How to choose the Wright Wood Fire

Here at Wright’s we supply and install the most popular types and styles of Wood Fires in New Zealand – all from leading New Zealand manufacturers.

This guide will illustrate why installing a Wood Fire is a very cost effective way of heating your home and what each type of Wood Fire actually does – all to help you make an informed decision to go wood.

Firstly, all wood burning Fires sold by Wright’s are made here in New Zealand. They meet the highest International and NZ NES & ECAN “Clean Air Approved” emission standards.

Why Choose a Wood Burner? ...Because Wood Is Good!

• Wood is carbon neutral. Burning wood is a high-speed decomposition version of what happens naturally in the forest.

• Wood requires no electricity to burn.

• Wood in NZ is plentiful and mostly fully sustainable.

• New Wood Fire emissions and carbon footprint is lower than any other heat source.

• Wood Fires dry out damp houses, turning them into warm, healthy homes.

• Pay back can be as little as three and a half years against present electricity pricing.

• If you can obtain FREE firewood, the cost of heating your home is virtually NIL.

• Finally, if you can obtain FREE firewood; No Power Bills, No Carbon Tax, No Environment Tax, No Excise Duty. No GST.

Which style of Wood Fire Style?

Open Wood Fire and Hearth (Old Style)
This wood fire type has been banned by an increasing number of local authorities. The easiest way to upgrade this fire type is to install a suitable Insert Wood Fire into the open fire cavity.

Freestanding Style
Freestanding Wood Fires are generally the most popular, easiest and cheapest to have installed. Since 2013 the efficiency designed into these fire styles has put Wood Fires back on the map as the most cost effective heat source for your home.

There are three different types of modern Wood Fire – which type suits you?

1. Freestanding – Radiant This Wood Fire type can be installed into any style of home. The radiant heat from this fire type reflects and “shines” heat on to anything in its path (radiated heat). That could be you if you’re near the fire, or a wall, or furniture, or anything else within a few metres of the fire. Most have useful ‘hot-tops’ that can serve as a coffee or soup warmer. Radiant Fires are best suited for older, less insulated and draughty homes with high-pitched or cathedral ceilings. They also tend to be slightly less expensive, hence their popularity.

2. Freestanding – Convection
This Wood Fire heats the air immediately around it. Hot air becomes lighter (less dense) and will rise above the heater. This drags in cooler air from the surrounding room which is in-turn heated, creating a ‘convection swirl’ inside the room. This convection air-current means that the warmest air in the room ends up near the ceiling which is why convection fires are the best all-round choice in lower, flat ceiling homes. Simply put, convection fires warm the air mass.

3. Insert or Inbuilt
These are convection fires, available in two different types:

Open Fire Insert to retro-fit into an old type of open fire place.

Artificial Fire Surround which is an insert fire that fits inside a fire-proof ‘zero-clearance’ box. This allows the fire to be built into an artificial fire surround and artificial chimney. Great for new house design fire installs.

Some come with booster fans to force hot air into the room.

Heat Output

Choose a Wood Fire with a heat output to suit the size of your home. The colder your winter nights and the less insulation and draught control your home has, the higher the Kilowatt requirements. If you have a small to average sized modern, non-draughty, well-insulated home, with few to no frosts, then 10-16kW should be plenty. For a medium to large house in a similar temperature zone, then 12-18kW would be more suitable. Obviously for larger homes, the larger the heating requirement.

Multi-Room Ducting

If you add an optional heat distribution ducting system to the ceiling cavity this can give most rooms in your home a very comfortable temperature.

Wetbacks

A wetback is a great way to use spent heat from your Wood Fire to heat your hot water cylinder. A larger number of Wood Fires are now registered as wetback capable for most areas in NZ. Please check with Wright’s to see which model is compliant with your local authority. We recommend a registered Plumber check the suitability of your existing water cylinder and the distance from the fire to your cylinder before you consider the wetback option. If you interested in wetback conversion please contac t us

Building Consent

Before you buy a Wood Fire, Wright’s can advise you what fire is allowed to be installed in your area. We can also make sure your local council will allow you to install the model you prefer (some council authorities will only allow installation of models from their recommended approved list). You will also need to obtain a Building Consent before you install your Wood Fire. This can take up to 21 days. After the Wood Fire has been installed, you will require a further Certificate of Compliance. Wright’s can take care of the entire process with our exclusive Wrightcare Installation Service.

Why Choose Wrightcare Installation Service?

Once you have chosen your Wood Fire and accepted our quotation, our comprehensive Wrightcare Installation Service will take care of the entire installation process. We arrange everything – consent, delivery, installation, right through to final certification. Wright’s will take care of it all.

Installation

Whilst taking advantage of our Wrightcare Installation Service the installations are contracted out to the top installation contractors in the Auckland Super City area. Sadly, a poor installation job can ruin the heating and emissions performance of even the best Wood Fires. It’s your home, we respect that, so do our installation experts. The quality of the job is our hallmark. That’s probably why Wright’s win more Masport Heating No.1 awards than anyone else!

Outside of the Auckland Area?

If you're enquiring about purchasing Wood Fires from outside the Auckland area, it will be our pleasure to ship to your place, anywhere in NZ. Please contact us with your details. We can help you arrange just about everything...or at least point you in the right direction.

NZ-Wide Installers

If you choose to source your own Wood Fire installer we recommend contacting New Zealand Home Heating Association for a certified installer near you. Please Note: initially saving money by not using a certified installer can result in more expense further down the track. You may have difficulty selling your house without a Wood Fire Installation Certificate. Also, if an illegally installed Wood Fire causes a fire it will most likely invalidate your insurance cover.

Safety Guards

Here at Wright’s yours and your families safety is paramount. All Wood Fire surfaces can get very hot and can be a serious danger to small children and adults alike. Protective guards are readily available, easy to install and highly recommended.

How to choose the Wright Wood Fire

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