Charlton & Jenrick managing director Peter Mintoft speaks to The Selfbuilder’s James Parker about all things secondary heating including sustainability, trends, and what the future holds.
What exactly is secondary heating?
Secondary heating is very complementary to primary heating systems. We focus very carefully on secondary heating, which sits in the middle of primary systems and temporary/plug-in systems, i.e. installed fireplaces, stoves, and electric and gas fires.
If you listen to government advice they often focus on primary heating systems, but if you get the right appliance a secondary system can give you a very good enhancement to your living space and provide heat in an economical way as well. Secondary heating makes your living space more enjoyable, with many self-builders desiring the focal point of a fireplace.
What do I need to consider before choosing an appliance & where can I get advice?
Things like gas supplies, electricity supplies, or flue systems which is a very complex area. Secondary heating utilises regulated energy supplies – electricity has to fit with national regulation, and gas is highly regulated. Flues and chimneys are very specialist as well, there are specific regulations applying to chimneys.
We deal mostly with the independent retail network – local businesses who can provide a really good service to an end user, advise them from the very beginning right through to actually switching it on and using it. They can help you navigate the minefield that can be secondary heating!
How are manufacturers futureproofing & aligning products with sustainability trends?
It’s different per fuel type. Although gas is understandably frowned upon a little now, it is a very cost effective heat source compared with electricity and other solid fuels. We’re moving over to hydrogen in line with government initiatives – you can get hydrogen-gas boilers and we now produce hydrogen-gas fires as well. We’re also hoping to see a transition on gas where 20% hydrogen will be injected into the natural gas line, reducing the carbon intensity – which our gas fires are prepared for. We’ve improved the efficiency of our appliances on all fronts – gas, electric and solid fuel and that is to get more heat for customers into the property. The electricity supply is also becoming greener, and we utilise things like LED technology to make them look fantastic.
Sustainable primary heating systems such as heat pumps are under huge loads and we’ve learned from Scandinavia that wood burning stoves, for example, are complementary to that system – they don’t compete with each other.
I’ve heard wood burning stoves are polluting – is that true?
There’s a lot of misinformation around about pollution from wood burning. The industry as a whole has been developing stoves over the past few years which produce about 90% less emissions than open fires. There’s concern people will opt for open fires because they hear wood burners are polluting, but actually an open fire is the worst thing. A modern wood burning stove will produce more heat so it’s more efficient, cost less to run, and produce less smoke and emissions. We regard wood burning as traditional, but there’s nothing traditional about the appliances we’re producing now, from the materials used and the way they inject air into the firebox, to the way the controls and flue systems operate.
The wood carbon cycle is also very short. With coal and gas you’re talking hundreds of millions of years in the ground, but wood is not a static resource. Trees are constantly growing, and firewood isn’t chopping down big mature trees, it utilises arisings and trees blown down in strong winds, so it’s complimentary to forestry. This is a tens of years carbon cycle rather than hundreds of millions, so sustainability on wood burning is actually very strong. Technology is also constantly moving forward and improving on emissions even further.
What are the current trends in the home heating market & how are manufacturers adapting to them?
Media walls with built-in electric fires beneath a television are very popular additions. With electric fires we’ve got LCD screens and reflective systems which make fuel beds look very real. We also have beds made from real wood with LCD flame effects which are incredibly realistic, easy to control and very low energy.
There’s also still a tendency for self-builders to want a real flame, and free standing wood burners with metal flue systems are very popular options and easy to incorporate into projects. We’ve just introduced a double sided stove with glass doors on both sides that can sit in the middle of a living space which is another approach.
We’re constantly working on firebox development to produce plenty of heat and minimise emissions. We’re working on air systems that introduce air into the firebox that combust secondary gases. We also have a catalytic stove which contains a catalytic converter that can reduce emissions even further, and are looking at systems that can capture particulates in the exhaust of the stove.
What are the biggest challenges for the secondary heating industry & how are manufacturers addressing them?
At the top is the government perhaps not recognising secondary heating, there’s a challenge there and we try to educate them on how secondary heating is a really good solution and can actually reduce carbon emissions overall by reducing reliance on primary heating systems. Trade associations like Stove Industry Association (SIA) and Heating and Hot Water Industry Council (HHIC) are constantly engaging with them.
Also the misinformation about pollution from wood burners is greatly exaggerated. There are two areas we see developing on wood burning – emissions reduction and control systems which will operate the stove in a more efficient and less polluting way. If you look at the bigger picture, secondary heating has a very positive role to play.
If I’m building a passive house, could I use a stove as my only heating source?
Absolutely – passive houses and wood burners are quite complimentary. Our appliances take their air supply from outside so you don’t have to suck air out the room. A modern closed stove that can take air from outside creates a sealed system. It’s often overlooked because it’s specialist, but speak to manufacturers or retailers – we’re not daunted by passive design.
What advice would you give self-builders when selecting a secondary heating system?
It depends on priorities. If you want a higher heat output, look no further than a wood burner, but they do have a degree of maintenance – you need a wood supply, for example. For appearance, if you don’t need a huge boost of heat, electric is the way to go. LED fuel consumption is pennies a day, and actually electric can be entirely self-sufficient if you’ve got enough solar and storage.
To listen to the full podcast and hear more of what Peter has to say, visit insights.netmagmedia.co.uk