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Choosing the right stove size is mainly about getting the heat output right for your room. Stove output is measured in kilowatts (kW). Too little output and the room may never feel warm enough. Too much and you can end up continually turning the stove down because the room becomes uncomfortable. A simple room calculation gives you a good starting point.
Start by measuring:
Multiply the three measurements together to find the volume of the room in cubic metres:
Length × width × height = room volume in m³ As a rough guide, allow around 1kW of heat output for every 14m³ of room space.
Room volume ÷ 14 = approximate stove output required
For a room measuring:
The room volume is:
5 × 4 × 2.4 = 48m³
Then divide the volume by 14:
48 ÷ 14 = 3.4kW
That gives you a starting point of around 3.5kW.
It is only a guide, though. The way the room is built and insulated can make quite a difference to how much heat you actually need.
Yes. A modern, well-insulated room will usually hold heat much better than an older property with poor insulation.
You may need more heat if the room has:
A well-insulated room may need less heat than the basic calculation suggests.
Measure the whole area the stove will be expected to heat. If your living room opens directly into a kitchen or dining room without doors between them, include those areas in your calculation as well. Heat will naturally move into the adjoining space, so measuring only the part of the room where the stove sits could leave you choosing too little output.
Not necessarily. One of the mistakes people can make is choosing a larger stove simply because they think more output must be better. If the stove is too powerful for the room, you may spend most of the time running it at a low setting to stop the room becoming too hot. We’d much rather see a correctly sized stove operating comfortably than a much larger stove continually being turned down.
Don’t judge the heat output simply by looking at the physical size of the stove. A wide stove doesn’t necessarily produce considerably more heat than a smaller one. Always check the stated kW output as well as the stove dimensions. You also need to make sure the stove physically fits the fireplace opening with the clearances required for that particular model.
You can browse our full range of wood burning and multi-fuel stoves and compare both the dimensions and heat outputs.
The same room calculation can give you a useful starting point when looking at other types of fire. With electric fires in particular, many customers mainly use the flame effect and treat the heater as additional warmth rather than the main source of heat for the room. Check the stated output of the individual fire and think about how much heating you actually expect it to provide.
The room calculation is a useful guide, but it can’t take every property into account. Insulation, room layout, chimney, ventilation and the proposed installation can all affect the final choice. If you’re having a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove installed, we’d recommend discussing the required output with your installer before ordering.
If you’re choosing between a few of our stoves and aren’t sure which output would suit your room, send us your room measurements and we’ll help you compare them.
Phone
01773 718718
Email
sales@castfireplaces.co.uk
