footprint, as well as your monthly fuel bill. And with the cost of electricity and gas on the rise, many people are adding wood burners into their homes as a long term investment.
Central Heating vs a Wood Burner? Which is Better?
Both central heating and wood burners have their own pros and cons. It’s more about digesting all the information and relating it to your particular circumstances. Once you have done this, then it’s easier to make a decision. However we can provide some general info to help give you a steer.
It is hard to guarantee that using a wood burning stove in isolation will warm up your entire home. However integrating a wood burner into your central heating system, can be costly (initially) and complex. But there is a long term return for this investment. The one thing we can say for sure is that using a wood burner as part of your heating solution will definitely help lower your energy bill and increase your heating efficiency.