DIBt tested stoves

DIBt tested stoves for low energy airtight homes from Stove Yard Cheshire

Choosing a DIBt tested wood burning stove is an important decision for any homeowner wishing to install a stove in a low energy airtight home or a home with a mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system to ensure the stove's continuous safe operation. DIBt tested stoves also make a good choice for a room where mechanical air extraction (e.g., extractor fan) is present, such as in a kitchen diner.

The DIBt test was specifically developed by the German Institute for Structural Engineering (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik) to prove the effectiveness of a stove's room seal, particularly the air-tightness of the stove's door, when the stove is subjected to the air pressure differences typically found between an operating stove and the room in an airtight or passiv haus home. Normally, a stove must have positive air pressure in the room to ensure that the combustion gases rise through the chimney and are expelled into the atmosphere. Negative air pressure is caused by the mechanical extraction of air from the building, and if the stove has an ineffective room seal, leakage of dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) can easily occur, particularly as the fire dies down.

A direct external supply of combustion air to the stove can help mitigate the effects of negative air pressure. DIBt stoves therefore also feature a dedicated external air supply (DEAS), which means that the stove will not need to take any of its combustion air from the room it's installed in. This, combined with the room-sealed door, in effect makes the DIBt tested stove's combustion process 100% sealed off from the room and its air pressure effects. It is worth noting here that where an installation involves DEAS as an alternative to a dedicated air vent, and the home is also a low energy home and/or has MVHR or an extractor fan present in the room, the appropriate BS8303: 2018 spillage test procedures must be undertaken during commissioning to determine any potential effects of negative pressure on the stove's safe operation.

Low energy homes also require significantly less heat to keep them at a comfortable temperature on cold days, and a good DIBt tested stove will usually have a sufficient tested heat output range starting at around 2 to 3 kW and ensure that its heat output can be precisely managed and will be easy to live with.

At Stove Yard Cheshire, we were one of the very first UK companies to actively sell and promote the benefits of DIBt tested stoves over 15 years ago and so we have a wealth of experience regarding this type of stove and its installation requirements. It's worth noting that there are also many excellent stoves with DEAS which have not been DIBt tested but are still suitable for low energy homes. Why not call at our Holmes Chapel showroom (open Monday to Saturday) to see some great examples of DIBt tested stoves and their equivalent on display from Hwam, Wiking, and Morsø and also to pick the brains of our stove experts.