Understanding Wood Heater Regulations In Australia

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To ensure safe practices are met with and to regulate quality control, the Australian Standards authorities have set out a number of guidelines for homeowners to follow when purchasing and installing solid fuel heaters in the home. The Australian Standard AS/NZS 4013 provides essential information on the compliance criteria for solid fuel burning appliances for domestic use. If you’re deciding on whether to install a wood heater in your home, here is what you should know.

Your wood heater should be certified and compliant

Certified wood heaters are placed through stringent emissions testing methods to ensure that they do not pose a threat to the environment. Compliance requires an efficiency requirement of 55%. You will know your unit is compliant by looking out for the compliance plate.

Opt for a model that offers a low emission rating and a high efficiency grade. Low emission output is good news for the health of your family and environment while efficiency relates to burning less wood to generate heat. On average, a 10% increase in efficiency is equal to 1 tonne of firewood less that you need to purchase, store and load, saving you time and money!

Meeting installation requirements

Proper wood heater installation in Australia has to meet with proper installation requirements in keeping with manufacturer instructions and a professional qualified technician. You may also need to check if approval is needed from your local council.

The Australian Home Heating Association (AHHA) offers the following tips for using wood heaters safely and efficiently:

  • Ensure wood heaters are professionally maintained annually (better to be done in spring).
  • To light a fire, use kindling wood or firelighters and add on wood logs once you have a hot bed of coals ready.
  • For more efficient heat output make certain that your home is well insulated, that doors are properly closed and no draughts can get in through window cracks.
  • Burning three smaller sized logs allow better wood heating efficiency than burning two large ones.

For more information on wood heater regulations in Australia speak to us at Quadrafire. We are the leading supplier of a quality range of modern wood burning stoves.