What should you look out for when buying a stove?

Get an overview of the overall workmanship of the stove.

• Is the stove stable?
• Is the ceramic glass pane fitted tightly?
• Is there an ash compartment and can it be emptied easily?
• How is the air regulation solved?
• Does the handle get hot during operation?
• How can the stove be connected?

You can usually recognise very good quality by the oven door.

• Is it easy and convenient to open, close and lock?
• Is the handle comfortable to hold?
• Does the door close quietly or does it rattle?

Also take a look inside the firebox.

• What is it like? Vermeculite or Skamol is recommended as a quality material for the combustion chamber. Manufacturers of quality fireboxes often use textured Skamol surfaces to support clean combustion

Does the stove have DIN EN 13240 approval and CE labelling?

Do you want the stove to support the central heating in winter or do you simply want to enjoy the cosiness of the fire? The heat output of the stove will tell you. Your dealer will be happy to advise you on the heat output you need for the size of the room and your heating requirements.

Another value is the energy efficiency, which is given as a percentage. This shows the efficiency ratio between the energy supplied and the energy utilised. Modern quality stoves have an energy efficiency of 80 per cent and more.

Another point is the room air-dependent or room air-independent operation of the stove. For the fire to blaze beautifully, it needs air. In room air-dependent operation, the air is drawn directly from the installation room.

However, if the fire draws the air from outside via a fresh air supply, the stove is referred to as room air independent operation. This is particularly suitable for low-energy and passive houses. Almost all Attika stoves can be operated room air independent using the AIR system.

Depending on the stove model, the air supply is controlled manually or automatically when firing up and during the burning process. Decide for yourself whether you prefer to set the air supply manually or leave this to the automatic burn-off control (CleverAIR™). Legislation is showing a trend towards automatic control (e.g. Tyrol environmental subsidy, Austria).