Do you have questions about protecting your Spartherm fireplace? We will be happy to help you.

FAQ

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS REGARDING FIREPLACES AND HEATING AT A GLANCE.

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Help with the choice of fireplace

  • If you are still at the very beginning of your ideation process, our product advisor will help you to find a first selection of fireplaces for your wishes.
  • You have already collected some ideas and concepts or would prefer to look at the products on site? Then there are numerous specialist dealers throughout the world to help you. You can find a Spartherm specialist dealer near you via our dealer search! or by contacting us.

Spartherm offers you all variants of a stove. From fireplace cassettes, which are retrofitted into an existing open fireplace, to fireplace inserts, which are permanently integrated and installed in the installation room, to stoves, compact systems and our Spartherm Installation Modules, which can usually be installed without any further construction work. At Spartherm, you will also find water-bearing fireplaces, tiled stoves, gas stoves or decorative fires and outdoor fireplaces. Find your Spartherm fire - optimized for low-energy houses or with maximum output for the whole house. Find out which type of fire is right for you with the help of our product advisor! Or get advice from a specialist dealer near you.

 

  • Gas fireplaces offer the following advantages for you:
    • no storage space for fuel necessary (exception: liquid gas tanks)
    • low cleaning effort, no ash or fuel residues
    • Beautiful flame pattern
  • You can find our gas fireplaces at our gas company DRU, which is part of our large Spartherm family. DRU is known throughout Europe as one of the largest manufacturers of innovative gas fireplaces and gas stoves and combines the experience of tradition since 1754 with the latest technology.
  • If you have any further questions about gas fireplaces, you can find the answers here!

We offer outdoor fireplaces that run on bioethanol or gas, as well as those that use a wood-wax pellet as fuel. There is a suitable product for every preference.

Ethanol fireplaces offer you the great advantage of flexible placement. They do not have to be connected to a chimney or a flue but can be easily installed according to your wishes. The decorative fires from Ebios Fire present you with a unique flame pattern, which can even be controlled very conveniently via an app. The bioethanol fireplaces also produce neither smoke nor soot nor ash. This makes handling and cleaning very easy and pleasant. Bioethanol as a fuel consists of natural ingredients and is therefore C02 neutral in combustion.

  • Our fireplaces are also a wonderful choice for low-energy houses! We offer units with a low kW output and recommend units that are room sealed (RLU) and provide the optimum amount of heat with a separate external air supply. In general, the more a building has been sealed, the lower the kW output should be. An important factor in determining the correct kW power is the size of the room that is to be heated with the stove.
  • A stove that is suitable for use in a low-energy house is, for example, the Passo XS or the Varia 2R-55h or Lean 3RL-70h fireplace insert.
  • If you have any further questions, it is best to contact your local Spartherm specialist dealer. They will be happy to give you advice and support.
  • How much kW output your stove should have depends on both the insulation and the number and size of the rooms that are to be heated.
  • General estimation: about 0.1 kW per square meter to be heated. So if you want to heat an area of 80 square meters, a stove with 8 kW is sufficient. However, this estimation only applies to a normally insulated house with a room height of 2.5 to 3 meters. For older houses with poor insulation, one calculates somewhat more and for well-insulated or low-energy houses less kW per square meter.
  • Another exception is storage heaters - whether water or natural stone storage. For these stoves, a somewhat higher value can be applied because the storage tanks absorb part of the energy and release this stored energy again after the fire has gone out.
  • You should discuss more precise details with one of our specialist dealers in your area. You can find your local dealer here!
  • A water-bearing fireplace offers many advantages. Not only does it help to reduce heating costs, but it is also highly efficient in the use of firewood due to its dual use.
  • However, there are a few things to keep  in mind. For example, the connections to the heating system should always be made by a specialist company. In addition, it is important to clarify in advance what output the fireplace is to provide, i.e. what size of combustion chamber is needed.
  • You can view our water-bearing models here.

Our compact units are already completely clad and thus ready-to-install fireplaces that can be placed directly in front of the wall or free-standing. Placement directly in front of the wall makes the unit appear to be part of the architecture. But also when installed in the middle of the room, the compact unit is a visual highlight.

That's no problem! We are happy to help you. Our fireplace comparison helps you compare two or three models. Look at different models in direct comparison with regard to certain features.

If you find a stove interesting, you can download the model of your choice as a PDF. On the PDF you will find a fire code that you can enter at any time at www.spartherm.com to go directly to the page of the stove of your choice.

Fuels

The choice of fuel is essential and strongly dependent on your local conditions. If you enjoy lighting the wood fire and have access to good firewood, then a wood-burning stove is the best choice for you. If storing, transporting and relighting logs is too much of an inconvenience for you, you can opt for gas fireplaces.

  • Hardwoods such as beech, oak or birch have a high energy value and are therefore well suited for combustion in fireplaces. They burn more consistently and produce less combustion noise than softwoods.
  • Beech is particularly suitable as firewood because it has a very high calorific value and contains no resin.
  • It is also important to obtain the wood from regional forestry where attention is paid to sustainable reforestation.
  • Hardwoods have a high calorific value and provide a beautiful flame pattern with calm burning behavior. In addition, the ember formation of hardwoods is very good.
  • Beech, ash and oak also achieve calorific values  and are therefore particularly suitable as firewood

Softwoods are easy to ignite and make for great crackling effects. These woods can also be dried quickly. However, the calorific values of softwoods are significantly lower than those of hardwoods.

Heating with gas can be particularly sensible if you do not have a storage space for firewood. It is also more convenient to clean because gas burns without leaving residues. So, with a gas fireplace, there is no need to remove ash or other fuel residues. You can find gas fireplaces and gas stoves at our sub-brand DRU.

  • Bioethanol consists largely of natural ingredients such as biological waste from potatoes, grain or sugar beet and is therefore a CO2-neutral fuel, because it only releases as much carbon dioxide during combustion as the plants have previously absorbed from the atmosphere. However, bioethanol is not only climate-neutral, but its combustion is also residue-free. If you use a bioethanol with a high degree of purity, very few odors are released during combustion.
  • You can find our ethanol fireplaces here!

Assistance with planning

Our selected specialized trade partners are available to you as contact persons. You can discuss the technical, constructional and usage-specific parameters with them. You can easily find out which of our dealers is located directly in your area by using our dealer search.

You can view the various Spartherm products at our local specialist dealers' exhibitions. Our partners sell wood-burning stoves and compact systems and, if applicable, all other Spartherm products such as fireplace inserts, installation modules, tiled stoves, fireplace cassettes and decorative fires. Click here to go to the dealer search!

You can only purchase our products from a specialist dealer. Our dealers are represented throughout the world, and you are sure to find a competent contact for our products in your area. You can find a specialist dealer near you in our dealer search or by contacting us.

Besides our outdoor products of the GRDN brand and the bioethanol decorative fires from Ebios Fire, you need access to a chimney that meets the technical requirements for our products and has been approved as permissible by your chimney sweeper. For the installation of your stove, the general installation instructions must be observed, such as minimum distances from combustible walls and installation on a non-combustible surface.

Every chimney is different and depends on the location. The draftgenerated by the chimney is even dependent on wind,weather and its position. A chimney creates a negative pressure in the combustion chamber due to the rising hot flue gas, which is necessary for the supply of combustion air. Only if the chimney and the combustion system are optimally matched to each other will you achieve good combustion. It is best to contact your local chimney sweep for individual advice.

Wichtige Begrifflichkeiten

Questions about the operation of your stove

  • Natural wood types are best suited for firing a fireplace.
  • It is particularly important that the wood is properly dried and does not exceed a maximum residual moisture of 20 %. This is the only way to achieve a clean burn with a high energy yield. You can measure the residual moisture with a wood moisture meter.

 

  • It is essential that the wood is stored protected from the weather and soil moisture to dry. There should always be a gap between the stacks of wood through which the air can remove the moisture escaping from the wood surface. If the wood is to be stored in a closed room, it must be dry and, above all, well ventilated. If you store fresh wood in closed rooms without air circulation or under foil, this prevents drying and at the same time promotes mildew and mold. The sunny side of the house is best for storage.
  • Softwoods such as conifers must be dried for at least one year. Hardwoods such as oak or beech should be stored for at least 2 years.
  • A few days before burning, it is best to bring it into the house so that the residual moisture on the outside of the wood can dry off.

You can find out how much firewood you should use in the operating instructions for your fireplace. This information varies greatly from model to model. You should also note how large the firewood logs should be. You will also find this information in your operating instructions.

  • The most suitable kindling is:
    • Ignition cubes
    • Ignition pad
    • Ignition wool lighter
    • Matches
  • Other ignition devices are not permitted!
  • Never use
    • Flammable liquids
    • Fire accelerants
    • Paper
  • In any case, use a heat glove to open and close the firebox door, to add wood and to operate the combustion air slider.
  • Be careful not to open the door too quickly to avoid turbulence.
  • The perfect time to add wood is as soon as the fuel has burned down completely to embers and no more flames can be seen.
  • Then first open the combustion air completely and then open the door a small gap to create pressure equalization. It takes 2 - 3 seconds before you can open the door completely.  Then logs can be placed on the embers. Be careful not to smother the embers!
  • When the added wood is burning after approximately 2 to 5 minutes, the air supply can be reduced again slightly.
  • Particles are only produced when wood burns incompletely. For example, through incorrect air control, incorrect firing or re-laying and through incorrect wood selection or storage. By firing correctly, these emissions can be reduced to a minimum.
  • A Spartherm wood burning stove guarantees you optimal and efficient combustion with minimal fine dust emissions.
  • In extreme weather conditions, such as heavy storms, do not light your stove. If the stove is burning and the weather changes, let the fire go out and do not add wood.
  • The air supply should be adjusted to produce a calm and bright flame pattern. At this point, the flames do not draw soot plumes.
  • If the fire burns with too large a flame, you should reduce the amount of combustion air.
  • If the fire threatens to suffocate and forms too much soot, you should increase the combustion air supply.

You should have your stove serviced by a specialist company at the end of the heating period to ensure safe use.

You should have your stove serviced by a specialist company at least once a year. This is best done after the end of the heating season.

  • The firebox lining and the ash grate of your stove can best be cleaned with a hand brush. The surfaces and the door handle can be cleaned with a cloth (important: no microfiber cloth!). The stainless-steel surfaces can be cleaned with commercially available stainless-steel cleaner. Make sure to always clean in the grinding direction!
  • It is important to empty the ash box regularly. Make sure that the ash and embers pile does not become too large.
  • Once a year, you should clean the fireplace thoroughly and disassemble it as much as possible. You will find detailed instructions on how to do this in the operating instructions.
  • To clean your wood burning stove, you will need a clean kitchen paper or soft cloth, a cover for the floor and fireplace glass cleaner.
  • It is important that the stove has cooled down completely before cleaning. Then the coarse dirt can first be wiped off dry. Then spray fireplace glass cleaner onto the glass. Make sure that no cleaner gets into the seals, as this can harden them. Then wipe the pane with the fresh kitchen paper or cloth and polish it.
  • Please do not use a kitchen sponge or similar, which could scratch the pane.

To keep the stove clean for longer, you should use good and clean wood with a maximum residual moisture of between 12 - 20 %. In addition, the regulation of the air supply is important for a clean burn. You will find more detailed information in the operating instructions for your stove.

Defects or problems after purchase

In this case, your contact person is first and foremost the specialist dealer or contractual partner from whom you purchased your Spartherm fireplace. They know the conditions on your premises and will provide you with competent advice and individual support. Depending on whether the service is within or outside the warranty, you will be informed in advance of the costs incurred.

You can find our warranty conditions here!

You can order spare parts for your fireplace or stove at the following link.

In this case, there are unfortunately only limited options at present. Due to low maintenance intervals and high installation costs, we do not recommend exhaust gas filters or catalytic converters. Of course, you are welcome to consult your local chimney sweep in advance. Otherwise, you are welcome to convince yourself of our wide range of products, of which all Spartherm fireplace inserts, stoves, compact units, installation modules and tiled stoves comply with the Federal Immission Control Ordinance (BImSchV).