Stove Terminology & Parts

There is a large glass window on stoves to ensure that the flames can be viewed well. The airwash system keeps the glass clean. The glass is heat resistant and durable. The glass can be cleaned with a glass cleaner – abrasive cleaners should not be used as they will scratch the glass, and this will make it more difficult to clean the next time.

Although the glass is heat resistant,  it will crack if inappropriate fuels are burned, e.g. domestic plastic sticking to the glass can damage it, as can burning wet logs in an already hot stove. Please be aware that some smokeless fuels (Solid fuel / Briquettes) may cause the inner surface of the ceramic glass to turn cloudy or crystallise. This is caused by a reaction of some fuels during combustion process due to excess sulphur in the fuels. Unfortunately the glass manufactures will not warrant their products from this phenomenon. Regrettably, this cannot be controlled or prevented by the stove manufacture and therefore we cannot offer any warranty. There are no known safety issues, the only effect will be a visual one.

Solid fuel requires air from underneath the grate which in turn reduces the effects of the secondary airwash, you will notice a dark grey haze on the back of the ceramic glass. It is important to clean this off the glass when the stove is cold using a stove glass cleaner. Repeated firing of the stove without cleaning the glass daily, when burning solid fuel greatly increases the chances of glass turning cloudy / crystallising. To minimise this condition we strongly recommend burning well-seasoned or kiln dried wood logs using only the airwash controls only, (Primary air controls closed). 

Replacing the glass on your stove is relatively simple. Always wear safety gloves when handling glass to protect against injury. Once the damaged glass has been removed, thoroughly clean the area to remove dirt and dust that may have built up over time before fitting with the new stove glass. 

A Baffle Plate, also known as a Top Plate or Throat Plate is a metal plate that sits inside the stove over the firebox. This plate blocks off the direct exit to the chimney which means that the hot flue gases have to travel further before they leave the stove. This means that there is more time for the flue gases to be mixed with air and fully combust in the firebox and more heat can be transferred from the firebox to the stove and/or water in the boiler. This makes the stove more efficient.

Once a month, when the stove is cold, the baffle needs to be removed and cleaned to remove ash and soot. The chimney or flueway can be swept through the stove. The chimney needs to be swept at least once a year. Exposure to extreme heat deteriorates baffle plates, requiring them to be removed and replaced periodically.

The Riddle Grate, also known as the Round Grate or Centre Grate allows the ash and cinders from smokeless fuels, anthracite or peat/turf briquettes to be riddled into an ashpan below, maintaining the primary airflow through the fuel bed and, hence, creating the optimum conditions for efficient combustion of those particular fuels.

The Riddle Grate sits into the centre of the Bottom Grate. Most stoves have a riddle bar fitted to shake the grate from side to side and up and down.  When you shake the riddle grate, the ash and cinders drop from the firebox and into the ash pan.

Prolonged exposure to hot ash will damage the grate assembly and therefore this often needs replacing due to general wear and tear over time.

The static grate is a grate that sits into the bottom of the stove and has no moving parts, eg. Riddle grate. To rake the grate simply use a poker to clear the ash into the ashpan.

All stoves come with an airwash system. This is a design feature that moves hot air and directs it over the back of the glass of the stove, keeping the flames and smoke away from the glass. This helps keep the glass clean and free from soot and tar build up.

The back and side plates, also known as Back Bricks and Side Bricks of a stove are the plates that protect the main body of the stove from damage and prolong its life.

The Coal Catcher, also known as a Fire Fence, Front Guard and Log Retainer is the grill at the front of your stove. This is positioned just inside your stove to prevent coal and other burning materials from falling out of the stove. This is a consumable item that may need replacing due to general wear and tear over time.

A stove collar is fixed onto the back or top of the stove. It is the starting point of the flue and on rare occasions can become cracked.  In order to maximise the number of ways a stove can be installed, they come with both top and rear flue options – whichever of these is in use will need to have the collar fitted, and whichever is not in use will have the blanking plate fitted. The collar is used to make a clean, sealable connection between the stove and the flue pipe.

All stoves require some type of seal on the door and/or glass to make the stove airtight allowing it to burn at its optimum level.  The glass fibre rope seal around a stove door seals the door to the stove so that the only air getting into the stove comes through the air inlets and not through the joints between the door and the body of the stove. This makes the stove much more controllable and more efficient. The rope is made of a woven fibreglass material and is soft and easily handled. You should wear protective gloves when handling stove rope. 

Over time rope seals often need replacing due to deterioration (frayed, split or coming away from the door). When this happens, the efficiency of your stove will be affected, and the lack of control could also lead to over-firing and the over-heating of some of the stove components, which in turn can damage other stove parts.

Vermiculite or cast iron inner plates are found in the firebox of a stove and protect the insides of the stove from the intense heat of the fire. Vermiculite is a light highly insulating material, and both types of inner plate protect the inside of the stove and also increases the temperature in the firebox thus increasing efficiency.