Tiled stove

Fire in an open fireplace is something very beautiful, but also quite unreasonable. The precious heat contained in the fire is not released into the living area, but disappears for the most part in the chimney. From a classic tiled stove, the usable amount of heat is optimally released to the surroundings, but the flame picture is nowhere to be seen or only through a small glass door.

To combine both advantages without major disadvantages - that would be ingenious. This idea was already implemented by BRUNNER in 1991. The result: a new generation of heating inserts with a large glass door instead of the usual cast front with a small fire door.

With the HKD series, it has been possible for the first time to combine the beauty of the visible fireplace with the heating output of a tiled stove heating insert. This is made possible by a special combustion chamber geometry that burns the wood in an environment-friendly way and at high temperatures. However, the hot flue gases do not immediately go into the chimney from there, but flow across a reheating surface. The heat-giving energy of the heating gases is absorbed by this reheating surface and released into the room via the stove cover. This special feature achieves the high efficiency. The craftsmanship of the reheating surface and the stove casing determines how efficiently the heat is emitted.

A tiled stove is a good investment - but only if it is operated correctly. This starts with the fuel. You should only use well-seasoned and dry wood, hardwood such as beech has particularly good heating properties. Damp wood draws a lot of heat from the burning process. Why a tiled stove smells bad when it is heated up almost always has something to do with incorrect handling. You should therefore pay attention to these things:

• For ignition, we recommend small pieces of wood or BRUNNER Fidibus, a pure natural product. Under no circumstances should you use newspaper. 
• When lighting the stove for the first time, it is important that all air inlets are open. Only when the main combustion is almost over after 30 to 40 minutes, reduce the air supply. And when to close the tiled stove? Only in the glowing phase are the regulators closed completely.
• Loading wood on an ember that is just about to ignite is bad, as it can cause a smouldering fire that lasts for minutes and the required temperatures for combustion are not reached. If you throttle down your tiled stove too much, you also risk damaging the chimney.
• If too much wood is added to the combustion chamber, this can lead to an increased release of hydrocarbons.

Generally, the emission output increases many times over if heating is faulty, while at the same time the efficiency drops. With a combustion air control system such as the Electronic Combustion Control (EAS) from the premium manufacturer BRUNNER from Lower Bavaria, operating errors can be avoided. All that needs to be done is to fill the stove with wood, ignite it and add more, everything else runs automatically.

What could be better than coming home on a winter's day, igniting the stove, making yourself comfortable in front of the flames and enjoying the warmth? To enjoy your tiled stove for a long time and for faultless operation, however, you should have it cleaned and serviced regularly. 

How often: Clean the tiled stove?

While the chimney sweep takes care of the chimney and its cleaning, the cleaning of the wood stove is the responsibility of the stove owner himself. And this should be done at regular intervals, preferably before each heating season. Because combustion residues and soot deposit both in the tiled stove and in the stove pipe, impairing the function of the fireplace and preventing proper heating. If you notice this, it is time for a thorough cleaning: 

• The performance becomes weaker, the tiled stove simply does not come up to temperature because combustion is incomplete. 
• The fireplace slide is very sooty.
• The logs do not burn properly, they rather smoulder.

The pipe from the stove to the chimney, for the exit of all exhaust gases, is particularly stressed. If it is too dirty, the exhaust gases are less and less able to escape, the smoke increases and soot fire, also called chimney or flue fire, can even develop in the fireplace. It is high time to remove the dirt and clean both the pipe and the firebox or firebox. A full ash box and a lot of ash residue also hinder optimal combustion. Whether and how much ash may remain in the fireplace insert varies from fireplace to fireplace and can be found in the manufacturer's operating instructions. 

How to clean the firebox and ash tray

When cleaning the firebox and ash tray, a fireplace tool is helpful. The poker is suitable for transferring ash residues into the ash tray. With many tiled stove models, the ash tray can be pulled out so that the ash can easily be poured into a fireproof metal bucket. It can be disposed of in the household waste, but only when it has cooled down completely and is cold. There are also special ash vacuum cleaners with an integrated ash filter; the tiled stove cannot be cleaned any cleaner than this. A normal hoover should only be used for the interior of the fireplace if it is also fitted with an ash filter designed for this purpose. 

The ventilation slots can also be cleaned well with a hand brush, they are very important for the wood stove to function properly. Damp newspaper helps to get the stove glazing really clean. Simply dip it in white ash and then wipe the glass carefully, finishing with a little glass cleaner. 

Instructions for cleaning a tiled stove

A little more time-consuming, but always necessary, is cleaning the stove pipe, which is the connecting piece between the wood stove and the chimney. It is removed from the top of the fireplace and the openings are best covered with a bag. This work is easier for two people. To prevent soot from soiling the floor or furniture during cleaning, it is advisable to cover them with a tarpaulin or sheet beforehand. It is also advisable to wear rubber gloves and a face mask to avoid inhaling soot particles. The dismantled flue pipe can then be thoroughly cleaned of all dirt outdoors with a poker or hand brush, not forgetting the stove spigot. The firebricks can be loosened according to the manufacturer's instructions and also thoroughly vacuumed. Then mount the pipe back again and the tiled stove is ready for use.

Potato peelings against dirt

On the outside, the tiles of the stove can easily be vacuumed with the brush attachment of the hoover. A cloth will also do the job. If the stove tiles are more heavily soiled, a tried and tested household remedy will help: burnt potato peelings, which have a cleaning power all of their own. Simply run a handful of burnt potato peelings over the tiles and the dirt disappears as easily as child's play. Afterwards, simply wipe the tiles with a clean, damp cloth and the tiled stove will shine like new.

If you want to change the exterior of a tiled stove, you can paint the stove tiles - but this does not replace normal maintenance and cleaning. The problem is the paints. Even if they are heat-resistant and suitable for heating elements, they only meet the requirements to which stove tiles are exposed to a limited extent. It is better to prime glazed stove tiles and plaster them with special mortar. The smooth surface can then be painted. When cleaning wood stoves with a soapstone facing, you can take the rough side of a dry, clean dishwashing sponge, rub the soapstone vigorously and wipe with a damp cloth. Soapstone is popular because it has good heat storage properties.

To clean the firebricks of the stove, it is advisable to use a spatula to carefully scrape off the soot deposits and then wipe with the scraped side of a damp sponge. Important: The firebricks must be completely dry before the tiled stove can be put back into operation. 

If you notice an unusually strong development of soot in your tiled stove and if the fireplace slides are very black, this could be due to the fuel, possibly the wood is not dry enough and still too moist. This can be easily checked with a measuring device. If the water content is more than 20 percent, the efficiency of the wood drops enormously. To ensure that the firewood is dry enough, it should be split into small logs and stored upright for about two years, well protected from the air. Dry, roofed and well-ventilated shelters are suitable for storing wood. You should also make sure that no moisture can rise from the ground. In addition, the firewood that is needed immediately can be stored next to the fireplace for a few days before heating. This way it will be tinder-dry and have the highest calorific value. Wood should not be stored in closed cellars or wrapped in foil. Beech logs are generally best for heating, they make the most heat, maple, cherry, ash or hornbeam are also good, but harder to split. Alder, poplar and willow are very soft and inherently leave a high ash layer, and softwood from pine or spruce has a large spark, which can be problematic, especially in open fireplaces. Paper must generally not be burnt in a tiled stove, not even for kindling.

For a masonry fireplace that is planned and built individually and according to all the customer's wishes, costs of at least 10,000 euros must be expected. For the smaller purse and all those who nevertheless do not want to do without the pleasant atmosphere and warmth of a wood fire, there are cheaper alternatives, such as a wood stove. Which fireplace is better, be it a tiled stove, a custom stove or a wood stove, depends on the customer's requirements, needs and intended use, and on the conditions of the house. For this reason, a fireplace installation is often already taken into account when building a house. If you want to use a fireplace as a permanent heating system or even as the sole heating system, a masonry heater that provides a lot of radiant heat is a good choice. Wood only needs to be added after hours, otherwise a masonry heater heats almost independently. If you need heat quickly after work or on a cool autumn morning, you should choose a Swedish stove.